"Now it's time for you two—Athena and you—to face me with everything you've got. Uncle Ted, take the other three and see that they're well fed. You know why."
"Yeah… I've been waiting for this," Athena said, rolling her shoulders before stretching her arms with a wide grin. "Do you know how painful it is, just standing on the sidelines while four geniuses fight? Not joining in feels way worse."
The princess chuckled softly, nodding in agreement. She tightened her grip on her scythe, its weight familiar in her hands. Athena's unsheathed her sword as sparks of excitement lit her eyes.
Across from them, the prince's lips curved into a calm smile. With an almost casual motion, he unsheathed his own sword, He lowered it slightly, then lifted it again in a silent gesture invitation, urging them to come at him with everything they had.
as the princess charged at him first as she started to swing her scythe trying to attack him but the prince easily dodge it or block it with her sword as then athena who was trying to ambush him but failed as prince dodge at last second and kick her in the face as the he grabed the princess scythe and removed it from the princess hand as then he make two small earth giant and a throne and sit in it and smiled .
athena who was kicked back stood up give her sword to princess and roll her sleeves up and ready herself to fight the mini earth giant.
"You think we were weak right? If not, then why don't you use those big ones right now?" forcing a grin even as my fists tightened knowing even the small one are difficult to handle .
I lunch at the mini-giant, knuckles slamming into its rocky body. Pain shot through me instantly—my bones cracked, skin tearing as blood ran down my arm—but I didn't stop. I refused to stop. The giant's body shattered first, crumbling into debris at my feet.
For a moment, I glanced at the prince, a flicker of pride swelling in my chest. But then the scattered stones trembled, pulling themselves back together. My brief victory vanished as the giant reformed before my eyes. Its arm twisted reshaping into a massive hammer.
The hammer came down. I couldn't dodge in time. The impact smashed into my face, the world tilting as blood sprayed from my mouth. My head snapped back, vision blurring, and before I could recover, the creature's rough hand tangled in my hair. the giant dragged me down and drove its fists into me, one strike after another, until every breath reeked of blood.
Through the pain I grabbed the hammer with both hands, my finger bones cracked as it was under the pressure. I crushed the hammer finally breaking my finger . My breath came heavy, blood dripping down my face, but I muttered a healing spell—just enough to patch myself together. Then I cast a water spell, splashing it over my eyes to wash the blood off and clear my vision.
I gripped Athena's sword tight and let out a grunt as I swung at the giant's arm. The blade whistled through the air, and for a moment I thought I had him. But his stone blade came up fast, knocking mine aside like nothing. Sparks burst out, the shock of the collision running up my arms and leaving them trembling.
The giant roared, its body coiling like a spring, before it launched straight at me. I blocked it just in time for me to counter attack it as it regain it balance as we then started to clashed but then smoke emerge giving me a advantage as i cut the rock blade and continue to slashed it with every inch of my strength to cut it in small pieces as I saw athena also have defeated the other mini giant .
The sound of applause cut through the chaos. I turned my head, only to see the Prince descending from his throne of rock, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. Behind him, two massive earth giants moved with unnatural precision, merging together with a grinding crack of stone, their forms twisting and stretching until they became a serpent of living rock.
Before I could react, it lashed out. Athena screamed, struggling to dodge—but the serpent wrapped around her instantly. My heart lurched. How could this happen so fast? How are we supposed to fight something like that?
I tried to act, but the Prince was faster. In one swift motion, he grabbed the sword from my hand and drove it into my leg. Pain exploded through me. I stumbled, almost collapsing, when he ripped a jagged knife from a chunk of stone and plunged it into me again.
I hit the ground. Blood ran freely from my face, my nose shattered, every breath a ragged rasp. He seized my hair and began kicking me over and over, each strike blurring into the next. How… how could a brother… put a knife to his little sister's leg… and beat her like this? is this even part of training.
Through the haze, I felt the serpent tighten around me. My right arm dislocated with a sickening pop, sending jolts of pain up my shoulder. It slammed me into the ground repeatedly, each impact shaking my vision. I tried to chant a spell, tried to force the magic into the chaos—but my head was spinning, my thoughts fracturing under the pain. Determination isn't enough… it won't save me…
I remembered those three guys how they had faced the rock creatures with such… precision. How did they awaken? Why not me? What am I missing? My mind raced through countless scenarios, desperate visions of awakening my own element and crushing the serpent to dust. I clung to the daydream like a lifeline, knowing it was the only place I could escape.
But reality came crashing back. A kick hurtled toward me, a blur of force. I tried to twist away, but there was no space, no angle, no mercy. darkness clawed at the edges of my vision.
I fought to stay conscious, even as the Prince's laughter echoed in my ears, the serpent coiling tighter. How can someone be capable of this? I smiled as I lost consciousness .
***
[12 hours later]
Winter was the first one to wake up. Everyone else was still out cold, tucked under the care of Lapis, Emerald, and the general. His body hurt everywhere, like every muscle had been torn and stitched back wrong. The general handed him some healing beans. They tasted awful, bitter like dirt, but Winter chewed through them anyway. He couldn't heal himself yet, so this was the only way.
But his stomach wasn't satisfied.
He dragged himself into the kitchen and started eating whatever he could find. Bread, dried meat, fruit, even cold leftovers—it didn't matter. By the end, he realized he had eaten enough food to weigh over a tenth of his own body. He sat there for a second, rubbing his stomach, but something else itched at him. Hunger wasn't the only thing bothering him.
He went outside. The air was cool, the ground solid under his feet. He pressed a hand against the earth, trying to lift it. Nothing. He tried bending the wind—it slipped away like it never belonged to him. Fire flickered in his hand after he cast a fire spell , but he couldn't shape it. His frustration grew.
Then he turned to the fountain. He walked closer, almost without thinking, and stretched out his hand. The water stirred. It bent toward him, twisting like a ribbon. His eyes widened. Slowly, carefully, he pulled more of it up, shaping it, reshaping it, watching it move however he wanted. And then he laughed.
"Finally… second stage!" he shouted. The laugh turned into cheers as he splashed the water and spun it around. after more than 30 minutes of playing with the water his hunger hit again as if all that joy burned up the food inside him. He teleported straight back into the kitchen, already thinking about what else he could eat.
That's when a hand grabbed his arm.
Winter turned, startled, and saw Luka. She didn't say anything, just pointed at the dining table. He followed her finger and saw it—dozens of dishes laid out, warm, rich, filling. His eyes lit up, and a grin spread across his face.
But before he moved, he noticed something new. A scar, fresh and sharp, ran across her skin. His smile disappeared.
"What happened?" he asked.
Luka touched the scar, her eyes lowering for a moment. "A gift from my brother training"
Winter's chest tightened. He wanted to say something, but the only words that came out were, "Are you okay?"
She let out a small laugh, one that didn't sound happy at all. "I'm fine. Just… jealous, I guess. You awakened by my brother training in 2 weeks and I didn't in 1 year ."
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Winter laughed, almost awkwardly at first, then louder. Luka blinked, then joined him. Their laughter filled the room until it felt like the weight in the air cracked a little.
"Let's eat," Winter said finally, motioning toward the feast. "Agreed," Luka said, already moving toward the food.
They sat together, piling food onto their plates, eating fast and messy. They laughed between bites, like kids sneaking into a kitchen after midnight. And for that moment, even with scars and exhaustion still heavy on them, it almost felt like they could forget everything else.