The landscape was wide and open. Snow stretched in every direction, smooth and white, glittering under the dim early morning light. A thin stream ran through the scene, its water flowing softly over rounded stones. There were no birds, no wind. Just quiet.
From the freezing stream, Ezra dragged himself out.
His arms trembled as he pulled his soaked body onto the snow-covered bank, coughing up icy water that had filled his lungs during the fall. He lay flat on the ground, gasping, every breath cutting like knives in his throat. His skin was pale like paper, dark circles shaded his eyes, and the wound on his side had opened again—dripping blood that melted tiny red dots into the snow.
His clothes clung to him, completely soaked. Only the strap across his shoulder reminded him that his supply bag was still with him… though it too was soaked and half-frozen. The cold was worse than before, plus the fact that he was weak to cold made his condition worse. The breeze cut deeper, and the chill felt like it was seeping into his bones.
Ezra stared up at the moon, still faintly visible above the horizon. He watched it in silence, letting its soft glow calm him, before forcing himself to sit up, groaning through clenched teeth.
Shivering, he pulled off the top layers of his clothing, ones that were drenched or soaked in blood, and bundled them into a ball. He tossed the pile aside, then looked around. Not far from the stream, a massive, twisted tree stood tall, its roots jutting out of the snow like arms. One thick root curved upward to form a natural arch, hollow underneath—just big enough for someone, or something, to crawl into.
Ezra's body ached with every movement, but he couldn't stop. He dug into his bag with numb fingers, pulling out a handful of dried herbs that were now wet. The frostbite was setting in, and every touch felt like pins stabbing into his skin, but he kept grinding the herbs between his palms until they turned into a meshed mix. He added water using a wooden bowl he'd made back at the cave.
Then, he poured the mixture on the snowy ground near the tree. Drizzling a trail from the stream to the shelter, masking his scent as he moved. Once inside the tree's hollow, he dumped his gear onto the frozen dirt and dug through the bag again.
Another herb. A different one this time, brown and bitter smell. He crushed it with shaking hands and rubbed it directly into his open wound.
The sting was instant.
Ezra clenched his jaw, head snapping back against the inner bark of the tree as the pain exploded through him. He didn't scream. He couldn't. He just panted hard, eyes blurry, holding his side. Once he finished wrapping it with the driest piece of cloth he had left, his vision flickered.
He laid flat again, dizzy from blood loss and cold, barely able to keep his eyes open. He knew the cold would kill him if he passed out now.
With the last of his strength, he reached out toward the scattered herbs. He shoved one into his mouth—a stimulant—and chewed slowly, trying to stay conscious.
But eventually, everything went dark.
Not far from the stream, a Silverback Dire Wolf, its silver fur stained from the trees and snow, crept silently to the area where Ezra had tossed his bloody clothes.
It sniffed the air, then lowered its head. Something was off.
It sniffed again. The scent it had been tracking was strong here, but suddenly gone. The air around the pile was strange. Masked. Confusing.
The wolf growled slowly and began circling, hunting, searching. Minutes passed, and it found nothing.
Then, raising its head to the moonlight, it let out a long, hollow howl. A signal.
The prey was lost.
It turned, paws padding quietly through the snow as it retreated back into the forest shadows.
The area had completely changed.
***
Ezra's camp was now occupied by Vera's team, fully set up with tents, weapons, and a bath area shielded by long cloths tied between trees. Steam drifted lazily from the bath zone; water heated over controlled fires. The snow had been cleared in sections, replaced by fire pits and gear stations.
In the girls' bathing section, Vera stood waist-deep in the steaming tub, gently pouring water over her bare shoulders. The warm water shimmered on her pale skin, steam curling around her like mist.
Nina stood outside the curtain barrier, stiff and alert like a nervous guard dog.
"Don't you want to join me?" Vera asked casually, tilting her head slightly toward the covered figure.
"N-No! How could I… with someone like you… with such an amazing body…" Nina stuttered, her cheeks glowing red. "I-I mean, I want to! It's my dream too! I mean…wait, no…it's not like that…!"
"You sure?" Vera asked again, this time sliding her head out from behind the curtain. Her wet hair clung to her face as she gave Nina a teasing smirk.
"Lady Vera!" Nina screamed, turning away instantly and pushing Vera's head gently back inside. Realizing what she had just done she dropped to her knees, bowing furiously. "Forgive me!" her face was fully red.
Vera laughed, unbothered. "You're such a sweet little tomato."
Just then, Zack's voice came from outside the bath zone.
"Lady Vera, a large group of people is approaching the camp. It's not Pamela or her squad."
"What!?" Nina snapped to attention. "Who do they think they are?! How are they even moving in numbers with Silverbacks running wild?"
Vera stepped out of the bath calmly, drying herself off with a towel as if she hadn't just been interrupted. "Let's see who our lovely visitors are."
By the time she arrived at the center of camp, her group was already in battle formation. Vera casually walked to the front. Her hair still damp, her arms folded, she stared ahead… and her smirk slowly faded into a bored frown.
"Tch. What is he doing here?" she said flatly.
The boy leading the group ahead waved at her. He had long jet-black hair and deep black eyes, the usual Ashenlocke features. But his skin was warmer in tone, not as pale as most. He carried himself with a chill, relaxed air, like someone who didn't get rattled easily.
"Vera! Long time no see. Nina, Zack. Good to see you both alive and well."
"Big-sis," Vera interrupted coldly, narrowing her eyes.
"Huh?" he blinked, confused. "You know I'm older than you, right?"
"You mean how you assaulted me in the womb to be born first?" she said, rubbing her arm dramatically like she'd been wounded. "I still have trauma from that."
Everyone, both the boy's group and her group looked at him with shocked eyes.
"Vera, what the hell?" the boy sighed.
"Say it," she pressed, stepping closer, her eyes glinting. "Call me Big-Sis."
They stared at each other.
He sighed again. "Big-Sis."
"Yes, Little Brother," she replied with a big, innocent smile. "Now, what brings you to your wonderful Big-Sis's camp? Trouble at home? Need advice? Or maybe… trying to spy on me?"
Veda let out a quiet sigh and rubbed the back of his neck. "Well, I just came here to warn whoever was staying in this safe zone about Felix… but since I found you instead, I guess I'll tell you about something new we figured out. There's a feature in these safe zones they didn't exactly tell us about."
Vera raised a brow, leaning slightly to one side with her arms folded. Her expression didn't change much—still blank, still unimpressed, but there was a little glint in her eye.
"Why are you wasting your time worrying about that dumbass?" she asked, deadpan.
Veda shrugged, smiling slightly like he didn't take her jab too seriously. "One of my food-search groups stumbled upon another safe zone. Or… what was left of it. Completely wrecked. It looked like Felix and his people got there first."
Vera's eyes narrowed slightly, though she didn't interrupt.
"The strange part," Veda continued, "was how they managed to move that deep into the forest with so many Dire Wolves around. I mean, they were in the middle of nowhere. That's when my group brought back a survivor."
Nina and Zack exchanged glances.
"This survivor said he overheard a girl in Felix's group talking about some flowers they were carrying. Apparently, the flowers were herbs. Special ones used to mask scent. And not just any scent, these herbs specifically stop the Silverback Dire Wolves from tracking your scent."
Vera's lips parted in a silent 'oh,' but instead of looking shocked, she looked… entertained.
"So, Felix is out there, hopping from safe zone to safe zone, completely unbothered by those oversized mutts because he's using some cheat code herb?" She grinned, clearly finding the whole situation amusing. "That's kind of brilliant. Idiotic, but brilliant."
"Wait a second," Zack said, his voice rising. He adjusted his glasses as something clicked in his head. "If that herb actually works… and someone else had it… then that boy, Ezra. Could still be alive."
"Pfft, please," Nina scoffed, brushing off the idea with a wave. "There's no way. He couldn't have known about the herb. Right, Lady Vera?"
Vera didn't answer immediately.
Her gaze shifted toward the direction Ezra had run the night before. A smile tugged at her lips, this one slower, more curious. "He did have a bag with him."
She turned slightly, her wet hair clinging to her cheek. "Interesting. Really interesting," she said, almost to herself. Her voice was soft now, like she was enjoying a private joke.
Then she snapped her attention back to Veda. "Hey, little brother. Since you're here, I'm assuming you guys already know the exact ingredients for that herb blend, right?"
Veda nodded calmly. "Yeah, we do."
"Then teach my people," she said, her tone shifting into a clear order.
"I was already planning to, Ver…"
"Huh?" she cut in sharply, her voice dropping with sudden ice.
Veda paused, then sighed in mock defeat. "Big-sis."
"That's better." Vera's smile returned, smug and satisfied.
Then Veda tilted his head, brushing snow off his shoulder with a casual flick. "By the way… who's this boy everyone keeps mentioning?"
Vera turned her back without answering, already walking off with Nina and Zack. Her hand waved lazily in the air as if brushing his question away like dust.
"Not your concern," she said simply. "Let's go welcome our guests and learn about this intriguing herb of yours."
Veda chuckled, watching her retreat. "Still full of herself as always," he muttered. He then gestured to his group to begin helping Vera's team.
"Lady Vera," Zack asked quietly as he fell into step beside her. "What do we do about him?"
Vera didn't look back. Her voice was soft but certain.
"Let Pamela handle it when she arrives," she said. "Like I said…"
Her hand curled into a loose fist as she walked.
"I knew it," she whispered under her breath, just loud enough for only herself to hear.