Erza walks up and out the cave near to the exit the bear manage to pop the chain that attaches him to erza back and runs away erza chases him they both run out the cave but right as he was about to catch him erza passed out from losing a lot of blood.
As Ezra staggered through the dim, twisting paths of the cave, he felt the world swimming around him, his strength slowly slipping away. He could barely see in the faint light, stumbling over rocks and brushing his hands against the cold, damp walls.
Behind him, his cursed bear swung on his backpack, grumbling and plotting—until, with a loud snap, the chain holding it broke.
The bear's eyes gleamed with mischievous glee. "FREEDOM!" it squeaked and took off, scampering down the tunnel as fast as its stubby legs could carry it.
"Hey, get back here!" Ezra yelled, forcing himself to chase after it, despite the pain throbbing in his side. Their footsteps echoed through the cave, adding a strange playfulness to the eerie silence as they darted around corners, the bear just barely out of reach. It was almost a game… until Ezra's vision blurred, and his body swayed.
Outside the cave, just as he was about to catch the runaway bear, the weight of his injuries hit him like a wall. He stumbled, the world tilted, and he collapsed to the ground, unconscious before he even hit the dirt.
The forest grew silent.
In the shadows of the forest, the four monsters from before reemerged, their grotesque forms looming like nightmares against the faint morning light. One of them, its twisted maw dripping with drool, lunged forward, claws extended toward Ezra's defenseless body. But just as it was about to strike—
Clang!
The sound of metal rang through the air, and a flash of movement appeared between Ezra and the monster. A woman stood before them, her gaze fierce, holding Ezra protectively in her arms. Her eyes, bright and sharp, narrowed as she took in the monsters circling them.
"What in the world is a human doing all the way out here?" she murmured, glancing down at his pale face. She noticed the blood staining his clothes, her brow creasing. "You're losing blood fast."
Before she could tend to him, one of the monsters snarled and lunged at her with a ferocious speed. With a calm, practiced motion, she lifted her hand and pulled a ring from her finger, tossing it into the air. As it spun, a blood-red aura burst forth, filling the space around her with a fierce, radiant glow. The ring spiraled back down, transforming midair into a weapon—a sleek, double-edged rapier with a dark, reflective blade that shimmered with faint golden edges.
The woman snatched the weapon effortlessly as it fell, her stance shifting with lethal grace. The hilt, dark and adorned with intricate golden patterns, fit perfectly in her hand. A small, polished orange gemstone at the pommel caught the light, casting a reflection that matched her striking eyes.
With a smirk, she muttered, "Come on, Solstice Edge. Let's go hunting."
The first monster charged her, and in a blur, she struck, her movements fluid and precise. The rapier cut through the creature's thick skin as if it were paper, her strikes clean and unyielding. The monster howled, staggering back, its body oozing a black ichor from where she'd slashed it.
The remaining three monsters roared, enraged by their wounded comrade. They rushed her together, surrounding her with a flurry of snapping jaws and slashing claws. But the woman was faster, her blade a gleaming arc of death as she wove between them, her body moving with an elegance and power that belied her slim form.
She struck the next monster with such force that it was thrown back against a tree, its chest split open and smoking.
One of the creatures managed to get close, its massive, clawed hand reaching for her. Without missing a beat, she ducked and pivoted, slicing her blade upward in a swift motion that severed its arm in one clean stroke. The monster's shriek echoed through the forest, and it fell back, cradling its bleeding stump.
With a final, graceful leap, she spun, driving her blade into the last monster's chest. The creature let out a strangled roar, its limbs thrashing before it collapsed to the ground, still.
As the last of the monsters fell, the woman turned to Ezra, her rapier still glistening with the creatures' dark blood. She knelt beside him, her sharp gaze softening just a fraction.
"Well," she muttered to herself, "who are you, and what exactly have you stumbled into?"