The war raged on.
Riureas Crossheart had already cut through half of Frozenfire's second wave. Over two hundred thousand soldiers lay dead, their ranks shattered beneath his relentless power.
Meanwhile, Elizabeth and Vellia led the allied forces, driving back the enemy line and reclaiming lost territories piece by piece. Hope stirred in the hearts of the Federation's soldiers.
But behind the battlefield, in the shadows, the true mastermind watched every moment unfold.
"I cannot allow this…!" His voice trembled with fury as he slammed his fist against the table. "That fraud—how could he possibly wield such power?!"
Beside him, a woman knelt with calm composure. Her voice was smooth, steady.
Servant: "Nu, calm yourself. The truth will reveal itself in time. That fraud will realize soon enough—he is not the author."
Elven Nu—that was the name of the mastermind, the hidden hand behind the chaos.
His eyes narrowed.
Elven Nu: "Gamma, I command you—go to the battlefield. Confirm whether this Riureas truly is the author. I want answers, now."
The woman bowed her head. "As you wish."
---
Hours later, as the battle dragged toward its climax, Riureas floated above the battlefield, watching victory slowly draw near. Just as he prepared to end it, a presence appeared before him—sudden, silent, overwhelming.
A woman stood in mid-air, blocking his path as though the sky itself had bent to her will.
Riureas narrowed his eyes.
Riureas: "And who are you?"
Her purple gaze met his without fear, her voice calm, almost casual.
???: "Gamma."
For the first time in hours, Riureas felt something unusual. Her aura radiated a pressure that could crush even the strongest of warriors. Soldiers far below trembled unconsciously, sensing the weight of her presence.
But Riureas only smirked.
Riureas: "Your aura is impressive. But you forget—" his eyes glowed with defiance, "I am the author."
Gamma: "Quit lying!, the author will never abandoned his world like that!", she suddenly cried with An get.
Riureas was in shocked, he never knew what she was talking about.
Riureas: " Hold on!, what do you mean?...", he worried.
Gamma starts speaking, "It was December 8 2023,you're about to make the most beautiful and famous novel the world has ever read..... One day, when you're writing you felt hungry, so you went to the nearby convenient store, after that, you went back home, starting to realize, no one really reads your stories, no one, has no interest, not a single one.... Then the day you got transferred here to this world..... ",she stopped and asked.
"Can I ask....if you feel something....like all the novels you've made and you've never made, had mixed up.... And this world you know today, is the crossover---of all the novels you've already planned and the once you've ne'er planned, they now coexist in this new world.", she opened her eyes and looked at him again.
Riureas froze. For the first time since the war began, his confidence wavered.
Her words echoed in his mind—December 8, 2023. A date that felt like a distant dream, yet something inside him remembered. A faint image of a desk, a pen scratching across paper, the faint hum of city lights outside…
His chest tightened. That life… was it mine?
Riureas: "No… that's impossible. I am here. I am the author. This world bends to my will."
But even as he said it, his voice trembled. His hands shook slightly, betraying doubt.
Gamma's purple eyes pierced deeper, as though she could see through the walls of his soul.
Gamma: "Tell me, Riureas… when you cast your great magics, do you truly understand where they come from? Or do they simply… happen? As if written for you."
The memory stirred again. Fragments of unwritten stories, worlds half-built, characters abandoned. Threads of fantasy he had once dreamed of weaving—yet here they were, alive and breathing before his eyes.
A cold realization began to creep over him. Perhaps he was not shaping this world. Perhaps this world was shaping him.
Riureas (whispering): "Then… am I… only a piece of the story? Not its maker?"
For the first time, Riureas felt something alien and terrifying. Not the fear of death—he had faced armies, monsters, and gods without flinching. No, this was different. It was the fear of meaninglessness.
His whole identity—the author, the creator, the master of fate—suddenly trembled on fragile ground.
Gamma's expression softened, though her aura remained overwhelming.
Gamma: "You feel it, don't you? That fracture inside you. The truth you've ignored. You may not be the author at all… but only a fragment of his work."
Riureas' heart pounded. For the first time, the battlefield below—the smoke, the blood, the clashing of steel—seemed distant, almost unreal. The war meant nothing compared to the question burning inside him:
Solana's voice pierced into Riureas's thoughts, sharp and urgent.
Solana: "Hey! Stop! Don't believe her—not even for a second!" Her words carried a hint of panic, followed by a long, weary sigh.
Riureas blinked, shaking his head as though breaking free of a dream. For a moment, he had nearly fallen for Gamma's words—nearly believed in the lie.
His gaze hardened, his voice cold and unyielding.
Riureas: "So this is your plan, Elven Nu. You thought you could sway me into becoming your ally. How foolish."
Gamma, still before him, trembled as her eyes widened.
Gamma: "…It's truly you…" Her voice broke as she fell from the sky like a glowing purple star, fading into the distance.
Far away, the mastermind watched the scene unfold. Elven Nu's expression twisted as he clenched his jaw, speaking to himself.
Elven Nu: "So… it's true. Our lies could not shake him. Now the proof is undeniable."
His restrained anger began to slip, leaking into his words. His aura swelled, so powerful that the very room around him seemed to distort—time and space bending under its weight.
Elven Nu: "Then it's decided. I will accept defeat… but only for now."
The walls quaked as his fury erupted, his eyes burning with grim resolve.
Elven Nu: "I swear it—I will have my chance to challenge you again, Riureas Crossheart!"
With those final words, his presence vanished, and the scene shifted back to the battlefield where Riureas still stood, the war raging on.
Riureas felt the surge of Elven Nu's aura ripple across the battlefield. It pressed against the world like a storm trying to crush everything beneath it—yet it did not faze him. Power alone could not shake him.
What unsettled Riureas was something else entirely.
Elven Nu was gone. No sound, no trace, no distortion in the air—simply vanished, as if the world itself had swallowed him whole.
Riureas clenched his fists. An existence that powerful, outside of my grasp… an anomaly.
His gaze swept over the battlefield below, where the armies of the Novelista Federation fought with their lives in his name. Every scream, every clash of steel, every drop of blood reminded him of the weight on his shoulders.
Riureas (to himself): "The people of the Federation are in my hands. If a being like Nu walks free, uncontrolled, then this world itself is at risk. I cannot allow such an abnormality to exist."
The moon's glow caught his eyes as he rose higher into the night sky, resolve burning within him.
Riureas: "Before it's too late… I will find him. And I will destroy him."
The war was finally over.
But the battlefield bore scars too deep to ignore. The land itself was broken—charred earth, blackened craters, and forests reduced to ash. It would take years, perhaps decades, for life to return and for the soil to bear green again.
As the sun dipped beneath the horizon, the remaining soldiers of the Novelista Federation began their slow march back to the capital city of Dusk-land. Their banners fluttered weakly in the evening wind, proud yet weary.
Among them walked Riureas, flanked by his servants and closest allies. His eyes swept across the horizon, but his mind was elsewhere.
He felt it—an aura, cold and piercing, sharper than any winter wind. It seeped into his bones. His breath misted faintly though the air was not cold.
Riureas's hand lifted, and with a flash of crimson light, an artifact appeared in his palm: the Ember Relic. It pulsed with faint warmth, a sign that the battle had truly ended.
But the aura lingered. Watching. Waiting.
A familiar voice stirred in his thoughts.
Solana (in Riureas's mind): "You sense it too, don't you? Crystella… she's nearby."
Riureas's gaze sharpened, his fingers tightening around the relic.
Riureas (in thought): "Let her watch. She'll reveal herself when the time comes."
The shadows deepened as night descended. Somewhere in the distance, unseen eyes lingered, waiting for the moment to step forward.
The march continued, boots crunching against broken stone and charred soil. The Ember Relic pulsed faintly in Riureas's hand, but the cold aura only grew stronger.
The air shifted. The night wind stilled.
A layer of frost crept silently across the battlefield ruins, coating shattered rocks and fallen weapons in ice. The soldiers shivered, looking around nervously, whispering to each other.
Elizabeth drew her sword, the steel steaming in the sudden chill.
Elizabeth: "That's no ordinary cold… everyone, stay alert."
Vellia raised her staff, runes sparking faintly.
Vellia: "She's here. Watching us."
Then, from the shadows of the ruined forest, a figure emerged. White hair flowed like snow in the wind, and her steps left frozen imprints in the earth. Her pale eyes shimmered with a calm, distant glow.
Crystella. The Witch of Ice.
The soldiers froze, instinctively taking a step back. The air was so cold now it stung their lungs with every breath.
Riureas stepped forward, meeting her gaze, his cloak billowing behind him.
Riureas: "So you've finally come out of hiding."
Crystella's voice was soft, almost melodic, yet each word cut like a shard of ice.
Crystella: "I've watched your war. I've seen the fire you wield… and the lies you carry."
The Ember Relic flared in Riureas's hand, its warmth clashing against the suffocating cold that surrounded her.
Riureas: "Enough riddles. If you mean to oppose the Federation, then you stand against me."
Crystella tilted her head, her expression unreadable.
Crystella: "Oppose? No, Riureas. I've come to judge. To decide whether you are worthy to lead this world—or if it must be frozen in silence."
The soldiers looked to Riureas, waiting for his command. The night grew darker, frost spreading beneath their feet, as the Witch of Ice lifted her hand.
The clash between fire and ice was about to begin.
Solana's voice rang sharply in Riureas's mind, filled with worry.
Solana: "Wait--hold on! You're not going to hurt her, are you?!"
Riureas's eyes never left Crystella as he answered, his tone steady, calm, yet edged with resolve.
Riureas: "I don't intend to kill her. I only need to test her. If she truly stands as an enemy in this timeline… then I'll fight her. And when I defeat her, I'll bring her memory back. Only then can she become our ally once more."
Crystella's expression flickered--just for a moment---as though his words had stirred something buried deep within her. But her voice remained cold, distant, unwavering.
Crystella: "You speak as if you already know my fate. But what if this version of me chooses differently?"
The Ember Relic glowed brighter in Riureas's palm, reacting to her aura. The clash between fire and ice was inevitable.
Riureas (thinking): "So be it. If this is the test… then I'll break through her frost and remind her who she truly is."
The air cracked with tension as frost spread wider, meeting the embers radiating from his hand. Soldiers held their breath, watching as two forces----fire and ice, memory and uncertainty---prepared to collide.
Crystella lifted her hand. The ground cracked, and sharp spikes of ice shot out, rushing toward Riureas. The soldiers gasped, some ready to fight—
—but Riureas raised his voice.
Riureas: "Hold back! This fight is mine alone."
The soldiers stopped. They gripped their weapons, but no one moved. All eyes were on their leader.
Riureas opened his palm. The Ember Relic glowed hot, flames bursting out. The ice spikes melted into steam before they could touch him. Fire wrapped around his body like armor.
Crystella's eyes were cold as she spoke.
Crystella: "You are foolish to face me alone. Fire may burn bright, but ice will always last."
Riureas: "Then let's find out whose power is stronger."
Crystella swung her arm. A storm of ice blades formed in the air, spinning and flying toward him like a deadly blizzard. Riureas rose into the sky, flames trailing behind him. He lifted his hand, fire bursting out, meeting the storm head-on.
The battlefield shook as fire and ice clashed. Steam exploded in the air, covering the land in mist. Soldiers below watched in silence. To them, it looked like fire and ice themselves were fighting for control of the sky.
Riureas shouted through the storm, his voice clear and strong.
Riureas: "Crystella! I don't want to kill you. But I will break through your ice and remind you of who you really are!"
The Ember Relic shined even brighter, as if it agreed with him.
Riureas let his aura burst out, pushing back against Crystella's freezing cold power. The air shook between them, fire and frost grinding against each other.
Crystella's eyes widened. She hesitated for the first time, her ice storm breaking apart.
Crystella: "Strange… your aura… it's far stronger than anyone else in this world. Tell me----who are you? Are you… the Author? But that's only a myth…"
Riureas floated above her, his eyes burning with firelight from the Ember Relic.
Riureas: "A myth, you say? Then watch me closely, Crystella… and decide for yourself if myths can burn this brightly."
Crystella's icy breath slowed. Her magic, which moments ago had been sharp and merciless, faltered. The snow around her feet began to melt under Riureas's blazing aura.
Her eyes narrowed, but her voice trembled.
Crystella: "No… this can't be. The Author is only a legend passed down through the witches… someone who controls the weave of this world itself. You… you can't be real."
Riureas lowered his hand, not striking, only letting his presence weigh heavier.
Riureas: "And yet… here I stand before you. Flesh, blood, and will. If you truly believe I am nothing more than a story, then why does your magic fail against me?"
Crystella staggered back a step, clutching her staff as doubt crept across her face.
Crystella: "…If you really are the Author… then what does that make me? A pawn? A mistake? Or… something you've come to erase?"
Her ice cracked around her, uncertain, as though even her own magic no longer knew what side it was on.
Riureas stepped forward through the mist, his aura burning away the last of her ice storm. The heat pressed against Crystella, yet he did not strike her.
Riureas: "You are not a pawn. You are not a mistake. You are Crystella—the Witch of Ice. And I would rather stand beside you than against you."
Crystella's grip on her staff trembled. The frost at her feet cracked, spreading like broken glass across the ground.
Crystella: "…Stop. Stop trying to twist my heart. I am ice. I was born to be cold. If I believe you… then everything I've sworn to stand for will melt away."
Riureas shook his head slowly. His voice was steady, but his eyes held a sharp fire.
Riureas: "No. If you keep clinging to that lie, you'll only shatter yourself. You don't need to be cold, Crystella. You only need to remember."
Her lips parted, as though she wanted to ask-----but instead, she raised her staff again, frost exploding around her in desperation.
The storm raged, shards of ice swirling like blades, but Riureas's aura burned brighter, hotter, unstoppable. His fire split through the blizzard, melting every spear of frost before it could reach him.
Crystella raised her staff, her voice shaking.
Crystella: "If you are truly the Author, then-----"
Her words cut short. A burst of flame crashed through her magic, shattering her icy barrier to pieces. The staff flew from her hand, falling uselessly into the snow.
She froze----literally and figuratively----as Riureas's blazing aura wrapped around her like chains of fire. The cold around her body began to break apart, revealing the fragile woman beneath the witch's armor of ice.
Riureas: "No more doubts. I've already proven it. You feel it too, don't you?"
Crystella's lips trembled. She looked at him, her violet eyes wide, her voice barely above a whisper.
Crystella: "…This warmth… it's stronger than my cold. Stronger than me…"
Her knees buckled, the last of her frost fading into steam as she fell before him.
Riureas stepped closer, his aura dimming so only a gentle warmth remained. Slowly, he lifted his hand and placed it against Crystella's head.
The moment his palm touched her, light burst between them. Crystella gasped as her body froze in place---not from ice, but from memories rushing back.
Images flashed before her eyes----laughter with Clara and Elra, battles fought alongside Vellia, quiet nights of planning with Riureas. The bond they had once shared came flooding back, piece by piece, breaking the walls of ice around her heart.
Her breath quickened.
Crystella: "…Clara… Elra… Vellia… and… you, Riureas…"
Tears welled in her eyes, melting the last of her frozen mask. She looked at him, voice trembling.
Crystella: "…I remember… everything…"
Riureas smiled faintly, his hand still resting on her head.
Riureas: "Then welcome back, Crystella. We've been waiting for you."
She fell forward, leaning against him for support, her strength spent but her spirit finally free.
The next day, Crystella opened her eyes. She was lying on a soft bed, the room bright with morning light. It felt warm and safe--so different from the battlefield.
She sat up slowly and looked around. Then she saw him.
Riureas was sitting at a study table near her bed. Papers and maps were spread out in front of him. When he noticed she was awake, he looked at her.
Riureas: "You're awake."
Crystella's voice was weak.
Crystella: "Where… am I?"
Riureas: "Clara's mansion. We brought you here after the battle. You needed to rest."
She held the blanket tightly. The memories that returned yesterday were still in her mind----times with Clara, Elra, Vellia, and Riureas himself.
Crystella: "So… it wasn't a dream. Everything I remembered… it's real."
Riureas stood up and walked closer.
Riureas: "Yes. You're back with us now. That's what matters."
Crystella looked at him, her eyes shaking.
Crystella: "Then… what happens next?"
Riureas looked at her for a moment before answering.
Riureas: "Next, we move forward. The war is not fully over yet. But with you back, we are stronger."
Crystella lowered her eyes, feeling a mix of guilt and relief.
Crystella: "I… caused so much damage. I fought against you. How can I face the others?"
Just then, the door opened. Clara, Elra, and Vellia walked in. Clara carried a tray with tea, Elra had a worried look, and Vellia gave a small smile.
Clara: "You don't need to worry about that, Crystella. You're with us now. That's all that matters."
Elra stepped closer, her arms crossed.
Elra: "We all saw what happened. You weren't yourself. Don't blame yourself too much."
Vellia added softly,
Vellia: "We're just glad you're safe."
Crystella's eyes watered. She hadn't expected such kindness after everything. She pressed her hand against her chest.
Crystella: "…Thank you. All of you."
Riureas stood tall, his voice calm but strong.
Riureas: "Rest for now. When you are ready, we will face what comes next—together."
Riureas looked out the window. The sun was already setting over Dusk-Land. He let out a long sigh.
Riureas: "What a short break…"