The Forest Kiss of the Cold - Forest

Winter, 1674
Unknown, American Colonies

Darren lives miles from the nearest town with their mother and sister, Penny. Their mother is sickly, and has been for as long as Darren can remember. Because of this, Darren and Penny have to look after themselves and one another- though Penny takes most of the responsibility on her own shoulders, since she is the older sibling.

The run down farm that they live in is hardly holding together this late into the year's long winter, with the barn tilting under the weight of the snow, and the door shut tight. They're running low on food and firewood, and their mother is only growing weaker. Their horses and cows are dead. There is no more food left, and no prey to search for in the snow piled up around them.

However, there is the Forest; the tall, black trees that serve as a wall beside their home, untouched by the snow. Everyone knows not to step foot into those woods. It is dark and twisted, and it is said that monsters roam within its trees. It is whispered that anyone who does go in, never comes out. Even Darren knows by instinct not to go in there, but they're running out of options.

With no other choice, Darren makes their way into the trees, leaving their sister to care for their mother. The trees whisper to them, and they're enveloped in the woods, not knowing if they'll ever come back out.

Winter, 2082
Austin, Texas

After drinking from a spiked wine that his corrupt boss gave him, Lucas Lopez became desperate. With no other choice than to turn to the Weeping Woods- the forbidden forest that cuts through the heart of America- Lucas gathers the slime that oozes from the bark of the trees there. It's the only way he knows that maybe able to free him from Helix- the deadly drug that binds with the host's DNA and becomes a lifelong problem with no cure and no way to break the addiction. Lucas believes he has found this cure in the Weeping Willows, and scrambles to mix it together, not wanting to be enslaved by Paul Dean and Matildacorp.

However, upon taking the drug he concocted, Lucas finds himself dealing with a whole new problem: the Spider.

The Spider is like a separate entity that lives inside of his brain, taking over at night and twisting his body into some kind of grotesque creature that cannibalizes on the innocent civilians of Austin. He has to keep this secret from Hector, shuddering at the thought of his little brother ever seeing him as some kind of monster.

Winter, 2130
Unknown Regions

Wolf doesn't know the past. He doesn't know what the world was like, before the Eternal Winter happened. Nobody does. And frankly, no one cares to know. Not when everyday is a fight for survival.

With the ground being packed in snow wherever anyone goes, food and warmth are scarce things, and they are precious. There are barely any signs of towns left, and where there are, most inhabitants keep to themselves. Civilization is falling apart, and it's not much longer until every human life is snuffed out by the freezing cold.

Wolf once lived in one of these towns. One that had been clinging to normalcy. Despite the cold and the snow, he found a life for himself. He had a lover. A daughter. Neighbors and friends. He was happy.

That was until the beast came through.

The beast is a monster. It looks like a man, but it could never be one. Wherever it goes, death and destruction follows. It came through Wolf's town. Everybody but he died. Now he has nothing.

Nothing but the lust for the beast's blood on his hands and its dead body at his feet.