As the ice encasing the serpent's body began to crack and melt away, Nyxar retreated with a final breath. His legs trembled, his eyelids grew heavy. Yet, he was still alive — and that alone was a victory.
The serpent, freeing itself from the ice, roared, causing the air to shudder. Its massive jaws lunged toward Nyxar, but he, using the last remnants of his strength, threw himself behind a colossal rock on the forested slope. There, a narrow passage covered in moss lay hidden. His instincts screamed at him: "Enter there."
As he crawled through the crevice, the serpent's enormous head reached the mouth of the cave but could advance no further. Its eyes locked onto Nyxar, radiating deep, lethal fury. But for now... it had no choice but to wait.
The serpent began to encircle all the cave exits.
Inside, darkness reigned. His breaths were labored, echoing between the stones. After advancing a bit, Nyxar noticed a faint light deeper within the cave. Approaching cautiously, familiar voices emerged from the shadows.
Percilla, Aurelia, Duke Alexander, Seraphina.
They were all there. But none appeared to be in good health. As Nyxar crawled into the dark, narrow tunnel of the cave, he collapsed onto his knees, drawing a deep breath. Every muscle quivered, his blood mixed with cold sweat, seeping beneath his armor. His mind was foggy, but he gradually began to distinguish the sounds around him.
"Someone's coming!" Seraphina said, raising her voice slightly.
At the same moment, Aurelia turned toward the corner of the cave illuminated by her light magic and saw the silhouette emerging from the darkness.
"My God… It's… Nyxar!" she whispered and ran without hesitation.
Percilla attempted to step forward but was held back by her wrists. Duke Alexander cautioned her: "Wait. Are you sure it's him?"
But Aurelia had already knelt beside Nyxar. As she touched his wounded body, she couldn't pull her hand away. "You're in terrible shape… Your body is frozen, the energy in your veins is still active but... this..." Her eyes widened. "This isn't ordinary magic usage."
Nyxar's eyelids parted slightly. Half-conscious, he barely whispered:
"The serpent... is still outside... It couldn't enter the cave... But it's... blocked the exits."
Aurelia narrowed her eyes slightly. "What serpent? What happened to you?"
Nyxar stared at the ground. Pressing his hand to his chest, his breath was labored. He could only utter a few words:
"It came from the core region."
Silence.
The entire cave suddenly turned ice-cold. No one even breathed.
"The core?" Alexander murmured, his voice echoing dully off the walls.
Seraphina brought her hand to her mouth. "No… That's impossible. That area... that's where the real monsters dwell. A serpent of that level couldn't have descended here."
Percilla stepped toward Nyxar on her knees. Her brows were furrowed. "You... did you really fight that creature?"
Nyxar bowed his head slightly. He didn't respond, but the darkness in his eyes spoke volumes.
Aurelia placed her hands, woven with light magic, on Nyxar's shoulder. "I need to help you. Please, hold on. Frostbite has begun due to ice magic... your mana channels are damaged but... you're still alive."
Nyxar let out a hoarse chuckle. "So this... is still living."
As Aurelia continued to heal Nyxar, the others began whispering among themselves.
Alexander: "If creatures from the core have really started emerging... this isn't a mission or a test. This is death."
Seraphina: "We need to observe him. If he's still alive after using so much power, he's not ordinary. That boy... he's not one of us."
Percilla sighed. "But now we're in the cave. And this... this might be where everything changes."
Aurelia spoke softly to Nyxar while looking at him;
"Stay with us for a while, okay? You need to heal, and... I think we might need help too."
Nyxar turned his head to gaze at the dark ceiling of the cave. His eyes were still narrowed, his body weary. But finally, a word escaped his lips:
"Temporarily... perhaps."
Aurelia smiled, pressing her hand a bit more firmly to strengthen her magic.
As Aurelia continued her healing magic to alleviate the magical pressure in Nyxar's body, Alexander and Seraphina had dispersed to inspect the interior of the cave. The cave was deep, filled with intricate passages, but within, there was a small clearing and a dry stone floor — a sufficiently safe area to set up camp.
"This area will do," Alexander said seriously. "But we need to be cautious of the entrances and exits."
Seraphina raised her hands, sending several small orbs of light to the cave's ceiling. The orbs gently struck the stone walls and affixed themselves, providing dim but peaceful illumination.
Percilla dropped her backpack to the ground and gathered dry branches from the corner of the cave. "None of us are at full strength. But we must rest tonight. Otherwise, we won't see the morning."
Aurelia wrapped Nyxar's shoulder and leaned her head toward him. "You're gradually improving. I've managed to balance your mana flow, but you shouldn't move. You need to stay here tonight."
Nyxar closed his eyes briefly, "Tonight... do we have another choice?" he whispered.
One Hour Later
The small campfire crackled, sending sparks across the stone floor. As the wood crackled, flickering shadows danced on the cave walls; the warmth of the fire provided a fleeting sense of relief to everyone.
The members of the group sat silently within the cave's depths. Each seemed lost in their own thoughts.
Alexander had slightly loosened his armor, cleaning his sword while occasionally glancing at Nyxar.
Seraphina appeared to be meditating, but her ears were attuned to catch any sound from the surroundings.
Percilla sighed as she stared into the fire. "I don't recall a mission where we fell apart this quickly. The forest... isn't normal. The creatures... they're going mad over something."
Aurelia, without taking her eyes off Nyxar, spoke. "That thing... was it the serpent pursuing you?"
Nyxar replied without lifting his gaze from the ceiling. "Those from the core... never move randomly. Either they're being directed... or a balance has been disrupted."
Percilla clenched her teeth. "What if this isn't just a test?"
Alexander: "It already isn't. That serpent… has nothing to do with threats at our level."
Suddenly, a muffled sound echoed from outside.
KRKH—SSSŞHHH—
A massive scraping noise from beneath the ground caused the stone floor of the cave to tremble. The serpent... still hadn't left the exterior of the cave.
Seraphina immediately stood up, her eyes gleaming."It's close. Very close. It's monitoring the exit."
Nyxar gritted his teeth."A patient hunter. If we so much as breathe wrong, it could bring this entire cave down on us."
The light of the campfire flickered momentarily.
Aurelia quietly drew her shield."This creature... it's setting a trap. It's not just waiting. It's pressuring us. It's wearing us down."
Percilla rested her hand on her sword's hilt."It wants to drive us mad slowly."
The campfire burned more faintly now, the cracking of the firewood fading. The inside of the cave grew darker. Outside, the scraping and slithering sounds had diminished — the serpent now moved with eerie silence, circling the cave like a predator savoring the fear of its prey.
As night deepened, the group began taking shifts to stand guard.Alexander and Seraphina took the first watch. Then Percilla, briefly keeping vigil in the silence of the cave.
And finally... it was Nyxar and Aurelia's turn.
The dying glow of the fire cast long shadows along the stone walls. Heavy silence cloaked the camp, broken only by the faint wind whispering at the cave's mouth and Aurelia's soft breaths.
She extended her hands toward the flame, her expression weary but determined.
"When I was young, my family was poor. My father was a priest, the only protector in our village. And my mother... she'd smile every morning as she baked fresh bread. We never had much, but... we were happy."
She paused briefly, her voice lowering.
"Then my little sister was born. Lyria. So tiny... she struggled to breathe from the day she came into this world. Like she was fading a little more every day."
Her hands clenched together on her lap.
"We took her to the best healers. Every time, I had hope. 'Maybe this time,' I'd say. But each one looked away, and told us the same thing: 'There's not much time left.'"
She avoided the fire's light, speaking softly, not quite looking at Nyxar.
"That's why I'm here. To gain power. To save her. But sometimes... it feels like I'm already too late."
There was a long silence.
Aurelia lifted her gaze slowly."What about you?" she asked. "Why are you here, Nyxar?"
Nyxar didn't reply at first. His eyes weren't on the fire. He was looking into the past.
His voice finally came — dry and brittle, like a withered leaf in the wind.
"My mother… used to braid my hair. In the winters, she'd wrap me not with blankets, but with stories. My father was a warrior, but he never lost his smile."
He paused. In his eyes, pain had replaced the anger.
"I had an older brother. Kael. He taught me how to fight. And a little sister, Naeva… her eyes were soft, like the morning mist. She always wanted to play hide and seek."
Only the fire's whisper filled the air now.
"And my friends... every morning we'd race by the frozen lake. Whoever stayed in the water longest was the 'ice prince' of the day. Laughter… songs… childish dreams…"
His voice trembled.
"Then one night… silence fell. Suddenly. I woke up to screaming. I ran outside. And everything was on fire."
His fists clenched.
"My mother shoved my sister into my arms... but before I could even hold her, a spear ran through her back. My father... told me to run. With his last breath."
Aurelia was frozen. Barely breathing as she listened.
"I looked for my friends after that. Some were torn apart. Some… burned alive. I memorized their screams. And when dawn came... I was the only one left."
Nyxar bowed his head, his voice low.
"I hold on to their memories. That's why I'm here. Because there's nothing else left."
The conversation ended.
And silence returned, deeper than before.
Aurelia lowered her eyes. Her lips quivered, her eyes shimmering — but she said nothing.Because sometimes, no words are enough to cover a wound.
Only the fire continued to flicker faintly.And the cave... grew darker still.
But then—
A subtle shift.A scraping sound.From the shadows near the cave walls, black silhouettes began to take shape.
They stepped forward silently — tall, shrouded in dark mist, armed with sword and shields.
Shadow Soldiers.
Nyxar rose swiftly, sword drawn.Aurelia, startled, reached for her light magic.
The first shadow lunged — but Nyxar was already in motion.
One step, a swift slash — the shadow was cleaved in two and vanished in a wisp of smoke.The second fell just as easily.The third... gone with a single strike.
Aurelia stared, barely able to speak."How... fast..." she whispered.
Fourth. Fifth. Sixth.
Nyxar moved like a blur. Every swing of his blade sliced through the darkness like lightning through a storm cloud.
And then... silence again.
Aurelia caught her breath."Is it over?"
Nyxar narrowed his eyes toward the cave's depths.
"No..."
From the ground, from the walls —More shadows emerged. Dozens of them.Silent. Soulless. Advancing.
Aurelia's hand trembled."They're coming..."
Nyxar raised his sword once more, his stance steady.
"This is just the beginning."