Voilen smiled when she noticed Valenius looking at her. “I’m relieved you’re okay,” she said softly. “I wasn’t sure if you would survive, but I’m happy you did.”

Valenius groaned as he tried to sit up. “What happened? Where... where are the others?” His voice wavered, panic rising as his hand instinctively reached for his sword. He glanced around frantically, but there was no sign of Salintus.

“Where is he?” Valenius shouted, his voice trembling. “Where is Salintus?”

Voilen sighed. “He left. At first, I thought he would stay, just like you did. But no... he’s gone.”

“Why are you here, then? Why didn’t you go with your people?” Valenius asked, his eyes narrowing.

“You took care of me,” she replied firmly. “I couldn’t just leave. As for my people and Salintus... he wants to get them away from you. That’s why they’re not here anymore.”

“So... what now? What do we do?” Voilen asked, a hint of uncertainty in her voice.

Valenius shook his head, muttering under his breath, “I don’t know.”

As he looked at her, Valenius noticed burns and cuts along Voilen’s arms. She followed his gaze and quickly pulled her sleeves down, trying to hide the wounds.

Valenius narrowed his eyes, about to ask what had happened, but chose to stay silent, lost in thought.

He slowly rose and began walking ahead without a plan, hoping fate or the gods would guide him. There had to be a reason he was here.

Behind him, Voilen trailed quietly, her movements slow and deliberate. Valenius glanced over his shoulder, his mouth slightly open in confusion and suspicion. Without a word, he turned

back, gripping the hilt of his sword tightly, and continued walking through the dense forest.

Voilen followed, still stroking her wounded arms, keeping her distance.

As they ventured deeper into the dark woods, Valenius stopped to make camp. His hand remained on his sword as he glanced at Voilen. “I’m going to find food. Stay here.”

Voilen stood up and said, “I’ll come with you.”

Valenius turned sharply, his glare cold. “Stay here. I need to do this alone,” he said bitterly before heading into the forest, sword in hand.

As Valenius walked further into the shadows, the wind whistled through the trees, and the leaves rustled softly.

For a few moments, there was only silence. Then, a loud screech pierced the air. Valenius spun toward the sound, his heart racing, and saw a massive creature charging at him. It resembled a wolf, but its fur was fiery red like a fox, and it stood four times his size, with sharp teeth and claws gleaming in the dim light.

Valenius pivoted just in time to avoid the beast’s attack and swung his sword, managing to land a quick strike.

The creature howled in pain before disappearing back into the thick trees. Suddenly, it ambushed him from behind, sinking its teeth into Valenius' shoulder. He screamed in agony, fumbling for his dagger. With a swift motion, he stabbed the beast, but it held on, dragging him through the dirt as its grip tightened.

Valenius stabbed at the creature, but to his dismay, his sword slipped from his grasp as he was dragged deeper into the forest.

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Pain wracked his body, and he screamed in agony before everything went black. The world faded to silence, though muffled sounds echoed faintly around him. The air was cold, still, and eerily quiet.

When Valenius awoke, he found himself in a cave, the dim light barely illuminating his surroundings. The hybrid wolf was nowhere in sight.

He could see a small bed, a table, and some parchment strewn across it. The pain in his shoulder lingered, though it hadn't worsened.

Stumbling to his feet, he made his way to the table, hoping to find something useful. His eyes fell on a piece of parchment, and recognition hit him.

The handwriting was familiar—it was Val’s.

“The game has brought you here, and you may face something similar to what I experienced—a near-death encounter. When that happens, take a moment to pause and think. Time won’t stop, but it will slow down. You can’t stay in that moment forever. If you’re being attacked, use that time wisely—prepare. I’ve been in near-death situations countless times, and there’s always a pattern. Stop, prepare, but don’t linger too long. You only have a few minutes before everything resumes at full speed. Check what you have. Anything can help you fight back. If you’re prepared, you can still escape this.”

Valenius stared at the note, his heart racing. He began scanning his surroundings for anything useful, but the cave was as barren as before—a desk, a bed, and the eerie silence pressing down on him.

Frustration gnawed at him as he glanced down at his gauntlet, pulling up the menu. He found the alchemy tab, revealing a potion recipe. The ingredients were listed, but one crucial element was missing—a tear.

“A tear?” Valenius muttered under his breath. “You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He desperately tried to force himself to cry, his eyes dry from panic and exhaustion. His mind raced, thinking of his family, the events happening in both worlds, and the weight of it all pressing on his chest. But no tears came, only a growing sense of dread.

Then he noticed the pain. His shoulder throbbed, the sensation sharp and burning. It was a warning sign—he didn’t have much time left. He needed to escape soon, or it would be too late.

Just when he thought it was hopeless, a single tear welled up and slid down his cheek. Quickly, Valenius caught it in a small vial and added it to the potion. As the liquid swirled, it began to glow faintly. He poured the contents into a bottle, sealing it with a trembling hand. He was ready.

Taking a deep breath, Valenius stepped out of the cave. Darkness enveloped him, the familiar chill of the forest pressing in on all sides. His shoulder ached as he reached for his sword, wincing in pain.

He knew the creature was still out there, lurking.

He strained his ears, listening for any sound, when a low howl echoed behind him, followed by the rumble of shifting rocks.

His heart raced. Slowly, he turned, and through the dim light, he saw two glowing eyes staring back at him from the shadows.

Confused and aching, Valenius clutched his side, his body trembling. He glanced around, catching a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby puddle, but as he looked, his reflection seemed to vanish into the darkness.

The howls of the forest echoed in the distance, followed by the cawing of crows. The air seemed thick with tension, yet nothing attacked.

Determined, Valenius continued walking, alert for the wolf-like creature that had ambushed him. There were no signs of the previous attacks, and he glanced down at the potion bottle he carried. Could it have helped him survive? He wasn’t sure, but a renewed sense of resolve filled him. He was ready to face whatever came next.

Suddenly, the wolf that had attacked him earlier lunged from the shadows, biting into his wounded shoulder once again. Valenius reacted swiftly, smashing the potion bottle over its head.

The creature howled in pain and recoiled, collapsing to the ground in fear. Gasping for breath, Valenius staggered to his feet, clutching his injured shoulder.

The beast lay still on the ground, but now it appeared larger and more menacing than before. Its sharp teeth glistened, and its scarred face revealed bones beneath the fur. Valenius’ gauntlets glowed faintly as he opened a menu, where a prompt appeared: Ingredient collected: Zoansj. The essence of the creature could be used for a potion.

With a grunt, Valenius tore out some of the wolf’s hair and carefully stored it in a container. His stomach growled in hunger as he grabbed the carcass of the fallen beast, dragging it back toward where Voilen waited.

When he arrived, Voilen was standing there, a smirk playing on her lips. She glanced at his wounds and chuckled. "You must’ve had a tough time," she teased, her eyes gleaming.

Valenius scowled, throwing the carcass down in front of her. “What was that thing? It looked like a wolf, but... it was much bigger.”

Voilen’s smirk widened. "You’re right—it was just a baby. The parents are far bigger."

Valenius’ mouth fell open in disbelief. He muttered under his breath, “A... baby?”