By The Moon's Blade

Interlude 5: 30th of Frostbite, Close to Daybreak

My legs have taken me as long as they'll go and the exhaustion finally sets in as my legs buckle below me. I try to keep walking forward but slowly fall to my knees with every single step. I drag myself to a nearby stump and lean against the wood. I watch heavy breaths leave my mouth in a billowing smokestack. The light is out.

As I rest my weary legs, I reach back and feel the smooth bark of the scarlet tree holding my weight. The exhaustion is swiftly replaced by an ever-mounting fear deep in the pit of my stomach. I can't sit still, I have to keep moving. Moving is the only thing keeping me from being devoured alive. I begin to plot out my escape route, but when I rise from the ground, my legs crumple below me, leaving me stranded again.

I take a breath and re-evaluate. I have two options — try to escape or die. At this point, dying is an inevitability, a cruel trick of the universe. Even if it's not the beast that tears me apart, something will. I could stumble on a rock while scaling a cliff, fall several feet below, and break my neck. I could find myself surviving in the forest and unknowingly ingest a few poisonous berries. And even if I avoid all of that, time comes for us all.

To be honest, this is the first time I've grappled with the thought of death as an actual, tangible outcome. Death has always been an abstract idea to me but now that I'm faced with the idea of dying... I still can't imagine it. When I try and think about my death, it's like trying to grasp at puffs of smoke. I see them, but when I reach out to grab one, it vanishes.

When I think about my death, I try think about everything in my life I'll miss. But when I do, my mind goes blank. Unfortunately, after all of the heartache and pain of these past few years, I wonder what is left. My family, my friends, almost everything is gone. I've left my most precious relationships behind years ago and devoted my life to a hopeless cause. The Vestige, the Demonclaws, they took my mother. And I've spent years trying to make her death mean something... but no matter how much I try to learn more, nothing will bring her back.

So, why resist? When the wolf inevitably catches me as I lean against this stump, my insides will be ripped from my belly, and life as I know it will end before I even have time to react. The darkness will take me from a cruel existence. And the more I think about it, the more I look forward to my eventual downfall here in the woods. And though I don't know what happens after death, there is a small glimmer of hope that maybe I will be able to see my mom again.

As I come to terms with the finality of my life, the physical and mental fatigue takes its toll and the burden is too much to bear. My eyelids feel heavy and start to slowly fall, like the last drops of honey sliding out of a jar. And after a few short moments of hesitation, I let my eyes rest.

But the rest doesn't last long, as I suddenly feel a heavy panting on my face. When I open my eyes, I'm greeted with nothing but a row of glittering teeth. Drops of a viscous fluid fall onto my legs from its mouth. I only have a moment to determine my next move. And in those fleeting moments, I ask myself one question — am I worth saving?

Then I remember it. Without removing my eyes from the wolf in front of me, I reach into my pocket. My hand brushes against the small glass vial. This is my only chance. This is my purpose. And no matter what happens, I know I'm meant to be here. I'm meant to draw the enemy in. I do have a third option. I can fight back.

As I pull out the vial, I throw it to the ground in front of the Demonclaw and the fragile glass shatters into a million small sparkling flecks. This purple brilliance blinds the Butcher long enough for me to pull out my other hand and bring forth lumina, which begins crackling with the energy of the brightstream-imbued water below. Pure power filling my umbral well. With adrenaline coursing through my veins, I form that little ball of light into a long, sharp blade, which extends swiftly into the Demonclaw's neck and comes out through the top of its head. I feel a substantial amount of warm blood coat my body as I release the spell. The Demonclaw thuds to the ground, lifeless.

Suddenly, time freezes. The heavy weight of the creature is overwhelming but the shock has left me immobile. I can only hear my breath and see the curls of steam as my mouth hangs slightly agape. I look down at my legs and beg them to move but I remain on the ground, leaning against the tree in fear. But as I sit, I see my mother's face and her hand outstretched,

"Rozi..." she says, dragging a phantom hand down my cheek.

"...M-Mom?"

"I don't have a lot of time. I was able to warn you this time, of that Demonclaw lurking in the shadows, but this bond is frayed and I'm afraid that my time isn't meant to last. You need to go. You need to trust yourself. You know the way. I'm... I'm so proud of you."

I look at her ghost, a blurry figure, but there. I watch a glittery tear fall down, almost like it was made of stardust. I reach out a hand but the vision disappears as I attempt to make contact. I spend one more second basking in my sorrow before following her orders. The tears well up in my eyes as I climb to my feet, pushing the Demonclaw's dead body off of my legs, and begin running again, extending the blade behind me as I race to the edge of the forest. I don't know if there are more, but I can't risk it now. I miraculously find the strength to hop over every stump, branch, and bush in my path. I can see the edge and the open air before me.

Only a few hundred feet. A hundred feet. A few steps. And finally, the small rays of sun kiss my cheeks as it rises from the mountains. I savor the warmth and fall to my knees in victory, dark red blood coating the white ground as I fall into the soft blanket of snow. I close my eyes and picture sitting on a dock overlooking the sea, watching the sunset, blue fingers intertwined in mine.