The next morning, Ria climbed the mountain with fresh energy and full-on willpower. She was pumped. She'd barely gotten like a quarter of the way up, and already it felt like there was still sooo much more left. The mountain was mad mysterious — not just in how it looked, but more in how no one really knew it. The silence, the calm, the whole peaceful vibe... sometimes it just hit her different, like it really mesmerized her for a second.
Then, after a bit more hiking, she reached this lake. It was just there, all quiet and still. She walked over, wanted to see her reflection, maybe splash some cold water on her face.
But then — BAM — a sound.
A weird, deep sound. Gave her chills. She froze up for a sec. Like, for real — goosebumps, heart racing. It felt like some huge creature was creeping up behind her. She didn't wait to find out. Jumped sideways, fast. Instinct. And damn, it was close — this bear-looking monster thing, massive claws, beast mode. No warning.
She had to run. No plan. Just run.
She remembered the weapon in her backpack — that sword with the sharp edges, the one that wasn't just any regular blade. But it was packed deep, and there was no time. She sprinted, found this den or cave, ducked in quick, heart still pounding, hands digging through her stuff for the sword. She found it — just as the bear lunged in.
Slash. Missed.
It dodged. Fast, too.
Then she swung again — this time, clean hit. Right in the stomach. That monster went down hard. She did it. She survived. But the fear? That didn't leave easy. It stayed in her bones, made her watch every step like the ground might move.
Still, she kept climbing. Bit by bit. That same day, she made it halfway up the mountain. Didn't sleep though — just sat there, too scared to dream. Didn't wanna risk slipping back into some nightmare again.