When the world freezes, truth begins to reveal itself: survival belongs not to the strongest, but to the ones who refuse to bow.
The storm raged across the Russian wilderness, swallowing footprints and hope alike. Two splintered groups ran through endless white. Behind them, the thunder of paws and the echo of resurrected tyrants dragged history itself into the snow. In the chaos of separation, each warrior confronted a different truth—some about fear, some about loyalty, and others about the past they carried into this cursed timefold.
Vynn clutched Coffinlock to his chest as he ran, his legs trembling under the weight of cold and exhaustion. "Y'know, I was really hoping my first time visiting the infamous Russia wouldn't involve being eaten alive by oversized ice puppies!"
Ryujin shot him a glare, slicing through a leaping wolf with mana-tinged precision. "Focus, old man! They're gaining on us!"
"HEY!" Vynn shouted. "I'm not old—just chronologically upgraded!"
Elexer laughed, dodging a snapping wolf jaw. "You sound like a broken time machine that refuses to retire."
"Funny coming from a corpse with social issues," Ryujin snapped back, blocking another wolf mid-air.
"Oh? At least I didn't cry when my eyeliner froze earlier..." Elexer snickered, stabbing a wolf with his scythe.
"I TOLD YOU IT WAS SNOW, NOT TEARS—" Ryujin began, only to be cut off mid-phrase.
A mechanical hum interrupted the bickering.
BANG—BRRRRRT—KRAK!
Railgun rounds shredded wolves lunging at their backs.
Emile Locke slid between them, mask glinting with neon light. "Great banter, emo duo. Next time save it for AFTER we're not being chased by Siberian hellhounds, yeah?"
He flicked his finger again, vaporizing a wolf mid-air. "You're welcome."
Ryujin clicked his tongue.
Elexer rolled his eyes.
Vynn gave a thumbs-up. "Go Emile!"
Ahead, the snow rippled unnaturally.
Skullspawn slammed his palm into the ground. Black abyssal roots erupted, tangling wolves' legs and slowing the pack.
"MOVE!" Skullspawn barked. "I can delay them, but not forever!"
Rasputin tightened his grip on Anastasia's hand. "Stay close, Your Majesty. Skullspawn's magic gives us only a moment—nothing more."
Anastasia nodded, her fear tempered with trust. "I... I trust you."
A massive wolf broke through the roots, leaping toward her.
Skullspawn moved instantly, his cloak tearing open into tendrils. "Not while I still draw breath—" He slammed the beast into a tree with crushing force.
The pack howled as more wolves surged.
Ryujin fell back to support Skullspawn. "Don't let them surround us!"
Elexer matched him. "Try not to die, Ryujin. I don't want to explain your corpse to Creo."
Emile fired over their shoulders. "If either of you die, I'm not carrying your bodies. Too heavy. Too emo."
Vynn screamed from ahead. "How about everyone DOESN'T die?! Preferably today!"
Skullspawn's magic flared brighter, holding back the wolves long enough for them to push deeper into the forest.
The wind howled. Wolves followed. And somewhere in the blizzard... Peter the Great's footsteps shook the earth.
Creo halted mid-stride. "He's close."
Athena's breath fogged in the cold. "Stalin?"
"No... something worse," Merlin said, glancing back. "His aura... it's like a tyrant forged in frost."
Creo swore. "Brilliant. We get Stalin while the others get wolves with anger issues."
Merlin corrected immediately. "Those wolves also have anger issues. They just express it differently."
"NOT HELPING, MERLIN!" Arthur shouted, parrying a wolf bite.
A thunderous CRACK shattered the trees.
Merlin whipped his staff around. "Incoming attack!"
A massive wolf burst from the collapsing treeline, twice the size of the others, glowing red eyes, iron plates fused into its fur. Behind it, Joseph Stalin emerged, pipe glowing like ember-fire.
"Run," Creo said. "Now."
Arthur didn't need to be told twice. "YES, KING OF ELDERITH!"
The wolves advanced in tight formation. Stalin raised a hand. They lunged.
Athena conjured a barrier; it nearly shattered. "These ones are stronger! He's controlling them—perfectly!"
"He ruled through fear and discipline," Merlin said. "Of course his beasts are the same."
Creo planted a glowing symbol into the snow. Wolves began to scatter.
Stalin's voice cut through the storm: "Не убегай, Создатель. (Translation: "Do not run, Creatorius".)
The ground erupted in iron spikes, forcing Creo to leap back.
Stalin strode steadily. "You have entered my motherland so freelt... and expect to leave so easily?"
Athena drew her blade. "You murdered a family. You are not a ruler—you are a tyrant hiding behind a nation you disgraced."
Stalin smiled thinly. "Tyrant? Me? No... I am the inevitability incarnated in the flesh."
He snapped his fingers; the wolves lunged from every direction.
Merlin slammed his staff. "Athena, cover Creo! Arthur, to me!"
Arthur spun Excalibur, sparks flying. "Come on then, you overgrown Imperial guard rejects!"
The wolves slammed into their defenses, scattering the group. Athena grabbed Creo's wrist. "We're being herded!"
A massive wolf crashed down between them, cutting off the path.
Merlin pointed upward. Magic circles formed high above—layered, intricate.
"Арка небес!" he shouted. Sky Arch.
Spears of brilliant white fell, scattering the wolves.
Arthur breathed. "Finally, some breathing room—"
The ground shook again.
A new howl, deeper, more ancient, tore through the forest.
The trees split apart. Colossal wolf, house-sized, Soviet-era armor fused into hide. Stalin's Alpha Wolf.
Arthur blinked. "Haha... and I thought Cath Palug was tough."
Elsewhere, Rasputin, Anastasia, and the Horsemen dodged collapsing branches and wolves.
Vynn screamed. "I am NOT built for this pace! My kneecaps are filing complaints!"
Ryujin sliced through a charging wolf. "Run faster then!"
Elexer blocked two. "Immortal? You complain more than anyone I've met."
Vynn gasped. "I'm OLD, not immortal!"
Emile fired his railgun. "If any of you die, I'm not paying."
Suddenly, a giant axe flew past them, embedding in a tree. Peter the Great stepped forward. "ROMANOV GIRL. YOU HAVE RUN LONG ENOUGH."
Anastasia froze. Rasputin held her closer. Peter swung.
Skullspawn braced. "Over my dead body."
Snow exploded. The group scattered.
Vynn screamed. Ryujin cursed. Elexer leapt. Emile fired. Skullspawn held the wolves at bay.
Peter swung—thunderous explosion shaking the forest.
All three groups heard it.
Merlin and Arthur looked up. Athena and Creo froze. Vynn and company stumbled.
And in the storm, two massive silhouettes emerged: Stalin and Peter the Great. Converging. Hunting. Cornering all three groups.
The snow whispered a prophecy: None of you will leave Russia unchanged.
Arthur skidded back, Excalibur raised. "These wolves are BUILT DIFFERENT—Merlin, any ideas?!"
Merlin adjusted his robe mid-combat. "Yes. First idea: don't die. Second idea: hit them harder."
Arthur blinked. "That's NOT an idea!"
Merlin cast a blue flare, freezing a wolf mid-air. Arthur cleaved it apart. Another wolf charged. Merlin teleported aside.
"You show-off!" Arthur yelled.
"I merely have style. Which is why you get the spotlight."
The wolves regrouped, circling. Arthur raised Excalibur. "We can't fight forever."
Merlin exhaled. "We don't need to. Just long enough."
Arthur raised an eyebrow. "Long enough for what?"
Merlin pointed upward. "Look."
High above, magic circles formed. Spears rained down. Wolves scattered.
Arthur let out a breath. "Finally—"
The ground shook. Ancient howl. Trees split. A colossal armored wolf emerged. Stalin's Alpha.
Arthur tightened his grip. "Cath Palug, who?"
Merlin's expression darkened. "Be ready."
Then a spectral Red Army soldier lunged from the storm. Merlin raised his staff—but it was too late.
The bayonet pierced his chest. He fell backward, coughing blood, barely breathing.
Arthur screamed. "MERLIN!"
Arthur's face turned pale, eyes wide. "NO... MERLIN!" His grip on Excalibur trembled, hands shaking as the world seemed to slow around him. "I... I can't lose you—NOT HERE!"
He dashed forward, ignoring the armored wolves circling him, shouting in desperate fury. "GET UP, YOU OLD FOOL!"
Merlin coughed, blood spilling from his mouth, chest heaving. A faint smirk appeared, though his voice was ragged: "Arthur... listen... keep... going... the storm... is bigger than me... now... survive..."
Arthur's hands shook as he grabbed Merlin, trying to lift him. "Don't talk like that! You're not allowed to die here! Not while I'm alive!"
A cold wind swept across the forest, carrying Stalin's chilling laughter. The Alpha Wolf snarled, shaking the ground with its roar, and Arthur's desperation turned into icy determination. "I... I'll protect you, Merlin. No matter what!"
The snowy fog began to settle and each group began to interact with one another.
Athena's eyes narrowed, rage flickering in her gaze. "CREO!" She grabbed his arm urgently, pulling him back as Stalin's wolves surged again. "Do you SEE what we're facing? Merlin's... he's—"
Creo's jaw clenched. His hand glowed with creation energy. "I see it. And we will not fail because of it. Merlin's strength... it's in us now. We push forward, Athena. No hesitation."
Athena swallowed, her heart pounding as she glanced at the space Merlin had vacated. "He saved us... he—he always saves us." She tightened her grip on her sword, a mix of grief and resolve steeling her stance. "Then we honor him... by surviving this frozen world."
The storm swallowed his cry as Stalin and Peter the Great advanced, their silhouettes looming over three fragmented groups.
Vynn's jaw dropped as he skidded to a stop mid-sprint. "W-wait, what?! Merlin?!" He fumbled with Coffinlock, nerves high-pitched. "I mean... the old man's tough, right? He can't just—he can't just—"
Ryujin growled, slicing a wolf in half without even looking. "Shut up and run, Vynn. We have bigger problems than your panic."
Elexer's scythe paused mid-air, his smirk gone. "Even an immortal feels... uncertainty, I suppose. This changes things. If Merlin falls..." His voice trailed, grim.
Emile Locke, usually calm, flicked his railgun with a sharp click, mask reflecting the snowstorm. "We don't get to mourn. Not yet. But yeah... that one hurt. Big brain wizard, bleeding out, in a forest of killer wolves and Peter the Great swinging axes... yeah, feels personal."
Vynn gave a half-hearted salute with Coffinlock. "Alright... note to self: don't die. Merlin wouldn't forgive us."
Rasputin's hands clenched over Anastasia's, the hairs on his neck standing. "This... this changes everything." He glared at Peter the Great, teeth bared. "If anything happens to him, you'll answer to me."
Anastasia's eyes shone with tears and determination. "He saved my life... he's... more than just a wizard to us. If he's hurt, then we fight—not for glory, not for survival, but for him." She tightened her grip on Rasputin's arm, the two of them sharing a mutual, unspoken vow: Merlin's sacrifice would not be in vain.
Skullspawn's abyssal tendrils writhed faster, almost in anger. "Foolish mortals... if your minds dwell on grief, you will fall faster. Let his strength guide you. Let it..." His voice lowered, deep, almost guttural. "...focus your will."
The wolves pressed forward, Peter the Great's shadow looming behind. The forest seemed to close in, each breath a white cloud of frost and fear.
Arthur's eyes burned with tears and fury. "I... I'll survive... I'll fight... for Merlin!"
Creo's voice was steel, calm and commanding. "Every step forward, every strike we make... it's because he believed in us. We honor him with every breath."
Vynn muttered under his teeth, gripping Coffinlock tightly. "I swear... if Merlin dies on my watch... I'm hunting down every wolf, Peter, Stalin... and maybe even time itself."
Elexer raised his scythe, a grim grin forming. "Then let's move. His sacrifice... won't be wasted."
Emile Locke, aiming another rail-shot at a charging wolf, quipped dryly: "No pressure, but we're all suddenly way more motivated now."
Rasputin's voice was low but lethal. "Hold fast, Anastasia. Protect her. Protect us all. Merlin's blood, his life, has bought us this moment. Do not waste it."
Anastasia nodded, gripping her blade. "Then we fight. All of us... together. For him."
Skullspawn's shadows twisted around the group, merging with the roots, the abyss ready to snap at any wolf that dared advance. "Then move... before the storm swallows you all."
The forest trembled as the two tyrants—Peter and Stalin—closed in from opposite sides. Wolves surged like rivers of iron and frost.
Merlin coughed again, blood staining the snow, but his gaze softened. He managed a weak, quivering smile at Arthur through the chaos. "Arthur... don't... falter... it's... your turn... to shine..."
Arthur roared in rage, Excalibur raised: "I WILL SHINE! I WILL NOT FAIL YOU!"
Vynn barked a laugh, half hysterical, half determined. "Alright! Let's make history... Merlin-style!"
Athena's blade gleamed in the storm. "Creo... now."
Creo's hands glowed with raw creation energy. "We move together. For Merlin. For everyone."
Skullspawn's shadowy tendrils surged forward, a wave of protection and fury.
But suddenly, snow swirled more violently around the three-way battlefield. And then—a flicker, a shadow in the corner of Arthur's vision.
At first, it seemed like nothing more than a trick of the blizzard, a ripple in the snow. But then the air shifted, unnatural and heavy, as if the storm itself was watching.
From the shadows emerged a figure, tall, imposing, draped in a cloak as dark as void-touched night. A hood obscured the face, but the air around it seemed to hum with suppressed power.
Arthur froze, nearly letting go of his sword. "What... is that?"
Merlin's voice, weak but sharp, rasped through the wind. "...that... that is... Coffin."
Vynn's eyes widened. "Wait. The... banned Horseman?!"
Ryujin's scowl deepened. "I thought... no one... saw them since the trials."
Elexer's scythe slowed mid-swing. "And yet... here they are."
The figure stepped forward, and the blizzard seemed to recoil, swirling around Coffin like a dark halo. Their presence warped the forest: snow froze midair, shadows bent unnaturally, and even Stalin's iron-furred wolves hesitated, ears flicking toward the unknown force.
Emile Locke muttered, adjusting his mask. "Well... that escalated quickly- almost too quickly..."
Coffin's voice was low, almost a whisper carried by the storm: "The timefold bleeds... and you all dance at its edge. You survive... but at a cost."
Peter the Great swung his massive axe, but the strike met nothing but air; Coffin's shadow flicked, intercepting with a wave that sent snow and wolves flying. Stalin's spectral soldiers faltered, a tremor of uncertainty running through them.
Arthur's jaw clenched. "Who... are you really? Friend or foe?!"
Coffin tilted their head, cloak swaying in the wind, voice icy but deliberate: "I am neither... yet everything you think you know will change... before this day ends."
Merlin coughed again, clutching his chest. "Arthur... believe... in them... they..." He trailed off, too weak to finish, but his gaze locked onto Coffin.
Vynn raised Coffinlock, firing at an armored wolf, then glanced at the figure. "So... fifth Horseman shows up... saves the day... and we're still alive... right? Right?!"
Coffin said nothing, merely watching, waiting, the storm bending around them like a living thing.
The snow exploded as Peter's and Stalin's forces surged once more, the battlefield shrinking by the second. The three groups had nowhere to run.
Coffin's presence created a temporary calm—a tense pause in the chaos—but the air thrummed with the unspoken promise: this is only the beginning.
Arthur gritted his teeth, Excalibur raised. "We survive. We fight. For Merlin... and for each other!"
Athena and Creo, backs pressed together, glowed with renewed determination, energy pulsing around them.
Rasputin and Anastasia moved with lethal grace, each strike measured and precise.
Vynn yelled over the storm, "If Coffin's here... we've got a chance... let's not waste it!"
Coffin's shadow shifted, blending with the wind, a dark beacon in the white chaos.
And all at once, the storm of wolves, magic, and tyrants collided—a frozen white battlefield where courage, grief, and vengeance intertwined, the prophecy echoing once more:
None of you will leave Russia unchanged.