Veyna runs through the endless snow, her breath ragged, her legs burning with exhaustion. Each step is a struggle as the thick snow swallows her feet, dragging her down, but she refuses to stop. She can’t stop. The wind howls around her, whipping ice and frost against her already freezing skin. Her crimson-stained fingers clutch the hilt of her sword. A silver blade now slick with blood.
Her wild eyes dart through the dense, ghostly forest, searching desperately for any sign of life.
I must go back…
I will go back and cut their throats myself!
But her body is failing her. Her strength is slipping, her lungs burn, and her limbs feel as though they are turning to ice.
Then, her foot catches on something buried beneath the snow. She barely has time to react before she crashes forward, her body sinking into the thick, unforgiving white. The sword she held before flying forward and landed safely in the snow.
A sharp gasp escapes her lips. She lies there, chest heaving, her fingers trembling against the frozen ground.
Then, she hears it.
A low, guttural growl.
Veyna’s eyes snap open, her entire body locking in place. Slowly, she lifts her head.
There, emerging from the swirling blizzard, stands a pack of beasts.
Ice beasts.
Their bodies resemble wolves sculpted from pure snow - huge, elegant, yet terrifying. A gleaming gemstone rests in the center of each of their foreheads, catching the moonlight like a shard of frozen fire. Their glowing eyes pierce through the storm, locking onto her.
Veyna holds her breath, forcing herself to stay still.
They’re going to kill me…
But they don’t attack.
Instead, one by one, they lower their bodies.
Bowing.
Her pulse pounds in her ears. Why? This isn’t submission. It’s reverence. As if they recognize something within her, something she doesn’t understand.
Then—
A sharp whistle cuts through the wind.
A burning blue arrow slams into one of the beasts. The scent of scorched fur and magic fills the air.
Veyna’s stomach twists. They found me.
Her breath turns shallow, her heartbeat frantic. She tries to move, to fight, to run, but before she can, strong arms wrap around her from behind.
Warm. Unyielding.
She thrashes weakly, but her strength is gone.
“I told you…” a voice murmurs, deep and smooth, dangerously gentle.
“Running in this weather is pointless, Veyna.”
Edric.
The man who kept her captive.
Her vision blurs as her body, traitorously, sinks into his warmth. The biting cold that had tortured her moments ago begins to fade. It’s unbearable, this warmth. She hates it. Hates him. And yet… her heartbeat steadies.
The ice beasts remain still, watching in eerie silence, as if accepting a fate she cannot yet comprehend.
I failed…
Whatever… I’ll just… sleep for now…
Her lashes flutter shut, her body going limp in his arms.
Edric exhales softly, adjusting his grip, cradling her as if she is something delicate. A smirk plays at his lips as he whispers-
“Sleep well, Veyna.”
And with that, he carries her away into the storm.
