The forest was frozen in an oppressive silence. Every creak, every breath amplified the unbearable tension. The air was icy, and even the wind seemed to hesitate before disturbing the scene.
Before them stood a gigantic bear, a monstrous beast with knotted muscles and dark fur. Its piercing yellow eyes, sharp as blades, locked onto them without blinking, a burning menace flickering in their depths.
Veil swallowed hard, his heart pounding so violently it echoed in his temples.
"My legs... why won't they move?" he whispered, paralyzed by fear.
The bear suddenly reared up, its massive hind legs slamming against the snowy ground in a display of sheer brute strength. Its roar, deep and visceral, ripped through the air like a crack of thunder, chilling their blood.
"Little Wolf, act now," she snapped, her senses on high alert.
Without waiting for a response, she lunged forward. Her movements were fast and precise, her light steps kicking up sprays of snow behind her. Veil remained frozen, unable to tear his gaze away from the surreal sight.
Alynia narrowly dodged a colossal paw crashing into the ground, sending snow flying in all directions. She immediately straightened, slashing at the bear's flank with her claws, but they barely scratched its surface, sliding off the thick layer of stone-like scales protecting the beast.
"That thing's protected... great," she muttered with frustration.
She drew a dagger that gleamed faintly, her breath forming small clouds in the cold air as she resumed her dash, weaving fluidly between the trees. Each step struck the frozen ground with feline precision.
"Little Wolf, move!" she shouted, exasperated.
Veil, still motionless, felt his stomach twist. Alynia's words seemed distant, muffled by the storm of thoughts raging in his mind.
"I barely survived against the Cryolupes... And now this thing... How am I supposed to stand a chance?" he whispered, terrified, overwhelmed by doubt.
The ground trembled as the bear, noticing Veil's stillness, turned toward him with slow, menacing intent before charging. Each step pounded the earth like a war drum.
"No!" she screamed, determined.
She hurled herself into the bear's path, striking its flanks to divert its attention. Snow exploded around her as she twisted, trying to lure it away from Veil, her gaze burning with determination.
"I won't be able to protect you forever, Little Wolf! Do something!" she roared, her eyes burning.
Alynia's yell cut through the fog of his thoughts, but the fear remained rooted in his muscles.
The bear lunged at Alynia with raw power. She leaped aside at the last second, barely dodging its attack. Unable to stop its momentum, the massive beast crashed into a towering tree. The trunk splintered under the impact, uprooted by the sheer force, and toppled into the snow with a deafening crash.
Alynia didn't wait. She immediately resumed her movement, her agile footwork propelling her off tree trunks to change direction. Her steps were light on the snow, each action precise and calculated. Despite this, the bear—though massive—was shockingly fast, closing the distance with each powerful bound.
"He's too fast... There's no way to wear him down like this. And Veil, what the hell is he doing?" she muttered under her breath, frustrated.
She stole a quick glance in his direction. Veil was still frozen in place, unable to move. A deep growl from the bear forced her to snap her focus back to the fight.
"I'll have to do this alone... but how long can I keep it up at this pace?" she whispered, exasperated.
Veil watched, paralyzed. He saw Alynia fighting alone, weaving around this monster with unwavering determination. Tears welled in his eyes, rolling down his cheeks.
"Move... Do something, damn it... She needs me!" he cried, desperate and pleading.
His legs still refused to respond.
Alynia, fully focused, continued attempting to strike the bear whenever she got close. But her dagger slid uselessly against the stone plates shielding the creature, leaving only superficial scratches. The few times she managed to hit a vulnerable spot, all she did was send tufts of white fur flying, blending into the swirling snow.
"Nothing's getting through... Its defense is too thick. I'll have to find a weak point—and fast," she growled, determined but frustrated.
She pushed off a tree trunk for another attack, her precise movements betraying her experience. But the bark, already weakened by the debris from earlier, gave way under her weight. Her foot slipped, and she lost her balance.
Alynia crashed headfirst into the snow. The force of the fall sent a shock through her body, knocking the wind out of her and leaving her momentarily dazed.
"Not now... I have to move... If I don't—" she gasped, dizzy, panicked.
The bear, seeing its prey momentarily defenseless, slowly turned toward her.
Veil watched Alynia lying in the snow, her body struggling to rise. A spark ignited in his mind—a brutal realization: she wouldn't have time.
The bear, now only a few meters away, charged with terrifying speed. Every step sent tremors through the ground. She wouldn't be able to dodge.
If I stay here... she'll... No, I can't let her die! he thought, overwhelmed by urgency.
He tried to move, but his body—still frozen by fear—fought against him. The cold bit into every muscle, every joint, as if his own body was betraying him.
Then, something changed.
The air around him crackled. A light breeze turned into a roaring wind, swirling the snow violently around him. The doubts that had shackled him vanished, swept away by a single thought: Alynia is in danger.
I have to help her... I have to save her, he thought, driven by fear for Alynia.
A visceral rage, mixed with fierce determination, exploded within him. He felt something awaken deep in his heart—a force he didn't yet understand. The wind surged, howling around him, as if it were answering this newfound resolve.
As he locked eyes on Alynia, desperately struggling to rise, a sudden impact struck him from behind.
BAMMM!
Veil was launched forward at an astonishing speed. The falling snow around him seemed to freeze in place, as if time itself had slowed. His gaze remained fixed on Alynia—on the bear looming over her. The massive creature raised a colossal paw, ready to bring it down with a force that would leave nothing but devastation behind.
The scene felt surreal. Veil was closing in, yet each fraction of a second stretched into eternity.
The bear struck.
BOUMMM!
The tree behind Alynia shattered under the impact, the trunk collapsing in a deafening crash. Snow exploded into the air in a blinding white wave, leaving behind a gaping void where she had been.
As the tree crashed to the ground, an unbearable tension gripped the moment.
The bear stopped, confused. Its yellow eyes searched for the prey that should have been crushed beneath its paw.
But Alynia was gone.
A few meters away, Veil was holding Alynia in his arms. A whirlwind of snow swirled around them, lifted by the inhuman speed he had just reached. A fine mist had settled on their clothes and hair, shimmering faintly under the cold light of the forest.
Alynia opened her eyes, slightly dazed. A gentle warmth surrounded her, contrasting sharply with the biting cold in the air. Her gaze found Veil, who was still panting, his eyelids barely open.
This warmth... It's not the cold making me blush—not this time, she thought, troubled, her gaze fixed on him.
A faint red hue crept across her cheeks. She cleared her throat, and Veil finally opened his eyes.
"You..." she began, awkward, with a hint of humor.
She hesitated for a brief moment before continuing:
"I know I'm beautiful, Little Wolf, but that's no reason to carry me like a princess. You can put me down, you know," she added, flustered, with a slight smile.
Veil blinked, finally realizing their position.
A hand on her legs... the other on her back... How did I end up like this? he thought, suddenly aware and embarrassed.
His face immediately turned bright red, even more so than Alynia's.
"Sorry... I... I didn't mean to," he stammered, confused.
He gently set her down in the snow, carefully avoiding her gaze.
Alynia, still deep in thought, remained still for a few seconds. She could still feel that strange warmth radiating from him—the same warmth that had just saved her.
The moment of calm was shattered by a heavy sound—a deep, resonating growl that sent vibrations through the air around them.
The bear, realizing its prey had slipped away, slowly turned its massive head toward them. Its eyes burned with a cold, relentless fury, and its heavy breaths formed thick clouds of mist around its muzzle. Each exhale vibrated in the air, charged with a palpable menace.
Veil and Alynia straightened, standing side by side, their eyes locked on the beast.
"How did you do that?" she asked, her tone serious, not taking her eyes off the beast.
Veil lowered his gaze, searching for an answer.
"I... I don't know. It was like... like my body moved on its own. When I saw you in danger, I didn't think about anything else," he replied, honest, still shaken.
Alynia blushed slightly, briefly averting her eyes before speaking again.
"So... can you do it again?" she asked, light-hearted, but with a glimmer of hope.
"I don't know. It was instinctive... I'm not in control of it," he said, shaking his head, hesitant.
The bear, frustrated by their exchange, let out a deafening roar, rising onto its hind legs. Its towering form seemed to block out the sky, while the snow around it lifted in a menacing swirl.
"Doesn't matter. This time, we do it together," she whispered, determined.
"Together," he said, nodding, fists clenched.
Alynia dashed forward, resuming her swift movements around the monster. Her dagger gleamed under the cold light, seeking an opening to strike at the beast's massive legs. She dodged skillfully, using her agility to stay just out of reach.
On the other side, Veil struggled to understand what had happened earlier.
"How did I do that earlier? If I could just figure it out...," he whispered, focused.
A sharp cry from Alynia snapped him abruptly back to reality.
"Little Wolf, watch out!" she shouted, exasperated.
Veil looked up just in time to see a massive paw crashing down toward him. Instinctively, he dove to the side, the snow exploding beneath him.
Alynia leapt to his side, an expression of both frustration and concern etched onto her face.
"You might want to try paying attention, Little Wolf. It'd help," she said sharply, out of breath.
Veil scrambled to his feet, slightly ashamed, avoiding her gaze.
"Sorry... I was trying to figure out how to trigger that speed again...," he tried to explain, embarrassed.
Alynia raised a hand to cut him off, her tone turning more direct.
"If you can't think and fight at the same time, then stop thinking. Use what you've got. Nothing else," she said firmly, her eyes locked onto his.
Veil clenched his fists, his expression hardening under Alynia's words.
The bear, realizing its prey had regrouped, slowly pivoted. Its yellow eyes shifted between Veil and Alynia, assessing its targets with raw yet relentless intelligence.
The air grew heavier with tension.
The fight wasn't over.