Jack crouched low, his breath misting in the cold air as he observed the approaching figures. These people were unlike the primitive tribes he had encountered before. Their clothing was made of layered furs and finely stitched fabrics, blending ancient craftsmanship and something more advanced. Their weapons, long spears tipped with gleaming metal and bows strung with taut sinew, suggested a sophistication that should not have existed in this period.
One of the figures, a man with piercing gray eyes and a fur-lined cloak, stepped forward. He held up a hand in a universal gesture of peace, but his posture remained guarded. Jack hesitated before rising slowly, showing he meant no harm.
"You are not of the clans," the man stated in a language that was oddly familiar yet different, an evolution of the dialects Jack had learned. "Who are you?"
Jack considered his answer carefully. The wrong words could mean his death. "I am Jack Halstead. I... I came from another place. I mean no harm."
The man's eyes narrowed. "You came through the light. We have seen it before. You are not the first."
Jack's heart pounded. "There were others?" He had assumed he was the only traveler, but now he wasn't so sure.
A woman, tall and broad-shouldered with a bow slung across her back, spoke. "A warrior came through the light seasons ago. He spoke of worlds beyond. But he brought war, not peace."
Jack swallowed hard. Another traveler? Had someone else from his time—or beyond—altered history before him?
The gray-eyed leader scrutinized Jack before speaking again. "We will take you to the elders. They will decide your fate."
With little choice, Jack nodded and allowed himself to be escorted. As they moved through the icy wilderness, he noticed signs of civilization—fortified settlements, watchtowers, and even crude metalworking. This was not the primitive Ice Age he had left behind. Something—or someone—had changed the timeline.
Jack clenched his fists, determination settling in. If he was going to survive, he needed to uncover the truth. And if history had been altered, he might be the only one who could set it right.
His journey was far from over. A new threat loomed on the horizon, and the fate of time itself rested in his hands.