"You become weak when you believe you are... But you don't become strong just because you think you are.--Entry No. 0098"

Wolfram gasped. His abdomen was sore. His back and limbs felt like he got whipped by fire. Slowly, he forced himself to sit on frozen ground. He winced as the pain seemed to double. When he gets back, he was going to stay far away from those bastards and their Elites. Three years. He just had to endure for three years. And then everything will change.

He tried to feel his ribs to see if something cracked only to hiss in pain. Nope, nothing broken. But his whole body felt battered. Very, very far away. He was staying so far away from them, they won't even see his shadow.

He struggled to get up. His knees were beginning to get numb. He didn't know if it was because of the cold or the pain, but he had to get up and leave this damned forest. He was a student of Avalon, damn it! He's tougher than this. Goddamned bullies! He clenched his jaws and forced himself to stand. Gritting his teeth, he dragged his feet forward. Even if it was one inch at a time. He had a feeling that this blasted forest was just waiting to devour him.

He looked at where he was dropped. His eyes trying to decide if he could climb back again. "Too steep. I might just die if I tried."

Left with no choice, he dragged himself along the ditch hoping that he would get to a shallow area and climb back up. He didn't know how long he passed out. But he didn't want to get trapped in the forest when it gets dark. From what he can see, the lights in this forest were getting dimmer by the minute. His stomach grumbled lightly. He had more problems than a hungry stomach. At least, he had to figure out where he was in this damned forest.

His sweat was dripping down from his temples to his chin. He was getting restless. He could see his breath fogging, his heartbeat drumming like a hummingbird. His senses were heightened.

If there was one time where he desperately wanted to have his manifestation, this was one of them. He didn't care what it was. It would be great if it was speed or fire. Anything that would help him fight was great. He just hoped that it wasn't anything useless like enhanced senses. Sharper eyesight? Useless. Stronger sense of smell? Still useless. Hypersensitive hearing?

A loud menacing growl filled his senses. Nope. That wasn't his stomach. He didn't dare to look behind his back. It never ends well for people looking behind their back. His strides began to quicken. Multiple growls were heard behind him.

Like an echo, his stomach churned out a pitiful growl of hunger. For a moment, everything in the forest became silent.

"We're all hungry, damn it! But I don't want to become dinner!" Wolfram scrambled hastily and ran with all his might. He ignored every little pain on his body and sprinted as fast as he can away from all those menacing growls.

"Goddamned ridges!" Wolfram screamed as he tripped over another narrow ridge. He didn't dare count the ridges that he tripped over. He must have offended someone in his past life. The wolves' growling and his breathless pants filled the forest. His heart was hammering against his chest, the pain on his body was forgotten as he ran for his life.

Suddenly, his sight tilted as his body tripped sideways. A vicious claw grazed his left cheek just as he tumbled roughly down on another ridge. Absently, he thanked his bad luck on ridges. His life just got an extended minute--until he hit the icy surface of the river and sank.

For moment, he struggled to breathe as the water stole his breath. With a violent gasp, he broke through the water surface just to see one of the wolves near the river bank. He paddled away from the beast. Coughing out his breath, he hastily tried to paddle towards the other side of the river.

Just as he hauled himself from the river, his nape prickled in warning. Slowly, he turned around to the where the wolves were.

"Shit! Shit! Shit!" Of all the things that had to chase him. "Goddamnit! It had to be Frost wolves!"

Not even a step towards safety, his knees gave up on him. His stared at the icy mist that was gradually creeping over the river. He could hear the creaks and cracks as the water surface froze. The wolves were prowling towards him. He could see their eyes glaring at him with savage hunger. The icy fog-like mist that they were known for was continuously swirling from their jaws towards the water surface. Their growls echoed in his ears drowning out the sound of his hammering heartbeats. They were more than a dozen and all their hackles were raised in aggression like bristles of black crystals.

He crawled backwards, his mind cursing everything that led him there. His weakness. His arrogance. His ignorance. Most of all, he cursed those people that dragged him into this cursed forest. I don't want to die! Manifest! I must manifest fire! I don't want to die! I must manifest!

His thoughts ran in circles over, and over again. His body felt numb from the pain and the freezing temperature that was slowly creeping over him. The mist was now reaching towards his feet. The creaks and cracks before slowly turned to thuds on soil.

He was going to die!