A massive iron fortress stood before him. Thick steel walls, wrapped in coils of barbed wire like a predatory spine. Red-lit searchlights crawled along the surface of the walls, cutting through the white wasteland. It rose from the frozen ground like something inhuman—cold, silent, utterly merciless.
Leo stared at it helplessly, his breath leaving his lips as mist that froze in the air. His journey was not over; in truth, this was where his suffering truly began.
Jason stood inside the bathroom as icy water poured down from the shower, running over his head and shoulders, yet his thoughts were trapped in something even colder. Where did they take Leo? How am I supposed to bring them back…?
From the kitchen, his mother shouted that the rice was ready and would get cold. Jason stepped out slowly, wiping his hair with a towel, his eyes distant and unfocused. He went out to the balcony to hang his clothes, then carried a plate of steaming rice into the drawing room. On the television, an Avengers movie was playing—a story about superhero saving the world.
Jason sat silently and thought, If Riven had power like that… maybe I could save this entire land.
Normally, he would have watched the whole movie, but today he fell asleep halfway through, because he knew that the world he would wake up in next would place its future in his hands.
Suddenly, his eyes snapped open. His breath froze in his chest, turning into white vapor. The wind cut like sharpened blades. Snow was piled everywhere, but scattered across that snow lay hundreds of corpses—white ground stained with blood, torn clothes, bodies stiffened by frost. A few young men trembled in the distance, half-alive, perhaps left behind as food for beasts.
A system window appeared before his eyes, displaying a mission:
"Rescue Leo and the youths."
Riven checked his condition—HP 50%, stamina 45%, strength 55%, skill 75%, ability 65%. His health was declining, and the cold was draining his speed and endurance.
A broken, ancient windmill creaked violently in the wind, its shadow stretching long across the snow. And standing at the center of it all was someone—me—appearing as a mysterious figure. A large, curled coat made of black animal hide, a torn hood pulled low, face wrapped in cloth, like the guardian of this pit of death. One hand was raised toward the sky as if crying out in anguish, eyes glowing reddish, wild and filled with terror. Riven instinctively stepped back, his mind seized by a single fear—Is Leo among them?
For two hours he walked, surrounded by nothing but corpses, blood, and unbearable cold. Then, suddenly, a sound broke the silence—khrr… khrr… Leaves rustled.
Riven narrowed his eyes as a massive bear emerged from the darkness. It roared, the ground trembling beneath its weight. Riven reached behind him and drew his weapon—a sharp-edged pickaxe.
As the bear lunged, Riven shifted to the right and slashed both sides of its neck. The head separated from the body, and hot blood poured out like steaming smoke onto the snow. The bear collapsed, twitching violently.
Before he could even catch his breath, a second bear struck from the left, its claws tearing into Riven's back. A sharp pain exploded in his shoulder as warm blood streamed down. Gritting his teeth, Riven spun around and drove the pickaxe straight into the bear's eye. The eye burst, blood splashing across the snow, and the beast screamed as it rolled away.
A third bear attacked from behind, trying to bite him. Riven dropped to one knee and swung upward, ripping the pickaxe through its belly. Blood sprayed across the frozen ground.
The fourth leapt from above and slammed Riven to the ground. He slid across the snow as its paw crashed into his chest, tearing through him like fire. With trembling hands, Riven raised the pickaxe and smashed the wheel end into the beast's jaw, then buried the blade along the side of its head.
The final bear was the largest of them all. Its claws struck Riven square in the chest, forcing his body forward. Darkness crept into his vision. He collapsed onto the snow, blood spilling from his mouth. The bear opened its jaws wide and lowered its head toward Riven's face. In that moment, Riven thought, So this is where my story ends…
BANG.
A deafening sound tore through the air. Blood erupted from a hole in the bear's head as its massive body crashed lifelessly onto the snow. Through blurred vision, Riven saw someone standing in the distance, a smoking gun in their hand.