Chapter 5
(Unholy Coincidence)
Eric's POV
After practicing my magic for a long time, I realized I couldn't master it behind closed doors. So I decided to go to Iceland—the frozen river that, during some parts of the year, flows freely but was now solid ice. Oscar came with me.
As soon as we arrived, the cold met my energy, and I felt... alive. The atmosphere around me resonated with something inside. I focused, and boom! The air in the clearing crackled with an unnatural chill. Blocks of ice, sharp as fractured stars, plummeted from the darkened sky, each impact sending tremors through the frozen ground.
Oscar's face turned a ghastly blue. He shivered uncontrollably, his teeth chattering like a trapped bird.
"Eric… I can't… feel my limbs…" he gasped, his voice barely a whisper.
My hands clenched into fists as a surge of raw, untamed power bubbled within me. This invasion—this unnatural cold—was an insult. I wasn't just angry. I was something beyond furious. The world dimmed, replaced by a red haze of unbridled rage. The falling ice didn't chill me—it ignited something. A forgotten fire now threatened to consume me.
"Who am I?!" I roared. My voice echoed through the forest, shaking the trees. I wanted to master it all—all my powers.
The air around me shimmered. Suddenly, I felt another presence—a powerful one—a vortex of frost and fury. The falling ice hesitated, suspended mid-air, before shattering into a thousand glittering shards. A wall of ice, sharp and impenetrable, erupted from the ground, encasing Oscar in a protective crystalline shell.
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Cynthia's POV
"Mummy, I'm going to check the cornfield in the backyard," I called out.
As I stepped outside, I felt it—that power. The same one I sensed in the boy from the woods. But this time, it filled the air. It was everywhere. Overwhelming. Dangerous.
I wanted to go to him, but something held me back. If he was releasing this much energy... was he still safe? Could he hurt someone—or himself?
I burst into the clearing, heart pounding. The vibrant green of my dress looked pale against the surrounding frost.
"Eric! Stop! You're losing control!" I shouted, fear lacing my voice.
The power radiating from him was the same I'd felt before—but now it was magnified, unstable, terrifying.
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Writer's POV
Before Eric could respond, a shimmering portal tore open in the air. A swirling vortex of color pulsed with otherworldly light. Clare, Philip, and Esther stumbled out, pale and disoriented.
Their eyes widened at the sight: falling ice, the frozen clearing, and Eric—radiating raw magic.
"Where... where are we?" Philip stammered, glancing between the vortex and Eric.
Esther narrowed her ancient eyes and stepped forward. Her gaze locked on Eric. A flicker of recognition passed over her face.
"He… he carries the blood of Aethelgard," she whispered, then louder, "Clare, look at him! That magic... it's like your father's."
Clare's breath caught. She stared at Eric—really looked at him. There was something familiar in his eyes, the line of his jaw. An echo of the brother she lost long ago. Emotions surged: disbelief, hope, longing.
"It... it can't be," she whispered.
"It can," Esther said firmly. "The magic sings the truth. He is your brother, Princess Clare."
Eric stepped back, confused and defensive.
"My… what? I don't know any of you. And I definitely don't have siblings."
A tense silence followed.
Suddenly, magical energy crackled. Philip, startled, raised his hands. A bolt of energy shot toward Eric.
Instinctively, Eric raised his hand—an icy wall surged up, blocking the blast.
"Who are you people?!" he demanded, voice edged with suspicion.
"We're here to help," Clare said firmly, though her eyes glistened. "But we need to understand what's happening. And... I need to know if it's really you, Eric."
Before anyone could answer, guttural cries rang through the trees. The forest rustled, and a group of figures emerged from the shadows—tall, lean, with bark-toned skin and emerald eyes.
They were the nature tribes.
An unholy coincidence.
Cynthia froze. These were her people—and they were not happy.
"The abomination
must be destroyed!" their leader roared, pointing a gnarled finger at her.