"I heard it, it's close."
Astel stopped running and turned around, brandishing his spear. He stared intensely into the dark, expansive cave as people clad in white ran past him. He waited for a few moments, hoping to see any sign of the monster following them.
The cave was quiet. All Astel could hear was the strong wind coming from behind him—from the outside. Their journey was almost over, except for one thing.
Just as Astel was about to dismiss his weapon and head back, he heard another sound. The hair on his back stood up. He spun and slashed.
A whimper. The monster landed on the ground before disappearing back into the shadows.
"Do that one more time, I dare you!" Astel yelled.
A stinging pain hit him. He touched his ear and noticed blood.
'I swear I'll kill that bastard.'
A voice came from behind.
"Come back, Astel! We're almost there."
With an audible tsk, Astel turned around. He didn't like that it was still alive—after all, it could keep following them. Dismissing his spear, he ran toward the group.
The air was cold, and the cave was filled with light. Actual light, not just the glowing vines.
"What are we going to do about the cold?" Astel asked Sev, who was at the front of the running group.
"Since we lost the extra clothes, we'll have to hunt for animal hide."
Astel's eyes lit up before dimming once more. "Does that mean I'll have to endure this weather until we find something to hunt?"
Sev didn't answer. Instead, he pointed ahead.
"See that?"
Astel squinted, finally noticing something in the distance. "Is that…?"
Sev nodded. "Yes, it is."
Astel let out a sigh of relief. "That's something, at least."
In the distance stood a small shack covered in snow. If they could reach it, they would at least have some shelter from the bone-chilling cold.
As they got closer, the ground grew increasingly slippery and unstable. The light grew brighter as the outside world approached.
"Out of the way!" Sev suddenly yelled.
A giant rock fell from the ceiling, smashing into the frozen ground. The impact split the surface and made the entire cave shiver. Thanks to Sev, it narrowly missed everyone. Unfortunately, a few were injured—unconscious bodies, snapped ankles, torn muscles.
There weren't enough people to carry them all.
Astel looked at them with annoyance. "Are you serious? Let's just leave them here."
Sev turned, one eyebrow raised. "What?"
The strong wind made it hard to hear each other.
Astel froze for a split second. "I said I'll look for a way to save them!" he shouted.
Sev nodded and pointed at the shack. "There should be a sled or something in there!"
Without looking back, Astel bolted toward it, dodging dangerous terrain and fighting against the wind. The closer he got, the weaker he felt. The wind just kept getting stronger… and colder.
'I'll freeze to death before I get there.'
Frantically, he looked around and noticed a small crack in the cave wall.
'Perfect.'
He dashed toward it, but a loud crack resounded from above.
Astel dove to the ground as another massive rock fell, covering the crack entirely.
'Damn it.' He bit his lip, but the frost numbed all pain.
'I'm really going to die this time, aren't I?'
The image of the original Astel crucified flashed in his mind.
"Foolish…" he mumbled under his breath.
He turned back toward the shack and forced himself to stand. Each step felt like fighting against the world itself.
Finally, he reached the wooden door. His frozen hand gripped the handle and pushed, but it wouldn't budge. With no strength left, he rammed his shoulder against it—nothing.
With one last desperate kick, the door flew open.
He stumbled forward, barely catching himself before hitting the ground.
The wind couldn't reach inside. He was safe.
'This whole hero thing is so stupid.'
Forcing himself upright, he scanned the dark wooden interior. One corner held a stone fireplace. The other, a pile of junk. Most of it was frozen useless, but sure enough, there was a wooden sled that could fit at least three people.
Satisfied, he turned to leave—but something shiny caught his eye.
The outside light reflected off a small metal whistle buried in the pile. Astel picked it up and tried blowing into it, but the ice silenced it. He tried to pull it from his lips, only to realize they had frozen to the whistle.
"Damn it…" He twisted it, shoving it into his mouth instead. It clung to his tongue, but he didn't have time to deal with it.
Mentally preparing himself for the cold once more, he bolted out of the shack with the sled in tow.
*
Meanwhile, Sev had gathered everyone behind a rock formation to shield them from the freezing wind. People clung to each other for warmth. Many shook uncontrollably, some already showing signs of frostbite.
'Where is he…' Sev rubbed his hands impatiently.
Max tended to the worst of the injured, tearing his own clothes into bandages. He glanced at Sev, tilting his head as if to ask: Are we going to make it?
Sev nodded and pointed toward the edge of the rocks.
Max followed his gaze—Astel appeared, dragging a sled.
Max smiled and nodded.
"Finally… Could you get those three onto the sled? We'll carry the rest." Sev pointed at three unconscious lost souls.
Astel nodded, and with Max's help, got them onto the sled.
Sev waited for a break in the wind, then gestured sharply. "Now!"
The group ran again, fighting through the storm.
One by one, they made it into the shack.
The last was Astel, dragging the sled.
'Why do I have to do this…' he thought, clearly annoyed, his mouth still clamped shut.
The battle for survival wasn't over. The freezing weather wouldn't simply vanish just because they'd found shelter.
Acting quickly, Sev dismantled the sled for firewood. He tossed the pieces into the fireplace, then dug through the junk pile. Grabbing a rock, he struck it against the fireplace wall until sparks flew. Soon, flames rose, painting the room in a warm, red glow.
Apart from the crackling fire, silence filled the room. Nobody had the strength to speak.
Astel felt the whistle finally loosen. Instead of simply taking it out, he faked a cough and slipped it into his pocket.
"Is this shack yours?" he asked Sev.
Sev only nodded.
"Neat…" Astel looked around awkwardly. "Is this like your vacation house or something?"
Sev shook his head. "Shut up and go hunt us an animal or two if you have so much energy."
Astel stared at him, annoyance simmering. 'I'm really starting to hate this guy… It was fine when he did it to the other me, but being on the receiving end really isn't fun.'
He nodded slowly. "I'll be right back."
Before leaving, he plucked one of the warm stones from the fireplace and pocketed it.
"Do you know of any good spots?"
Sev turned with an annoyed look and pointed at the door. "Just go already."
Astel gave a small smirk. "Got it."
He stepped outside once more, into the frozen storm.