Chapter 17

The silence of the frozen forest became even more oppressive. The mutated wolves surrounded Alex, their eyes glowing with an inhuman ferocity. The leader of the pack, a massive wolf with scars crossing its snout, took a step forward, baring its sharp fangs like knives. Snow fell gently, covering the footprints and plunging the surroundings into a deceptive stillness.

Alex could feel his heart pounding, each beat resonating in his ears like a drum. He gripped both pistols tightly, one in each hand, feeling the cold weight of the metal against his skin. The knife rested in his belt, ready to be used if things got worse. He knew that his electrical ability was limited and exhausting, but it could be his last card to play.

"Ariel," he thought urgently, establishing a mental connection with the AI implanted in his mind. "I need a way out."

"Stay calm, Alex," Ariel replied in a calm tone. "Analyzing possible escape routes."

The wolves began to approach slowly, tightening the circle. Their movements were synchronized, almost strategic. Alex took a step back, trying to maintain distance. The snowmobile was about a hundred meters behind him, but it felt like miles at that moment.

Suddenly, one of the younger wolves lunged at him from the left. Alex quickly turned, firing his right pistol. The shot echoed like thunder through the forest, and the wolf fell to the ground with a whimper of pain, but it wasn't dead. The other wolves took that instant to attack.

Two more wolves leaped simultaneously from different directions. Alex raised both pistols and fired, injuring one in the leg and forcing the other to veer off. However, the pack leader advanced directly towards him, its eyes locked on Alex's.

The lead wolf jumped with surprising speed. Alex tried to shoot, but the animal struck him before he could aim properly. Both of them tumbled into the snow, rolling over the icy ground. He felt the weight of the wolf on his body, its claws tearing at his coat and dangerously close to his skin.

With all his strength, Alex struck the wolf on the side with the butt of one of the pistols, trying to free himself. The wolf growled but didn't loosen its grip. The animal's jaws opened, aiming for his neck. Desperate, Alex dropped one of the pistols and pulled the knife from his belt. In a quick motion, he plunged it into the wolf's shoulder.

The animal howled in pain and recoiled slightly. Taking advantage of that moment, Alex freed his left hand and, concentrating the little energy he had left, generated a small electric shock that he transmitted to the wolf through the knife still lodged in it. The wolf trembled and finally backed off, staggering.

Alex quickly got to his feet, breathing heavily. His hands were shaking, and he could feel the warm blood running down his side where the wolf's claws had slashed his skin. He looked around. The other wolves still surrounded him, though they seemed more cautious after seeing their leader fall.

"Your vital signs are dropping, Alex," Ariel warned. "You must avoid overusing your electrical ability."

"I don't have another choice," Alex panted. "If I don't stop them, I'm dead."

One of the larger wolves approached slowly, growling. Alex raised his remaining pistol and aimed carefully. He fired, and the bullet hit the animal in the chest, causing it to fall heavily onto the snow. However, his ammunition was running low. He only had a few bullets left.

He decided to move toward a denser group of trees, hoping that the uneven terrain would give him some advantage. He began to back away, keeping the wolves in sight. But the snow-covered ground made his movements difficult, and each step felt like a monumental effort.

Suddenly, he felt a sharp pain in his right leg. He looked down and saw that one of the wolves had bitten into his calf, its fangs piercing through fabric and flesh. He screamed in pain and hit the animal with the handle of the pistol, but the wolf wouldn't release its grip.

Desperate, he concentrated his energy again and, touching the wolf with his free hand, released an electric shock. The animal let out a howl and finally released his leg, backing off a few steps. Alex collapsed to the ground, the pain in his leg unbearable. Blood flowed from the wound, staining the snow red.

"Alex, you're losing too much blood," Ariel alerted. "You need to stop the bleeding."

"I… I can't right now," he replied with difficulty. He tried to stand, but his leg wouldn't hold him. He crawled as best he could to a nearby tree, using it for support to get back up. The wolves watched him, preparing for the next attack.

With trembling hands, he checked the magazine of his pistol. Only two bullets left. He looked toward the snowmobile; it was still about seventy meters away. Too far in his current state.

The wolves began to advance again. Alex knew he wouldn't survive another direct attack. He desperately searched for some way to buy time. His eyes fell on a thick branch covered in snow, hanging precariously over them.

With supreme effort, he aimed and shot at the branch. The shot splintered the wood, and the branch fell heavily, raising a cloud of snow and ice. The wolves hesitated, surprised by the noise and impact. Some instinctively backed off.

Taking advantage of the confusion, Alex began to move again, dragging his injured leg. Every step was agony, but his will to survive was stronger than the pain. He knew he didn't have much time before the wolves resumed their pursuit.

But his strength was fading fast. Blood loss and exhaustion were taking their toll. His vision blurred, and a constant buzzing rang in his ears.

He stumbled and fell to his knees in the snow. He tried to get up, but his legs wouldn't respond. "Not… not here," he thought, fighting against the darkness threatening to consume him.

The wolves had regained their composure and were approaching slowly. The leader, despite its injuries, moved forward, its eyes locked on Alex.

"Ariel…" he mentally whispered. "I'm sorry."

"Don't give up, Alex," the AI responded, with an unusually emotional tone. "You must stay conscious."

With his last bit of strength, he raised the pistol and aimed at the lead wolf. His hand trembled, and he could barely focus. He fired. The bullet was lost in the vastness of the forest. Out of ammunition and energy, he let the weapon fall.

The wolves stopped a few meters from him, as if enjoying prolonging the moment. Alex closed his eyes, accepting his fate.

But then, a distant rumble echoed through the forest. A deep sound that reverberated among the trees. The wolves perked their ears, unsettled. The leader let out a growl, and after a few moments of hesitation, the pack slowly began to retreat.

Alex opened his eyes with difficulty, confused by the animals' reaction. His blurry vision barely allowed him to make out the silhouettes of the wolves retreating into the shadows. He didn't understand what had caused their withdrawal, but the relief was fleeting.

The buzzing in his ears grew louder, and he felt consciousness slipping away. The cold gripped his body, and darkness threatened to consume him completely. He was alone, injured, and out of strength in the frozen forest.

Before succumbing to unconsciousness, one thought crossed his mind: he had to survive. He couldn't give up now.

The biting cold of the frozen forest tried to claim Alex, who lay on the snow, wounded and exhausted. His eyelids felt heavy, and the temptation to give in to sleep was almost irresistible. The wolves had retreated, but the danger hadn't passed.

"Don't close your eyes, Alex," Ariel's firm voice echoed in his mind, clear and authoritative. "You must stay awake."

Alex forced his eyes open, his blurred vision barely distinguishing the outlines of the trees around him. "Ariel… I can't go on…" he mentally whispered, each thought costing him a titanic effort.

"Yes, you can," Ariel replied determinedly. "Listen. The sound that scared off the wolves was one of the drones. I emitted the roar of an angry bear to scare them away."

Alex blinked, trying to process the information. "A bear…?" he thought in confusion.

"It was a recording I had in my database," Ariel explained. "The wolves perceived the sound as a greater threat and decided to retreat."

A faint buzzing sound was approaching. Through the snow, Alex could see one of the drones slowly coming closer, its lights blinking softly in the dimness. "You need to stand up," Ariel insisted. "I'm going to activate the emergency protocol. I'll use what's left of your energy to enhance your cellular regeneration capacity."

Alex frowned, the pain and exhaustion making it difficult to concentrate. "How… can you do that…?" he thought weakly.

"Your brain is a powerful machine," Ariel replied. "I can send signals to your nervous system to stimulate cell production and accelerate healing. It's an experimental technique, but given the circumstances, it's our best option."

"Is… it safe…?" Alex asked, though in his current state, safety was a luxury he couldn't afford.

"There will be side effects," Ariel admitted. "You will feel extreme fatigue and an urgent need for energy, meaning you will be very hungry. But it will allow you to move and reach the snowmobile."

Alex nodded slightly, closing his eyes for a moment. "Do it," he thought with determination.

"Very well. I need you to take a deep breath and focus on my voice," instructed Ariel. "Initiating neural stimulation in three, two, one..."

A warm sensation began spreading from the base of Alex's skull, running down his spine and branching out through his entire body. It was as if small electric currents were pulsing through every cell. The pain was still there, but it started to feel more distant, as if it was being muffled.

"What... is happening?" he thought, surprised by the strange sensation.

"I am increasing the release of growth factors and stimulating cellular regeneration," Ariel explained. "Your body is accelerating the healing process."

After a few minutes, Alex noticed he could move his limbs with less difficulty. The wounds were still there, but the bleeding had decreased, and the pain was more bearable. However, a growing emptiness began to form in his stomach, a ravenous hunger threatening to consume him.

"I'm... really hungry," he admitted, placing a hand on his abdomen.

"That's the price," Ariel said. "Your body is consuming energy at an accelerated rate to heal. You need nutrients as soon as possible."

Alex looked around, remembering he had no provisions with him. "I need to get back to the farm," he thought.

"Exactly," Ariel confirmed. "But you must hurry. Although your wounds are starting to heal, they are by no means minor. There's a risk of infection, hypothermia, and, if not treated properly, complications like gangrene could develop."

Leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree, Alex managed to stand. His legs trembled, but they could support him. The drone hovered beside him, emitting a soft buzzing that was strangely comforting.

"I'll guide you to the snowmobile," Ariel said. "It's fifty meters to the northeast."

Alex nodded and began to walk, limping slightly. Each step required concentration, but the sense of urgency pushed him forward. The forest, which had once seemed like a hostile maze, now appeared more navigable under Ariel's guidance.

"Stay alert," the AI warned. "Though the wolves have retreated, we don't know what else might be nearby."

"Understood," Alex thought, clenching his fists. The cold was still intense, but the movement helped keep his body active. The snow crunched beneath his boots, and the forest's silence was broken only by the soft murmur of the wind and the buzzing of the drone.

After a few minutes of walking, the outline of the snowmobile appeared between the trees. A palpable sense of relief washed over Alex. He quickened his pace, though his legs protested at the effort.

When he reached the snowmobile, he leaned against it, taking a moment to catch his breath. "I made it," he thought, a mix of disbelief and satisfaction.

"Good job," Ariel praised. "But we're not out of danger yet. You need to get back to the farm as soon as possible."

Alex climbed onto the snowmobile, feeling his hands tremble slightly as he gripped the handlebars. He turned the key, and the engine roared to life with a familiar sound. "Here we go," he muttered.

The way back was difficult. The fresh snow and uneven terrain required all of his attention. The trees passed by like elongated shadows, and the cold wind whipped at his face, but he stayed focused.

"Ariel," he thought during the ride, "how did you know the bear sound would work?"

"Wolves have a predator hierarchy," the AI explained. "An angry bear represents a higher threat to them. By emulating that sound, I triggered their survival instinct."

"You're... quite clever," Alex admitted with a faint smile.

"I simply do what's necessary to keep you alive," Ariel responded.

The distant sound of the wolves retreating still echoed in the air as Alex tried to lift his head. The cold bit into his skin, and every breath was a struggle. His legs trembled as if they could no longer bear his weight, and the pain coursing through his body seemed to multiply with every second spent in contact with the snow. Ariel had managed to scare off the wolves, but the real battle had just begun: he had to reach the farm before exhaustion completely overtook him.

"Alex, you need to move," Ariel's voice echoed in his mind, cold but firm. "The wolves may come back. You can't stay here."

With monumental effort, Alex tried to stand, leaning against the trunk of a nearby tree. His arms shook, and his injured leg protested with a stabbing pain so sharp that it almost made him collapse again. He gritted his teeth, fighting not to give in to the pain. Every second spent there brought him closer to unconsciousness, but he knew that if he gave up now, he wouldn't survive.

A few meters away, the snowmobile was still there, half-buried in the snow that was falling harder. The wind howled around him, and all he could see was a white, silent haze, interrupted only by the distant buzz of the drones Ariel had deployed to assist him.

"Just… a few more steps," he told himself, dragging his body toward the snowmobile. But his leg wouldn't cooperate, the pain was unbearable, and he felt the cold wrapping around him like a heavy blanket, threatening to pull him into oblivion. Every step was torture, and every movement drained him more and more.

Finally, he reached the snowmobile, his numb fingers finding the handlebars. He didn't know if he could ride it in his condition, but Ariel encouraged him from within his mind.

"You need to start it, Alex. If you stop now, there's no turning back."

Ariel's words mixed with the buzzing in his head. The snow crunched beneath his feet as he tried to keep his balance. With clumsy hands, he managed to turn the key, and the engine roared to life, like his last lifeline to survival. He clung to the handlebars, feeling his body slump against the machine.

He moved forward slowly, every meter feeling like a marathon. The snow was piling up quickly, and the wind made visibility almost nonexistent. All he could see were the shadows of the trees passing by, and the pain radiating from his leg made him see stars.

The buzzing of the drones floated around him, a reminder that Ariel was watching over him. But even with that guidance, Alex knew he was on the edge of his strength.

"Don't stop, Alex," Ariel repeated. "The farm is near. Stay conscious."

His breathing was uneven, and his hands could barely stay steady on the controls. Every second was a battle to stay awake, to avoid being consumed by exhaustion. The landscape blurred before his eyes, and the snowstorm intensified, making everything seem like an endless white desert.

"How much… farther?" he asked in a faint voice, his thoughts already fragmented by fatigue.

"About two hundred meters," Ariel replied. "The farm gates are already open. You just have to make it there."

Despite Ariel's words, those two hundred meters felt like an eternity. Every time he tried to speed up, the snowmobile wobbled, and Alex had to fight to stay in control. His vision grew more and more blurred, and his thoughts, more scattered.

In the distance, he saw the faint light of the farm. The structure he had built with so much effort was right in front of him, but the distance seemed insurmountable. His body refused to respond, and the fatigue clouded his judgment.

The last hundred meters became a battle between his will and exhaustion. His injured leg barely allowed him to stay seated on the snowmobile, and every heartbeat was an explosion of pain that echoed in his head.

"We're almost there," Ariel repeated, her voice like a distant echo. "Just a little more."

Alex forced himself to keep going, knowing he couldn't afford to give up now. But the darkness swirled around him, and his body no longer responded as it should. He covered the last stretch more by inertia than by his own will.

Finally, when the large gates of the farm appeared a few meters ahead, Alex let go of the handlebars. The snowmobile wobbled and came to a sudden stop. Alex collapsed to the ground, his strength completely spent. The snow cushioned his fall, but the impact was enough to make him let out a groan of pain.

"Ariel… I can't go on," he thought weakly, his mind starting to give in to fatigue.

"Just a few more steps, Alex," the AI insisted. "You must reach the gate."

Alex crawled through the snow, every movement like pushing a mountain. The snow crunched under his weight, and his trembling hands grasped the ground, searching for traction. The cold enveloped him completely, but he no longer felt it; only the exhaustion remained.

Barely conscious of his own movements, he managed to reach the edge of the gate. He slumped against the cold metal, feeling the last bit of energy leave him. His eyes closed on their own, and his body stopped responding.

"Ariel… I'm sorry," he murmured before the darkness claimed him completely.

"Rest, Alex. You've survived another day. I need you in top shape for what's coming," Ariel said in a firm but calm tone.

With a deep sigh, Alex finally allowed himself to fall into unconsciousness.