Snow exploded beneath their feet with every step, leaving deep prints across the frozen earth. Above them, the night sky had transformed into something almost unreal. Curtains of emerald and blue light stretched across the heavens like flowing rivers, painting the world beneath in ghostly colors. The aurora shimmered overhead, beautiful and terrifying at the same time.
They had no time to admire it.
The portal had opened.
And if they missed it—
None of them knew what would happen.
"Quickly!" Raiden shouted over the howling wind. Xylo remained draped over his back, his breathing shallow and uneven. "Don't stop! Keep moving!"
Beside him, Xavier sprinted through the snow with Elra clinging weakly to his back. Though exhaustion clawed at his muscles and his lungs burned from the freezing air, he pushed himself harder. Fear had long since drowned out fatigue.
They had escaped the cave.
They were alive.
They just had to survive a little longer.
The forest blurred around them as the two men moved with unnatural speed, vaulting over rocks and fallen logs, crushing bushes beneath their feet. Snow sprayed behind them like white smoke.
Raiden's sharp eyes narrowed.
Something was waiting ahead.
A figure stood between the trees, half-shrouded in shadow. At first glance, it resembled an owl. But only at first. Its hulking, feather-clad body belonged to a monstrous bird, yet where its head should have been rested the face of a human—a pale, distorted visage with black eyes and a grin stretched far too wide to be natural.
The creature spotted them.
And charged.
Its talons ripped through the snow as it lunged forward, each step shaking the frozen earth.
Raiden reacted instantly. His wings unfurled with a snap, feathers trembling in the cold wind. With a grunt, he tore one free and flicked it forward. The feather hardened mid-flight, transforming into a silver blade that whistled through the night.
But the beast was fast.
Far too fast.
It twisted unnaturally, avoiding the strike with ease.
Before it could close the distance—
A blur shot past Raiden.
Xavier.
With Elra clinging desperately to his back, he charged headlong into danger without hesitation.
The creature barely had time to react.
BOOM!
Xavier's foot slammed into its face. The impact thundered through the forest. Bones cracked. The owl-beast spun violently, crashing through tree after tree before vanishing into the darkness.
Raiden blinked, stunned for a heartbeat. Then a grin spread across his face.
"Not bad, kid."
Xavier didn't slow. His voice cut through the night.
"Hurry! We need to go!"
Raiden nodded sharply.
"Right."
Together, they pressed on, their strides cutting through the snow like blades.
Minutes passed in breathless silence until, without warning, the forest ended. The trees fell away, leaving them at the edge of a steep ridge.
They froze.
And below—
They saw it.
Far in the distance, rising from a massive snowy hill surrounded by endless forests, stood a tower of black stone. Its silhouette loomed against the night, jagged and unyielding. From its summit erupted a pillar of light, a blinding lance that pierced the sky itself.
Above, the sky had split apart. Cracks spread across the firmament, and through them spilled an ocean of color—curtains of blue, green, and violet that danced endlessly across the night. The aurora shimmered like a living tide, bending reality around the tower.
The portal.
It was open.
"There it is…" Raiden breathed.
Relief washed over his face as his gaze locked onto the distant pillar of light piercing the heavens.
"Thank goodness."
Even Xylo managed a weak chuckle from atop his back.
"Heh… I thought we'd never make it out."
"Honestly, same," Xavier admitted, his voice carrying both exhaustion and disbelief. "There was probably a zero percent chance of us surviving all that… but somehow…" He let out a tired laugh, shaking his head. "Somehow, we made it. I finally get to go home."
The wind whispered across the ridge, cold and hollow, carrying with it the weight of everything they had endured. For a moment, silence reigned.
Then Elra's quiet voice broke through, fragile yet steady.
"Speaking of home…" she murmured softly from Xavier's back.
Her voice was soft. Almost hesitant.
"When we go our separate ways…"
She paused, lowering her eyes.
"Will we ever see each other again?"
The question lingered in the cold air, heavy and uncertain. Even the sound of their footsteps seemed to fade, swallowed by the silence beneath the shimmering aurora.
No one answered immediately. They only exchanged quiet glances, each of them caught between hope and doubt as the colors above danced across the fractured sky.
Then, slowly, Elra smiled—a fragile, wavering smile that carried both fear and warmth.
"Right now, I live in Theria. The Elven Kingdom," she whispered, her eyes brightening just slightly. "Far west of the kingdom, in the countryside… so if you ever want to visit, you're more than welcome."
Raiden gave a firm nod, his expression steady. "Theria, huh? Been there before." His lips curved into a small smile. "Beautiful kingdom. Kind people…Beautiful women, though the food is ridiculously expensive."
That earned a faint laugh from Elra, her shoulders easing just a little.
Raiden's gaze shifted to Xavier.
"Well, if you ever decide to become a knight, you'll know where to find me." His grin widened. "I'm the captain of the Second Battalion of the White Lotus Knights. Recruitment exams start in three months—just in case you're interested."
His eyes gleamed with quiet conviction.
Xavier sighed, shaking his head. "You really haven't given up on making me a knight, have you?"
"Nope." Raiden's answer came without hesitation.
"You're my best investment." He chuckled, the sound warm but firm. "I'd be an idiot to let you slip away. Besides, you want to save lives, don't you? Then my offer is the only way forward."
Raiden's grin softened, fading into something gentler. He gave a small shrug.
"I'm not forcing you."
A smile tugged at his lips, quiet but sincere. "The choice is yours. Always."
He paused then, his voice lowering, carrying a rare earnestness.
"But if you ever change your mind…"
Raiden's eyes locked onto Xavier's, steady and unwavering.
"Come find me."
Xavier's chest tightened. The words struck a chord, stirring something he had tried to bury beneath exhaustion and survival. The thought of becoming a knight—of standing for something greater than himself—wasn't a bad one. In fact, it almost felt right.
But then the darker thought crept in.
What if he failed?
What if he swore to protect lives, only to watch them slip through his fingers? What if his strength wasn't enough, and instead of saving people, he brought them harm? The weight of that possibility pressed against him like iron chains. Raiden's offer dangled before him like a path to purpose—a path that terrified him as much as it tempted him.
Xavier exhaled, forcing a faint smile that masked the storm inside.
"I'll… think about it," he said quietly, though doubt gnawed at every word
Xylo snorted weakly from Raiden's back.
"Wow…" His lips curved into a tired smile. "You're surprisingly fatherly."
Raiden rolled his eyes. "Shut up, Xylo."
That earned a laugh from Xavier, and even Elra's lips softened into a smile. For the first time since stepping into that nightmare, the air felt lighter—almost peaceful.
Xavier tilted his head toward him. "What about you, Xylo?"
"Hm… me?"
"Yeah, you silly. Where will we find you?"
Xylo blinked, then let out a faint chuckle. His smile was fragile, almost absent-minded.
"The capital, I suppose," he murmured, his voice thin but steady. "That's where I live."
He lifted his gaze to the heavens, where the aurora shimmered in endless waves of color. For a moment, the lights painted his weary eyes, giving them a fleeting brilliance.
"So if any of you want to see my heroic, handsome face again…" His chuckle was soft, fading into the cold night. "That's where you'll find me."
Then—
His smile slowly faded.
His eyes dimmed.
Elra noticed first.
"Xylo?"
He didn't answer.
"Xylo?" she whispered again, her voice trembling.
He stared ahead blankly, as though his thoughts had drifted somewhere far beyond the ridge.
"Is something wrong?" Elra asked, panic rising.
"I…"
Suddenly—
His body slipped from Raiden's back.
He hit the snow hard.
"Xylo!"
Raiden spun around, horror flashing across his face.
The moment they saw him, the color drained from everyone's cheeks.
Xylo's body convulsed violently, his limbs jerking uncontrollably. His back arched, as if something inside him was tearing itself apart.
"What happened?!" Elra cried, her voice breaking. "What's wrong with him?!"
"I don't know!" Raiden shouted, dropping to his knees. "I....I've, Xylo... I've never seen this before!"
Xylo's breathing grew ragged, veins bulging beneath his neck. His eyes rolled upward, showing only white. His entire body shook with terrifying force.
"Xylo!" Xavier dropped beside him, desperation etched across his face. "Hey! Stay with us!"
No response. Only convulsions.
Desperate, Xavier slammed his palm against Xylo's chest.
"Come on!"
Nothing.
He struck again, harder this time.
"Come on, damn it!"
BOOM!
Xylo's body jerked violently.
Then—
"BLEEGHHH!"
A guttural sound tore from his throat as he vomited, the sight raw and horrifying.
A torrent of thick, green fluid burst from Xylo's mouth, streaked with blood. It splattered across the pristine snow, staining it in grotesque color.
And inside the mess—something moved.
Everyone froze.
Small white bodies writhed within the slime. Maggots. Dozens of them, squirming weakly across the bile, alive and twitching as they spread over the snow.
Elra's hands shot to her mouth, muffling a horrified gasp. Her eyes brimmed with tears as she crawled back.
Raiden's face hardened, but even he could not hide the fear in his eyes for Xylo's life.
Xavier felt his blood run cold. His breath caught in his throat as he stared at his friend, convulsing in the snow, his body betraying him in ways no human should endure. The sight of the writhing maggots made his stomach twist, but worse was the thought clawing at his mind, "What is happening to him?"
The night's silence pressed down on them, broken only by Xylo's ragged gasps and the sickening squirm of life crawling across the snow.