As if relief their problems could get any worse, a voice rang out.
It wasn't loud. Yet somehow, it echoed directly inside their minds.
Everyone froze. Even the wind seemed to lose its sound.
Xylo's condition had worsened—his breathing shallow, his complexion pale. Elra leaned against Xavier for support, while Xavier himself stared at the pillar of light in the distance, clinging desperately to the belief that they could return home
Then the voice spoke.
[Attention, all players.]
Its tone was hollow. Neither male nor female. Neither near nor far. It simply existed.
[The monster designated for this trial has been slain.]
Raiden's eyes widened. "What? When? How is that even possible?"
[Current objective has been terminated.][Generating new trial.]
The voice paused. Then it spoke again.
[Current number of surviving participants: One thousand, six hundred and sixty-eight. Out Of the one thousand, six hundred and sixty-eight participants, only seven hundred shall be permitted to leave the Spell World.]
The words hung like a death sentence.
Xavier's faint smile vanished.
[Reach the portal before the maximum capacity is reached. Those unable to pass through before the portal closes shall perish.]
Silence followed. Then the voice was gone.
Elra stared blankly at the sky. "Wait…" Her voice trembled. "Only seven hundred?" She turned toward the cliff's edge, horror dawning in her eyes. "But… we're up here. We can't even get down there."
Raiden's face darkened. At that moment, the thought of abandoning these people to save himself crossed his mind. But he couldn't; the sight of Xylo in this state saddened him.
Then Xavier blinked. "Look…"
Figures were emerging from the forest. Survivors.
At first, only a few—a human stumbling from the trees, then a giant, then an elf. More followed. Some limped their movements slowed by injury, some carried wounded companions, others simply ran. All of them surged toward the tower, driven by desperation.
For a heartbeat, their hope flickered.
Until something moved.
Raiden narrowed his eyes.
The shadows around the tower twisted. The darkness within its entrance churned unnaturally.
And then—something emerged.
One figure. Then another. Then ten. Then hundreds.
Ghostly creatures drifted out from the tower. Their bodies were translucent, vaguely human yet horribly distorted. Torn robes fluttered around them as they floated above the ground. Limbs stretched unnaturally long, hollow faces glowing with pale blue eyes. Spectors
They rose like smoke. And then descended.
A man running through the snow screamed as his body was lifted into the air. Specters swarmed him—three, then six, then ten. Transparent claws tore through flesh as though it were paper. Blood sprayed across the snow. His screams lasted only moments before his body was ripped apart piece by piece.
Elsewhere, a giant swung his axe. The blade passed harmlessly through one of the spirits. The creature opened its mouth, long fingers digging into the giant's eyes. His roar became a scream. More specters descended, burying him beneath their numbers. When they dispersed—nothing remained.
Panic erupted. Survivors scattered in terror. Some fled. Some screamed. Some abandoned companions and ran alone.
But the swarm did not stop.
Hundreds of ghostly figures poured from the tower. Then thousands. They flooded into the night sky like an endless tide of hungry phantoms.
From atop the cliff, Xavier stared at the massacre unfolding below. Slowly, his knees gave way. He collapsed into the snow, his eyes trembling.
Xavier's knees sank into the snow, his voice hollow. "I should've known… of course this wasn't going to be easy."
Raiden's jaw tightened. His eyes flicked from the portal's distant glow to the chaos below. "We don't have time to sit here. We need to move. Now."
Xavier snapped his head up, his voice sharp. "Move? Down the cliff? By the time we reach the tower, the portal will be closed! Seven hundred will already be through, and we'll be dead!"
Raiden stepped closer, his tone rising. "We have to try something! Sitting here won't save us!"
Xavier's hands clenched in the snow. His voice trembled with frustration. "Try what? You think we can outrun them? The specters are slaughtering everyone down there! It's hopeless!"
Raiden's glare hardened, anger flashing in his eyes. "Hopeless? Are you always like this, Xavier! ready to give up! Don't you want to save people? Isn't that what you keep preaching? Stop acting like a coward"
Xavier's chest heaved, his voice cutting back like a blade. "Big words coming from someone ready to leave Elra to die the first time we met! If anything, you're the coward"
Raiden froze, his face twisting with fury. "Don't.....Don't you EVER!!." His voice shook with anger. " Call me a coward. You were more than willing to abandon them before that, remember?! Abandon them to those demon things?."
Xavier rose to his feet, his eyes blazing.
Then Raiden continued. "Is no wonder your sister and friends died, you gave up trying, and doomed them all to their demise"
Elra crawled in between them, her voice trembling. "Stop it! Both of you!" She looked from Raiden's clenched fists to Xavier's teary but angry face. "This isn't helping! Xylo is dying, and we're wasting time fighting each other!"
For several moments, nobody spoke.
The screams below echoed across the snow-covered valley, a sudden scent of blood lingered in the air. probably from the people below.
Raiden's gaze swept across the snow Xylo.
The spot where he had been lying moments ago was empty.
Raiden's expression shifted instantly. "Xylo?"
Xavier spun around. "What?"
Elra blinked, lifting a trembling finger. "He's… there."
At the cliff's edge, a solitary figure stood with his back to them. The cold wind howled, tugging at his ginger hair.
Raiden froze. How? How had he gotten there without any of them noticing?
Slowly, Xylo lowered his gaze. His body was pitiful to behold—skin riddled with pores from the infestation, blood staining his clothes, every muscle screaming in agony. Yet beyond the cliff, beyond the endless forest, the pillar of light stood proudly beneath the aurora.
Home.
The only path home.
"Xylo…" Elra's voice was weak, trembling.
At her call, he turned. His tired eyes swept across their faces—three people he had met by chance, three people he had nearly died alongside, three people he had come to care for.
And there was only one way left.
A faint smile touched his lips. "I can get you guys or us home."
Everyone froze.
Xavier frowned. "…How?"
Xylo turned back toward the cliff, his eyes fixed on the distant tower. "There is another power hidden within my spell," he whispered hoarsely. "Besides pyrokinesis. I can get us down there. Close enough for you all to reach the portal."
Elra was hopeful for a minute, then her heart sank. His words should have been a spark of hope to him as well, yet the way he spoke them, and his gaze, made her chest tighten. Something was wrong.
"…Xylo," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Is there something more to it? This way out… what aren't you telling us?"
For a heartbeat, he didn't move. Then his smile faltered, the faint light in his eyes dimming. Slowly, he turned his gaze away, as though the truth itself was too heavy to meet their eyes.
"It's a flaw."
The air seemed to freeze around them. Raiden's jaw clenched, Xavier's breath caught. Those words, enough to silence them.
Raiden shook his head instantly. "No. We aren't doing that."
Xavier nodded. "Agreed. We'll find another way."
But suddenly—
"There IS no other way!" Xylo's voice exploded, raw and desperate. His body trembled, tears forming in his eyes. "Can't you see?! Seven hundred people! Limited time! We're trapped on a cliff! Look at me, man, I'm dying!"
He slammed a fist against his chest, blood trickling down his lips. "I… I didn't have a good life back in the physical world. I wasn't a hero. But for the first time …" His voice broke. "For the first time, I have a chance. A chance to actually save."
The wind howled. Nobody spoke.
Xylo dropped to his knees, the proud smile gone. He bowed his head, voice trembling. "Please… don't let me die knowing all of you died here with me."
The sight shattered Xavier. His fists tightened. Elra covered her mouth, tears spilling. Even Raiden lowered his eyes.
Finally, Xavier whispered, "…Okay."
Everyone looked at him.
"What do we do?"
Xylo smiled—not triumphant, not victorious, just grateful. He rose weakly and returned to the cliff's edge. "Hold my hands."
Xavier carefully lifted Elra onto his back. Raiden stepped beside him. Together, they grasped Xylo's hands.
Raiden frowned. "So what now?"
Xylo stared into the abyss below. The wind whipped around them. "Now…" He smiled faintly. "We drop."
Raiden blinked. "…What? What do you mean, we drop?"
Xylo laughed weakly. "Trust me."
For several seconds, Raiden simply stared into those tired eyes. Then he sighed. "…Fine. Whatever you say, I trust you." And together, they jumped. The four figures plunged from the cliffside like stones cast into the abyss.
The world became a blur.
Snow-covered rocks streaked past them, jagged teeth of the mountain flashing in the corner of their vision. The freezing wind tore at their clothes, howling in their ears like a chorus of ghosts.
Yet strangely—
No one screamed.
None panicked.
Not a single desperate cry escaped their lips.
It was as if the weight of the moment had silenced them all. Each of them knew this fall was a leap into danger— but they had trust, trust in Xylo's final promise. As the earth rushed toward them with terrifying speed, Xylo slowly opened his eyes.
The world spun in a frenzy of snow and moonlight, the abyss swallowing them whole.
He turned his head.
To his left—Xavier. The boy's eyes were shut tight, Elra's arms wrapped around him, her face buried against his shoulder. Even now, Xavier had angled his body so that if they struck the ground, his own frame would take the impact before hers.
A faint smile touched Xylo's lips. Still trying to protect somebody, huh?
His gaze shifted.
Raiden. Silent, eyes closed, his jaw set in grim determination. Despite the chaos of their freefall, his grip never loosened. He had trusted him—without question, without hesitation.
Xylo lowered his gaze, a long breath escaping his lips. The cold air burned his lungs. "Okay…" he whispered softly, a peaceful smile appearing on his face as the wind roared around the four falling figures. "Let's do this."
He spoke. "From ash I was born, to ash I shall return. But before the dark consumes me, let the fire first burn. Wings of ember, wings of light, rise within my chest tonight. I offer breath, I offer bone, let no one face this flame alone. Hear me now, true smoke and pyre, clothe this flesh in sacred fire. Not in glory, not in pride, but for those who I stand beside. So let it be, so let it burn, from ash I came, to ash return."
The final words of the prayer had barely left Xylo's lips when fire erupted— around him.
His body became a furnace, a burning man against the fall. Flames tore through him, spilling into the night, painting their descent in streaks of crimson and gold.
And Xylo felt it.
Every bone shuddered. Every vein boiled. Every organ screamed. The agony was indescribable. His skin cracked, and blood hissed as it vaporized while every bone broke apart and reformed all at once. Until his body burst out a golden light once more, ending his transformation and transforming Xylo, into a Phoenix