The oppressive feeling was the same one he had felt that night when he faced the beast and fell off the cliff triggering all the events that brought him to this point.

“It's more imposing now that I look at it carefully.” It was clearly visible and was slowly approaching with his gaze fixed on him. He was sure that was bigger than other bears even though this was the first he saw one in person, plus his white hair stood out and he never saw it in the books.

There was no use running, it already showed that he would follow Ezer to the ends of the earth no matter were. So he had no choice but to face the beast and resolve their destinies to the death.

“I'm not going to apologize for something you forced me to do, I'm not going to die without a fight.” His heart was pounding so hard he could hear it over the wind. Still, his mind was clear and his body prepared.

The bear seemed calm but his eye reflected his thirst for revenge. He stands on his hind legs and watches Ezer from above.

Time seems to stop for both of them, but they make it flow again with a terrifying roar, both the bear and Ezer with his scream.

The sound of a rope loosening and an arrow cutting the wind reach the bear's ears, with its sight confirms the direction and with its claws destroys it. It does exactly the same thing with the two arrows that followed the first one.

“His reaction is incredible, if it's not an arrow with magic I'm afraid...” He tries to imbue his attacks with magic, but his mind breaks into pieces and the pain drains to his toes traveling down his spine.

“Why? What did I do wrong? What does that smile mean? Who are you? I did the right thing? Was there another way? What will be his next move? Will I be able to escape? Will I be able to kill him?” Questions were formulated in his head as a result of his broken mind. The enemy, the past and those images all intertwined creating a vicious circle.

But in an instant his mind clears and only one question remains.

“Who am I?”

Ezer rolls to the side, dodging the claws by millimeters, although his cape doesn't make it and tears at the slightest touch. If he had rearranged his thoughts a little later, he wouldn't be sure to be alive right now.

He fires a few arrows as he tries to get away, but running slows his aim and he misses several shots.

"I can't do anything to him." Desperation begins to make its appearance inside him.

“My dagger would not do anything to that mass of muscles, it would not reach any vital point. And if I get closer the result can be worse than now. I have nothing left but to go to plan B.” Having gained a considerable distance, he begins to run towards the river putting all his strength into his legs.

The luggage rattled with every step and its weight was not to be taken lightly, but if he got rid of it, he would not survive more than three days on the mountain.

The beast watches him walk away and decides it's time to finish him off. It opens its mouth letting out steam that is extinguished seconds after being created, the air begins to compress between its teeth to the point of being visible.

Ezer hears a roar behind him that grows louder. Before he could turn his head, a heavy impact knocks him to the ground, rolling several meters. Reddish liquid stains the rocks on the banks of the river that was nearby.

Blood covered his eye and prevented him from opening it, small drops fell to the ground and hit the rocks. Ezer can't keep his balance and everything around him seems to move even though he is still.

“The same attack as that time.” His head was working perfectly except for the small pain caused by the cut.

"Where is he?" I have to get up before-” He rolls to the side in the middle of his thoughts and where he was before, the ground explodes sending rocks in all directions hitting Ezer.

The land is marked with a straight line whose depth demonstrated the power of the attack.

“It seems to be weaker than the previous one, I think that with distance the power also decreases and it also needs time.” Ezer manages to get up and his confusion is reduced enough for his body to respond to him again.

He tries to shoot an arrow, but it passes meters from its target.

"I need more time before I can use my bow..." He resigns himself and returns to put it behind his back and draw the dagger.

“The river is very close but so is the beast. I did not expect the current of the water to be so strong.” The rocks opposed the passage of the water creating rapids that accelerated the current.

“If I turn my back on him, I won't know when he might attack from a distance. I definitely have no choice but to face it and create an opportunity.” It was difficult to think that with the centimeters of the dagger he could kill the beast.

The bear lunges at him with the full force of its body, slicing through the wind and Ezer's flesh with its claws. Ezer didn't expect his true speed to be so overwhelming, before he could even dodge his ribs were already bleeding.

"Now he's serious." His face contorts in pain and he struggles to distance himself from the bear.

He dodges subsequent attacks that rip through his loose clothes, but miss his skin by millimeters. But his luck runs out when the claws only leave him a path of escape and the teeth were at the end.

His shoulder bones didn't break as Ezer quickly slammed his dagger into the beast's neck, relieving the pressure from its jaw. Although he does not let go anyway and continues to increase the force of the bite.

“Shit, shit, shit, shit, let me go…!” He spins the dagger into the bear's flesh, but the bear doesn't care, just enjoys Ezer's pained expression.

In the midst of pain and despair, Ezer notices that in one of the bear's eyes there is still the point of the arrow and a piece of wood stuck to it.

Ezer slams his fist into the beast's eye, driving the arrow deeper into the cavity. The teeth and the pressure that held him cease completely and a blow throws him backwards.

The bear clearly roars at the air in pain, twists and turns its head from side to side. Ezer does not miss the opportunity and runs to the river.

The level of the ground with respect to the water was not the same, a drop of a few meters separated them. Ezer stops for a moment to look for a place where there are no rocks and jumps into the river.

Already in the water, the place where he was standing before explodes and the shock wave hits Ezer. Blocks of earth and rock fall, accelerating the already raging river.

Ezer covers his head with his hands and resists the occasional bumps from the rocks at the bottom of the river. Meters above, the bear shows its teeth, tearing blood from one eye and watching its prey move away.

The shore had small rocks and the crystal-clear water beautified the place. Ezer lay on top of them trembling with bleeding wounds as he breathed heavily looking up at the sky.

“I'm tired.” Not only physically, also mentally exhausted.

“Why keep fighting? Which is my goal? Just live?” Looking at the engraving on his dagger and remembers his mother and sister, as well as Rel and Lia.

“I live to discover my goal.” He gets up and heads for the nearest leafless forest.

The fire emanated comforting warmth thanks to the abundant wood that Ezer managed to obtain. He stitched the wounds on his shoulder with discomfort due to the position, lack of experience and of course, the pain.

“Half of the herbs are wet or lost and the bread is a paste that doesn't even hold its shape. I only have meat left and that will not last until I cross the mountains.”

“In other words, when do these mountains end and where am I now?” The shock made him lose his sense of orientation and now the mountains look the same, all he has to do is wait until the sun guides him.

"Well, I guess I just have to go north and I'll get there somewhere." Talking to himself has become a habit after being alone for so many days.

That night was endless due to the pain and fever that plagued him. The next morning, weak but with firm steps, he continues to advance towards the North.