Kajito’s hand waves as a signal before forcing his feet up through snow to dodge the wolf’s lunge.

“Grah~!”

I just.. Need my vision to clear up, so blurry it's hard to aim.

His fingers let go of the string to his bow, letting an arrow pierce through the air and plunge into the wolf’s bloody neck. Kajito’s eyebrows furrow, taking notice that it remains standing.

A final drip of adrenaline huh?

Kajito quickly nods with a stern confidence and as the wolf has its attention locked to him, its body is forced to the ground with a large knife stabbing through it.

You got this!

He cheers as they hold the knife in place. They feel a struggling resistance before its body goes entirely limp.

“Good job Gokuta, that was a clean kill.” Kajito speaks loudly exclaiming his voice steps forwards, kneeling to the wolf. “Thank you.” He sternly says.

Even in this place, this other world.. I should pay respect to these odd animals as they will feed us.

Gokuta smiles at Kajito. 

“Good job, the snow storm is picking up, we should be headed back to the camp, I hope everything’s doing okay.” Gokuta says in a deep voice.

Kajito nods in agreement and the two of them begin treading back through the snow, holding the corpse of the wolf between them. Their ankles bruise to the heavy snow and the soreness creeps up to their minds.

“Sorry I missed the first shot.” Kajito apologizes.

No response. Gokuta stares forwards with a stern walk, with only the objective of getting back in mind. At times their march reduces to a stumble but they keep moving forwards.

“No worries. I understand, your bones are probably frostbitten to the last inch, I wouldn't have a still enough hand to shoot in its direction let alone hit it.” He shouts back over the ever growing ambience of wind.

My bones feel numb at this point, I’m both so shaky I can’t tense my muscles and also so tense I can’t stop.

“Ph-h-h…” He lets out a shivered breath. “Gokuta! Look! There’s an opening in the trees!” He does his best to point up and Gokuta takes a short peak.

“Yeah.. you're right.”

They both smile beneath thin pieces of fabric they use as masks. Sky, a dark black sky as deep as void, within it is stars that litter everything with no censor. It looks as if a child had too much fun with stickers. A stunning view yet…

I hate this sky, it reminds me everyday that my sister still isn't here.

“Kajito! Focus! This wolf is heavy, just a little further, I see the tree!”

Ehh..? Mmn.. Mmmm… ah-

He squints his eyes, trying to pierce his vision through the snow until finally he sees the view in question. A large towering tree, deep dark wood with a large blade gash across it.

“You're right! Just a little further.. Cmon… Hhh..” His breaths are weak, and frail. Drained of energy and spirit.

The whistling of the wind feels weightless to his mind, yet relentless to his numbed skin. They each feel their bodies so heavy.

“Gah..” 

Kajito tries not clenching his teeth as he drags each foot one by one through the snow. He gasps for air, looking for anything to sooth his burning lungs. Every few feet they move, avoiding the roots of small trees from tripping them.

This is truly a dense forest, one of eternal winter.. The snow never stops, never.

Each color is intricately sharp to the eyes, none are gentle. Cinematic grays and browns for the bark of trees, light fluffy whites for the ground and air, along with the deep greens of each leaf.

The tip of Kajito’s bow startles him as it taps against a tree from his back. He steps to the side, and soon they hear a voice inviting them closer.

“Leader!” The voice of an older girl through the snow. “Come on hurry!”

Just.. a little more..

He shuts his eyes and charges forwards with Gokuta, both of them collapse after reaching her.

“Are you okay? I’ll get a blanket for you immediately.”

She rushes off into a small shelter they have built, surprisingly, snow hardly reaches where the two of them lay. They look up to a small cozy camp, enclosed in a circle of trees that have grown into each other creating something like a wall.

“I’ll.. start the fire…” Kajito says quietly.

“Gotcha..” Gokuta nods against the dirt.

Though this mysterious place of the forest has no explanation to why snow doesn't fall in the circle, nor why it melts from a mysterious warmth, there is an eerie sense to the place that can’t be ignored.

A few minutes later, Kajito stands to start the fire, but after a few attempts he grows annoyed. “Tsk- damn, if only we had a lighter.”

“Hah- Yeah, a lighter, who knows if there even is any, although who doesn't carry a lighter? I’m surprised not a single person we’ve found has had one. I don’t even know if we could make one.”

Forty one people. Thirty eight including myself, Gokuta, and Nirata..

His eyes lift to the girl running over to them and tossing blankets onto their backs.

That’s the number of people transported to this nightmarish blizzard. Three, that is the number alive… Two, that is the number of months since we all came here… Starvation, cold, wild animals, hopelessness.. For one reason or another, all but us so far have died. There could still be others out there, from our world…

“I think tomorrow we should search more.”

“Declined.”

Kajito angrily looks up at Nirata’s refusal.

“And why not?’

“Dude, you say that every day. Chill, unless you wanna die next. We will see how harsh the storm is tomorrow.”

They’re too relaxed about all this..

“Tsk.. being next doesn't sound so bad…”

Tchsh-

“Shut up!” She shouts.

“The hell! Why’d you slap me?”

“Because.. You deserved it.”

“What!? I did not!” Kajito shouts, turning to Gokuta for validation.

“Meh, you kinda did.”

“See?” Nirata tilts her head with a sassy stance.

“Are you guys really so happy to be here? If I’m never gonna see my sister again, what's the point?..”

His eyes somberly lay upon the now crackling flames.

Gokuta and Nirata both look at each other, in hopes the other will speak up somehow. Eventually one of them does. 

“Uh..” Gokuta hesitates. “Sorry, I don’t have an answer. We aren’t happy to be here though, we want to go home too. I’m simply not willing to die, that’s my motivation. You have your sister to get home to, so why isnt that yours?”

“Because who knows if it's even possible to get back huh!?”

“We don’t.”

“Eh-... Mn.. sorry.”

I guess.. Right, I should be more aware. They aren’t happy about this. They somehow have the hope there may be a way home.. Unlike me. I’m just acting like a little bitch..

Nirata’s hand rests on his shoulder from behind and she softly speaks. “I swore to myself, I would never waste this life. Things suck, death would be salvation from this point, but if there’s even a little bit of hope that this figurative and actual storm will end, I have to be here to see it.”

This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Her shoes shift across the dirt ground, stepping away from him. She grabs the body of the wolf and drags it closer to the tent.

“Sorry guys, I lost myself I suppose…”

He’s right.. She should be my motivation to return home. I’ve never been the “Hopeful” type but sometimes that’s all that is left.

“Hhh..” Kajito sighs and lifts himself to his feet. “Right, we’ll see how the weather is tomorrow. Can you deal with the wolf remains?”

“Yes sir! I can do that.” Nirata smiles sweetly.

“Good.. I’m gonna rest, I need to shut my eyes.. Just for a bit.”

Yet.. I know how immature I really am. I don’t.. See purpose in resting.

Gokuta waves. “Goodnight sweetie!” 

Kajito gets chills at Gokuta’s abhorrent impression of a girl. His deep voice doesn't mesh well with such a high pitch tone.

“Yeah..”

I refuse… to lay down and die, but it wouldn't be bad, I mean what I said… it wouldn't be bad at all, if I could just give up.

…

Shh- ckrsh~ Shhrksh~..

He looks back to ensure the tent is closed and no one can see him.

“Swwww~!” He takes a deep inhale and tries letting all his breath out to squeeze through a narrow opening in the trees.

His whole body quickly feels the cold outside his thick layers of clothes and he makes haste, placing a panel of wood back to block the small opening.

I’ll come back guys, I swear it.

“Tsh-” He tightens his fists and begins walking through the snow at a fast but delicate pace, careful not to use up his strength.

One…

Two… three-

Four…

He counts as he frequently swipes gashes into the trees he passes.

Forty three.. Forty four…

“Hello!?” He screams through the forest, hearing nothing but the lonely feedback of his own voice bouncing between the trees. “If anyone is out there, I’m from earth! I’m here to help you! Please say something! Anything! I’ll find you and take you somewhere safe!”

I can’t let myself cry, my tears themselves might freeze, but this is lonely. I hear nothing, it's only wind. There’s frost eating at my sleeves, like a sort of corruption.

“I guess.. It's really- kh.. Gah- no use…!”

“Rrrrr-...”

What?

He stops moving completely, readying his knife and waiting for any more sound.

“Rrrrrgh…”

Huh? No.. no no no-

“Fuck no..” He stumbles back and begins treading in the opposite direction but the growl roars another time, even closer.

My heart is pounding, something about this sound is setting every fear sensing nerve in my body off. It's trouble, I need to get away.

“Hhh…”

It's behind me.. What in the world is that sound?

“Don’t… hurt me, I mean no harm..”

It's likely not an intelligent creature but it's worth a try..

He slowly turns and the corner of his eye catches a giant leg… a leg the same height as him.

Oh my god.. Is that a wolf? It's not facing me… it's in the clearing..

He begins backing up further but hears a quiet voice a short distance from where he’s standing. “Help me..” it's frail and weak, praying for death, sorrowful over any seconds more of life.

A person? I can’t help, if that monstrosity sees me, I’m dead. Where is she? I don’t see anybody? I don’t!- Oh no..

“Shit..” He sees a bleeding corpse in front of the large beast.

Wait.. she’s moving! Huh? Why am I excited? I’m leaning forwards.. I shouldn’t help.. Why am I so immature.. I know this could get me killed…

His hands quake, putting his knife into his belt. He reaches back to his bow, and grabs an arrow along with it. 

“Can’t.. Miss!” He shouts to force the beast to turn towards him. “And release!”

He lets an arrow fly straight into its eye, piercing it with globs of blood dumping out. Kajito’s legs spring to action and he sprints towards the girl, stumbling through the snow.

One chance-

He trips on a buried root, from the trees torn to bits around the wolf. In that moment, Kajito realizes that clearing in the trees wasn't always a clearing.

“No!” He catches himself and digs his hands into the snow beneath the small girl's body, lifting her.

I’ll check her condition later, I might be doing this for someone on the brink of death, what an idiot.. I just want to be helpful, I need to be someone’s hero, or else, I’ll stay useless…

He winces as his whole body screams in agony from the frostbitten bones to sore muscles, lifting himself and her. 

“Run…” He hears the girl's voice whisper.

“I will save you!”

He runs, as fast as his legs allow, but he hears a loud rumble behind him, coming to one conclusion.

The wolf is over the pain.

A massive shadow leaps over the top of him, sliding and crashing into trees. It feels no harm, the tree’s crack and fall. The wolf turns with red eyes like the abyss.

“No! I have to- kh.. Run!” He screams, trying to force his adrenaline to run.

Rational.. Come on.. Ideas! I can’t disable its other eye while carrying this girl, and if I set her down, she freezes to death!

“Hey you!” He screams.

The wolf’s eyes lock onto him. It's dark horrorous eyes, they gaze down at him, freezing his knees and forcing his body to tremble even more than it already was. The beast slowly stalks up to its prey.

“Khh!”

I’m scared! No I'm terrified! Someone please help me!

“No.. if I dodge when it attacks.. Uh-”

Before he can react, it's already moving. He quickly dashes away.

I only need.. One dodge!

He forces all his strength into his foot and-

“Huh? I’m.. falling.”

The snow crumbles beneath his foot and he feels a sudden but brief pain hit his arm. His vision quickly gets blurry.

What.. just happened.. I need to stand back up.

He puts his left hand against the ground to help himself up from his knees.

Huh..? My… right hand isn't coming..?

He stares at the girl in front of him that he only now notices he dropped. “Ah.. hahaha… so this is it?” 

He swipes the knife from his hip and twists his upper body, throwing the blade at the wolf. It effortlessly swipes the blade out of the air and it glances at the knife for a moment, a temporary distraction, after that…

A heavy weight pushes against Kajito’s chest, and he struggles to breathe.

Everything, is totally dark.. But I can still hear it. An icy cold yet dirt like surface covers my back, making my whole body feel icy cold, its.. F-freezing.. It's so freezing…

He keeps his arm up around the girl, to keep her close.

I have no warmth to share.. But maybe I can share any body heat.. Hidden away.. Something, anything, keep this girl alive… I pray.. Let me save her. I feel her faint breaths against my neck.. It's the only thing keeping me awake.

Deep rumbling footsteps crush against the ground. They lurk closer before soon wandering away.

Please.. Please god.. Please anything, something… wolf, please go away! Please go already, before I give up, and shut my eyes..

“Ah..” Kajito’s faded breaths reveal his clear struggle to keep conscious. “It's gone..”

It should be gone, right? Now I just need to push!

“Kh Ah!” He forces his body upwards, pushing the girl off of him. Snow rolls off of her body.

“It couldn’t have gone far..” he mutters.

He picks up the direction it went by its footsteps left in the snow. He also picks that direction, to avoid entirely. He leans the girl against him, draping her arms around him and placing his hand beneath her butt to lift her. 

It shouldn’t even be possible, how am I alive? Or awake.. What am I fighting for…

He wonders as he walks, slowly treading through the snowstorm, no sense of direction, or touch. His vision is fogged and blurry to near blindness, he only sees the hazy outline of objects.

Is it pointless? Is this a dream? Am I already… dead? I can’t feel anything.. But I’m still walking, right?

Crshk… Crshk… Crshk… The sound of snow being crushed beneath his boots.

He wanders, and wanders, and hopes for an eventual end to the seething pain that he no longer is able to feel.

…

Is that light?

…

Where am I?

…

He reaches a cave entrance, one with thorny bushes scattered through the entrance. He steps through the bushes, disregarding caution. A sharp temptation to speak is made known to him, but he lets out no noise. He wants to scream in pain.

Huh?

He looks down to see his bleeding leg, dripping, pouring, it has deep cuts from vicious thorns.

It’s.. bleeding? What am I doing? Why am I walking this way?

He begins to forget what he’s doing, his objectives become faded memories and he reaches a flat stone ground inside the cave, allowing him to stumble around.

Why can’t I walk straight?

With the sharp urge to vomit, he falls to his knees, setting the girl down near the fire. 

Fire.. fire! She’s safe now, I saved her… right?

“Everything’s wobbling…” He steps forwards and slips, seeing the view in front of him drop and the ground swing towards his face.

…