"Well... Thief… don't die yet." The mysterious woman muttered.
She lingered at the ridge for half a breath longer.
"Hm… yeah," she murmured, lips curving faintly.
Then she turned around.
The Frosthowl was too close now.
Its massive frame burst through the treeline below, claws tearing through snow and stone, each steps shaking the mountain. Its breath steamed violently in the cold, eyes locked— feral, furious.
"Tch. You're persistent," she muttered.
Instead of fleeing and running away at that other direction, she jumped.
Her body dropped off the ledge without hesitation, feet striking rock once, twice, then she vanished downward, following the same route the beasts, human and the "thief." had taken moments earlier.
She landed hard, rolled, and broke into a sprint.
Ahead of her, the firelight bobbed wildly between the trees.
The thief group.
Her smirk returned.
"Well," she said softly as she ran, snow blurring beneath her feet. "I should at least torture this thief first."
Behind her—
ROOOAAARR.
The sound spread through the mountain.
She winced slightly. "Damn… that's so loud."
She glance back.
The Frosthowl had climbed at the top of the cave formation, that cave— its massive silhouette outlined against the night. Snow slid from its claws as it threw its head back and roared again, the sound spreading outward like a shockwave.
Then its head snapped down.
Its gaze found her.
"Oh?" she murmured.
The beast leapt.
The ground exploded where it landed, snow and stone erupting outward as it charged straight at her, each stride closing the distance brutally fast.
She didn't panic and instead she adjusted her pace— slowed slightly.
Just enough.
Well time dragged on.
The Frosthowl never stopped trying to catch her.
It crashed through the trees, rocks… again and again, lunging whenever it thought it had her, claws carving trenches into snow and stone— only for her to slip away each time, always just out of reach.
She didn't flee.
She just followed.
Always behind the thief's group, always close enough to see the firelight flicker between the trees, close enough to hear the beast's loud steps.
The Frosthowl grew more agitated with every failed strike.
Its breathing turned ragged. Its movements turned sharper. Wilder.
Then—
It lunged..
She twisted aside with effortless precision, its massive claws tearing through empty air where she'd been a moment before. The beast skidded, recovered instantly.
Then stopped.
Its head turned.
Not toward her.
Toward the light.
Ahead, the fire flickered between trees as two massive shapes ran through the forest, carrying their riders forward at impossible speed.
The guy looked back, he squinted.
Their eyes met— briefly.
The Frosthowl's body tensed.
Then it roared again.
And charged.
Instead of going at her it passed straight at her.
Straight toward them.
"Oh?" she said, eyes widening just a fraction.
She leapt upward, feet on bark as she kicked off a tree and vaulted high into the branches. Snow shook loose as she landed lightly, crouched above the chaos below.
From her perch, she watched it happen.
The Frosthowl tearing through the forest. The beasts running full tilt. The firelight bouncing wildly.
Her smile widened.
"…Now," she whispered, resting her chin against her knuckles, eyes gleaming.
"Let's see if you can survive."
***
(Si Hon, continuation.)
As boreas and Nivalis ran through the forest.
Branches snapped. Snow exploded under their paws. The world blurred into streaks of black, white, and firelight as Si Hon tightened his grip around Hana, pulling her closer against his chest.
Her face was still buried against him, breathing slow— still asleep.
What's with this girl? He thought.
He lifted his head, eyes darting around.
Trees. Rocks. Shadows whipping past.
Then—
His finger twitched.
"…Huh?"
The goo ring wrapped around his finger tightened.
Not painfully, but intentionally.
Si Hon frowned and glanced down— just as the Proto Ring contracted, its surface wiggling.
"What the—"
His hand clenched on its own.
"?! Yo? Hey!"
The ring pulled forcefully— its semi-liquid surface tightening as if it had found something it hated.
Si Hon's arm raised against his will, muscles locking as the Proto-Bond Ring dragged his fist upward, not forward toward the tower, but backward, pointing into the darkness they were fleeing from.
Like it was showing him something dangerous, warning him that whatever was behind them was not just a monster but something or someone too.
"What the fuck is this thing doing?" Si Hon hissed, struggling— but his muscles wouldn't listen. The Proto Ring guided his arm up inch by inch, locking his wrist in place like it was pointing at something only it could see.
Then—
BOOM.
Thunder split the sky.
For a single second, the mountainside was lit in white.
The forest was bright.
And Si Hon saw her.
High above.
Standing on the jagged rock formation where Arven's cave had been.
The mysterious woman.
Her cloak snapped violently in the wind, hair flowing sideways. Her scar face— sharp, beautiful, and utterly cold, was turned directly toward him.
Not past him.
But at him.
Her eyes locked onto his.
Glaring.
For that one second, Si Hon felt like prey.
The light vanished.
Darkness slammed back into the world as if nothing had happened.
His arm dropped instantly, the Proto Ring loosening as if satisfied.
Si Hon sucked in a sharp breath.
"…That wasn't my imagination," he muttered.
Nivalis barked loudly, surging faster.
The system window flickered beside him.
「Distance to Target: 4,831M」
The number dropped again almost immediately.
「Distance to Target: 4,391M」
"It's decreasing FAST! " Arven shouted over the wind.
Boreas roared and pushed harder, muscles bulging as he ran faster dodging through the trees.
The numbers plummeted.
「Distance to Target: 3,992M」
「Distance to Target: 3,601M」
「Distance to Target: 3,328M」
「Distance to Target: 2,904M」
Si Hon's heart pounded.
Fuck, why did it suddenly got even faster!
「Distance to Target: 2,612M」
「Distance to Target: 2,109M」
The forest ahead thinned slightly.
Cold air rushed in harder.
「Distance to Target: 1,967M」
Si Hon clenched his jaw, tightening his grip around Hana as panic crept up his spine. Fuck— fuck— fuck, his mind spiraled. Why is it dropping so fast? How the hell does it even know where we are?
A roar tore through the forest.
Not just loud. It was deafening. The sound slammed into his chest, rattling his bones.
Then— after a while.
THUD!
The ground shook violently, as if something massive had crashed down from above.
Another roar followed, behind closer this time.
Then another THUD. And another.
For nearly a full minute, the forest behind them was being annihilated. Trees snapped like twigs. Snow and debris exploded upward. The sound of destruction chased them relentlessly, closing the distance with every heartbeat.
Si Hon's thoughts raced. What the hell…? Is it chasing something? Or… someone?
The system window flickered again beside him.
「Distance to Target: 1,900M」
「Distance to Target: 1,783M」
「Distance to Target: 1,530M」
「Distance to Target: 1,110M」
Too fast. Way too fast.
His breath hitched as the numbers kept falling.
「Distance to Target: 873M」
「Distance to Target: 512M」
Through the trees— far behind them— he caught a glimpse of it.
A massive silhouette moving between the shattered forest, each step crushing the land beneath it.
Then— it stopped.
Si Hon squinted through the darkness and firelight.
There.
Standing calmly in its path was a lone figure.
A woman.
Black hair. A blade at her side. Completely still, as if the monster barreling toward her didn't exist.
Is that the one the Frosthowl was chasing? Si Hon thought, heart pounding.
For a split second, it looked like the Frosthowl might lunged at her.
Instead—
It roared.
And ran straight past her.
Not slowing. Not hesitating.
Straight toward them.
Arven looked behind too, then—
"What the fuck?!!!!!" she screamed over the rushing wind and tearing forest, fingers snapping tight around the saddle's handle as a loud thud was heard and seen behind them.