---
Aldric lay on the shattered mountain peak, his body still and weak. The air was thick with smoke, and the scent of iron filled the night. All around him, small flames flickered across the rubble, casting an orange hue under the dark sky.
His breathing was shallow. His black hair was sticky with blood and sweat, and his dark eyes were dimming with every passing moment.
He didn't know whether to call this a victory or a defeat. He had survived the battle—barely—but survival itself was uncertain now. If he died here, then it was no victory at all. His goal was never to win. His goal was to live.
But as the pain pulsed through his body and the cold wind brushed against his wounds, Aldric knew that he was at his limit.
If no one found him, he would die here.
That thought alone filled the silence around him.
---
Far away, in the eastern part of the Blood Fang Region—very close to its borders—one of the red mountain peaks stood in ruin. The area was in chaos. The ground trembled under the weight of destruction. Flames burned in patches, smoke rose into the night sky, and the wind carried with it the sounds of beasts roaring and fighting.
It was a scene of madness.
The mountain's creatures—some beastly, some humanoid—were all running wild, confused and angry. The destruction had broken the balance of the region, and now they fought amongst themselves for survival or dominance.
Among the chaos, a man walked slowly up the mountain slope.
He wore a long black coat that fluttered slightly in the wind. His steps were calm and steady, as if the chaos around him didn't exist. In his hand, he lazily clapped as he walked. The sound of his hands meeting echoed faintly against the mountain walls.
Clap.
Clap.
Clap.
He stopped for a moment as his eyes fell upon the broken figure of Aldric lying amidst the debris.
With a light smile, he clapped one final time and said in a cheerful voice,
"Wow, you really put up a good fight… What did he say your name was again? Uhmm… yeah, Aldric."
There was no reply. Aldric's breathing was faint, his body unmoving.
The man tilted his head slightly, as if confused, then continued speaking to himself.
"Hmmm, are you aslee— I mean unconscious?" He scratched his chin, pretending to think seriously. "Wait, well, if you are, I shouldn't have asked since I won't get a reply. But if I didn't ask, how would I have known if you were…"
He paused mid-sentence, shrugged, and smiled lightly. "You know what? Let's just forget about all that stuff. Let's get you out of here."
With surprising ease, the man bent down and lifted Aldric onto his shoulders. His movements were gentle yet firm, showing no strain despite Aldric's weight.
He began walking down the mountain.
The flames flickered in the distance, the wind howled faintly, and the smell of burnt rock and blood lingered in the air.
As the man walked, Aldric stirred slightly. His lips parted, and with great effort, he managed to speak in a hoarse whisper.
"Who… are you?"
The man stopped walking. For a moment, he looked ahead, then let out a small chuckle.
"Well, I'm…" he began, but his words were cut off by a loud roar that echoed across the mountain.
The sound was deep, shaking the very air.
The man sighed and frowned, an annoyed expression spreading across his face.
"Really? Right now?" he muttered under his breath.
He let out a long, tired breath—one that sounded almost like disappointment—and then casually snapped his fingers.
The sound was sharp and clear, yet it echoed louder than it should have, bouncing through the mountain range like thunder.
And then, everything changed.
Every beast on the mountain suddenly froze in place. The flames that burned across the rocks flickered once—and went out completely.
Silence fell over the entire peak.
The only sound that remained was the whisper of the wind.
Then, one by one, the beasts began to collapse. The heavy thuds of their bodies hitting the ground filled the darkness.
In just a few seconds, the mountain became eerily still.
The man looked around, satisfied, and then cleared his throat as if continuing a normal conversation.
"Ahem. To answer your question—" he said, glancing at Aldric's still body, "as for who I am… well, I'm a guy. That much I remember. But if you can believe it, I've actually forgotten my name."
He started walking again, his tone still casual.
"And as for why I'm helping you… well, that's because I'm fulfilling my part of a certain deal."
He adjusted Aldric's position slightly on his shoulder before continuing, "And before you ask who I made this deal with—don't bother. Even I don't know. The guy was the definition of mysterious."
The wind blew softly, brushing past his coat as he descended the broken path.
For a while, there was no reply from Aldric. The man assumed he had passed out again.
But then, faintly, the sound of slow breathing could be heard.
The man smiled and said lightly, "Ahh… he fell asleep."
His voice carried a hint of amusement, as though this situation was more of a small inconvenience than a crisis.
He looked up toward the night sky one last time. The stars were faint, half-hidden by drifting smoke.
Then, as if the air itself had shifted, the man's figure blurred.
A soft gust of wind swept across the ruined mountain peak—
And both of them vanished without a trace.
---
The chapter end there.