Zephyr

'How am I still alive?'

Reiner wondered.

Suddenly he felt a dull ache in his back. Turning to look at his reflection in the pristine snow, he saw that there were more injuries there.

"This.."

A series of shallow, parallel scratches marred his skin, tracing a painful path from his shoulder blades to his lower back.

'Was this the reason behind my back pain?'

He could hear his heart pounding faster and faster.

'Still, it doesn't match'.

Reiner was confused by his injuries. It was clear that he had been attacked from behind, and the combination of the wounds suggested a terrifying encounter with a formidable and hostile force.

But there were also claw marks on his chest.

'Who attacked me? and why?'

Because of his doubts, he momentarily forgot his pain.

Or not.

'Hmm? It doesn't hurt that much anymore.'

'I'm pretty sure I would have died with these injuries.'

He touched the exposed skin near his chest wound.

"Ouch," Reiner felt pain.

'It hurts. It's real.'

"What's happening? That can't be…" his eyes widened with shock.

There was a strange change in his injuries.

The claw wound on his chest, once oozing blood and causing intense pain, seemed to be undergoing some kind of transformation.

The edges of the wound began to knit together slowly as if guided by some unseen force. The torn skin and flesh seemed to meld, and the bleeding subsided.

'It seems the gash will gradually close, leaving behind only a faint, pink scar where the injury had been.'

The claw marks on his back were also going through a similar healing process.

The shallow scratches began to fade, and the pain diminished with each passing moment.

Reiner could feel a soothing warmth spreading from the injured areas.

'What kind of medical miracle is this?'

'It's almost like magic!'

This unexpected self-healing left Reiner both astounded and bewildered. He had never seen wounds heal so rapidly and completely.

'At this rate, it will heal in an hour.'

Reiner was relieved a little. Even though waking up in a strange place was quite scary, he could leave it as long as he could live.

After some time, Reiner cautiously attempted to stand up from the snow-covered ground. It's because he didn't want to worsen his injuries.

'I don't know if this healing effect is permanent. It would be bad if I get injured again.'

As he pushed himself upward, his body responded with a series of subtle yet distinct sounds.

The first audible sign was a faint but distinct crack emanating from his shoulders as he extended his arms.

He could feel the tension in his joints giving way as if his limbs were slowly awakening from a long slumber. With each movement, the orchestra of small pops and cracks continued. His spine released a series of snaps.

'Looks like a few hours passed since I was lying on this snow field.'

Reiner assumed and tried to let it off. But suddenly a frown appeared on his face.

Those wounds looked fresh.

From the moment he woke up, the wounds looked like he had been injured a few moments ago.

Various thoughts came into his mind. Everything was too confusing. However, many thoughts led to one guess.

'These wounds weren't fresh.

It has been healing for quite a long time. Maybe more than half a day.'

It was a bold and dangerous guess. Yet, it was the only plausible one among his thoughts.

I should quickly leave this space.

Reiner tried to inspect his legs in case there were some injuries. From the surface, it didn't like that. So he squatted down and checked for any internal injuries. Fortunately, there were none.

However, he noticed his clothing was different from his usual clothing.

He was wearing a heavy, woolen tunic, dyed in deep earthy tones, which helped to keep him warm in the wintry landscape.

Over his tunic, he wore a leather jerkin that added an extra layer of protection from the cold. The jerkin was adorned with ornate metal clasps and fastenings, giving it a medieval vibe.

However, it was torn and stained by the claw marks that had raked across his chest and back. These injuries had caused noticeable damage to the clothing, exposing frayed edges and splatters of dried blood.

His legs were covered by woolen trousers, reinforced with patches in many places. But those patches were ripped and soiled.

His worn and battered leather boots had scratches and scuff marks.

It's quite shabby.

That's what Reiner thought. Compared to modern times, his torn and worn clothing looked quite shabby.

I don't have time for this. I have to leave quickly.

As time passed, Reiner was getting a little scared. There was no way of knowing when any blizzard would start or some animal would appear before him…

Still, I should at least check those things.

As Reiner looked at the area where he had recently been lying, he saw the dead wolf's body lying in the snow, its fur pristine white and gray.

He bent his body and picked up the dagger lying near that corpse.

The dagger, now in his hand, still gleamed with bloodstains, its engravings appearing even more ominous in this snowy landscape.

These two objects, the dead wolf and the bloodied dagger were an integral part of the strange scene that had greeted Reiner upon his initial awakening.

Crack

A faint cracking sound could be heard. This time, it didn't come from his bones. The source of the sound was near his feet.

As he bent, he saw some strange things near his feet.

The broken test tube lay in the snow, its shattered pieces glistening in the pale wintry light. The slender glass had a faint amber tint, hinting at the contents it once held.

The fracture lines on the test tube were jagged as if it had been subjected to sudden and forceful impact. While the remaining glass shards were scattered around it, some partially buried in the snow, others gleaming in the cold air.

It was evident that the test tube had held some sort of liquid, as a small pool of frozen substance remained in the snow near the broken glass.

As Reiner tried to pick up the broken test tube, some memory fragments started to trigger.

"Zephyr?"