Snow falls upon the mountain, piling up upon the mountain, and covering the footprints left in the snow.
A man, ragged and tired, pushes forward, leaving new prints in the snow as the ones behind him fade away.
A rumbling sound can be heard from ad distance, drawing the man's attention. The sound continues towards him until suddenly, a large being appears before him, bearing an appearance unlike anything if this world. With a deep growl, the beast lurks towards the man, who puts up no resistance as he is caught.
"Fight."
An unearthly sound emerges from the depth of the man's subconscious.
"Move."
This time, the voice was different yet the same. As if rather than a simple sound, this voice instead was something much like a an order.
The beast squeezes, causing the man in his grasp to fall limp.
"What are you doing!"
The voice, which had been a thought, had now become a thing. The thing began to grab at the man.
"MOVE!"
At the thing's words the man began to move as if forced. First revealing a blade by is side, a traditional liuyedao. The man let's the sheath fall off, revealing a curved blade and in one move kills the beast, cutting through its flesh to its vital organs.
"Why?" Asks the man.
"Why are you doing this! Haven't I suffered enough! I have traveled the world and became the best! So why won't you give me peace? Why won't you give me freedom when I despair so?"
The thing looks into his eyes, revealing a shapeless face with a rip where the mouth should be.
"Because freedom does not exist. Because true despair has not until been seen. And because shackles allow one an easy life. Such is the truth of human nature." The thing states.
"Do you not thank me for freeing you of the shackles of human nature?"
"Now keep MOVING."