Raiden's back tensed, and with a sudden motion his wings tore free from the silence, spreading wide against the cold air. The feathers caught the wind, whispering as they shifted.
He reached for the longest feather on his left wing, fingers tightening before he pulled. The sharp tug sent a faint shiver through him. In his hand, the feather gleamed, its silver-black barbs hardening, edges sharpening until it was no longer a feather but a blade of steel.
Raiden stepped forward, each stride pressing into the snow with weight. He stopped before Xavier and held the blade out.
Xavier moved to take it, but Raiden pulled it back at the last instant. His eyes were steady, his voice low with a gentle smirk across his face.
"This time… don't lose it. You've already gone through enough of my feathers from the spider den to the mountaintop. I'm not a tree."
Xavier laughed, the sound breaking the heavy air. "Relax," he said, though his hand lingered, knowing the meaning behind the weapon given.
Raiden turned away and strode toward Elra. He crouched low, carefully, before lifting her gently onto his back. Elra's slender arms tightened around his shoulders, clinging as he adjusted her weight until she rested securely against him. Only then did he glance back at Xavier.
"Take care of Xylo," he said, his voice low but unwavering, carrying a quiet authority. "I'll leave the rest to you."
Xavier's response came without hesitation, his tone resolute. "You can count on me, Ill get us to the portal to, but be careful those Ghostly spectors look impossible to deal with."
Raiden gave a subtle nod, the gesture silent yet meaningful, before turning away. Behind them, Xylo remained slumped against the colossal body of the fallen phoenix, his breaths shallow and ragged, each exhale weaker than the last, as though life itself was slipping steadily from his grasp.
Elra's gaze lingered over Raiden's shoulder, her silver eyes locking with Xavier's, fragile yet searching. "You'll come back…" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty, "…Right?"
Xavier's smile answered her—gentle, unforced, carrying a warmth that steadied the air between them. "I will," he assured softly. Then, with a quiet firmness, he added, "But right now, you need to get out of here more than I do." His hand lifted, pointing toward her arm.
Instinctively, Elra's eyes dropped to her arm and legs. The corruption still marred half of it, the twisted mutation stark against her skin. Yet… it hadn't spread. Not since they had fled the spider's nest. A faint spark of hope flickered inside her chest, fragile but real. Someone—somewhere—was keeping her alive. Perhaps her sister had found help. Perhaps someone had discovered a way to slow the corruption.
Whatever the reason, she still had time. Slowly, she nodded, her voice quiet but resolute. "…Okay. I'll trust you."
A faint smile curved her lips. It was small, hesitant even—but genuine, carrying the fragile promise of hope.
Xavier's smile lingered, steady and reassuring. "Go," he urged softly, his voice carrying both promise and resolve. "We'll meet again." Elra gave a small nod, glimmering with trust.
Raiden, silent and composed, stepped forward, each stride widening the distance between himself and the boy. He inhaled deeply, lowering his stance as his wings unfurled to their full, imposing span. The path through the forest to the snow-covered hill was shorter now, yet perilous—monsters or hostile wanderers could appear at any moment, so speed was their only safeguard. The safest idea was to fly, but due to the flaw the spellworld gave him, denying him flight. Raiden had devised another way.
His plan was simple but daring: harness the violent gusts of his wings to propel himself forward, a living arrow piercing the forest's dangers. He leaned forward, muscles taut. One powerful beat—
BOOM!
A thunderous gust erupted, snow bursting skyward as pine trees bowed beneath the force. In an instant, Raiden shot forward, a blur of motion, leaving only a trail of swirling snow and Elra's startled scream fading into the distance.
Within moments, the two vanished into the endless expanse of snow-laden pines. Silence reclaimed the clearing.
For several long seconds, neither Xavier nor Xylo spoke, the silence broken only by the restless sigh of the wind weaving through the snow-laden pines. Finally, Xavier turned, his feet crunching softly against the frost as he walked toward the wounded Man.
"So…" Xylo murmured, his head still bowed, voice faint and rough. "You really let them leave without you."
Xavier crouched before him, his expression calm but resolute. "I did."
A weak sincere chuckle escaped Xylo's lips. "You know… for someone who barely knows me… you're making some incredibly questionable life decisions."
Xavier's faint smile carried a quiet warmth as he slipped one arm beneath Xylo's shoulder. "I'm starting to notice that." With effort, he pulled Xylo onto his back, staggering half a step under the added weight before steadying himself.
"…Comfortable?" Xavier asked, his tone dry.
"No." Xylo lied
"…Good."
"…You're terrible at this."
"And you're heavier and smokier than you look."
"I was literally turned into a burning bird minutes ago."
"Oh really?..." he answered sarcastically, "That explains the feather I saw fall from between your legs onto the snow."
Despite the exhaustion, a tired laugh broke from Xylo's lips. "…You're an idiot."
"So I've been told."
Adjusting Xylo's weight firmly against his back, Xavier tightened his grip around the boy's legs. His hand reached down, lifting Raiden's steel feather from where it gleamed in the snow, its blade catching the pale shimmer of moonlight. Without another word, he straightened and began walking.
Their quiet bickering carried on, a fragile thread of sound swallowed almost instantly by the endless woods. Yet in that exchange—half complaint, half confession—the silence felt less oppressive, as though the forest itself allowed them a moment of reprieve.
Xavier froze, feeling the weak tug at his shoulder. He turned his head slightly, catching the faint motion from Xylo, but before words could form, the wind surged through the trees with a violent howl. The gust struck them head-on, carrying with it a stench so vile that Xavier recoiled instinctively.
Rotting flesh. Spoiled blood. The unmistakable reek of something long dead, left to fester beneath the open sky. His hand flew to cover his nose and mouth as harsh coughs tore from his throat. "What… the hell…" he rasped, voice strained between fits. "What is that smell?"
Xylo's expression darkened, his tone grim. "…Whatever it is… we should leave."
But Xavier's eyes lifted toward the distant pillar of light, the source of their path. The foul odor drifted from that very direction. There was no alternate route. He swallowed hard, forcing steadiness into his voice. "We don't have a choice."
Xylo didn't argue, only muttered, "…Just be careful."
Xavier nodded once, lowering his stance as he pressed forward with deliberate caution. Each step was measured, every snapped twig echoing unnaturally loud beneath the oppressive silence. The stench grew thicker, clinging to the air like a suffocating fog.
Then—movement flickered through the trees. Xavier's heartbeat quickened. He slipped behind the thick trunk of a pine, carefully lowering Xylo to keep him hidden. Leaning forward, he peered into the clearing ahead.
There, half-buried beneath snow, lay something enormous. Its massive frame sprawled across the ground, its sheer size undeniable even from a distance. The sight was haunting, a silent warning carved into the heart of the forest.
For a brief, terrifying instant, Xavier thought the massive shape was still alive. His muscles tightened, his grip firmed around Raiden's steel feather, and he held his breath—one heartbeat, then another—waiting for the slightest twitch. Nothing came.
Step by cautious step, he crept closer, every instinct screaming at him to turn back. Yet as the creature's form revealed itself fully, the suffocating fear in his chest began to ease.
It wasn't breathing.
Its colossal body lay motionless, black liquid seeping sluggishly out its body onto the snow, staining the white ground with its decay.
A quiet breath escaped Xavier's lips, relief washing over him like a tide. The dread that had stalked him through the forest loosened its grip "At least it's dead," he muttered, relief slipping into his tone.
"That's true," Xylo replied quietly from his back, his gaze fixed on the carcass sprawled ahead. "But… doesn't that create another problem?"
Xavier glanced over his shoulder, brow furrowing. "What do you mean?"
Xylo's voice dropped, heavy with unease. "If something that big is dead… then whatever killed it must have been even stronger."
The words fell like fresh snow. Xavier's expression stiffened, the realization sinking deep. His fingers tightened instinctively around the steel feather. Xylo was right—monsters didn't simply collapse and die. Something had hunted this beast. Something powerful enough to bring down a creature of such immense size.
The silence pressed in, heavier than before, every whisper of wind through frost-coated branches sounding sharper, more ominous. Xavier swallowed hard, forcing steadiness into his voice. "…Stay alert."
With deliberate caution, he advanced toward the carcass, every muscle taut, careful steps. His eyes swept the tree line, searching for the slightest flicker of movement. But there was nothing—only the endless hush of the forest and the oppressive stench of death clinging to the air.
Reaching the creature's side, Xavier circled its colossal frame with cautious steps. Up close, the beast was even more imposing than he had imagined—its thick white fur matted and stained frozen.
He rounded its shoulder, then stopped abruptly. "…What…"
The sight before him was grotesque. The creature's abdomen had been ripped wide open, its stomach cleaved apart with terrifying precision. Coils of intestines and darkened organs spilled across the snow, soaking the clearing in a deep, sickening black.
But that wasn't what froze Xavier in place. His eyes widened as they scanned the rest of the corpse. There were no claw marks. No savage tears from teeth. Instead… hundreds of Iron projections, probably blades, pierced its body. They jutted out like silver spears, driven deep enough to punch clean through flesh and bone. Some pinned limbs to the frozen ground, others lodged into its neck, ribs, and eye socket.
Xavier stepped closer, crouching beside one of the embedded feathers. Its polished surface gleamed beneath the pale moonlight, sharp and unmistakable. His pupils narrowed. "…Feathers?"
Behind him, Xylo leaned forward, his tired eyes widening in recognition. "…Raiden, probably."
Xavier slowly nodded, his voice low. "There isn't another explanation." He rested a hand against one of the steel feathers, then looked back at the lifeless giant sprawled across the clearing. "…He must've passed through here before us. He must have known the creature would be a problem for us."
Xylo's lips curled faintly, his tone carrying both awe and exhaustion. "Is no wonder he's a Knight."