"Crack!"
The sound was sharp. Too deliberate.
Not ice, not anything… but a branch.
Si Hon froze.
That wasn't the wind.
That wasn't anything or idk.
Someone— or something— had stepped on it.
He stood up and straightened, breath shallow, hand already on the hilt.
Si Hon raised the katana and pointed it toward the bushes, blade steady, eyes locked on the bush.
Then—
Something small pushed through the snow.
White fur. Long ears dusted with snow, and a trembling nose.
A rabbit.
It hopped out from the bushes, paused, then froze when it noticed him, round eyes locked onto the blade pointed in its general direction.
For a long second, nothing moved.
The mountain exhaled.
────────────────────
New species detected: Rabbit
────────────────────
Si Hon's eyes twitched.
"…I know what that is."
The window lingered. Then, awkwardly—
────────────────────
Ah. Yes, Apologies.
────────────────────
"…It's fine," Si Hon muttered, lowering the katana just a little.
The rabbit took that as permission to leave and bolted, disappearing into the white like it had never existed at all.
Then the little girl interrupts.
"That's still food right? Why did you let it go Dad?"
Si Hon frozes.
"Shit…" he quietly whispered to himself.
Si Hon stared at the spot where the rabbit had vanished.
White snow. Nothing else.
He exhaled slowly, a long breath through his nose, then let his shoulders drop.
"…yeah," he muttered. "Still food."
He slid the katana back into its sheath, with a faint click.
The little girl watched him closely, her head tilted just a bit, eyes trying to understand what just happened.
"But you didn't take it," she said. "You're always saying food is important."
Si Hon picked up the backpack and slung it over his shoulder again. The weight settled in.
"That thing?" he said, then glanced down at her. "dont worry it was too small and too fast. And…" he paused, "…not worth it…"
She squinted at him.
"Okay," Si Hon muttered. "Okay… yes I forgot that's food."
He sighed and reached out.
The girl then wrapped her hand into his hand like it had always belonged there.
"It's okay." she replied.
They started walking.
The Tower loomed larger now, its silhouette cutting into the pale sky like a scar that never healed. Still far. But atleast closer than before.
Snow crunched. Ice shifted under them.
The river murmured behind them, patient.
For a few steps, neither of them spoke.
Then Si Hon sighed.
"…hey," he said.
She looked up immediately.
"Yes, Dad?"
"…now that I think about it," he said casually, "do you have a name?"
She blinked.
Then nodded once.
"Yes, it's B2."
Si Hon stopped walking and his eyes twitched.
"B2…"
"Yes?"
He rubbed his face with one hand.
"yea no…"
She stiffened slightly.
"…why?"
He looked down at her, then sighed again, longer this time.
"That's not a name," he said. "That's… a code or something."
She didn't argue. Just watched him.
Si Hon then placed a hand on her head, fingers ruffling her hair gently.
"Alright, We're fixing that."
She froze.
"fixed?"
"Yeah," he said. "I'm naming you."
Her breath caught.
He thought for a second then suddenly.
"…Ha-na," he said softly. "Hana."
The little girl's eyes widened.
"My name…" she whispered.
She smiled.
Then without warning she threw herself at him.
"Thank you, Dad!"
"ay!"
Her weight knocked into him at the worst possible angle, on ice, both of them slipped.
"Ah!"
They went down hard, sliding a short distance before stopping, snow spraying everywhere.
Silence.
Then—
"…are you okay?" she asked, lying half on top of him.
"…I think so," he groaned. "You're surprisingly hyper."
She laughed.
"I will cherish it," she said seriously. "My name."
"…yeah, yeah," he muttered, carefully pushing himself up. "Okay. Up. Before the mountain decides this is funny and starts TWEAKING out again."
They stood again, brushing snow off clothes that would never really be clean.
He took her hand once more.
This time, she held tighter.
They walked.
Step by step.
Toward the Tower.
Behind them, the river continued to flow beneath the ice.
***
Now the tower stood in front of them. Up close, it felt different.
The Tower stood like the spine of a dead god piercing the sky. Even from this impossible height on the mountain, its DARK~ MASIVE~ GIRTHY SILHOUETTE dominated the horizon it was so tall, dark, and impossibly ancient, carved from a stone no world should naturally produce.
It didn't just stand there, it radiated presence. The air around it shimmered faintly, bending light like heat over desert sand despite the freezing cold, as if reality itself strained to support the thing's existence.
Si Hon stopped.
For a moment, he just stood there.
"…yeah," he muttered. "Still ugly and creepy."
He took one step forward.
The world reacted.
A red circle spread across the ground
Perfect. Clean. Too clean. A perfect circle, circling the tower.
It expanded outward from the Tower's base, carving a clear boundary into the mountain. The moment it finished forming.
Everything stopped.
The snow froze mid fall. The wind died instantly even the sound felt like it had been muted.
Hana smiled.
"It looks so cool, now that I'm actually seeing it and focusing on it"
He exhaled.
"yea," he said. "I know."
A familiar presence settled into the air.
────────────────────────
Safe Zone detected. ────────────────────────
.
────────────────────────
Welcome back, Player. ────────────────────────
.
────────────────────────
This area has been designated as your Safe Zone. ────────────────────────
Si Hon closed his eyes for a second.
"…welcome back my ass."
He opened them again.
The tent was still there.
Still okay.
He stared at it.
Then snorted.
"…man," he said quietly. "I actually missed this stupid thing, like actually."
Hana looked between the Tower and the tent.
She stared at the tent for a few seconds.
Then—
"…can I go inside the tent?"
Si Hon glanced over his shoulder.
"Yeah," he said. "Sure."
She giggled and skidaddled over and ducked inside, the fabric rustling as it swallowed her. The inside was dark but not cold. The ground was rough even though the tent is floating a bit, but it didn't matter. The smell was like a new shoe, and something faintly familiar.
She curled up.
The world slowed.
The Tower didn't move. The fire didn't scare her. The mountain didn't feel close anymore.
Her eyes closed.
Just for a bit.
***
Si Hon checked on her a few minutes later.
He lifted the tent flap slightly and looked inside.
She was already out.
Breathing slow. Body curled in on with the blankets he gave him earlier, the one that he took in the backpack. Hands tucked close like she was afraid the world might take them if she let go.
He paused.
"…tired, I see," he muttered quietly.
He lowered the flap again, careful not to make noise.
Si Hon shrugged the backpack off and set it down near the Tower's base.
"Alright," he said. "Let's fix things up."
He moved without rushing.
Picked up branches scattered near the circle's edge. Dry ones. Snapped a few longer ones in half. Grabbed flat stones and stacked them into a rough ring.
Then took the branches he picked up on the way Inside the backpack, and some rock and placed it in the ring, he then took out one of the lighter inside the backpack.
"Haha, luckily I'm not gonna be caveman and I have this lighter wit me."
He crouched, struck the lighter, and fed the flame slowly.
The fire caught.
Small at first.
Then steady.
Warmth crept back into the air.
Si Hon leaned back on his hands.
"…there we go."
Si Hon then suddenly noticed the tent moved and Hana head popped out of the flap.
He glanced at her.
"Rule update," he said. "Fire stays inside the rocks. Don't touch it."
"I won't," she said immediately.
"Good."
She then came back inside the tent.
The System stayed quiet.
Snow remained frozen at the edge of the Safe Zone, like the mountain itself was waiting for permission to move again.
Si Hon looked around.
Tower behind him.
Tent nearby, fire in front, food in the bag and water secured.
"…yeah," he muttered. "This'll do for now."
He sat down near the fire.
The Tower loomed above him, silent and unmoving.
But for now— atleast they were safe.
———
IM SORRY FOR BEING A LAZY AUTHOR... AND THE
———
THIS
——
IM REALLY SORRY... ILL CHANGE IT NOW. AND IN THE NEXT CHAPTER ILL MAKE IT BETTER AND AY... AEE YOU CURIOUS WHY EVE THOUGH SI HON IS THE ONE THAT WAS REWOUND everything feels like it was rewound.
Guess what.
On next chapter.
Ty for reading btw and thank you for Powerstone. If you're waiting what if check my other book.
Just click on my profile and you'll see TEHEE. And yes... Please do Support me and my life is yours... Actually I need support since I'm genuinely poor as hell... I'm like penniless... And uh... Yk it's your choice but I would love it if you support me... A lazy author like me getting a support.... UGH! Feels good. Bye bye!