RUN.

As soon as that word formed in my mind, I sprinted away from the beast without a second thought. My legs felt a bolt of adrenaline that carried me swiftly through the forest, passing by trees and shrubs in a direction I couldn't care less. After all, my sole objective is to run from that beast as far away as possible.

Frightened, I dare not to look back. All I could hear behind me was trees getting violently thrown away and the thunderous stomps of the beast that seemed to be getting closer to me every second. At this rate, it would catch up and kill me in no time.

I had to do something.

I began sprinting in a zigzag pattern in an attempt to lose him in the trees. However, it was only slightly effective—it still had its menacing eyes filled with bloodlust on me. The beast looked like it knew every part of this frozen wasteland on the back of his hand. Losing him would prove to be a challenge.

But what else could I do—everything I did since then was futile. My limbs weren't made of iron, and there wasn't any shred of strength left within them. I wouldn't last long against such a massive opponent. “What should I do,” I thought. I was running out of options until I remembered the book I looted from one of the dead bodies. Perhaps I could use magic when I chant the words from the book.

It was do or die. So, I pulled the book out of my bag and began turning the pages.

However, as I read the book, I could only stare at the letters—I couldn’t comprehend them.

“How can I cast magic?!” I shouted in frustration.

This was impossible. I looked behind me and panicked as I saw the beast closing the gap. “Come on, come on,” I said as I desperately shook the book, hoping it would do something. But then, the monster leaped towards me.

I narrowly dodged its attack, but the shockwave of the impact sent me flying into a tree. The deadly crash dealt severe damage to my back. As I struggled to stand up, the realization struck me—where was the book? Did it get launched into the sky too?

I panicked, and my eyes began looking around. My eyes scanned everywhere until I noticed its maroon leather cover next to a pile of snow. I immediately ran toward it, but the magic book looked different this time.

My eyes widened in shock as flames engulfed the book—it had transformed before my very eyes. Without thinking, I picked up the book, and to my surprise, the flames surrounding the book weren’t burning my hands; it felt rather comforting. “This can do,” I thought, hope surging within me. I looked at the beast once again. Its crimson eyes stared at me with ill intent. As it approached, the snow beneath the ground also trembled in fear.

With a deep breath, I touched a tree with the flaming book.

The trees erupted in flames, and dark, thick smoke fumed everywhere. And with it, I began igniting the surrounding forest. This was all I could do for now. So, with the chaos I brought onto the forest, I ran away while the massive polar bear was in disarray. It was my plan to use the smoke of the burning forest as a cover. To see it working made me optimistic that I could escape.

And just like how the forest ignited in flames, hope ignited within me.

However, that optimism was short-lived.

The beast, witnessing its home getting burned to dust, roared like thunderous booms during storms. Its deafening intensity made me cover my ears as it shook my eardrums. As I sprinted with my hands on my ears, I looked behind and saw the massive polar bear run faster than before.

“What the…,”

It left me speechless. But still defiant at the idea of death, I began setting every tree and shrubs I passed by. The sound of the flames crackling competed with the beast's boiling hatred.

Soon enough, I started running out of breath from exhaustion. Each step began to feel like agony. I gasped for air as the adrenaline inside my body told me to hang in there a little longer. However, I felt death approaching my doorstep; it was the same feeling before I died in the hospital.

I shook my head and ignored it. After all, I want to survive and see my family again. That is, if I escape from this monster first. My legs started to become heavy, and every breath felt like inhaling shards of glass. This might be the end of me.

And soon, this harsh frozen wasteland would try to prove it.

After desperately running for so long, I reached a dead end. Ahead of me was a gigantic cliff that looked down on me—its walls were impenetrable and profoundly steep.

I looked around, but there was nowhere to go. Panic kicked in when I heard the footsteps of the massive polar bear approaching me from behind. Left with no choice but to confront the inevitable, I held the flaming book and waved it in the air like a torch to scare the beast. Of course, it was futile. The beast had no fear built into its system. So, with its massive paws, it jumped forward and slammed me into a tree. Then, it slashed my chest, which almost severed me in half. Its non-stop barrage of attacks continued to deliver fatal wounds on my frail body—I could almost see the light at the end of the tunnel.

I sighed. Just a while ago, I was only watching other people fighting this monster. Now, the forest cried my agony and suffering. Sitting on the snow that I stained with my own blood, I thought, “This is the end for me.”

I relaxed and closed my eyes as the beast prepared to lunge at me with its sharp claws and teeth.

Time is running out. I braced for impact.

“Goodbye….”

One.

Two.

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Three.

….

However, the anticipated impact never came.

I opened my eyes and saw the polar bear’s sharp, long teeth that were inches away from devouring my whole being. Howt seemed to be frozen in time—something was stopping it. I looked around and noticed a green bubble that encircled me. It acted like a protective barrier that separated me from the impending death. “Is this some kind of barrier magic?” I thought.

However, relentless in killing me no matter what, the beast bit the barrier again, which almost broke the barrier. But before it could crack open, arrows with red tips started whizzing in the air. The arrows hit the ground beneath the massive polar bear and released red fumes everywhere. Upon inhaling the red fumes, the beast shook its head and roared as it ran away. “Why did it run away from the smoke?” The monster fleeing gave me a sense of relief, though with bafflement.

Moments later, the barrier around me loosened up and disappeared.

I was safe. However, I was slowly losing consciousness from all the blood I lost.

Soon enough, I passed out.

….

“Where am I?”

I opened my eyes and woke up lying on a concrete floor with raindrops gently tapping my face. The cold mountains, the beast, and the magical world were gone. Instead, I found myself in a playground. I gradually stood up and looked around—this place was familiar. I realized that this place was my childhood playground. It was where I played as a kid on rainy days before being diagnosed with a heart disease.

I recognized the swings, the slides, and the horse spring rider I always rode back then. Oh, how time flew by. As I continued walking around the playground, I heard someone call my name in the distance.

“Kyo! There you are!”

I looked behind me and saw my mother carrying an umbrella. She ran toward me and placed an umbrella on top of my head. “Goodness, stop playing in the rain! You are going to get sick,” said my mother. I could only stare at my mother as she scolded me for standing in the rain. How nostalgic. I thought I wouldn’t hear her voice again. I felt tears welling up in my eyes.

Without a word, I hugged my mother as the tears in my eyes began cascading down my cheeks.

"I thought I'd lost you," I finally managed to speak, my voice choked with emotion.

“It’s okay, Kyo. You’re safe,” said my mother as she rubbed a towel on my hair, drying it from the rain. She was the best mother I could have asked for. “You’re safe,” she kept on repeating.

“You’re safe.”

“You’re safe.”

“Mother, are you okay?” I asked as she looked at me with her emotionless eyes.

“You’re safe.”

“For now.”

“Huh?” I stammered. Those were not the words my mom would normally say out of a sudden. What did she mean by “For now.”? I pulled away and looked at my mother once again. I wanted to ask her what she meant by those words. However, before I could utter a question, my mother and the playground behind her began dissolving into pure darkness. “Mother!” I shouted as I reached for her, trying to stop her from disappearing.

“Please, don’t go!” I began to plead, crying in desperation to no avail. Soon enough, the darkness had consumed everything and also began devouring me. “No, please,” I shouted as I tried to get rid of the black spots forming in my body.

No.

Not like this.

No!

….

No!

I shouted as I thrashed awake suddenly, my heart still pounding loudly like drums, my forehead filled with dripping cold sweat, and my breath came in ragged gasps. I sat up in bed as I realized it was all a nightmare, yet I could still recall the fear that surged through my body. I took a deep breath and noticed I was in a dimly lit room. The only sound I could hear was the steady patter of rain against the window.

“What a terrible dream…,” I thought.

I began moving around a tiny bit, but a sudden sharp sting radiated throughout my body. Surprised by the pain, I looked at my body and saw I had bandages all over me. “Was I saved?” Thinking about it, I sighed in relief.

….

Moments later, I heard the door creaked as it opened. Then, a large man with broad shoulders entered the room and spoke, “You’re finally awake.” His voice was deep and echoed back and forth in the room. He seemed like he was connected with the strangers I followed since he wore the same thick leather and fur. Perhaps, that was why he was not hostile—he simply thought I was one of them.

The man approached the bed and continued speaking. “So, you’re from the seventh division, right?” He asked me, to which I simply nodded without knowing such “seventh division.”

“Is that so? Then, what’s your name?” he continued as if he was interrogating me. However, the question caught me off guard, and I hesitated momentarily. The name "Kyo" echoed in my mind, but I found myself reluctant to reveal too much. The man's eyes, though not hostile, still held a level of scrutiny that made me cautious.

“My name is Adam.”

“I see,” the man nodded in belief.

“Adam, huh?" he repeated as if testing the name. "Well, Adam, I'm Garrick Rockington, leader of this mercenary group. You can call me Rocky for short.”

I could nod as he continued speaking.

“We found you near the border, unconscious and battered. Do you remember what happened?"

My mind was still in shambles from the concussion and injuries I received from the beast. I took a deep breath and told him, “I… I remembered a monster chasing me. It was scary and almost killed me.”

“I see. So, you remember. That beast gave you a beating, huh,” said Rocky. Well, you're lucky we found you before it could kill you,” Rocky continued.

“Oh, uh, thank you for saving me,” I bowed my head to show my genuine gratitude.

“C’mon, no need to do that. We’re both mercenaries here,” Rocky chuckled, showing a bit of warmth in his expression.

Then, Rocky leaned against a nearby wall and crossed his arms. “So, can you move?” he asked, to which I replied, “As of now, I can’t feel my legs.”

“Hmm, okay then, then take this,” Rocky gently threw a glass bottle with some odd liquid inside toward me that I almost didn’t catch.

“What’s this? I questioned Rocky.

“It’s a magic brew that soothes pain. Drink it and take a rest,” Rocky answered.

“Now, if you excuse me, I’ll be off. See ya, Adam. In three days, we’ll have to get going.”

With that, Rocky left the room, leaving me with a glass bottle in my hand. I sifted through the potion before I decided to uncork it and take a sip. Upon drinking, the magic brew had an odd taste, a mix of bitterness and sweetness, but I felt a soothing warmth spreading through my body as it went down.

After that, I laid back on the bed and began thinking about the things I had gone through—the magical world, the deadly beast, and now this mercenary group led by Rocky. The events seemed like a dream, but the pain from my injuries was a harsh reminder of their reality.

“My journey has only just begun,” I told myself before closing my eyes and getting a good night’s rest.

— End of Chapter 3 —