The village gates groaned as they opened.
Wood scraped against stone, metal locks disengaged, and the sound carried far across the snow-packed ground. Cold air rushed inward like it had been waiting, sharp and biting, stinging exposed skin and lungs alike.
Narkun stood just behind Ray and Rex, his breath fogging the air as he stared through the widening gap.
Beyond the gate was the wild.
The land stretched outward in uneven slopes, frostbitten trees, jagged stone outcrops, and deep snowdrifts that concealed more than they revealed. Tracks crisscrossed the ground—some small and clawed, others wide and heavy, pressed deep into the earth.
This was where people died.
This was where people became strong.
Ray rolled his shoulders, excitement flickering across his face. "Took long enough."
Rex adjusted the strap of his pack and glanced back at Narkun. "Stay between us. No wandering. No stupid moves."
Narkun scowled. "I know."
"You say that," Rex replied, "but—"
"I said I know."
Max stood near the gate, arms crossed, eyes sharp. He surveyed the group of seven trainees gathered for the outing—Ray and Rex, three older teens, an escort guard, and Narkun.
His gaze lingered on Narkun the longest.
"Rules are simple," Max said. "You do not chase. You do not provoke. You do not engage unless ordered."
His eyes locked with Narkun's.
"Especially you."
Narkun nodded stiffly.
Samantha stood off to the side, hands clenched at her sides. She didn't speak. She didn't need to. The look in her eyes said enough.
Come back alive.
The gate opened fully.
"Move out," the escort guard said.
And for the first time in his life, Narkun Ka stepped beyond the village boundary.The snow felt different out here.
Inside the village, paths were packed, trampled by generations of feet. Out here, every step sank deeper, uneven and uncertain. The wind howled freely, unbroken by walls or clustered homes.
Narkun's senses felt… stretched.
Every sound was sharper. Every movement caught his eye. The distant crack of ice, the rustle of branches, the echo of something heavy shifting beneath the snow.
Ray noticed immediately.
"You feel that?" Ray asked quietly.
Rex nodded. "Yeah."
Narkun didn't answer.
He felt like the world had leaned closer to him.
They moved in formation, the escort guard leading, the older trainees flanking, Ray and Rex close to Narkun. Their goal was simple: reach a marked ridge, observe the terrain, and return.
No hunting.
No bonding.
No heroics.
The forest thickened as they moved forward. Trees grew taller, branches skeletal and heavy with snow. Shadows layered over one another, deepening with every step.
Narkun's hand brushed the small card Samantha had given him.
The king symbol felt warm.
Too warm.
He frowned but kept walking.They reached the ridge an hour later.
The escort guard raised a fist, signaling halt. Everyone froze instantly.
Below them stretched a shallow valley, snowdrifts broken by patches of dark earth and ice. Steam rose faintly from somewhere near the center.
Ray squinted. "Something's been moving through there."
The guard nodded. "Thermal beast, maybe two. No engagement."
Rex leaned closer to Narkun. "See? Easy."
That's when the snow shifted.
A low, rumbling growl rolled through the valley—not loud, but deep enough to vibrate in the chest.
Narkun's breath caught.
From beneath the snow, something rose.
It was massive—larger than a horse, its body covered in thick, slate-colored fur streaked with frost. Jagged crystal growths jutted from its shoulders and spine, glowing faintly blue. Its eyes burned gold as it sniffed the air.
A Frostcrag Ursid.
Ray swore under his breath. "That's not supposed to be this close."
The escort guard cursed. "Formation! Back slowly!"
The beast lifted its head.
And locked eyes with Narkun.
The world seemed to pause.
The Ursid snarled, lips curling back to reveal ice-coated fangs.
Then it roared.
The sound shattered the quiet like a physical force. Snow exploded outward as the beast charged uphill, its massive weight tearing through drifts like paper.
"MOVE!" the guard shouted.
The trainees scattered.
Ray grabbed Narkun's arm and yanked him sideways as the Ursid slammed into the ridge where they'd been standing moments before. Stone cracked. Ice shattered.
Rex spun, forming a quick hand seal, channeling energy into his legs. "Distract it!"
One of the older trainees hurled a reinforced spear, the tip glowing as it struck the beast's shoulder.
It barely slowed.
The Ursid swung its massive arm, swatting the trainee aside like a doll. He slammed into a tree with a sickening crack.
"FALL BACK!" the guard shouted.
But Narkun wasn't moving.
His heart pounded—not with fear, but with something else.
Recognition.
The beast lunged again.
Ray shoved Narkun hard. "RUN!"
Something inside Narkun snapped.
The air around him compressed.
The snow beneath his feet cracked outward in a perfect circle.
Narkun stepped forward.
The world went silent.
Then—
He moved.
Not fast.
Instant.
Narkun appeared directly in front of the Ursid, his small frame dwarfed by its towering mass. His fist drove forward, guided by instinct, not training.
The impact sounded like thunder.
The Ursid's skull caved inward.
The beast flew backward, skidding across the valley floor, carving a trench in the snow before slamming into a rock outcrop and going still.
Silence followed.
Ray stared.
Rex stared.
The escort guard stared.
Narkun stood frozen, fist trembling, breath ragged. His arm burned—not with pain, but with overuse, like something far beyond his limit had been forced through him.
"What… did you do?" Ray whispered.
Narkun looked at his hand.
It was bleeding.
The ground beneath his feet steamed.
The card in his pocket pulsed once.
Then the Ursid twitched.
A deep, rumbling sound echoed from its chest—not a growl, but something closer to a call.
Blue light spilled from the cracked crystals along its spine, wrapping around Narkun like threads.
The escort guard shouted, "GET AWAY FROM IT!"
Too late.
The light surged.
Narkun gasped as something connected.
Images flooded his mind—cold nights, hunger, territorial rage, the instinct to protect what was claimed.
The Ursid's eyes softened.
It bowed its massive head.
A mark burned into Narkun's chest—brief, invisible, but undeniable.
A bond.
Not formed.
Forced.
The beast exhaled once… and dissolved into motes of light that sank into Narkun's body.
The valley fell silent again.
Ray's knees buckled. Rex caught him.
The escort guard backed away slowly.
"Narkun…" Rex said. "What did you just do?"
Narkun swayed.
"I… don't know."
He collapsed into the snow.When Narkun woke, the world felt heavier.
He could feel the ground beneath him more clearly. The cold didn't bite—it whispered. His breath fogged, but his chest felt warm.
Too warm.
They carried him back through the gates at sunset.
The village was waiting.
The elders stood at the center square, expressions grim. Samantha pushed through the crowd and dropped to her knees beside him, pulling him into her arms.
"He's alive," Max said quietly. "But…"
The escort guard stepped forward. "He killed a Frostcrag Ursid with one strike."
Murmurs erupted.
"And bonded it," he added.
Silence fell like a blade.
An elder spoke slowly. "That is impossible."
Narkun stirred, eyes opening.
Every gaze turned to him.
The card slipped from his pocket, landing face-up in the snow.
The king symbol gleamed.
And somewhere deep inside Narkun, something ancient smiled.