The chief and a few villagers sat under the shade of the olive tree, drenched, shamed, and hopeless.
A man covered his face and hung his head. He murmured, "It's over. The beast is free, and we can't do anything."
The chief's hand tightened around a root, his teeth gritted. No matter how much he denied it, the truth shone brighter than ever.
"Nothing is over. We can still do something."
Everyone lifted their chins. The priest stood before them, his hands folded behind his back, his gaze fixed on them.
They stood up to make space for him, but the priest refused. He looked toward the chief and said, "I have learned of today's incident."
The chief and the other villagers hung their heads in shame.
His expression darkened with sorrow.
"A temple—a holy place—reduced to a refuge for corruption. This wounds the gods."
A man asked, "Then what should we do?"
"Just as water extinguishes fire, we will call upon a force untouched by corruption."
They squinted their eyes, glancing at each other. They did not fully understand what "water" he referred to.
"We ask for help from the divine beast. Only holiness can defeat the demonic."
A spark of hope ignited in their long-despairing eyes. Their shoulders lifted slightly.
"Will the holiness help us? Mortals?" the chief asked hesitantly.
"He will. Divine beasts hate the demonic. Even if he does not, we will try to convince him." The priest glanced at them and gave one last push.
"So, who is with me?"
"Me!" "I will stand tall to the last breath!" "I can't let them do as they please."
Their spirits rose, eyes burning with a fire to fight anything.
Then, a man suggested, "His Holiness is quite fond of honey. We should offer it; perhaps it will please him."
Both the chief and the priest nodded. Then the priest said, "You are right. We should offer as much as we can. It may please him and increase our chances."
The chief declared, "Alright. I will go with the hunters to hunt a boar, and the priest will supervise the rest."
They nodded and quickly left for their assigned tasks.
---
Shadows from trees and stones stretched long as the sun began to set. Crickets buzzed. A warm summer breeze stirred the leaves.
The chief, the priest, and a few villagers pulled a cart loaded with jars of honey and cleaned, processed boar meat.
Thorns tore at their ankles, and the cart wheels screamed against stone.
After crossing small hills and dense forest, they finally reached the large cave where the divine beast rested.
They placed the cart near the mouth of the cave and took a few steps back. From here, everything was in the priest's hands.
The priest knew this, which was why his body trembled with nervousness and fear. He stepped forward and knelt before the cave. He requested in a broken voice, "Your Holiness… this mortal… requests an audience."
Suddenly, the forest was shrouded in unnatural silence. The crickets stopped buzzing, and the warm winds fell still.
Thump! Thump!
The earth trembled with each heavy step. The sound grew louder and clearer with each passing second, as if something huge were approaching.
He gulped and pressed his head down further until it touched the ground.
A giant bear with pure white fur appeared, its black, sharp claws resembling obsidian daggers.
The albino bear lowered its head near him. Its hot exhale grazed the priest's skin.
He stammered, "Greetings… Your Holiness!" Then he gestured toward the cart. "This small… offering is from us. Please accept it."
The bear glanced at the cart. Its eyes swept over the goods, then fell upon the jars.
It moved toward the cart and picked up a jar. It opened the lid and dipped its paw inside. Viscous honey dripped from its paw.
It sniffed, then put the honey-dipped paw into its mouth.
Its eyes closed, and its face relaxed as it enjoyed the taste. "Hmm…"
"Delicious…"
"Haah…" The priest and everyone else released a long, exhausted breath, as if a heavy burden had been lifted from their shoulders.
The bear turned its head while still enjoying the honey and asked, "So, what reason brings you to me?"
"We are deeply ashamed of our incompetence. A demonic beast has taken shelter in the chthonic god's temple, and… we can do nothing about it." He kept his head bowed.
The jar fell from the bear's hand and shattered. Honey spilled across the ground.
The bear glared and shouted, "HAVE THOSE VERMINS FORGOTTEN WHICH REGION THEY DARE TO ENTER? HUH!"
"I WILL SHRED HIM AND THAT TEMPLE TO PIECES!!!"
The trees shook violently, and turbulent air swirled around it as the surroundings resonated with its rage.
"WHERE IS THE TEMPLE?"
The priest pointed north. "That direction… atop the hill."
It wasted not another second. With a great leap, it disappeared from sight.
---
Pharon was meditating at the gate, spheres of various elements revolving around him.
The sky darkened unnaturally.
He slowly opened his eyes.
"Shield…" A transparent dome formed around him.
BOOOM!!!
Something huge landed just in front of him. The impact was so great that the shockwave shattered the shield. A cloud of dust rose, obscuring his vision.
He slowly opened his eyes and stood up, then gave a slight bow. "Greetings, Your Holiness."
"ROOOAARR!!!"
A furious, bestial roar dispersed the dust, revealing the albino bear standing before him, its eyes glaring fiercely.