Saeros Vaelien pov
"Curse this heat," Saeros muttered, his voice a low growl that went unheard by the shifting dunes. He looked around at the scenery that might have delighted a traveler, but to him, the relentless sun and the ocean of fire-colored sand were nothing short of "disgusting". A glint of pure irritation flashed within his deep blue eyes as he gritted his teeth.
"Anyway… I have to find Eliza now," he sighed, running a hand through his short black hair, brushing the strands back from his forehead.
"And where do you think you're going, darling?" A sharp, intrusive voice shattered his focus.
Saeros turned his head slowly, his eyes narrowing with disdain as he scanned the newcomers. "Hah? Brats…". Standing before him were two men—ordinary, unremarkable, with auras so pathetic they wouldn't even rival a Rank-F Goblin.
"You've got a lot of nerve for a couple of human goblins," Saeros said, his voice dripping with unrestrained mockery.
"You bastard!" one of the thugs barked, drawing his blade. His companion followed suit, a sneer twisting his face. "We'll make you eat every grain of this sand!".
They charged. Saeros didn't flinch, nor did he bother to dodge. The blades sliced through the air, carving through what they believed to be his flesh.
"Haha! You got what you deserved—" The man's triumph was cut short.
Swish.
A single, devastating kick sent him spiraling through the air until he made intimate contact with the scorching sand.
"What was that you were saying?" Saeros asked, resting his chin on his hand as he watched the fallen man with clinical interest.
"You… how?!" the second man stammered, pointing a trembling finger.
"Haha, don't worry. Let's take a souvenir of your friend," Saeros chuckled. He stepped forward, casually resting a hand on the man's shoulder while pulling a camera from his pocket.
Click.
The photograph captured the perfect image of his friend face-down, defeated by the desert itself. Saeros patted the man's shoulder twice. "Now… die.".
The man's confusion vanished, replaced by desperate rage. He drew a hidden dagger and swung wildly.
"Block," Saeros commanded softly.
From the depths of his own shadow, a solid, obsidian hand erupted, catching the blade mid-air with effortless strength.
"You… you're a high rank—"
"Shadow Garden." Saeros spoke the name of his unique ability with a chilling calm.
Under his feet, the shadows surged and expanded. It didn't matter how bright the sun shone; nothing in this world possessed the power to suppress his shadow. The darkness formed a perfect, suffocating circle around the two men.
"Pierce.".
Black spears and jagged nails of shadow lunged from the ground to impale them. But just before the killing blow—
"Distortion.".
The men's bodies flickered and glitched like corrupted data before vanishing into thin air. A vibration echoed from Saeros's wrist. He glanced at his watch and saw his points tick up to six.
A slow, mad grin split his face. "Heh… let's find Eliza now. I'm looking forward to a crushing victory.".
...
Elizabeth Vespera pov
"Cold, isn't it?" Elizabeth mused, reclining lazily upon a high tree branch. Below her, the world had been repainted in a breathtaking, crystalline white.
"So beautiful," she whispered, her golden eyes shimmering as she took in the frozen landscape. "And so peaceful.". She closed her eyes, feeling the microscopic particles of ice dancing in the air around her. This frozen world was her domain, and she was its undisputed sovereign.
But a thought of Professor Maria—the elegant woman with piercing purple eyes—entered her mind. "I wonder," Elizabeth said, her voice like a chime as she brushed her black hair away from her face, "which of us truly deserves the title of the Snow Queen?".
A thunderous roar shattered the silence of the woods.
"That sounds like a bear," she noted, standing up on the branch with renewed interest. Without warning, dozens of ethereal butterflies appeared, their wings made of pure, translucent ice, fluttering slowly through the air.
Elizabeth pressed two fingers to her crimson lips. "Let us… become one with the ice," she murmured. As the words left her lips, her form dissolved into a cloud of frozen butterflies, merging with the winter wind.
...
Abraham Zenith pov
"I just want to go home…" Abraham groaned, his voice heavy with lethargy. His green eyes scanned his surroundings with profound boredom—an endless, emerald sea of trees.
"I wonder if the monsters here drop any decent materials? Let's find out," he muttered. The laziness in his voice shifted, replaced by a faint, hungry spark of excitement.
Swish.
Spirals of wind erupted around him, lifting his body weightlessly into the air. Slowly, he began his hunt.
...
Rina Valor pov
"Is it over?" Rina asked slowly. Her crimson eyes glowed with a cold, analytical light as she stared down at the figures kneeling at her feet.
"Yes, Your Highness," one of them whispered nervously, his head bowed low in submission.
"My head…" Rina sighed, pressing her palm to her temple. A dull ache lingered—the price of deactivating her ability, 'The Blessing of Mind'.
"Very well. You may leave now," she said. As she spoke, the cold calculation in her gaze vanished, replaced by a warm, diplomatic smile.
"Thank you… thank you, Your Highness!" the man stammered, bowing repeatedly before scrambling away.
But as soon as they were gone, a tremor of sorrow shook her heart. "Sister… are you still out there?". Even though years had passed, the memory remained a raw wound. "Father is doing everything in his power to find you.".
The gentle mask fell away, replaced by iron determination.
"Burn," she commanded.
Flames roared to life along the length of her golden sword. She was a princess, and as a princess, she refused to be anything less than superior. With eyes ignited by a fierce, inner fire, she lunged forward into the fray.