Ancient towering trees pierced through the heavens, standing tall and imposing. Sending cold wind down the spine of those who gaze at them.

The gnarled trunks of the tree tops came together to form a complex pattern of canopies, blocking the “holy glow” of the Sun in the sky.

The landscape seems to border between the limits of reality and the nightmarish. Adding to the sense of desolation and the eerie silence that plagues their minds, the cohort felt as though they were walking in an abyss whilst being stared at by countless unseen eyes.

Occasionally, they would pass by chirping birds and scurrying squirrels who scurried up and down tree trunks, foraging for nuts and seeds.

The air was filled with the scent of pine, most likely due to the pine trees that were layered across the forest. The ground beneath their feet was covered in snow that was cold to the touch, and the air was filled with a bone-chilling drop in temperature that sent frosty chills running down the spine of the two siblings- Selina and Aven.

Despite its eerie desolation broken only by the occasional chirping of insects, the distant call of birds and the occasional rustle of tree leaves, the forest still possessed a strange liveliness that was hard to overlook.

And like that, the cohort of five. The experienced hunter, the desperate siblings, and the depressed hunters who felt like they were being dragged to an untimely death all trod on this natural landscape, eyes gleaming sharp in search of any slight “anomaly.”

Harland, the seasoned hunter, crouched down. His fingers brushed the damp ground, bringing a dark stain to his nose. He inhaled sharply.

“Blood.” He muttered, eyes narrowing as he stood. “It's fresh.”

The group stiffened. Selina swallowed hard, her heart pounding as the oppressive quiet pressed in on them from all sides. Aven's breath fogged in the freezing air, his hand trembling as he gripped Selina's arm.

Aven gripped tightly onto Selina, both siblings clung onto each other, forcing down their unease as they slowly followed behind the hunter.

“He's good- I will give him that.” Klaus shook his head.

“But unfortunately, this is not a work for him. He will just end up killing himself.”

Xavier sighed. “That's why we are here.”

Klaus sighed.

“Guess you're right.”

Xavier nodded before both brothers proceeded to walk side by side whilst constantly scouting for any hidden threat and also paying attention to the siblings and the experienced hunter.

The chilling frosty ice blew back and forth, sending ominous chills down the spine of the cohorts. The eerie dark trees gave off an unholy tainted aura, causing anyone to shrink away from them.

Despite the howling cold wind surging unpredictably. The brothers didn't really attribute any weirdness or strange paranormal activity to this.

Not only is the desolate wilderness located in the northern parts of the universal states and the northernmost region of Yansen City.

It's also glazed with the occasional presence of lakes and serene ponds which leads to a logical and feasible conclusion that it was most probably a natural feature of the desolate wilderness. Simply because it's located at the Northern edges of the Universal States.

Desolate Wilderness. Truly an enigmatic place of nature. It was filled with an eerie desolation yet a strange liveliness, as though it had once been…created, received, and perhaps disowned by the forces of nature itself.

On numerous occasions, due to the mind-shattering silence threatening to overwhelm them in its eerie warmth. Their hearts would often thump violently, their blood flowing frantically. With the only constant source of comfort being the seldom chirping of birds and the random scurrying of squirrels.

Hmm… Klaus's brows suddenly got raised, and his heart immediately tightened, almost as though it was being clutched by unseen forces.

Misty eyes immediately darted around.

“Did you also notice that?” Xavier questioned, his hold on the gun getting stronger with each thump of his heart.

BADDUUMP!! BADDUUMP!!

“Yeah.” Klaus nodded in response, paying more attention to his surroundings.

It's too quiet." Klaus said solemnly, his hand shaking subtly.

“Something's definitely wrong.” He added, scanning the treetops, his breath shallow and ragged.

Xavier nodded in agreement, confirming that he wasn't the only one having this dreadful feeling. A very bad feeling….one which he didn't like one bit.

His expression slowly turned solemn as he realized they were probably being…

“We stop here,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “We're being watched.”

The tension in the air became palpable, thick enough to choke. Selina clung to Aven as the whispers grew louder, a promise of something supernatural and malicious just beyond the trees.

Harland snorted, glancing over his shoulder with a cocky grin.

“Don't you think I would know if a wild animal is on our trail?”

“Aren't you undermining my skills a lil bit too much?” The man questioned his voice frosty cold.

“This old man here has been in this business for way too long to not know when I am being trailed by a wild animal.” The hunter added with a cold snort.

I hunt animals, not the other way around.

The man laughed inwardly, a smug expression etching across his face, yet he still did well to assess his surroundings, but he didn't notice anything strange.

And this only heightened the smugness that had grabbed onto him. Increasing with each passing second.

"Hey, old man. I know you feel all cocky and arrogant about your skills. And I hate to admit to it, but you are definitely good. I will give you that.

“But believe me when I say this… This wild animal is unlike any other animal you have ever come across.” Klaus said solemnly-

This is a fucking supernatural hybrid for gods sake. At the end of the day, he could only exhale sharply.

His gaze slowly grew calmer yet the tension that hung in the air had thickened to unbearable extents, the leaves sending whispers carried along by the current of the winds, promising tales of unimaginable sufferings and horror.

"This animal is brutal, fast, strong and most importantly, it's as cunning as a fox.

"And as you might have noticed. The chirping of birds and the occasional scurrying of squirrels have all ceased.

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“Based on your years of experience, what do you think can cause this?”

Harland's brows were tightly furrowed before his eyes abruptly widened, shock gripping him hard and fast.

“A higher animal on the food chain!” His voice was like a catalyst for a greater change.

Shadows flashed…all they saw was a mere blur. And then…

TAAAP!!!

TAAAP!!!

RUSTLEE!!!

The slight rustling of leaves suddenly became more violent. The sound of the footsteps felt so distant yet seemed miles away. Almost as though…

“It's circling us!” Klaus's loud voice tore through the air, his voice serving as a brief source of comfort.

"Stay calm everyone and try to stay in one spot.

“Don't move. I repeat, don't move!” Irrespective of any fucking shit. Klaus spoke, his voice clear and loud as he gripped tightly onto his shotgun.

The sibling's hold on each other only grew stronger, the violent thumping of their heart grew louder, the frosty chills became even more unbearable, more bone-chilling than ever, whilst their body shivered continuously with each surrealist touch of the cold wind.

Klaus and Xavier tried to make out the figure that was moving at an abnormally fast pace.

But it all proved to be futile, he; couldn't even cast his gaze on the creature due to its fast inhuman speed, talkless of trying to take it down.

“AAAAH!!! HEELP MEEE!!!” A loud pained voice tore through the air, akin to a crucible placed within a crux.

This seemed to have slightly agitated Harland who ignored Klaus's previous warnings as he dashed forward at a terrifying speed, trusting in his skills as he slowly vanished from their line of sight.

Fuck. Klaus gaze grew solemn.

“Stop!!" Both brothers yelled out.

But it was already too late, he had already vanished from their line of sight.

Klaus immediately busted into a fast sprint, rapidly followed by Xavier, who monitored each and every movement of the desperate siblings.

They moved at a rapid speed, their steps sending loud echoes across the snow beneath their feet.

Klaus suddenly came to a stop, his expression turning solemn.

Xavier and the siblings arrived just in time.

“Aaah!!” Selina suddenly covered her mouth as her body trembled.

Whilst she struggled to accept the cold reality that had suddenly unfurled before her.

Aven had a look of shock on his face as he panted heavily. He sharply exhaled, trying his best to reduce the abnormal pace at which his heart was beating.

Before them Harland… Well, his remains could be seen scattered and strewn across the white snow now dark-reddish white.

Whatever had killed him had done so in the most ruthless, fast and probably the most horrifying way thought possible.

Blood, organs, liver, and tendons were strewn across the snowy ground, creating an eerie beautifying aspect of hunting!

A deep, pungent smell suddenly assaulted their nose, with the grim reality before them heightening the sense of trepidation and fear to greater heights.

What happened to him? He was perfectly fine just a second ago. What wild animal could have laid waste to him within a mere couple of seconds? Aven thought solemnly as he recalled Klaus's words.

“Trust me… This is unlike any wild animal you have ever hunted.”

Something along that line, this and the fact that detectives suddenly decided to help out in a missing case prompted him to believe that this definitely wasn't an ordinary wild animal.

But if it isn't a wild animal. Then what could it be? Could it be the monster talked about by those old fogies? He thought, his body visibly shaken as his lips trembled in shock.

He felt a tight invisible grip holding onto his heart; he could hear the violent thump of his heart with nightmarish clarity whilst a cold, chilling wind soothed his skin in its eerie warmth.

“Everyone. We go back Now!!” After a few seconds of gritting his teeth, Klaus was able to come to a decision. Hopefully, the best.

He knew they were currently in great danger. And most ironic of all, the siblings didn't help out in any way.

Now, the only thing they could do for now is to retreat whilst reorganizing their thoughts and planning on their next course of action.

In fact, he already had an idea in mind. But first things first… They had to leave here — now! This instant.

Xavier seemed to have regained his bearing, beckoning for Selina and Aven to follow him as he ran at a rapid speed, whilst Klaus did most of the attention routine, his eyes moving with extreme dexterity.

Keeping watch on any slight rustling of tree leaves or strange eerie shadows that were continuously being cast around, moving in an unpredictable, chaotic yet effective manner.

He kept his eyes on any strange passing silhouette that suddenly turned into a blur within the blink of an eye.

RUUN!!! TAAP!!!

They ran at a terrifying speed whilst being close to each other. The occasional distant call for help resounded in their ears every once in a while.

Every time it rang out, they would feel a cold creeping feeling as though invisible hands were moving around their body in an eerie, strange manner.

But now, instead of having the urge to save the “victim,” they knew too well to trust the callings for help. Now, anytime the pained voice rang into their ears, their hearts thumped at a rapid speed, their blood flowing at an abnormal pace.

They struggled to remain clearheaded and on their feet as they scurried towards safety.

RUSSTLE!!!

To his left, Klaus's pupils suddenly caught a glimpse of a blurry shadow.

His heart almost skipped a beat, but he immediately made a light rotation by propelling himself backward with a light tap onto the snowy white floor.

Trying his best to reduce the fear slowly gnawing at him. He panted heavily…

Focus Klaus. Stay focused. Closing his eyes.

A light rustling of tree leaves rang in his ears and then…his eyes suddenly shut open.

“There!!”

Xavier pointed at Klaus's right hand. Klaus, who had also marked the vicinity as the possible location of the Berserker Wendigo immediately tapped his legs against the ground.

His body made a slight twist. Not only that, but he immediately caught a subtle glimpse of a gaunt, emaciated being with elongated limbs that screamed of abnormality and long eerie dark claws that seemed to block the rays of the sun!!

Yet what stood out the most was the yellow pair of eyes that was about to turn into a fleeting movement.

Gripping tightly onto his gun, he knew he couldn't afford to waste such an opportunity. He couldn't. Not know when they were still at the forest's heart.

His resolve was immediately followed by multiple consecutive gunshots.

KAAA!!! KAAA!!! KAAA!!!

Two of the three silver bullets pierced through the air,

missing the Berserker Wendigo who sprinted past them, as the silver bullets easily pierced through the dark tree trunks, splintering some shards into the air.

The world seemed to have come to a stop as the last and final bullet moved three steps further away from the previous location of the Berserker Wendigo.

The Berserker Wendigo already noticed the imminent threat on its life after the silver bullets escaped from their shell. It could feel a great sense of dread just like when faced with that being... and it felt a weird sense of ominous foreboding...one that promised tales of unmistaken death had washed over it.

It didn't need to be told to immediately realize that the silver would be of a faint threat to Its life. Although faint, it wasn't willing to take a bet.

The urge to survive prompted it to move even faster, blurring into multiple fleeting images whilst the splinters of shards remained in the air.

Yet ironically enough, in some cases being too good isn't really a good thing and can lead to devastating consequences.

And in this case, its inhumanly fast speed enabled it to move right into the bullet's ominous path; a path of damage.

PUCHIII!!!

A dark red blood immediately spluttered into the air immediately followed by a loud thud.

"GOTCHA!!" Klaus's eyes beamed with joy.

He was about to move towards the creature, when a cold grip suddenly held him back.

Turning, he realized that it was Xavier.

A wary expression etched across his face.

"It's probably just feigning its death or injury. Have you forgotten? It's far stronger than a traditional Wendigo." It's just as cunning as I had thought. Xavier thought in exasperation, dread and anxiety creeping in.

Klaus face contorted with rage as he realized that he had almost fallen prey to the cunning nature of the Berserker Wendigo.

"What a cunning bastard." He spat out with balled fists and clenched jaws.

Xavier nodded, looking around before he spoke.

The tension, thick and cloying had begun to rise to even more unbearable extents.

"We should probably head back for the car. Get Selina and Aven to stay back at home, then we come back to gank it with the aid of the flame projector.

"Oh- We should also save any surviving victim whilst at it.

If I remember correctly it goes into a minimum hibernation every summer, but we are currently in winter season, so it stands to reason that it will be going into deep slumbers. So... perhaps they might still be some survivors contrary to our previous speculations." Hopefully they're. If not...then Selina's brother is most likely dead. And she will definitely be heartbroken...broken completely by such news. Xavier sighed inwardly, a solemn expression gripping onto his face.

Klaus nodded at the words of his brother.

"Alright, let's do just that."

Xavier nods in response.

Both brothers returned to escaping once again. They made use of various methods to escape.

Running, scouting, dealing with fear and anxiety.

They were battling

with various metaphorical and metaphysical themes…not just the physical dread alone.

The siblings rapidly followed Xavier's lead.

Running with a heightened sense of dread.

A faint, palpable and ominous sense of death lingered heavily in the air.

The stench of blood on the now hot-in-pursuit Berserker Wendigo could be subtly smelt by Klaus, yet this didn't change the fact that this was bound to be a chase filled with the constant sense of dread and even… Death!