The trio walked long and hard under the dense canopy of trees that swallowed the daylight. Their footsteps crunched on the dry leaves, and the sound of their labored breaths punctuated the forest's silence.

  The Father stopped, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his hand, his voice heavy with exhaustion.

  "Ah, I'm tired of walking. My legs can't take any more. Let's rest here for a bit."

  The Girl nodded, showing clear signs of fatigue, and sank down to lean against a massive tree trunk.

  "I agree, Dad. Do we have any food left?"

  The Father cautiously opened his satchel, his expression worried as he checked the contents.

  "Yes, my daughter, but we must be frugal. We don't know how long we’ll keep walking in this unknown path."

  The Girl offered a reassuring smile, trying to inject hope into her voice:

  "Don't worry, Dad. Once the message arrives, the deputy will surely come for us soon."

  A brief silence settled before the Girl's curiosity broke it, turning to "Andre."

  "Tell me a little about the (Ice Squad). Don't you know anything about them?"

  Andre shrugged nonchalantly, polishing his sword blade with a cloth.

  "No, I don't know anything."

  The Girl sighed, exasperated but determined, and waved her hand dismissively.

  "Do you know anything about the world at all? Well, I'll tell you: The leader of the Ice Squad is called (Rio). He founded the squad when he was only twenty. He was known as the strongest among the knights. Everyone wanted to join, but he was the one who handpicked his men. His first choice was a man named (Julian)."

  Her eyes glowed with excitement as she continued:

  "The squad grew to fifteen members, but suddenly, the leader stopped choosing anyone, and he even stopped attending the knights' trials!"

  Andre asked languidly, without lifting his gaze: "Why?"

  "No one knows. But what I do know is that they never fail. They achieved a miracle in the frozen-ice region." She narrowed her eyes, challenging him. "I suspect you won't understand because you're an idiot, but they tamed the impossible!"

  Andre raised an eyebrow: "What is it?"

  She lowered her voice conspiratorially:

  "Beneath the ice, there was an unknown creature, said to be one of the legendary beasts. Leader Rio managed to tame it. It's rumored that the beast was as tall as the entire Southern Ice Kingdom!"

  Andre scoffed, letting out a short laugh: "Did he tame it by giving it a bone, or what?"

  The Girl defended fiercely:

  "No! He faced it face-to-face in the water. It was a battle that made the kingdom tremble non-stop. They also defeated the rogue Spear Squad and their leader (Ryouga). And the most important achievement... since Rio arrived, not a single demon has appeared in the kingdom to devour anyone."

  Chapter 2: A Faux Brotherhood and the Blood Bear

  Suddenly, the Girl’s demeanor changed. She stood up, sharply dusting off her clothes.

  "Can you hear? We've rested enough. Shall we walk now?"

  Andre stared at her in surprise:

  "Huh? It's only been a few minutes. We haven't rested properly."

  She fixed him with a sharp gaze: "Listen, are you old?"

  "No."

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  "Then get up, move those legs, and stop complaining. Come on, Dad, we're moving."

  Andre muttered to himself, watching her sudden energy: "What's wrong with her all of a sudden?"

  He tried to humor her: "We've neared the end of the forest. Shouldn't we rest? Even your father is tired."

  She cut him off, walking with brisk strides: "Walk and don't talk too much."

  Andre sighed in mock surrender: "So be it..."

  In a swift motion, he swooped her up, placing her over his shoulders like a sack of cotton.

  She screamed, hitting his back with small fists: "Hey! Put me down!"

  Andre spoke with a calm smile:

  "Listen, you know the way, and you're strong, but you're still young. Let your brother carry you a little and don't overexert yourself."

  She stopped hitting him, asking incredulously: "Who said you became my brother?"

  "I said that. Do you mind?"

  She paused, then muttered: "Ah, I don't mind. But you'll have to take responsibility for what you said."

  "What? Lean on me, big brother?"

  "No, I'll hit you on the head."

  She hit him, making him yelp: "Ouch!"

  She giggled mischievously: "Good. Now move, big brother."

  As they joked, the Girl's face, visible over his shoulder, suddenly froze. She gasped in terror, pointing a trembling hand toward the thicket:

  "Ah? What is this? It's a problem! Dad, Andre... hide!"

  Andre lowered her quickly, and they crouched behind some rocks.

  "Why? What happened?"

  She whispered, her voice shaking: "It's a polar bear... And not just any bear. It's 'the Blood Bear'."

  The beast was massive, its fur stained as if nature had dyed it with blood. It walked alone, its eyes burning with menace.

  The Girl continued: "It's always alone because it attacks everything, even its own herd. Its presence here is strange."

  Andre instinctively gripped the hilt of his sword: "Then I'll take care of it."

  The Girl grabbed his arm tightly: "What? Come here! This is dangerous! We are now in the area between the forest and the Twin Mountains. If you fight it, the forest predators will attack us, because the death of an ice bear is a feast for them. Wait until it leaves."

  The Father interjected in a low voice: "I agree with my daughter."

  Andre pondered, weighing the situation like a fighter: "If I attack, the animals will come. If I wait, it might come to us... But its presence keeps the other predators away for now."

  He slid his sword back into the sheath: "Okay, I'll wait."

  Chapter 3: The Unveiled Curse

  They waited for agonizing hours in the biting cold until night fell and the bear finally moved on. They cautiously moved toward the "Twin Mountains," but fate had set a trap.

  As they neared the base of the mountain, the bear lunged suddenly from the dark! It was faster than they expected.

  Andre yelled and drew his sword in a split second, wedging the blade into the bear's gaping mouth to push it back.

  The Girl shouted: "I told you we had to kill it!"

  Andre strained against the creature's immense power: "Okay, there's still time for that! Come on, you bundle of fur!"

  The bear attacked with razor claws. Andre dodged the strike and inflicted a deep wound on the bear.

  "Did you like my gift?"

  The bear did not retreat. It let out an icy blast. Andre deflected it with his sword and rushed forward. Suddenly, the bear's fur began to shimmer, and small, glowing ice-like spheres scattered all around.

  The Girl screamed in terror: "What's happening? Andre! Take cover quickly! Those spheres will explode!"

  "Explode? Into ice shards? What?"

  Before he could finish, the spheres detonated. The shards ripped part of the clothing near his neck and shoulder, and some penetrated his body.

  The Girl rushed to check on him, but when she saw his exposed neck, she froze. Her eyes widened in a shock that rendered her speechless. She slowly backed away, her voice a fragile whisper:

  "Impossible... A demon! Andre... you are a demon!"

  Andre ignored her words. The pain was immense, but he endured. He gripped his sword tightly and charged the bear in a final dance of death. He dodged a paw strike, leaped high into the air, and wrapped an iron chain around the monster's neck from behind.

  The bear went mad, slamming Andre's back repeatedly against the mountain wall. The sound of bone hitting rock was sickening. The bear screamed wildly—they couldn't tell if it was from the fear of death or something else.

  Finally, the bear collapsed, dead.

  Andre fell beside it, covered in blood and wounds. The Girl and the Father cautiously approached, but the Girl quickly retreated, pointing at him with a trembling finger:

  "Demon! Stay away from us!"

  Andre slowly lifted his head, gazing at her with profound sorrow and defeat:

  "I am not a demon... I am only..."

  His sentence was cut short by a terrifying roar. From the mountaintop, dozens of bears began to descend, their eyes gleaming in the dark, thirsty for blood after the death of their kin.

  Andre shouted, struggling to his feet:

  "This is bad! Uncle, take your daughter and flee into the forest quickly! The situation has become dangerous!"

  The Father pulled the Girl's arm: "Come on, my daughter!"

  The Girl resisted, pulling out a small knife and pointing it at Andre, tears welling in her eyes:

  "No! The real threat is right in front of me! You killers have become knights now? I will not allow that!"

  The Father snatched the knife and forcefully dragged her away toward the forest, leaving Andre alone to face the glacial army.

  Final Scene: The Death Dance

  Andre stood alone, facing the rushing tide of monsters. He wiped the blood from his mouth and gripped his sword with the last of his strength. A desperate, yet proud, smile appeared on his face.

  He addressed himself, or perhaps fate:

  "If my punishment is to die like this, so be it! But I will cling to life as much as I can."

  He raised his sword toward the charging pack, his voice echoing fiercely:

  "So, you beasts, come at me, you pile of fur! Yes... Andre, show me your power!"

  His eyes widened as death approached:

  "The Lord of the Dead watches. The screaming spirits watch. Fate watches.

  And I watch you... So entertain us until your last drop of blood! Yes... the fun begins now!"