The mouth of the cave loomed ahead of them like the gaping maw of a forgotten beast. Ice hung like jagged teeth from the ceiling, and every gust of wind seemed to whisper a warning. The interior was veiled in shadow, darker than anything the forest behind them had offered. Gray took one final look back at the truck. Although far away, it was still visible. Lira and Korr stood guard, weapons ready. Renn had already climbed out, trying to free the frozen wheel from the weird mud-like substance it was stuck in.
Gray turned to Adel and the rank six student. Both nodded silently. They were the only ones willing to press forward. The Rank Seven had been taken, and they couldn't just leave him behind.
They moved cautiously. Adel took the lead, her twin daggers gripped tightly in her gloved hands. She moved like a shadow, swift and precise. The rank six student followed behind her, spear ready, his breath forming mist in the air. Gray brought up the rear, hand resting on the hilt of his katana.
For the first time, he had drawn the weapon from its sheath. Its edge glistened faintly in the darkness. He had always hesitated to use it, afraid it might chip or fracture. But now was different. The air around them crackled with tension. They were walking into a lair.
The path inside was lined with markings, scrawls and jagged symbols drawn in something that had long since dried. Vines clung to ceiling like spiders. The temperature dipped further, and soon their breaths were visible even through their thick clothing. Ice coated the stone floor, and sharp stalactites lined the ceiling.
A noise echoed through the cave.
Not just one.
Many.
Screeches, guttural snarls, and something else, a deep, resonant growl that vibrated through the walls. They advanced further until the cave widened into a hollowed-out chamber. At the far end, hanging from thick sinew cords like meat in a butcher's storehouse, was the rank seven student. His face was pale, unconscious, and his body hung limply.
Surrounding him were at least half a dozen creatures. They looked like twisted versions of the icy monsters they had fought earlier. Short, hunched, with translucent skin and jagged icicles growing from their limbs. But what caught Gray's attention was the figure that stood in the center.
'I assume that's their leader.'
Taller than the others by a full head, its limbs were longer and ended in sharp claws. Its face was sunken in, but its mouth was stretched into a jagged grin. Frost mist clung to its body, and its chest pulsed with blue light.
Adel reacted first. She whispered, "We have to be quick. Gray, hold off the leader. We'll get him down and deal with the rest."
Gray nodded without hesitation and stepped forward. The creatures noticed them immediately. A loud shriek echoed as the leader pointed and roared. The smaller creatures charged.
Adel and the rank six split. Adel weaved through the ice, slicing and evading with precision. Her daggers were a blur of motion, striking at knees, necks, and exposed joints. She moved like she had done this a hundred times before.
The rank six student stood firm, his spear glowing faintly with steam. Every thrust sent a burst of heat through the air, melting ice and scalding flesh. He moved with measured precision, controlling the space around him, keeping the enemies away from Adel.
Gray stepped forward, sword in hand. The katana he had refused to use until now. Its sheath clicked as he slid it free, the metal singing faintly, absorbing the cold rather than reflecting it. Rime formed along the edge in a quiet shimmer.
He took a breath.
The creature hissed, its breath visible. It let out a low, guttural growl that reverberated throughout the cavern, making stalactites above tremble.
Then it lunged.
Gray dashed to the side, his body still sore, his left leg barely keeping up. He twisted mid-air and swung upward, the katana cutting clean across the creature's flank. A line of ice split open. But it didn't bleed. Instead, a pale mist hissed out like steam from a frozen pipe.
The beast shrieked, then backhanded him.
Gray was flung across the cavern, skidding against the floor. His back slammed into a wall, knocking the breath from his lungs. He coughed and tasted blood. But his grip on the katana never loosened.
The creature didn't wait. It leapt at him again, slamming down a massive claw.
Gray rolled aside, barely dodging. The claw smashed into the stone where he had just been, causing cracks to burst through the floor. He pushed himself to his feet, limping but upright.
'Focus,' he thought.
The blade shimmered slightly in his grip as he channeled Vyre into his body. Not to enhance it completely, but just enough to numb the pain. He rushed forward. The monster roared and charged too.
They clashed.
Gray ducked a wild swing, then slashed the katana in an arc, aiming for the creature's side again. This time, the blade struck harder, cutting through muscle and shattering ice. The beast shrieked and countered by swinging its claw upward, catching Gray by the chest and tossing him again.
He crashed to the ground and slid several feet.
His limbs ached. His ribs felt like they had cracked. He lay there, struggling to rise, breathing shallowly.
Then the beast stomped forward.
It raised both arms and prepared to bring them down in a crushing blow.
Gray could barely lift his katana in time. He tried to roll. But the cold had slowed him. The impact was coming.
And then it didn't.
The sound of clashing steel filled the cavern.
A spear intercepted the strike.
A second figure slammed into the monster from the side ,the rank six. His body glowed faintly, arms lined with rising trails of mist.
"You alright?" He asked quickly, not taking his eyes off the monster.
Gray nodded, panting. "Barely."
"Then catch your breath. I've got this for now."
He spun his spear in a wide circle, then dashed forward, steam bursting from his feet with every step. He drove the spear into the creature's knee, forcing it to stagger. Then, using the pole as leverage, he vaulted onto the monster's arm and plunged the weapon into its shoulder. Steam erupted around the wound. The creature howled, swiping wildly, but the rank 6 moved like liquid fire, swift and precise.
Gray pushed himself up slowly. He watched as the rank 6 ducked, swept the spear low, and drove the butt of the weapon into the beast's side again and again. The ice armor cracked. The skin beneath hissed from the intense contrast of heat and cold.
Gray's eyes widened.
'So that's what his Affinity is. Steam.'
The monster reeled and swung, finally catching his leg with the edge of its claw. He fell, rolled, and recovered fast, but not fast enough to avoid a downward slam. The monster raised its fists.
"Now!"
Gray surged forward, ignoring the pain. He jumped just as the creature brought both arms down.
'Activate!'
With a second thought. He activated Severing Bloom.
His katana flashed like a crescent moon.
His weapon cleanly sliced through the layers of flesh and stained the walls with blood.
He landed behind the monster. The upper half of its arm tumbled to the ground behind him.
It let out a deafening screech.
The rank 6 took the opening. He stabbed upward with full force. His spear pierced through the creature's chest and exited out its back, steam erupting like a geyser.
The beast thrashed. Gray returned, blade flashing again.
Together, they carved into it, again and again , steam and frost clashing in explosive bursts.
With a final cry, the beast collapsed to its knees. Its remaining eye dimmed.
The rank 6 stood over it, panting heavily. His face was flushed. His body trembled from exhaustion, but his stance remained firm.
Gray leaned on his sword, breathing heavily. He turned to the rank six.
"That was impressive," Gray said. "Never asked your name."
The student gave a small nod. "Orrin."
Now that Gray looked at him, Orrin did look different. His hair, once a dull brown, now had streaks of white. His skin had become paler, and a faint shimmer surrounded his arms.
Something in him had changed.
Gray didn't question it. Not now.
As the echoes of battle faded and the cavern grew silent once more, Gray turned his eyes to the walls.
The flickering torchlight, weak and golden , revealed a series of murals, carved not with tools, but seemingly with Vyre. The etchings shimmered faintly, moving like they breathed.
One depicted an impossibly tall tower of light, fractured at the top.
Another, a man with outstretched arms standing before a near infinite sea of darkness.
In the next, the same figure knelt before a shattered sun, his face missing , worn away or never drawn. Around him, figures knelt, all faceless, as if forgotten.
Gray stepped closer, breath catching.
The moment his hand brushed the wall, the Vyre lines flared.
His vision turned white.
He stood in a wasteland of ash. All was silent, no wind, no voices. Just the crackle of dying flame. It was dark, and quiet.
And there, at the center lf it all. Stood a young man. His hair and eyes were bright gold. Making him seem of royalty. He held a blade buried in the ground, his other hand extended toward something… someone.
"You knew this would happen," a voice whispered behind him.
Hearing those words, Gray collapsed. Air stripped from his lungs and hia thoughts turned chaotic.
Then, darkness.
He gasped, pulled back into his body. The mural dimmed, as if hiding itself once again.
He stepped back, chest heaving.
He didn't know why.
But he felt like he had just looked at something he shouldn't have.
They carried the rank seven together and left the chamber quickly.
Gray didn't dare stay here longer.
At the mouth of the cave, Lira and Korr stood waiting, weapons drawn, sweat on their brows.
"You're alive," Lira said with relief. "We cleared the way. The truck's moving again."
Orrin nodded. "We got him."
No one said anything more.
They climbed back into the truck.
The engine started with a groan.
And they drove into the fog once more.