A Seemingly Uneventful Night (1)

Near the peak of a snowy mountain, the moon rose ever so slightly till it came to a complete halt. Shining brightly as it hung over the snowy mountain, thick and fluffy white patches of snow sparkled as the moonlight easily tore through the shroud composed of tall, scrawny trees.

With the exception of howling cold winds, rustling of trees, and the occasional 'chirping' noise that would pop time to time from here and there; it was a quiet, uneventful night atop of the snowy mountain as it usually was during these times.

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At this time, a hooded lone figure was tirelessly hiking up the mountain. He was extremely gentle on his feet, barely leaving behind a print in the soft snow as he moved. His pace as neither fast nor too slow, but just right as if he had tread this path many times before. If one didn't know better, they would imagine he was out casually taking a light stroll, enjoying the breathtaking scenery of the night.

"205, 206, 207, ..."

With each step, he muttered nonstop as if he was constantly out of breath. His voice was shaky and hoarse as though he had not drank water for a very long time, but the counting of his deep voice was perfectly in sync with his every step without missing a single beat.

"231, 232, 233, ..."

The hooded figure slipped in-and-out from underneath the shadows of many trees while he continued to scale the steep snowy mountain.

Halfway up the mountain as the night fell, the hooded figure's feet were completely submerged in snow. His dark brown cloak was drenched from being continuously pelted by snowflakes. The already cold winds grew considerably colder, and much stronger, so fierce it blew off the hood of the hooded figure with a howl.

'Whoosh.'

The deathly pale face of a young man could be seen. He had messy, oily black hair that reached all the way down to the bottom of his neck, and a dense scruffy beard as if he has not groomed himself for months. His eyes were dull, displaying zero emotion, and his thin cracked lips were parting ceaselessly, rambling on like the likes of a madman.

Even when the snowflakes colored his hair white, and frost formed an arch between his eyebrows, he did not stop marching. As though as the young man had long lost his mind, he was relentlessly striding up the mountain. Yet, no crazy person could possibly move in such a manner; it was as if he was possessed, moving with, but only perfect coordination. His inaudible chanting was in complete harmony with his stride.

"295, 296, 297, ..."

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From the direction where the young man was headed, a deafening shout broke the silence.

"Find her!!! She couldn't have gotten too far!!!!"