Nolan’s heart hammered against his ribcage as the shriek of the Arctic wind tore at his ears. Through ice-shrouded goggles, he saw a moving shadow lumber across the frozen horizon. At first, the swirling snow made its shape difficult to distinguish. He squinted into the white haze, trying to convince himself it was nothing more than a trick of the shifting light.
The shadow moved again, growing larger against the endless stretch of ice. Nolan felt his stomach tighten. Whatever it was, it was moving with a heavy, deliberate gait, and it was coming closer. He shifted his weight, preparing to retreat, but the frozen ground offered little reassurance. The wind howled around him, swallowing the small sounds of his movements.
Then a tremendous roar shattered the frigid silence, echoing across the vast tundra. Nolan froze. The shape was no longer an indistinct shadow. A massive bulk of white fur emerged through the blowing snow, its powerful shoulders rising above the ice. The realisation struck him with sickening clarity: a polar bear. For one suspended moment, he could only stare.