The cold metal of the ring pressed against my palm.
I had seen this ring countless times on my father's finger. A simple silver band, unadorned, yet infused with ancient magic. He used it to store weapons, supplies, and things of value.
My hand trembled as I slid it onto my finger.
A faint pulse ran through my arm, confirming the ring had recognized me as its new owner.
I don't have the luxury of mourning.
Not now.
Taking a slow breath, I propped myself up on one elbow. My body screamed in protest, muscles stiff with cold and pain. But I couldn't stay here.
Not with those things still prowling.
I cast one last glance at my father.
Then, with clenched teeth, I turned away.
Goodbye.
Silently, I began crawling away from the bodies.
Every movement was torture. My limbs, still numb, felt like dead weight. But I had no choice.
I had to survive.
The scavengers still roamed. Their monstrous silhouettes slithered through the darkness, their grotesque forms moving unnaturally as they picked through the dead.
One passed close enough that I could hear its labored breathing.
Stay calm.
Make no noise.
My breath was so shallow I felt like I was suffocating.
Meter by meter, I dragged myself across the snow, inching toward the ruins of a collapsed wall.
For now, the darkness hid me.
But one mistake… and I was dead.
A sudden movement caught my eye to the left.
A soldier.
No… a survivor.
He lay slumped against a boulder, panting, his armor shattered, blood pooling beneath his leg.
His eyes met mine.
For a split second, hope flickered in them.
Then—
A scavenger's head snapped toward him.
The man tried to move.
The creature pounced.
He didn't even have time to scream.
I watched, frozen, as the scavenger tore into his throat.
The soldier convulsed once before his body went limp.
Silence fell once more.
I swallowed hard, forcing myself to look away.
I can't help anyone.
I can't save anyone.
I bit down on my lip until I tasted blood.
Then, I kept moving.
After what felt like hours of crawling, I reached the ruins of a collapsed building.
The cold was getting worse. My fingers were stiff, my limbs barely responding.
Then I heard it.
A low growl.
I froze.
A shadow moved toward me.
One of the scavengers.
I pressed myself against the rubble, fingers tightening around the dagger I had pulled from my father's ring.
The creature was getting closer.
There was nowhere to run.
A tremor of fear ran through me.
If I do nothing, I die.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears.
I have to strike first.
Slowly, I adjusted my grip on the dagger.
The scavenger sniffed the air, its grotesque head tilting as it searched for prey.
It stepped right past me.
Now.
I lunged.
The dagger plunged into its throat.
A shriek tore through the night.
The scavenger thrashed, its inky black blood splattering my face.
Its skin was rough, like hardened leather. But I had struck true.
I gritted my teeth and drove the blade deeper.
The creature struggled for a moment longer… then collapsed.
Dead.
My chest heaved.
Blood.
There was blood everywhere.
On my hands. My clothes.
I had killed.
A cold shiver ran down my spine.
This wasn't a duel. This wasn't training.
This was real.
And I had just taken a life.
I let the dagger slip from my fingers, my body trembling.
But as panic threatened to take hold… a single thought cut through it.
If I hadn't killed, I'd be the one dead.
A bitter taste filled my mouth.
I doubled over and vomited into the snow.
Only One Choice: Survive
My body was on fire.
I could barely feel my legs.
But I had no choice.
I wiped my mouth, my gaze falling on the scavenger's corpse.
It was either me or it.
Slowly, I reached down, retrieving my dagger.
My fingers still shook.
But this time, it wasn't fear.
It was something else.
Something deep inside me had cracked.
Titles, nobility, bloodlines—none of it mattered anymore.
The only thing that mattered…
Was survival.
I took a slow, steady breath.
And I lifted my head.
The capital.
I had to reach the capital.
I will find who did this.
I will uncover the truth.
And I will have my revenge.