Tri Realm: Reborn in Iron

The morning came too quickly, the faint light of dawn barely warming the icy expanse of the Taiga Forest. Akio stirred from his makeshift shelter, his body stiff but uncomplaining. He stretched silently, then dropped to the ground and began his routine—push-ups, sit-ups, and squats. The motions came unbidden, burned into his muscles like second nature. His breath formed soft clouds in the frozen air as he counted under his breath, pushing himself beyond what his young body might have otherwise allowed.

By the time he finished, a faint ache lingered in his limbs, but he welcomed it. It was a reminder that he was alive.

His focus shifted to the bag resting beside him. The rations Ivanov had given him were nearly gone—barely enough for a small snack, let alone a meal. Survival dictated his next steps: hunt for food and find water. Slinging the bag over his shoulder, he set out into the forest, the snow crunching softly beneath his boots.

---

The Predator's Gaze

The forest felt different today. As Akio moved, weaving through the towering trees, a strange stillness settled over the area. No wind rustled the branches, no birds called. The silence pressed down on him like a weight, and then it came.

His body froze.

It wasn't a sound or a sight, but something primal—something that gripped his chest and made his heart stutter. The sensation was sharp, a tingling that crawled along his spine, as if unseen eyes had locked onto him. A predator's gaze.

Akio's breathing slowed, his muscles tightening instinctively. His mind flashed back to a training session with Viktor.

"Bloodlust is a language of its own," Viktor had said, his deep voice steady. "Even the untrained can feel it, though they might not understand it. It's the feeling of being hunted, of knowing that something dangerous is watching."

Though Akio had never experienced it before, this was exactly as Viktor had described. The tingling, the weight, the sense of something waiting in the shadows.

And then, just as suddenly as it came, it vanished.

Akio exhaled slowly, his breath shaky. He turned, his sharp eyes scanning the forest behind him. There was nothing but snow and trees, but he wasn't fooled. His gut told him what it was: a wolf.

Wolves rarely traveled alone, and Akio knew what that meant. Tonight, there would be an ambush.

---

Preparation

Akio returned to his camp with purpose. He worked quickly, crafting a decoy beneath a blanket of leaves. It wasn't perfect, but it would serve as a distraction. With that done, he ventured out again to hunt.

The extreme cold worked to his advantage. Many small animals had been caught in the freeze, their bodies preserved in the snow. He found a rabbit, its stiff form still and lifeless, and took it with him. Nearby, a frozen pool glinted faintly in the weak sunlight. Akio knelt and chipped away at the ice, freeing a chunk to carry back to camp.

Once there, he set to work building a fire. His lighter was too precious to waste, so he relied on the old methods—rubbing sticks together and striking stones. It took time, but eventually, a small flame flickered to life.

He melted the ice into water, using a bottle from his bag to store it. Then he roasted the rabbit over the fire, the smell of cooked meat filling the air. It wasn't much, but it was enough to stave off hunger.

By the time the sun dipped below the horizon, Akio was ready.

---

The Waiting Game

Akio climbed into the branches of a sturdy tree, his movements silent and deliberate. His makeshift camp below, complete with the decoy figure, was positioned to draw attention. From his perch, he crouched low, dagger in hand, his eyes scanning the darkness.

Hours passed. The cold seeped into his bones, but Akio didn't move. He'd trained himself to endure discomfort, to remain still even when every muscle begged for relief.

Then, in the distance, shadows emerged.

The wolves moved like ghosts, their fur blending seamlessly with the snow. Akio counted at least fifteen, their movements coordinated and precise. They spread out, circling the camp, their eyes glinting in the faint light of the fire.

The bloodlust returned, stronger now, almost suffocating. Akio's grip on his dagger tightened, his heart steady despite the tension in the air.

The wolves seemed to wait, their bodies low to the ground, as if they too were hunting for the right moment. Their gazes fixed on the fire, on the decoy below.

And then, like a signal, the fire began to sputter, its flames dwindling.

Akio's body tensed, his muscles coiling like a spring. The wolves' postures shifted, their bodies lowering further, ready to pounce.

The moment the fire died, the battle would begin.

Predators against predator.