Chapter 1: A true rose has been born...

The third day arrived with a jolt as snow dusted Zom's tail, waking him immediately. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting faint light over the frost-covered forest... it was still early, but that worked in his favor, giving him plenty of time to explore. Attempting to stand, he stumbled at first, collapsing back into the snow. Frustration surged through him, and he slammed his hooves into the ground in anger. Summoning every bit of strength, he pushed himself up with his front hooves until he finally managed to stand on all fours. Though he could walk, it was slow and painful, each step sending stabs of pain through his injured hooves, as if tiny knives were slicing into his flesh.

Undeterred, he pressed on, taking a few berries with him, carrying them clutched in his wings. He trudged through the endless white landscape for over an hour, searching desperately for anything that might help. The biting winds and deep snow made each step more exhausting, draining his strength. At one point, he tried to call for help, but his voice was weak, barely more than a whisper lost in the wind. Moments later, his legs gave out again, and he collapsed. As he collapsed onto the ground, his wings weakened, causing him to drop all the berries he’d struggled to carry. The sight shattered him inside, a deep sadness welling up as tears began to form in his eyes and his back hooves bleeding freely, leaving dark red streaks in the snow.

Refusing to give up, Zom began crawling forward with his front hooves. His back legs felt numb, as though they were no longer a part of him, while his trail of blood painted the snow behind him. His vision blurred, and exhaustion weighed on him heavily. Was this his end? The thought crossed his mind, cold and final. But something within him pushed him onward... he had to keep going, even if he didn’t know why.

As his eyes began to fade, a glimmer caught his attention, a flash of color that stood out against the white. Crawling closer, he saw a bush, strangely untouched by snow, with a warm, golden glow around it. Confused and compelled by this strange sight, he continued, inching closer. It wasn’t the bush that was glowing, he realized, but a single rose. The rose stood proud, almost magical, and though it had lost a petal, it still looked whole, as if untouched by time.

Zom reached out with one trembling hoof, curiosity outweighing his fading strength, and touched the rose. In that instant, darkness claimed him, and he faded from consciousness.