The cold was still there—icy and oppressive—but not as biting as he had imagined. Yahiko painfully opened his eyes. His skull throbbed under a nagging pressure, and his numb body refused to move, frozen by a stiffness that had seeped into his very muscles.


    He took a deep breath; the heavy air filled his lungs, saturated with a pungent odor of dried blood, mixed with the scent of damp, thick fur. All around him, everything was dark. Too dark.


    A shiver ran down his spine. The space was tight, oppressive. The air felt stagnant, almost unbreathable.


    He tried to move, but a low ceiling kept him from sitting up fully.His heart raced. Was he buried under the snow? Trapped in a crevice?


    He blinked, searching for something to anchor him in the darkness.Above him, a massive shape blocked almost all of his view, letting through only a thin sliver of pale light.Little by little, his foggy mind pieced together the puzzle.It wasn''t a snow slide that had buried him, nor a natural trap that had shut him in.It was the bear.Its colossal body, frozen in death, blocked the only exit.


    Yahiko swallowed with difficulty. How had it come to this?


    A few hours earlier…Mata was panting, his body on fire. Every muscle screamed in protest, but he couldn''t stop.Yahiko lay unconscious, vulnerable. And they were still in enemy territory.It wasn''t just the cold that threatened them. The scent of blood filled the air—heavy, lingering. It would inevitably attract other boreal bears… or worse.


    Mata clenched his teeth. He had no choice.They would both die if he did nothing.


    He took a few moments to recover, steadying his breathing, ignoring the burning pain radiating through his muscles. Then he moved toward Yahiko, pulled one of his friend''s arms over his shoulder, and hoisted him up as best he could.


    He moved forward slowly, dragging him through the snow. A hundred meters away, on the mountain''s slope, he spotted a natural indentation beside a small rock ledge. It wasn''t a shelter, nor a cave, but there were some thick shrubs dense enough to hide his friend while he secured the area.


    With great care, he laid Yahiko down among the branches, making sure he was properly supported and wouldn''t suffer further from the cold. Then, without wasting a second, he returned to the scene of the battle. There, he retrieved their shovels, his broken sword, and their bag, before turning his gaze to the massive corpse of the bear.


    Dragging it to the rock ledge was nothing short of a feat. Every step in the snow was torture, each movement reigniting the pain in his already battered muscles. But he had no choice.


    He clenched his teeth and pushed on, pulling and dragging the carcass forward, inch by inch, through the freezing night.


    After what felt like an eternity, he finally reached the place where he had left Yahiko. Out of breath, he knelt down for a few moments, his face twisted in pain, his body screaming.


    But he wasn''t done. They now needed shelter.


    The wind bit into his skin, and the temperature kept dropping rapidly. Mata knew they wouldn''t survive the night without protection from the cold.


    Shaking with exhaustion, he grabbed a shovel and got to work. He dug a hole in the snow, deep enough for them to take refuge in. Beneath the powder, a compact layer of ice put up tough resistance. Mata persevered, striking the steel against the hard surface and gradually clearing the accumulated snow.


    Each movement tore a groan of pain from him, his aching muscles protesting every effort.


    Once the cavity was wide enough, he lined the bottom with pine branches and dry moss, creating an insulating layer to prevent direct contact with the frozen ground. Only then did he carefully lower Yahiko into it, making sure he was settled properly.


    But the temperature kept falling. It wouldn''t be enough.


    His eyes turned to the bear. Its massive body was no longer a threat, but a resource. For this freezing night, it could offer them precious protection against the wind and biting cold.


    With care, Mata dragged the carcass and tipped it onto its side, positioning the most intact flank against the hole. That way, the insulating fur would block the icy gusts, while the gaping wounds and poisonous spikes would stay out of reach. He made sure to pierce a small opening in the snowy wall to allow for ventilation and avoid a buildup of CO2.


    Finally, he collapsed beside Yahiko, his body broken from exhaustion. His eyelids shut almost instantly.


    At dawn...When Yahiko fully regained consciousness, a strange sensation washed over him. His head was buzzing, his body heavy, but the crushing pain from the day before had faded. He blinked, trying to gather his thoughts, then took a slow breath.He was alive.


    The shock of that realization washed over him like an icy wave. He remembered the fight, the bear''s roar, his own scream of despair as he saw Mata about to be crushed. He remembered the biting cold, the blood, the burning adrenaline... Then nothing.


    But now, he was breathing. His heart was beating. His body, though sore, could still move.


    His gaze slowly swept over their makeshift shelter, searching for his friend in the darkness.


    Mata was there, lying on his side, his broken sword resting not far from him, his breathing calm but his face marked by exhaustion. For a moment, a familiar tension seized Yahiko—what if he didn''t wake up? But before the fear could take hold, Mata stirred slightly, half-opening a tired eye and muttering in a hoarse voice:


    — Took you long enough…


    A mix of relief and gratitude washed over Yahiko. He let out a trembling breath, finally realizing how close they had come to death.


    They were alive. Both of them.


    Thanks to Mata.


    But the respite would be short-lived.


    They had to get back.


    With a bear to bring along.


    Yahiko stretched as best he could within the cramped shelter, shaking off the fatigue that still weighed on his limbs. Mata had already drifted back to sleep, this time deeply, as if, after watching over him all night, he was now passing the baton.


    It was Yahiko''s turn to take care of their survival.


    He watched his friend for a moment, noting the exhaustion carved into his features, his slow and steady breath. Mata had risked his life to protect him, fighting against the cold, fatigue, and danger. He deserved a few extra hours of rest.


    He sat for a moment longer, his mind still foggy.


    He tapped his arms and legs to ease the lingering cold clinging to his muscles, then slowly stood and carefully stepped out of the shelter.


    The morning air was still freezing, but less biting than the previous nights. The silence was unsettling... Nothing moved around him.


    Yahiko scanned the surroundings, looking for any sign of life, something to hunt. His stomach growled, a harsh reminder that hunger would be their next enemy.


    He had to stay close to keep watch over the shelter—and Mata—while searching for something to prepare a makeshift meal.


    After an hour—or maybe two—Yahiko returned, firmly holding a brown hare he had managed to catch nearby. He made his way back to the rocky hollow near the hole where Mata was still sleeping and quickly set about building a fire. Gathering a handful of dry twigs and bark, he struck two stones together until a small spark appeared.


    This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.


    On the way, he had also collected a few pine needles. He dropped them into their canteen, which he had filled with snow, and placed it over the flames. It would give them a hot drink, rich in nutrients—perfect for regaining strength before the day ahead.


    Once the fire was well-established, he began skinning the hare with practiced ease, peeling off the fur in a few precise motions. Then, he skewered the carcass on a hazel branch to give it a distinctive flavor and set it over the flames, letting it roast slowly.


    The scent of roasted meat with hints of hazel smoke filled the cold air, permeating their shelter with its mouthwatering aroma. Yahiko watched the flames dance over the wood, listening to their calming crackle, while his thoughts drifted toward the day ahead.


    But just as he was getting lost in thought, a noise in front of him caught his attention.


    The bear''s carcass moved.


    Yahiko gave a faint smile as he saw Mata emerge from the shelter. One might''ve thought it was the bear crawling out of its den. Mata pulled himself out of the hole slowly, his face still marked by exhaustion, but looking visibly better than when he''d first woken up.


    — Damn... that smells good, he grunted, running a hand over his tired face.


    He sat heavily next to Yahiko, his eyes fixed on the grilled meat as if it were the most beautiful thing he''d ever seen.


    Without waiting any longer, they shared the meal in silence, savoring every bite of the still-smoking rabbit on its improvised skewer. The warmth of the pine needle drink spread through their bodies, a brief moment of respite after the hell they had endured the day before.


    Finally, Yahiko broke the silence:


    — I really thought we weren''t going to make it…


    His voice was calm, but the weight of the previous night still lingered in his words. He looked up at Mata, trying to catch his gaze. His friend, sitting cross-legged, was absently turning a piece of wood between his fingers, looking deep in thought.


    — Same here... Mata whispered. Until the very end, I was sure we were done for.


    A silence settled between them. Not a heavy silence—rather, the quiet of two survivors truly realizing how close to death they had come.


    — Just like the old legends said… These aren''t just regular bears, Yahiko said after a moment. They''re… deadly.


    — And incredibly resilient, Mata added. I gutted it, broke it, stabbed it... It should''ve died long before.


    Yahiko slowly nodded.


    — I tried using that power… to create a copy of the bear, like I do with birds. But it was too big, too heavy… It burst out all at once, I lost control. Couldn''t stop it. Like an explosion.


    Mata furrowed his brow slightly.


    — Yeah, I saw that. It completely froze the bear. Gave me an opening… But I seriously thought you were dead.


    Yahiko ran a hand over his face, recalling that crushing sensation.


    — Sorry, I was desperate… I acted without thinking. And it drained me in a second.


    Mata nodded.


    — It knocked you out, but without it, we''d be dead.


    A silence settled between them. Yahiko exhaled, thoughtful.


    — Yeah… But if I can''t control it, it might end up being more useless than anything else.


    — Then you''ll have to learn, that''s all!


    A brief silence floated between them. Yahiko eventually nodded.


    — Yeah… Easy to say…


    Then, switching to a more pragmatic tone, he said:


    — We need to deal with the bear.


    Mata raised an eyebrow, shrugging.


    — You want us to drag it back to the village?


    — Impossible, it''s way too heavy. And its meat is saturated with poison… we can''t do anything with it. We''ll take the fur and the dorsal spikes. The tips are filled with poison—it could be useful to the village, especially for defense during the coming nights. We''ll distribute them, and we''ll keep the poison pouch.


    Mata gave a crooked smile.


    — Works for me.


    They finished their breakfast, slowly regaining their strength. Once they were satisfied, they got to work. Still sore, Mata focused on the bony growths, carefully breaking their natural anchors to recover a dozen of the poisonous spikes. He tied them around his waist with a rope, making sure none of them touched his skin. Yahiko, meanwhile, used his blade to cut into the bear''s thick hide and carefully separated the fur, doing his best not to damage it.


    On their way back, the two boys walked through the snow, retracing the path to the village. The crisp air stung their faces, but the physical effort allowed them to retain some warmth despite the freezing temperatures.


    — We''ll need to pick up the plant for the poison recipe, Yahiko noted after a moment of silence.


    — The one you told me about on the way here?


    — Yeah. And also the ice block for my mother.


    Mata let out a sigh.


    — After all that, it''s a miracle we haven''t forgotten why we came out here in the first place.


    They looked at each other, exchanged a small smile, and let out a tired laugh.


    After a few hours of walking, Yahiko moved at a steady pace, making sure Mata, still weakened, could keep up without too much difficulty. When they reached a spot where the snow was thinner, he suddenly stopped.


    — We''re almost there, he said. The plants are just behind that grove, in a small clearing.


    — Tell me more about this plant, Mata replied.


    — It''s called Lethe''s Tear. It''s a rare plant, and its root has specific properties—it acts as a catalyst. It enhances the poison''s adhesion. Mixed with the bear''s venom, it makes the substance thicker and more stable. Once applied to a surface, the poison dries very quickly when exposed to air, which makes it ideal for coating blades or arrows.


    Mata gave an impressed whistle.


    — That''s something. But how do you plan on handling the poison without getting yourself poisoned?


    — That''s where old Gribou comes in. He''ll help us figure it out.


    Mata didn''t answer, visibly satisfied with the explanation.


    Without another word, they veered slightly toward the wooded area where Yahiko remembered spotting, in the past, the dark leaves and small purple flowers of the plant.


    The ground was hard, frozen on the surface, but beneath, the humus remained soft and slightly damp, protecting the roots intact. Yahiko crouched down and carefully began to dig them up, making sure not to damage them to preserve their full effectiveness.


    — Got it? Mata asked, scanning the area.


    — Yeah, I think we have enough. Let''s head back.


    On the way back, as they crossed the small grove beneath a canopy of trees lining the path, something caught Yahiko''s attention. He stopped abruptly, staring at the ground ahead. Mata, focused on his stride, walked a few steps past him before turning around.


    — You okay?


    Yahiko hesitated for a brief moment, then pointed to a specific spot on the path.


    — See that branch… and those drops of black blood?


    Mata squinted. He noticed a broken twig on the ground, along with traces of dark blood. He immediately made the connection to the bears.


    His expression froze.


    — That''s bear blood…? he asked, tense.


    Yahiko nodded.


    — I placed that branch up high, balanced, on the way out, he murmured.He pointed to some low-hanging foliage, right at head height.


    — I wedged it here, between these branches. It could only fall if something passed by after us…


    A shiver ran through Mata. He raised an eyebrow, hesitated. He didn''t want to ask, but couldn''t help himself.


    — Why''d you do that?


    — I wanted to know… if someone was following us.


    A heavy silence settled between them.


    — And?


    — I''m not sure… but I don''t like it.


    He fell silent for a few seconds, his tone darker, then continued:


    — This morning, at dawn, when I came out of the hole to look for food, I walked along the edge of the boreal bear territory. Just a few steps from where we fought last night, I found signs of a massive struggle. The ground was torn up, snow and shrubs completely wrecked. I didn''t get any closer—just to be safe.


    He paused, his gaze hardening.


    — What shocked me the most, despite the violence of the fight… was that there was only one trace of black blood. A clear trail, stretching several meters.


    He looked up at Mata.


    — Not drops, not splashes… a real track. Like a body had been dragged that far. A bear, most likely.


    He swallowed hard, his throat tight.


    — And that trail led straight toward the heart of their territory.


    Mata struggled to swallow.


    — It chilled me to the bone… But at the same time, who would be crazy enough to venture into the very heart of their domain? That beast had no chance of coming out alive.


    He slowly shook his head, eyes fixed on Mata, his expression hardening.


    His friend''s face darkened as well.


    Gripped by a deep doubt, he realized they had to act—fast.


    Erasing their tracks had now become a matter of urgency.


    Without wasting a second, Yahiko tossed the pine-needle infusion flask to Mata.


    — Pour half of it on your clothes.


    — What?! We''ll freeze to death!


    — We''ll have to grit our teeth… but this will mask our scent.


    Mata didn''t even argue this time and obeyed. The infusion gave off a strong resinous smell as it soaked into the fabric. Their scent, now muffled, would blend with the conifers surrounding them.


    Yahiko did the same, carefully dampening his own clothes. He also made sure to pour some on the ground, turning the surface into dark, soaked mud. Then, without a word, he gestured for Mata to slip into a bush to the right.


    With a swift motion, Yahiko grabbed a pine branch and swept the ground, erasing their footprints as best he could. Once the job was done, they immediately took off.


    After a few minutes of walking, Yahiko gave the signal.


    Without hesitation… they turned back!


    Anyone else would''ve called that decision insane. They had already erased their tracks, masked their scent, and were likely fleeing from a deadly threat… so why go back?


    Because they were missing a crucial piece of information.


    The most important of all: identifying their pursuer.


    If Yahiko was right… If that creature had truly come out of the bears'' territory alive and started hunting them…


    Then they didn''t stand a chance.


    Unless they understood what was tracking them.


    If they wanted to survive, they needed information. The slightest lead, the smallest exploitable clue—something that would allow them to make decisions accordingly.


    No matter the danger. They had to be sure.


    Hearts pounding, they discreetly retraced their steps, following the path they had taken, hidden among the bushes.


    Mata moved cautiously, eyes sharp, until a detail stopped him dead in his tracks.


    His pupils dilated.


    His gaze froze, locked in silent horror.


    His legs trembled. One second too long trying to understand.


    Then, without a word, he collapsed backward, crashing heavily into the snow, breathless.


    Yahiko, startled, nearly tripped, barely avoiding falling onto his friend.


    He lowered his gaze, looked at the ground… and immediately understood what had paralyzed Mata.


    He hadn''t soaked the ground here just to erase their tracks.


    He had set a trap for their pursuer.


    The idea was simple but effective: by wetting the earth, he hoped to capture a footprint from whatever was tracking them. A clue that could reveal the nature of their predator.


    But the moment his eyes fell upon the mud, his legs gave out.


    A sudden weakness swept over him, as if his own weight had become too much to bear.


    He recognized that footprint.


    It was etched into his memory forever, and now, it was here—pressed into the damp earth, clear, indelible.


    The same one they had seen near the forest by the village.


    Death was on their trail.