The land ahead of me was desolate. As I felt the harsh cold penetrate my white robe, I could see snowflakes falling from the gray, gloomy sky. I stood still for a while as I thought about the situation I was in. “Blood Festival…?” I murmured. The memories of the mysterious person, the dark room I was in a while ago, and the game with wicked rules flooded back inside my brain. With eyes widened, I couldn't help but wonder if this was some kind of afterlife—or rather—a place for mortal souls to engage in a competition.

I realized this was no ordinary world. Suddenly, words echoed in my mind. “It's kill or be killed.”

Soon enough, my survival instinct kicked in as thirst, a need of every human, demanded my attention. I began walking in a random direction I chose out of gut feeling. “I need water…,” I thought as my throat began to dry up from the cold and being thirsty. As I traversed the snowy landscape, my eyes scanned the surroundings for liquid water.

With every step, the snow beneath my feet makes a crunching sound. Shivering, I tightly held onto my white robe to shield myself from the cold. I shrugged off all my bafflement and questions for now—survival has become my sole focus.

A few moments after what felt like an eternity, I finally found a lake concealed by a few pine trees. With my hopes up, I started approaching the lake. Each step felt like a battle against an ice dragon that was determined to freeze me, but the promise of water kept me moving.

Once I reached the lake’s edge, I kneeled down and broke the thin layer of ice covering the lake. I used my hands as a cup and began drinking. Though numbingly cold, the lake’s water brought a sense of relief to my throat. I drank greedily even more and savored every drop of the precious water that would help me survive in this harsh environment.

After quenching my thirst, I stood up and plotted my next move. “I should find shelter before it gets dark,” I thought.

I then began moving away from the lake to the nearby woods. Once I entered the woods and journeyed deeper, the atmosphere suddenly shifted. The trees stood tall and menacing, and the terrifying cawing of the crows in the distance added to the already frightening ambiance.

My senses heightened.

Adrenaline rushed in.

A few seconds later, I heard it.

Footsteps.

The distinct sound reached my ears, and I instinctively crouched behind a tree. Peeking from behind a tree, I saw strangers clad in fur and thick leather. Just from looking at them, I knew they were not ordinary humans. Their attire showed marks of survival in the frozen wilderness—fur-lined boots that left faint imprints in the snow and gloves that seemed worn from countless battles against the unforgiving elements. Strapped to their backs were bows and swords glinting with a sheen of cold steel.

“Could they also be players?” I asked myself.

These people moved with a purpose, and their eyes were filled with determination. Curiosity getting the best of me, I cautiously followed them, hoping to have some understanding of the world I now inhabited. My heart raced as I considered the possibility that their goal might be to kill every participant of the game bestowed on us by the ominous figure.

Then.

The strangers stopped moving and looked down at the prints in the snow. The person who seemed to be their leader crouched down and inspected the markings. "We're on the right track. Keep your guard up," said the leader, his words, ever so serious, cut through the frozen air.

Still unaware of my presence, these strangers resumed walking. Up until the very end, I kept a safe distance, hidden behind rocks and trees while observing their every move.

But then, their pace quickened like a shot, and tension increased in the air every second—they began sprinting. I tried my best to catch up with them. Soon enough, they stopped in their tracks and created a circle formation—people on the outside of the circle drew their swords, and people on the inside prepared to shoot with their bows.

I carefully watched them as they were ready to confront something or someone. “Is it a monster?” I thought. But what could such a desolate land offer to create a monster? Perhaps it is a killer they were hunting down. All these questions filled my mind with no immediate answer. I could only watch for now.

The leader then raised his hand, signaling the group. As I observed from my concealed position, my instincts warned me that danger lurked nearby.

Then it arrived.

A low growl echoed through the forest and sent shivers down my spine. Soon enough, loud footsteps could be heard approaching. As it got closer, its steps began to make the surroundings quake more and more. Then, it emerged from the shadows. It was a creature that you can only see in nightmares. It was a massive beast with fur as white as the snow around us.

A polar bear.

But unlike the world I came from, this one was extraordinary. This polar bear stood taller than the surrounding trees. Its eyes glowed a crimson hue, and its teeth and claws were abnormally long and sharp.

“There it is! That bastard is here,” yelled the leader. The colossal beast gazed at the group. Then, it roared so loud that the whole forest trembled in fear. The beast then charged toward them. With its massive claws, it slashed through the ground and into these strangers. Fortunately, these strangers came prepared as they cast a barrier that prevented the beast’s claws from tearing them apart. They then tightened their formation. They pointed their swords and bows at the beast. The polar bear reacted by lunging itself again into the barrier and letting out a barrage of swipes and slashes in an attempt to break it.

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Those people took the opportunity to stab and damage the beast. Arrows flew into the monster’s eyes and neck, and swords tore through its stomach. The monster then backed away after receiving heavy damage, which surprised the group. “We’re winning!” said one of the people. However, I noticed that there was something off with that beast. It doesn’t look easy defeating it.

The polar bear shook its fur, removing every arrow and sword stuck to its body. It roared once again and charged forward. The beast swung its claws ferociously, which caught the group off guard. It sent a few people flying into trees.

The group then created another barrier, to which the beast destroyed it with one slash. The beast then killed one of the magicians who created such barriers. Surprised, the group began to panic. They charged forward into the beast without a plan, which was a stupid idea that ended in their lives being taken away by the polar bear. After that, the polar bear went on a killing spree.

It was almost the end. However, the leader of the group began emitting magic. His hand glowed with intense flames.

“Come at me, you bitch,” he spoke. The polar bear looked at him in the eyes and lunged forward.

The leader then unleashed flames toward the charging polar bear. The inferno enveloped the massive creature. It began crying and roaring, but it never faltered. It emerged with defiance from the flames. Unscathed, the beast walked toward the leader with hatred in its eyes. Surprised, the leader told his members to group themselves and attack from the flanks. The others followed his orders and began circling the beast.

It roared once again, and the battle continued. Soon enough, the clashing of steel against fur and the roars of the beast echoed throughout the forest. Swords parried against the massive claws, and arrows whizzed through the air. The leader, his hand still glowing with flames, directed the group with strategy. However, the sheer size and ferocity of the beast proved to be a formidable threat.

“Damn it!” he cursed.

As the battle raged on, the beast began moving at lightning speed. It crushed one person and sent another sprawling into the snow. Another person managed to land a blow with their sword, but the creature shrugged it off and slashed the person with its claws. Everything these people did to attack this beast was pointless. They were simply outmatched, so the beast began killing them one after the other.

The battle between them and the colossal beast reached a critical juncture. The forest now sang the desperate shouts of the people. I couldn’t bear witness to such brutality. All I could see and hear were the swords and arrows being thrown out in desperation and the agonizing cries of these strangers.

Amid this chaos, I found myself powerless—going out there to help them would be suicide.

The chilling realization struck me as I observed the gruesome event from my concealed position.

The forest had become a bloodbath.

The leader sat with blood on every part of his blood. What was once his confident demeanor was now tainted with despair. He looked at the monster again, raised his hand, and started emitting flames.

He began casting magic again but with desperation. It was his trump card.

The beast noticed his chanting and lunged forward to his position.

“You’re too late…,” said the leader. Then, he released a powerful blast of flames toward the beast.

The leader's last stand, a mesmerizing dance of fire and ice, burned the heart of the frozen wilderness. The flames he emitted, now shifting from red to blue, struck the charging polar bear

….

What was once a forest that turned into a chaotic battlefield now fell into an eerie silence.

However, against this clash of beast versus man, only one remained. The flames their leader threw to the beast were so bright and hot like the sun that I wondered, “Can the polar bear even survive that thing?”

Then, the answer to my question came.

The colossal polar bear emerged from the burning flames, and its fur was still intact from the intense heat. The beast stood triumphantly amidst the devastation it had wrought, its crimson eyes reflecting the remnants of the fiery clash.

The fallen, including their leader, became a victim of the beast’s slaughter.

The survivors, sensing the futility of their efforts, began to retreat. The polar bear then fixed its eyes on the retreating humans and chased after them. As it ran after them into the forest’s depths, it disappeared among the towering trees.

The aftermath left behind nothing but blood-stained snow and dead bodies on the forest floor.

The scent of blood began to hang in the air.

Cautiously, I emerged from my hiding place. I started working my way toward the bodies of the fallen, my steps careful and calculated on the blood-stained snow. As I got closer to the bodies, a mix of emotions swirled within me—compassion for the lives lost. “You may now rest in peace.” The leader, once confident and commanding, now lay still, his body battered and bloodied. I hesitated for a moment, staring at his lifeless body before me.

Soon enough, I began to loot their bodies for any resources. I took a bag, picked up one of their swords, and changed my white robe to their thicker, more cold-resistant leather attire. Once I gathered what I could salvage, I distanced myself from the gruesome scene. But before I could leave, I noticed something from the corner of my eyes for a brief second.

It was a book.

I got closer and picked it up. The cover of the book was leather and had letters I couldn’t understand. Also, its pages were weathered by the conditions of this desolate land. However, it was emitting heat, unlike the other things I looted from the other dead bodies.

“What is this? Some sort of magic book?”

Out of curiosity, I tried opening the book. However, I felt a sense of danger lurking around before I could turn to the first page.

I placed the book inside my bag, looked around, and prepared myself.

But suddenly, I heard a growl, to which I immediately looked to where the sound originated.

And there it was.

Behind the shadows of the blood-stained trees, the beast’s glowing crimson eyes met mine.

The colossal polar bear had returned. The low growl that came from the beast was a haunting sound that would forever send chills down my spine.

As I stared at the beast, my heart raced.

Adrenaline rushed in my veins.

There was only one thing my body told me:

RUN.

— End of Chapter 2 —