The fire crackled weakly as the night deepened.
Snowflakes drifted lazily down, melting before they could reach the tiny flame we'd made. Jeff leaned closer, tossing a few broken twigs into the fire. His face glowed orange in the light.
"So," Jeff said, breaking the silence, "you think there are more of us? Like… reincarnators or whatever we're called?"
"Maybe," I said, watching the flame dance. "The system said something about regressors and trials. So there's got to be others out there."
He nodded, his golden hair catching the firelight. "Cool, cool. Kinda wish we had a guild though. You know, like 'Earthlander Squad'."
I chuckled. "That sounds like a bad movie title."
"Exactly! That's what makes it awesome."
He grinned proudly, then yawned and leaned back against his pack. "Man, I could eat a whole lechon right now."
I tilted my head. "Lechon?"
He blinked. "Oh right, you wouldn't know. It's like… roasted pig, super crispy. Bro, you haven't lived until you've had it."
I smiled faintly. "Sounds nice."
Jeff's voice softened as he looked at the sky. "Yeah… used to have that during fiestas back home. Music, laughter, kids running around. Simple times, you know?"
His tone drifted somewhere between happy and lonely. The firelight flickered on his mismatched eyes — one black, one red — and for a second, he looked older than he really was.
I nodded quietly. "Maybe we'll have times like that again."
He smirked. "In a world full of monsters and ice? Yeah, sure. We'll just invite the snow golems for dinner."
We both laughed — the kind of laugh that chases away the cold.
The fire burned lower and lower, until only faint embers glowed. Our voices grew softer, our eyes heavier.
"Hey, Fan Ling," Jeff mumbled, half-asleep. "You think this world's… gonna be good to us?"
I smiled faintly. "I don't know. But at least… we're not alone anymore."
The flame finally went out.
And under that quiet, endless snowfall, we both drifted into sleep.
---
Morning came.
The wind had died down, and sunlight spilled over the snowy field like shards of glass. My breath came out in soft clouds as I stretched and looked around. Jeff was already awake, poking at the ashes of the fire.
"Mornin', bro," he said, rubbing his eyes. "You snore like a dying walrus."
"I don't snore," I said flatly.
"Yeah, you do. I thought the snow golems came back."
"Shut up," I muttered, but I was smiling.
Jeff laughed and stood, brushing off the snow. "Alright, breakfast time. Oh wait… we have nothing. Great."
He pointed dramatically toward the horizon. "Then we hunt!"
"Or we freeze," I replied, following him.
We walked through the snow until we reached something strange — a massive, spike-like object sticking out of the ground. It was made of black stone, with glowing red veins pulsing through it. Steam rose from its surface, melting the snow around it.
Jeff whistled. "Whoa. Either that's a big rock, or this world's trying to kill us again."
He walked closer, touching it. The stone was warm — too warm. Then, without warning, it shook.
The ground cracked, and a low, rumbling growl echoed beneath our feet.
"Uh… Jeff," I said slowly. "Get down from there."
He looked down at me and laughed. "Relax, bro. It's just vibrating a bit. Probably… magma or something."
"Jeff. It's moving."
"What? No way—"
The "spike" suddenly rose, splitting the snow apart. It wasn't a rock. It was a horn. A gigantic horn attached to something buried beneath the ice.
Jeff froze. "...Oh."
"Jeff!" I yelled as the ground tilted.
"Bro, I think it's alive!" he screamed, sliding down the side.
"Jump!"
He jumped—and landed on my back.
"Why are you on me?!" I shouted, stumbling forward.
"Run first! Complain later!" Jeff yelled back.
I didn't even argue. The entire field shook as the creature — a massive frost wyrm with glowing red eyes — burst from the ground, roaring loud enough to shake the sky. Its breath froze the air, and shards of ice rained down around us.
We ran through the snow, slipping and dodging frozen spikes that shot up from the ground. Jeff, still on my back, began mumbling like a maniac.
"Okay okay okay! Fireball conversion, chant fast, chant fast— Ignis orbium!"
A small ball of fire appeared in his hands.
"Is that all?" I shouted.
"Shut up, it's version one!"
He hurled it behind us, and it exploded in a puff of smoke and steam. The wyrm roared, more annoyed than hurt.
"That did nothing!"
"Hey, it looked cool!" Jeff argued, charging up another. "Wait— okay this time, super ignis orbium!"
Another fireball exploded. This one was slightly bigger… and it hit a tree instead.
"Wrong aim!" I yelled.
"It's slippery! My hands are freezing!" he snapped.
We dodged another blast of icy wind. My legs burned from running, but I spotted a narrow ravine ahead.
"There!" I shouted. "We can lose it there!"
"Move faster!" Jeff yelled, clinging tighter. "If we die, I'm blaming you!"
"If we die, you won't be around to blame me!"
We dove into the ravine just as the frost wyrm slammed its head into the snow behind us, roaring in frustration. Ice and dust filled the air, but we kept moving, leaping over rocks and ducking under fallen trees.
Finally, after what felt like forever, we collapsed behind a large boulder.
Our breaths came out in sharp gasps. The world was silent again, except for our heavy breathing.
Jeff slowly slid off my back and gave me a shaky thumbs-up. "Ten outta ten escape. Would not recommend again."
I groaned. "Next time, you run."
He grinned weakly. "Next time, you carry me faster."
Despite the danger, I couldn't help but laugh. We were a mess — two idiots in a deadly world, somehow still alive.
Jeff sat beside me, catching his breath. "So… what now, Captain Earthlander?"
I stared at the faint plume of smoke rising from the wyrm's lair. "Now… we survive. And maybe find breakfast."
He laughed softly. "Yeah. Preferably one that doesn't try to eat us first."
And as the morning sun climbed higher, painting the snow in gold, I realized something.
Maybe fate threw us into chaos, but together — somehow — we made it feel like an adventure.