Ares's sword collided with the living mist, its golden sparks sputtering and then disappearing into the thick white. The sound was thunderous, as if it were slicing through steel, though all that was before it was a thick vapor congealing into a giant monster. The Guardian of the Mist roared, and with each roar, blurry faces appeared—Ares's father, his old mentor, even the teammates who had betrayed him—all blending into a chorus of piercing taunts.
"Don't let him control your mind!" Orion leaped to the side, his sword slashing at the giant mist arm. The powerful blow only dispersed briefly, before regrouping, denser than before.
The Guardian raised its massive hand and slashed straight down.
BOOM!
A wave of mist swept out, crashing into Lyra and Ryn. Lyra quickly raised her staff, summoning a translucent blue shield. Cracks appeared so quickly, a sharp cracking sound, and she was knocked back several steps. "I can't hold on for long!" she cried, her face pale from the pressure.
Ryn attempted to shoot, her hands trembling. The first arrow was released, hurtling through the mist of the Guardian's torso. For a split second, there was a gap… but the mist gathered back together. The arrow vanished, as if swallowed by a swamp.
"Damn!" Ryn growled. "It's no use! It's like shooting air!"
The Guardian laughed. The sound that came out wasn't just a roar, but a mix of human voices—the laughter of Ryn's schoolmates, the soft singing of Lyra's mother, Orion's mocking voice, and most piercingly: the voice of Ares's father.
You've failed, Ares.
You'll lose them too.
Ares's body stiffened. The voice wasn't just an echo—it had penetrated his head, piercing to his very core. His hand trembled on the hilt of his sword.
The Guardian saw it, then reached forward, its giant hand ready to crush Ares first.
"Wake up, Ares!" Orion shouted, slashing the arm so hard that the mist dispersed. "Don't be a burden now!"
Ares took a ragged breath. This isn't my father. This is just mist. Just mist. He raised his sword again, though his body was still trembling.
"We can't keep this up!" Lyra shouted, her shield nearly shattered by the barrage of attacks. "He grows stronger every time we falter!"
Ares stared at her, then turned to Ryn and Orion. Lyra's words pierced logic. "Right… He's absorbing our emotions. That's why physical attacks aren't enough. The more we fear, the stronger he becomes."
Ryn swallowed. "Then what are we supposed to do? Pretend we're not afraid? That's… impossible!"
"No pretending," Ares replied quickly. His voice was shaky, but his eyes were blazing. "Focus. Tune out their voices. Remember who we are. We're a team. As long as we move together, this fog can't swallow us."
The Guardian roared again, louder this time. More faces, laughter, and tears emerged from his body. The fog around him began to close in, making it difficult for them to breathe.
Orion growled. "Enough talking! Lead us, Ares. Tell us what to do."
Ares nodded. "Triangle formation. I'll be in front. Orion, protect the left flank. Lyra, shield the right flank. Ryn, from behind—follow our rhythm!"
They moved. Despite their heavy steps, the formation began to form. The Guardian saw this and struck with both hands at once.
BOOM!
Ares leaped forward, his sword glowing gold. He parried the first blow, pushing it aside. Orion screamed, slashing at the other arm. The mist broke briefly, enough for Lyra to insert a light spell into the center of the Guardian's body.
Blue light exploded, spreading within the mist. For the first time, the Guardian's body was hampered, unable to immediately close the wound.
"Now, Ryn!" Ares shouted.
Ryn gritted her teeth, drawing her bow deeply. An arrow of light formed, far brighter than usual. She released it straight into the Guardian's core.
Swoosh!
The arrow pierced the mist, creating a luminous hole. The Guardian wailed in pain, his body swaying. The faces on the surface of the mist screamed in unison before dissolving.
"It worked!" Ryn exclaimed, her eyes wide with disbelief.
But the Guardian didn't collapse. Its body trembled, then condensed again, denser than before. Its red eyes blazed brightly, its voice booming:
You can cut my body… but you can't cut your own fear.
Ares staggered. The words stabbed him. Suddenly, he saw an illusion: his father standing beside the Guardian, staring at him with cold eyes. "You will repeat all your mistakes. You will destroy them, just like before."
His hands trembled, his sword nearly falling.
"Ares!" Lyra shouted, her shield threatening to crack. "If you fall, we all fall!"
Ryn shook her bow. "I believe in you! Don't let this fog win!"
Orion slashed hard, knocking the Guardian back several steps. "Lead us, or we die here!"
Ares gritted his teeth, blood rushing through his veins. He closed his eyes for a moment, hearing all the voices—his father, his old team, the taunts of the past. But he also heard the breathing of his three friends, their calls, their conviction.
His eyes opened again, burning.
"I'm not the same person I used to be." Ares raised his sword high. "And this time… I won't fail."
The Guardian roared, raising both hands to strike them all at once.
Ares leaped forward, his sword glowing brighter than ever. "Follow my rhythm!"
Orion slashed his left flank, Lyra ignited a blue light that wrapped around the Guardian's body, and Ryn let loose a second arrow, far brighter than before.
All the attacks converged, creating an explosion of light that shook the entire mist. The Guardian staggered, his body cracking, though not completely destroyed.
Ares landed gasping for breath, his sword still glowing in his hand. He stared the monster straight in the eye.
"It's not over yet…" he said quietly. "But we can win."
The Guardian of the Mist shook violently. Its misty body was torn apart by the combined light attacks of Ares, Orion, Ryn, and Lyra. But instead of collapsing, the creature grinned. It was a strange smile—it consisted of dozens of faces plastered on its body, alternately appearing and disappearing.
Suddenly, its body exploded. Mist spread in all directions, devouring them all.
"Watch out!" Ares shouted. But before he could draw his sword again, the entire world went dark.
Ares awoke.
He stood in a pitch-black, endless space. Mist swirled beneath his feet. The air was heavy, making it difficult to breathe. And before him stood… his father.
The man stared at him with eyes filled with disappointment. "You always fail. Your old team was destroyed because of your mistakes. And now, you will drag those children to the same fate."
Ares felt his blood boil. "I will not fall for this illusion again."
But his sword was heavy. Every word his father said cut like a dagger. The image was no mere illusion; it represented the deepest wound in his heart.
On the other side, Orion stared at himself. His shadow stood proud, a smug smile on his face. "You think you can outdo me? I am the version of you that should have been—without doubt, without weakness. You are just a cheap imitation."
Orion roared and charged, sword against sword. Metallic sparks flooded the darkness. "I don't need to be perfect! I just need to keep moving forward!"
Lyra fell to her knees. Her mother stood before her, smiling gently, her arms open. "Go home, Lyra. Leave all this behind. You don't need to go to such lengths to protect anyone."
Lyra cried, her body trembling. "I want… I want to be with you…" Her hand reached out. But at the last second, she stopped. She bit her lip, then stood with determination in her eyes. "Mother… I won't go home. I will move forward, because there are those out there who need me." Her wand lit up, dispelling the mist around her.
Ryn ran into the darkness. Laughter rang out from all directions. Her old friends, teachers, even her family, all said the same thing: "You're a loser. You'll never be useful. You're just a burden."
She covered her ears and fell to her knees. They were right… I can't do anything…
Suddenly, a blinding golden light appeared. Ares stood beside her, holding out his hand. "Ryn! Listen to me! You're with us not because of your strength, but because of your heart. You're part of this team!"
Ryn stared at her hand. The laughter was still there, but it was fading. Trembling, she took Ares's hand. In that instant, the mist around her dispersed, the laughter disappearing.
One by one, they managed to reject their individual shadows. And at that moment, the world shook again. The four of them were sucked in, falling into a blinding white light.
They slammed onto the stone floor, gasping for breath. Their vision returned to reality—before them, the Guardian of the Mist groaned. Its body was riddled with holes, the light from within seeping out.
Ares drew his sword. "Now! Final strike, all together!"
Orion stood on the left, Lyra raised her staff on the right, Ryn drew her bow. They moved in unison.
Ares let out a loud shout, his sword gleaming gold. Orion slashed with full force, Lyra summoned a deep blue light, Ryn released a shining arrow.
All attacks struck the Guardian's core.
BOOM!
The mist exploded in all directions, vanishing like dew in the sun. The Guardian let out a final roar before his body collapsed into a fine mist, vanishing without a trace.
Silence.
Only their breaths remained.
"Haah… haah… damn," Orion wiped the sweat from his face. "That was… crazy."
Lyra nearly collapsed, but Ares caught her shoulder. "Are you okay?"
Lyra nodded weakly. "I… I managed to resist. I don't know how… but I know I'm not alone."
Ryn remained sitting, her face pale but with a small smile. "Thank you, Ares. If you hadn't reached out to me… I might have been completely lost in that mist."
Ares stared at them all. Deep in his heart, he knew this test was more than just a battle. The Guardian wasn't just an enemy; he was a mirror forcing them to confront their own darkest sides.
Suddenly, a faint light appeared in the center of the arena. A crystal floated, emitting a blue aura.
[Fragment of the Key of Return obtained.]
Ares stared at it, his eyes wide. "That… is one of the key fragments."
Orion whistled lowly. "So the rumors are true. To get out of here, we must gather these fragments."
Lyra reached for the crystal, blue light enveloping her hands. "Then… this is just the beginning."
Ares clenched his fists. "Yes. And we must not fall into our own shadows again. From now on, whatever happens—we face it together."
The four of them stood, the fog slowly thinning, revealing a new path forward. A strange world awaited, but this time they stepped forward with more determination than ever.