The Prince of Winter

The boy's body trembled, his mind screaming at him to run, to get away, to do anything—but his body refused to obey. He was frozen in place, mind blank as he felt the creature's cold breath on his neck.

I… it's not behind me… it's just the wind… right, the wind, there's no way it's right behind me… he thought as he slowly turned around, an action he truly wished he didn't do.

Standing tall, motionlessly behind him was a horrifying humanoid, its silhouette almost blending with the void if not for the faint shimmer of its pale, leathery skin that somehow reflected off of the darkness.

The creature loomed, impossibly close, its presence suffocating. Its form is tall and wiry, at least two heads above the boy's own, its limbs are unnaturally long and thin and were hanging loosely at its sides like a doll. Its fingers ended in sharp, pointed nails that twitched ever so slightly, as if restraining itself from attacking.

As his gaze climbed upward to its face, cold sweat drenched his entire body. The creature's features were sharp but gaunt, as though it hadn't eaten for weeks. Hollow, sunken eyes stared directly into the boy's own; twin orbs as dark as the void locked into him with unsettling intensity.

Biting his tongue, the boy forced his body to move, slowly taking steps backward without taking his gaze from the monster. "St… stay back…" he whispered, his voice breaking with terror.

The creature didn't respond. It didn't need to. It simply raised its claw-like hand slowly; deliberate and cruel, the razor-sharp nails hung above his chest, poised like a dagger ready to plunge into his heart. He couldn't breathe, couldn't scream, his heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst before the creature even struck.

The surrounding air seemed to hum with tension, vibrating with the sheer malevolence of the creature's intent. And then, with a sudden, terrifying lunge, it drove its claw forward. The boy watched helplessly as the claw moved in slow motion, paralysed with fear; that was all he could do.

It's going to kill me! I'm going to die! Just a moment before the creature's nails pierced his chest, the boy's eyes glazed over, and he fell backwards, losing consciousness.

*

The creature paused momentarily, adjusting its claw before lunging again, nails cutting through the air, reaching for the boy's vulnerable body. Just as it seemed death was imminent, the boy moved. At the last second his hand shot up, catching the creature's wrist in an iron grip that could shatter bone. His other hand then struck like a hammer, the impact striking the creature's abdomen with devastating force.

The power of the strike made the creature stagger; though it didn't show any pain on its face, the black blood dripping from its mouth was an obvious indication that the punch did major internal damage. Following up, the boy yanked the creature's arm, pulling its body forward before slamming his knee into the same spot as the punch.

More black blood spewed from the creature's mouth, drenching the boy's form with the rotten, viscous liquid. His elbow struck next, striking the creature's jaw with a dreadful crunch. The creature fell to the floor, still expressionless as black veins spread throughout its body.

As the creature forced its battered body upright, something tore free from its back with a sickening rip. A pair of jagged wings unfurled in a violent burst, spreading wide behind its back. With a beat, the creature took flight, hovering slightly above the ground, the motion sending rotten gusts of air all around.

Thwap

Another beat of its wings and the creature disappeared from view, reappearing behind the boy with deadly speed and precision, claws aimed for his back.

The boy watched in silence, his eyes, which had been glazed over and dull since awaking in this realm, began to shine, a stunning shade of gold that illuminated the surroundings. Exhaling deeply, he moved, his body flowing like water as he spun on his heel and sidestepped the clawed attack, then he gathered every inch of power in his body and unleashed a final punch.

His fist drove forward like a bullet, cutting through the air with sheer power, striking the creature's abdomen. Flesh ripped and bone shattered as his fist tore through the creature's body. A wet, sickening crunch echoed as his fist burst out through the creature's back, coated in rotten black blood.

Tearing his fist out of the creature, he watched as it fell to the floor, a pool of blood spreading outward from the hole in its body. The boy stood over it, his chest rising and falling with steady breaths, arms hanging limply at his sides.

The air was silent, the oppressive darkness around him almost buzzing with tension. Then, like a marionette with its strings cut, his body staggered. He collapsed to his knees, his form trembling before his head tilted back slightly, and he slumped backward onto the ground.

*

"Wake up…"

The boy stirred at the sound of a voice, faint and distant, like a soft who carried in the breeze. His body felt heavy, his mind swimming in the hazy realm between sleep and wakefulness.

"Wake up, Kae***."

He frowned, his eyelids fluttering as he shifted slightly. His name—he thought he'd heard his name. But the sound was strange, unfamiliar, as though spoken from a place that wasn't entirely here.

"Wake up, Kaelus!"

His eyes snapped open. He'd definitely heard it, someone was calling his name. I don't know how, but I'm sure of it. That's my name. "Kaelus." Unknowingly, he spoke the name out loud; it felt right on his tongue, instinctive, like a missing piece of the mystery of his identity had been obtained.

Who was it? Kaelus looked around, searching for the source of the voice. If he wanted to find out more about himself, that was the best and only option he had. Expecting the ever familiar darkness he had not grown accustomed to in his short stay in the realm of darkness, he was baffled when he noticed something directly above him.

Within the endless expanse of the sky, three moons, vast and luminous, hung above, bathing the world in its lunar embrace. That… that is an unexpected but welcome sight. Kaelus thought admiring the view, a change in the infinite darkness was surprisingly cathartic. He found himself smiling as he lost himself in the moons, not recalling how much time passed, but when his attention finally shifted, he noticed a strange weight on his chest. Looking down, Kaelus saw… An owl?

A small owl was perched atop his chest as though it was its nest and staring directly into Kaelus' eyes. Its feathers are a mix of impossibly deep black with spots of light grey that shimmered faintly in the pale moonlight. Its eyes are piercing orbs of gold, radiant and mesmerising, focused intently on his own, unblinking. As it noticed Kaelus' gaze, it cocked its head to the side, the movement curious and… cute, Kaelus thought, as it studied him.

For a moment, neither moved. Kaelus could feel the gentle shift of the owl's talons in his shirt, sharp but not threatening. Its gaze was unnerving the way it stared unblinking at him, but there was something oddly calming about it too.

"Uh, hello?" Kaelus muttered, feeling a little embarrassed speaking to a bird, but he felt he should.

Hoot

The owl blinked once, then slowly, its head tilted the other way. It let out a soft hoot, the sound low and resonant, as if acknowledging his words. Then, with a deliberate motion, it flapped its wings once—not to fly, but to balance itself—settling more comfortably on his chest.

"…" What should I not expect at this point? Sighing, Kaelus slowly sat up, careful not to disturb the owl. To his surprise, the owl stayed put, its talons adjusting as he moved. Its golden eyes remaining fixed on him.

"Do you understand me?" Kaelus questioned, mirroring the owl by tilting his head slightly.

Hoot

The owl let out another soft hoot, this time sounding more high-pitched; somehow, Kaelus thought it sounded happy. It leaned forward, its beak inches away from his face, before gently nipping at a strand of his hair. Kaelus flinched slightly, but the gesture felt oddly playful, almost reassuring.

"Haha… hahahaha." Wiping the tears that formed in his eyes from laughing, Kaelus couldn't stop himself from smiling. For the first time in what felt like forever, in this vast lonely realm of darkness, the owl's presence felt like a lifeline. It wasn't just an animal—it felt like a companion.

Kaelus reached out, extending his hand toward the top of the owl's head, his fingers brushing against the soft feathers of its wing, but before he could ever register the feeling, the owl moved. In a flash, it snapped its beak down, biting into the tip of his finger. Kaelus narrowed his eyes but didn't retract his hand; strangely, he didn't feel any malice from the owl and decided to trust it.

A small bead of crimson welled up in his skin, glistening in the pale light. The owl's gaze never wavered, its beak dropping down and, to Kaelus' shock, touched the blood. It didn't drink like a predator—there was no savagery, no hunger—but it lapped up the drop without hesitation. What are you planning? Kaelus thought.

The moment it swallowed his blood, the air around them changed. Kaelus remained calm as a strange warmth spread throughout his body, unlike anything he'd felt before. Starting at his finger, it spread outward like ripples in a still pond.

The owl flapped its wings, floating level with Kaelus' eyes. Its gaze bore into him for what felt like an eternity before he felt it. A connection, invisible but there, threading between them. He could feel the owl now, its heartbeat echoing faintly in his mind, steady and calm as it resonated with his own.