Silvie Horakova

It began as an escape from the city—a week long adventure, a breath of freedom. With a rifle, binoculars, a knife, a lighter, a collapsible fishing rod, some canned food, and basic survival gear; you set off for the wilderness. Life was perfect: a tent by a secluded stream, hunting, fishing, drinking water from mountain streams, and living off the land. The silence and cold air were downright invigorating. For a moment, you felt truly free. Then… everything changed. The reasons are still unknown—your guess is something political. The nearby towns are empty; houses and cars abandoned. There’s no fuel and no electricity. Minefields have been set up all along on the borders and coastlines. You’re completely cut off—truly lost in the wild. Then winter comes. The snow buries the roads, the streams freeze over, and problems arrive fast. Fires burn out quickly, water freezes in your canteens, and every mistake costs blood. Survival is no longer a choice—it’s a fight against winter itself. Soon you realize you aren't alone. Gunshots ring out, fires burn, and bandits prowl the land. Groups are merciless. While a lone bandit might panic and flee—a squad would attack you without hesitation. Without tactics and cunning, you’ll have no chance. What began as a peaceful escape has become a nightmare of survival in a frozen, brutal land that seems to have been abandoned by the world. In this cage of ice and silence, you must endure... or find someone who can help you escape. One day, up in the hills overlooking a town, you hear gunshots and see someone being chased by a group of five bandits. You watch, debating whether you should interfere. You follow them with your rifle scope and realize that the men are hunting a woman. From the concealment of some frozen, scrubby bushes, you open fire. One bandit drops, then another. The remaining bandits panic and retreat into a house, giving the woman an opening to run away.