Jolie sat in silence, watching Dante's exhausted expression. His breathing was unsteady, his eyes fixated on the ground covered in remnants of the golem he had just defeated. The void left by the creature seemed to reflect the emptiness inside him.
Her hands trembled as she tried to wipe the blood off his forehead. This wasn't the first time she had witnessed the power, but this time was different. That aura surrounding Dante, that cold glow that flickered for mere seconds… It was something else, something unlike any elemental force she had ever seen.
She whispered cautiously:
"Dante… are you okay?"
He lifted his head slowly as if he had momentarily forgotten her presence. He blinked a few times before answering in a low voice:
"I… don't know."
Jolie studied his face, unable to read his thoughts. Dante had always been someone who concealed his emotions, but this time, he looked like he was afraid—of something inside him.
"That light around you…" she hesitated, "it felt different."
Dante remained silent for a moment, then clenched his fist as if trying to comprehend what had happened.
"When I used the elixir… I felt something strange coursing through me, like I wasn't myself. Like something else was in control for a brief moment."
Jolie's concerned eyes met his. Then, with determination, she said:
"It doesn't matter what that was. In the end, it was you who saved me. You who fought the golem, not anyone else."
Dante looked at her, a small smile forming on his lips, but it lacked its usual reassurance.
A few minutes later, Dante started a small fire to provide them with warmth. The cold winds of the snowy forest were relentless, and their exhausted bodies could barely withstand the chill.
"We need food," Dante murmured as he checked his bag, only to find a few stale pieces of bread.
"I have some herbs we can boil," Jolie said, "but we need to find water."
Dante nodded and stood up slowly. "I'll search for some clean ice; maybe we can melt it."
"Wait, don't go alone!"
But he had already disappeared into the trees, leaving Jolie watching him in silence as he vanished into the shadows of the forest.
As Dante moved through the trees, he felt a sudden prickling sensation at the back of his neck. That instinct he had developed over years of survival had never failed him before. Someone else was nearby.
He didn't change the rhythm of his steps, but he became more focused, trying to pick up any unusual movement among the branches. He gripped his dagger cautiously and stopped behind a large tree.
Complete silence. No wind, no sounds. Only the rapid beating of his own heart.
Then, in an instant, a dark figure lunged at him with terrifying speed from the shadows!
Dante barely managed to dodge, rolling to the ground before raising his sword defensively. He looked at his attacker—a masked man clad in dark armor, his eyes glowing faintly red.
"So, you're the first survivor," the man said in a rough voice.
Dante didn't give himself time to think. He lunged at his opponent immediately. The two exchanged fierce blows, with the masked man displaying unnatural speed—almost as if he could predict Dante's movements before he made them.
"Who are you?" Dante shouted as he stepped back to catch his breath.
The man smirked behind his mask and replied in a calm voice:
"Just a hunter… and my mission is to hunt you down."
Then, in a flash, the man vanished completely—only to reappear behind Dante! His gleaming sword nearly pierced Dante's body, but at that moment, acting purely on instinct, Dante raised his hand—and suddenly, an unfamiliar energy flared to life, deflecting the attack with an unseen force!
The masked man stepped back, eyes widening. "What… is this power?"
Dante stared at his own hand in shock. "This… isn't water."
But he had no time to process it—his opponent had already recovered and was attacking again.
When Jolie arrived at the scene, she was utterly stunned. Dante was fighting with everything he had, but he wasn't able to keep up with his opponent.
Without hesitation, she raised her hand, summoning black flames, and launched a massive fireball toward the masked man. But he moved swiftly, dodging the attack with ease.
"Reinforcements? I wasn't expecting a companion," he said mockingly.
Dante stood beside Jolie, panting. "He's too fast… and smart."
Before they could make their next move, something unexpected happened—the masked man let out a short whistle. Moments later, he suddenly retreated and leaped onto a high branch.
"I have gathered enough information," he said with a cold smile. "We will meet again, first survivor."
Then, he vanished into the darkness of the trees.
Dante and Jolie stood in silence, staring at the spot where the man had disappeared.
"He was watching us the entire time…" Jolie muttered.
Dante looked at his hand, where the mysterious energy was still fading slowly. "I feel like this power… hasn't fully awakened yet."
Jolie glanced at him with concern, then said: "We need to move. If there's one hunter, there might be more."
Dante nodded. "Yeah. And we need to find other survivors… before someone like him does."
The two resumed their journey through the forest, unaware that the shadows were still watching them—and that this was only the beginning.
After hours of rest, Julie had finally regained her strength. The exhaustion that had once clouded her face had disappeared, and her eyes once again gleamed with the power she used to have.
She and Dante walked through the snowy forest, navigating between towering trees covered in layers of ice. The snowstorm had calmed a little, but the cold remained merciless.
"Are you feeling better now?" Dante asked, glancing at Julie.
"Yes," she replied with a faint smile. "That battle was tough, but I recover quickly."
Dante nodded, then looked at his hand, where he had used his strange new power for the first time. He could still feel something different inside him, as if something had changed forever.
"About that new power…" Julie said, watching him closely. "I saw you use it, but I don't understand how it works."
Dante stopped for a moment, then replied slowly:
"Honestly, I don't understand it either. It's unlike any element I know."
He added, frowning:
"When I faced that masked man, it felt like my body moved on its own. As if something inside me reacted to his attack before I could even think about defending myself."
Julie placed a hand on her chin, thinking for a moment before saying:
"It might be tied to your emotions. Maybe it was an instinctive response to extreme danger."
Dante looked at his hand again. His fingers trembled slightly—not from the cold, but from the thought that he possessed something he couldn't fully understand.
"Maybe," he murmured, though he wasn't entirely convinced.
As they talked, Julie suddenly stopped, then raised her hand to halt Dante as well.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered.
Dante tightened his grip on his sword, listening intently. At first, there was nothing—only the howling wind rushing through the trees. But after a few moments… they heard it clearly.
A wolf's howl.
Then another… and a third.
Julie whispered anxiously, "They're close… and there are a lot of them."
Dante muttered, "Snow wolves…? That's not good."
The next moment, the first snow wolf emerged from between the trees, moving slowly, its icy eyes locked onto them.
Then another appeared… and a third… until at least six of them surrounded them from all sides.
"Looks like we have no choice but to fight," Julie said as she prepared herself for battle.
Dante drew his sword, his heart pounding. "Let's leave at least one alive in case we need to escape."
The wolves didn't wait long—within a second, one lunged at Julie, while another leaped at Dante with its deadly fangs!
Julie dodged with ease, then swung her hand, launching a ball of black fire that struck the wolf attacking her. It howled in pain, retreating slightly.
Meanwhile, Dante ducked at the last second, his sword slicing through the air, cutting the wolf's claws before he slashed its side, knocking it to the ground.
But the battle was far from over. The other wolves didn't retreat—they only became more vicious!
Two of them attacked Julie at once, while the rest tried to overwhelm Dante.
"Dante! Watch out!" Julie shouted as she leaped backward to avoid a vicious strike.
But one of the wolves managed to get too close to Dante, throwing itself at him and knocking him to the ground!
The wolf was about to sink its fangs into his throat—when suddenly, something strange happened!
As Dante raised his hand to block the attack, a pulse of invisible energy burst from him, sending the wolf flying back, as if some unseen force had repelled it!
Julie saw it all unfold before her eyes, her expression filled with shock. "That power again…!"
Dante quickly got back on his feet, but there was no time to process what had happened—the fight wasn't over yet.
The remaining wolves realized the danger, but their hunger overpowered their fear.
"Looks like they won't back down easily," Julie said, wiping sweat from her forehead.
Dante gripped his sword tightly. "Then we finish this quickly."
In an instant, the two of them charged together:
Julie unleashed a stream of black flames, surrounding some of the wolves and forcing them to retreat in terror.
Dante used his speed to maneuver, then leaped high, landing a precise strike that cut through one of the wolves.
It only took a few moments, and as the last injured wolf collapsed, the rest finally began to flee.
The howls that had filled the air… were now replaced by heavy silence.
Dante took a deep breath, his eyes fixed on the fallen wolves.
"I used that power again," Julie said quietly.
Dante didn't respond immediately. He just stared at his hand, where he had felt that strange sensation for the second time.
"Yeah…" he murmured. "But I still don't understand it."
Julie placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave him a small smile. "We'll figure it out together."
Dante looked at her, then nodded silently. Whatever this power was… he had to find the truth himself.