The fire from a single torch was the only thing keeping them safe.
The young monster hunter duo wandered through the forest, trying to escape.
What was supposed to be an easy raid had turned into a nightmare.
A simple gathering mission had become a struggle for survival.
"We have to get back to the village," Nor whispered. She dragged behind her an improvised stretcher; her injured partner lay atop it.
"Go… save yourself," Marco replied. A wound on his left leg kept him from walking. "If you keep dragging me, we'll both die."
Nor hesitated. She knew that if she left him behind, she might have a chance to escape.
"Sniff… it's not fair…" her tearful eyes shimmered under the moonlight. "I couldn't live with myself if I let you die here."
Tears streamed down her cheeks.
But before they could hit the ground… they froze.
The flame in the torch flickered. The air turned cold. Dry.
"They're here…"
Nor looked into the darkness of the forest.
And the darkness… looked back.
Dozens of glowing blue eyes shone between the trees.
They were surrounded.
She gently lowered the stretcher. Gripping her sword, she braced for the worst.
Marco, meanwhile, loaded his crossbow.
"I'll cover you. Run when you get the chance."
The crack of dry branches broke the silence. One. Then another. And another.
The shadows began to take form.
From the gloom between the trunks, the beasts emerged.
Taller than a man, covered in dark blue scales and white feathers.
They walked upright on powerful legs, claws sharp enough to rend stone.
Their hooked beaks clicked softly, as if tasting the air.
Their icy blue eyes gleamed with predatory intelligence.
They all stepped forward at once. As if responding to a single, silent command.
As if they were one.
Each step froze the earth, withered the grass.
The torch flame shrank even more, barely a flickering spark in the darkness.
White breaths escaped from the hunters' mouths.
They were breathing ice.
Nor instinctively stepped back—but forced herself to stay firm.
"What do we do?" she whispered, never taking her eyes off the creatures.
Marco tensed the bowstring, aiming at the closest one.
"T-they're… Cryavas."
"Cryavas?" Nor repeated. "But… they're not supposed to come down from the mountains."
Suddenly, one of the beasts raised its head and let out a sharp, metallic screech.
Then they attacked.
They rushed in like a wave of living frost—claws outstretched, beaks wide open, ready to tear.
Nor screamed and charged forward, sword raised. She deflected the charge of one of the beasts.
Marco fired his crossbow. The bolt whistled through the air and struck a beast in the neck.
It didn't fall. It only grew angrier.
It lunged at him with terrifying speed.
Then, out of nowhere, a clean cut slashed through the air—blood splattered the ground.
A head rolled to Nor's feet.
"Marco…" she muttered, eyes fixed on the severed head. "What the hell did you just do?"
"I… I didn't do anything."
Nor stepped back, bewildered.
The creature had simply… fallen.
"What…?"
Another Cryava stopped dead. Lifted its snout. Growled.
And its head fell too…
The beasts began turning in place, sniffing the air.
Their eyes sparkled with alertness, but they didn't know where to look.
The ice cracked beneath their shifting paws.
One by one, they began to fall.
Heads rolled. Claws swiped at empty air, searching for an enemy they couldn't see, hear, or smell.
Panic erupted among them.
Some shrieked. Others tried to flee into the forest. But none escaped.
An invisible shadow hunted among them—a predator among blind prey.
One by one, the Cryavas fell.
Heads dropped. The ground stained with bluish blood.
Not a single roar announced the strikes.
It all happened in silence.
Unseen. Precise.
Until the last body collapsed.
And the forest went quiet.
Only the torch's trembling flame remained alive.
Nor stood frozen, sword lowered, her face pale.
Marco could barely breathe, hands clenched around his crossbow.
Both stared into the trees, waiting for something to emerge.
But nothing moved.
Until it appeared—right in front of Marco.
He didn't hear it.
He didn't see it coming.
It was just there, suddenly. Crouching.
Less than a meter away.
The figure was human—halfway.
A scythe made of black bone rested on its back.
The first thing Marco saw was a skull. A large mask with curved ram-like horns. The dark, empty eyes of the skull stared straight at him.
His heart skipped a beat.
His body froze. Not a single muscle obeyed.
He tried to scream, but only air came out.
"N-Nor…" he whispered, barely audible, eyes locked on the figure.
She turned instantly, pointing her sword.
"Are you… a hunter?"
The skull turned to look at her for a second, then back at Marco.
It glanced at the wound on his leg, raised a finger… and touched it.
"AAAHH!" Marco screamed from the sharp pain. "What the hell are you doing?!"
Right after that, a small reptile climbed onto the figure's shoulder, crawled down its arm, and approached Marco.
It opened its mouth, and a long tongue shot out toward the wound.
Nor tensed immediately.
"Get away from him!" she growled, stepping forward with her sword ready.
"Wait!!" Marco said, raising a hand toward Nor. "The pain… it's fading."
Meanwhile, the masked figure stood up.
He walked toward Nor.
Stopped in front of her and sniffed.
"He… He's a human male, like me," he said, pointing at Marco. "But you… sniff… sniff… You smell different. What are you?"
Nor narrowed her eyes, not lowering her sword.
"What kind of question is that? I'm a woman, you idiot."
"Woman idiot?" he repeated, tilting his head curiously.
"You're messing with me, right?"
"I'm not touching you."
"It's a figure of speech!"
"What is a figure of speech?"
"Forget it…" she sighed, reluctantly lowering her sword a little.
Behind him, Marco let out a hoarse laugh.
"Ha… ha ha… Hey, 'woman idiot'. This thing is amazing…" he said, looking at the little reptile.
Nor scoffed, but couldn't help smiling at the sound of his laugh. She glanced at his leg and the creature still licking the wound.
She watched as the skin began to close. It was no longer bleeding. Fresh skin pulsed like it had just grown back.
"It's… healed?" Nor asked, still in disbelief.
"Yeah," Marco nodded, gently touching his leg. "Like nothing ever happened. This thing is… magical…"
The little reptile let out a soft squeal, retracted its tongue, and ran back to the masked figure.
It climbed from his leg up to his neck, wrapping around him like a living scarf.
"What is it?" Nor asked, pointing at it.
"His name is Goru. He's been with me since he was little."
Nor fully lowered her sword, though she kept her eyes on him.
"So… what's your name?"
He raised his head and removed the mask with one hand.
His face was young, with sharp features and golden eyes.
White hair fell messily over his shoulders.
"Ryo."
"Just Ryo?"
"Do I need more?"
Nor shrugged.
"Well, Ryo… Thanks for saving us."
Ryo went quiet, looking at the blood-stained ground.
"You're the first humans I've ever…" Ryo whispered,
"I'll stay with you…"