Oliver lowered his hand from his mouth and slowly sank to his knees as his jaw quivered uncontrollably. Feeling his heart slipping beneath his stomach, he gazed at the rows of gravestones. He folded his hands and tried to steady himself, but his grief shuddered his body.

"Oh... my dear father... mother... and siblings..." Oliver spoke softly. "Forgive me if it took me this long to see you. I know... I should have tried sooner... but I was caged in someone's household, and they didn't allow me to see you. But now... finally... after fifteen long years... I'm here... with you... again. You were taken from me too early, but I'll never forget the love you gave me while you were here..." As he finished, Oliver felt a sense of closure and comfort as his glance softened.

     Oliver stood up with a light smile as he placed his hand on his chest. He then peered at the graves before sighing deeply. Gregory stepped forward and placed a comforting palm on Oliver's shoulder as he glanced at him with a slight smirk.

"How do you feel now?" Gregory inquired with a gentle smile.

"Suddenly... I have a yearning desire to see my old childhood home again..." Oliver replied. "Now that I have paid my respects to my departed family, I feel drawn to see it once more."

"Do you recall the way to your old home?" Gregory asked with an eager grin.

"I guess?" Oliver responded. "If we head north, we'll find the gates to the grassland where my old childhood home stands."

"Excellent! Let's move on, shall we?" Gregory said as he beamed with keen anticipation.

     As they left the cemetery, Gregory suddenly halted, and his eyes fixed on the dark corner of the street to his right. Oliver followed his friend's gaze but saw nothing but the void-like darkness. Confused, Oliver grabbed Gregory's arm, and they marched down the empty street.

"...Are you alright?" Oliver asked, slightly anxious. "What were you looking at?"

"...I thought I saw something. But... I assume it must have been my imagination," Gregory replied, placing his arm around Oliver's shoulder.

"Oh..." Oliver raised a brow as his glance darted on the concrete road.

"Let's move on... swiftly," Gregory said as their paces hastened.

     Walking north, Oliver couldn't help but feel anxious every time Gregory glanced over his shoulder. Oliver tried neglecting his apprehension, but his skin pricked with hair-raising goosebumps, and he felt his anxiety rising. Whenever Oliver turned to look around, he never spotted anything but the dim, empty street. Oliver could not remove the lingering dread and the suspicion as his breath shivered.

     Oliver walked with his hands behind his back as he marched down the street with his friend. He tried masking his face with a calm, flat look. But, as time ticked, his brows and lips inevitably contorted in fear.

     After hours of walking, Oliver and Gregory finally arrived at a massive gateway guarded by stern-looking sentinels in silver-to-gold uniforms. Then, they saw flaming torches flanking the gate's tall pillars. Once Oliver had his eyes on the sight, a wave of recognition washed over his mind, and he realized he had been here before.

"Hey, I think... I've been here before," Oliver said as he gawked at the gateway's head-tilting height.

"Oh, are you sure?" Gregory asked as he glanced around.

"I'm certain. I passed through here fifteen years ago," Oliver replied politely. "By now, I suppose we're only a few miles from my childhood home."

"In that case, we should head there at once," Gregory suggested.

"Don't you have to return home as well?" Oliver asked, his brow furrowing in concern.

"No need for that," Gregory replied as he forced himself to smile.

Oliver stepped in front of Gregory, blocking his path. "Are you sure it's your will to accompany me through the wilderness?" Oliver asked.

"Of course," he replied.

"Won't your parents be worried about you?" Oliver questioned.

"They won't," Gregory said with a wavering smile.

     As the enormous gate groaned open, Oliver and Gregory stepped off the concrete road into the muddy path that wound across the grassland. Before them, a large wilderness area stretched out. They gazed across the meadow and saw the green plains stretching into the horizon.

     The rich blues and purples of the night gave way to the rosy tones of the early morning as Oliver and Gregory strolled through the tall grass. The sun crept over the horizon and beamed golden light throughout the atmosphere. Trekking on the plains, the distant birds sang and chirped as the soft wind rustled through the grass.

Oliver looked at the horizon and saw the sun rising gradually. "It's dawn already...?" Oliver squinted, peering at the sun's rays spreading in the sky as they walked through the grass.

"I guess we didn't sleep the whole night, huh?" Gregory yawned while stretching his arms forward.

"It's difficult to tell how much time has passed when you're walking through the night," Oliver said.

     After hours of trudging through the grasslands, Oliver and Gregory lost the muddy gravel trails as the tall grass encompassed them in every direction. Sweat dripping on his forehead, Oliver halted in the meadow and scanned the surroundings. The bright sunlight blinded him, forcing him to raise his hand above his eyes to shield them from the glare as he spun around in circles.

     The sea of grass around them was unfamiliar. No landmarks stood in the distance to guide them. Oliver's heart sank, realizing they were lost in the vast plains, with no idea where to go or how to get back on track. Then, the sharp ray of sunlight stung Oliver's eyes, causing him to wince.

     Exhausted, Gregory sat on a boulder among the tall grass. Then, he began tossing pebbles. He stared in one direction, peering over the distance shrouded in greenery.

"This heat is intolerable. Damn it!" Gregory exclaimed as he threw stones into the distance.

     Gregory reached down and picked up another stone from the ground. Standing up, he hurled it as far as he could into the infinite horizon. Suddenly, a fierce, raspy roar echoed through the air, causing Oliver and Gregory to freeze and look at each other.

     Oliver and Gregory turned their heads towards the sound. They shut their mouths as their eyes widened. Then, they froze, their bodies stiff with fear as they watched a creature emerging from the grass.

     Rough, low-pitched growls and bellows grew louder, accompanied by the unmistakable sound of crunching grass. The sound became more recognizable with each passing second, and a creature stood from the tall grass. Then, it roared.

     The creature was a massive mammal with thick brown fur covering its body. Its body and ears appeared soft and fluffy, like cotton, with a tiny tail. But, it displayed sharp, lethal teeth on its muzzle as its fierce, piercing eyes glinted with a predatory gleam.

Oliver and Gregory stood frozen in terror, not knowing what to do as the creature slowly walked towards them.

"Oh, dear Lord..." Gregory gasped in fear as his eyes widened.

"Greg... what in the world is that thing?" Oliver asked, his voice trembling.

Without breaking eye contact with the creature, Gregory shouted, "It's a wild Bjorn bear!"

The bear belted a breathless roar as its massive jaws gaped open to reveal rows of razor-sharp teeth.