LYRRISE'S POV...
The castle shimmered like a dream sculpted from frost. Every wall, every stair, every towering spire was carved of glacial blue, glowing faintly under the eternal storm-clouded sky. My breath fogged the air as I followed Elira deeper inside, her figure radiant against the crystalline halls.
"This way," she said softly, her voice echoing against the ice.
She led me into a grand chamber. The floor itself was a mirror of frozen glass, and above us hung a chandelier of icicles shaped into falling stars. At the far wall, Elira raised her hand, and the surface of the ice rippled like water.
Then, with a graceful flick of her wrist, the wall froze into an illustration—an icy mural drawn in white and sapphire frost.
"The Heart Gem," Elira began, her tone carrying both reverence and sorrow, "was once whole. A crystal born of light, capable of sustaining life across this realm."
The mural shifted, showing a radiant gem at the center of a vast kingdom, its glow bathing everything in sunlight. People smiled, fields flourished.
"But it was stolen." Her voice darkened, and the ice illustration fractured with a sharp crack, shards of frost scattering like glass. "By the daughter of King Veythar himself. No one knew her true name. She was… mysterious. A rebel child. Some say she was jealous of her father's devotion to the Heart Gem. Others believed she sought to save us from something worse."
The mural changed again, showing a cloaked girl with the gem in her hands. Then, in her flight, it shattered, scattering into countless glowing fragments. The sky above the mural turned dark, streaked with black storm clouds, and the people became nothing but skeletons.
"That," Elira whispered, lowering her hand, "was the day the curse began. The day sunlight vanished. And the day hope withered."
I stood frozen, staring at the icy mural. "So… it was because of Veythar's daughter."
Elira turned toward me, her icy crown catching the cold light. "Yes. But remember, Lyrrise… stories can be twisted. There is always more to the truth than what is told."
Her words lingered, heavy as the frost around us.
I clenched my fists, the gem shards I carried seeming to pulse faintly. "Then I'll find out the truth. And I'll put the Heart Gem back together."
Elira smiled softly, almost sadly, as she brushed her fingers against my cheek. "Bravery suits you… but remember, even the strongest heart can fracture under the weight of secrets."
"I don't have time," I told her firmly, standing straighter despite the exhaustion gnawing at my bones. "The longer I stay here, the longer this world suffers. I need to find the next pieces of the Heart Gem—two more, at least."
Elira's eyes softened, but there was a sharpness beneath them, like cracks beneath ice. "You are impatient… but your resolve is admirable."
Before I could step past her, she lifted her hand. A necklace shimmered into existence between her fingers, a delicate silver chain holding a crystal so clear it almost looked like frozen sunlight. She whispered something ancient, and frost bloomed across her palm, sinking into the jewel until it pulsed with blue light.
She stepped closer and, with her cool hands, placed it around my neck. The moment it touched my skin, a shiver ran through me—not of fear, but of power. It felt like the chill of winter had seeped into my veins, steady and sharp, like I had inherited the calm fury of a blizzard.
"This," Elira said, her lips curving into a rare smile, "is the best I can do for you. Within it is a fragment of my power. The strength of ice. It will answer your call in moments of desperation."
I held the pendant tightly, feeling its cold against my palm. "You're giving me your power?"
"For now," she nodded. "I cannot leave this castle. My duty is to guard what remains of this land. But you… you may yet restore what was lost."
Her faith made my chest tighten. For a moment, she almost looked like the gem-heart's spirit herself, bound in human form.
I swallowed hard and met her gaze. "Then I'll use it well. I'll get the pieces back. All of them."
Elira tilted her head, her expression soft yet unreadable. "Then go, Lyrrise. But remember—ice preserves, and ice shatters. The difference lies in the one who wields it."
Her words clung to me like frost as I turned to leave, the weight of the necklace resting against my chest.
The storm had not ceased. Clouds churned above like a raging beast, lightning cracking the sky open in flashes of silver-blue. The ocean below was darker than ink, waves rising high enough to swallow ships whole.
I tied my hair tightly behind me, letting the wind whip at my face as I stepped forward. "No more wasting time."
The necklace at my chest glowed faintly, as if answering the resolve in my heart. I smirked. "So, you want to help, huh? Let's see what you can do."
With one step, the sea beneath me froze solid. A perfect sheet of ice spread outward, taming the raging water in its wake. I took another step—and another—and the ocean obeyed me, freezing with each movement.
A thrill ran through me. The storm roared, but beneath my feet, the waves had become a bridge of frost.
By the time I reached the shore, Selendra and several skeletons were waiting. Their hollow eyes widened in disbelief at the frozen trail I left behind.
"Lyrrise!" Selendra bolted forward, throwing her arms around me. She clung to me so tightly, I almost stumbled. "Do you have any idea how worried I was? You disappear into a death sea, and then suddenly you're walking across it like—like some goddess of winter!" She pulled back, eyes shimmering with overdramatic tears. "I thought you died!"
I rolled my eyes. "You think too much."
Still, there was warmth in her relief. I reached for the necklace glowing faintly at my chest and unclasped it.
Selendra blinked. "What are you doing?"
I held it out to her. "Wear this. You'll need it more than I do."
Her jaw dropped. "What? Why would I need that? You're the one who just froze an entire ocean!"
"I don't need it," I said simply. "I'm already strong. But you…" I smirked faintly, stepping closer to hang the necklace around her neck myself. "You're reckless. You panic too easily. And you keep falling into traps like a clueless child. This will protect you when I can't."
Her face flushed, caught between indignation and flustered surprise. "Tch… you're so full of yourself."
But her hands lingered on the necklace, clutching it tightly as if she secretly cherished the gift.
The skeletons murmured amongst themselves, staring at me as though I had become something more than human. I ignored them. The storm hadn't ended, and our journey was only beginning.
"Rest's over," I said, turning back toward the frozen horizon. "We've got more pieces to find."
The storm had finally begun to fade when Selendra and I found a narrow cave hidden behind a curtain of frost. The entrance shimmered with faint light from the ice walls, reflecting our shadows as we stepped inside. The air was biting cold, our breaths turning to mist.
"This must be it," Selendra murmured, hugging herself. "Let's hurry. My fingers are going numb."
I didn't respond. My instincts were sharper now, and something about this cave made me feel uneasy. The wind outside carried an unfamiliar sound—like small footsteps crunching against the frozen snow.
Then, a faint voice called out behind us.
"...Sis?"
I froze. My heart almost stopped. That voice—soft, trembling, and painfully familiar.
I turned around slowly, hand already gripping the hilt of my katana. From behind the frozen bushes, a small figure appeared. His silver hair gleamed even in the dim light.
"Cerys?"
Before I could say anything more, he ran straight toward me and wrapped his small arms tightly around my waist. His body was cold, but real. My chest ached at the feeling.
"Cerys—how did you even—?"
He looked up at me, his eyes filled with tears. "You have to go back to Earth, Sis! Something's happening—something really bad! You can't stay here anymore!"
I crouched down, brushing his hair back gently. "Cerys... I can't. Not yet."
His face twisted with desperation. "But you have to! Rael and Lior—they need you! Everyone's in danger! Please, come back before it's too late!"
I held his shoulders firmly, shaking my head. "I know. But if I leave this place now, everyone in this world will stay cursed. These people... they deserve freedom too."
Tears fell down his cheeks. "But what if you can't come back? What if I lose you again?"
Those words hit harder than any wound. I pulled him into another hug, closing my eyes. "You won't lose me, Cerys. I promise. I'll finish this—and then I'll come home."
Selendra stood behind us quietly, the usual sarcasm gone from her face. Even she could feel the weight of the moment.
Cerys sniffed, finally loosening his hold. "Then... at least take this."
He reached into his pocket and handed me a small charm—one I recognized immediately. It was the same charm I gave him years ago for protection.
I smiled faintly, taking it and holding it close to my heart. "Thank you, Cerys. I'll keep it safe."
Before I could say another word, light enveloped his small figure—his body fading like mist.
And then he was gone.
I stood there for a long time, clutching the charm tightly in my fist as the silence of the cave closed in again.
Selendra finally spoke, her voice low. "Lyrrise... are you sure you can do this?"
I looked forward, my eyes fierce with determination. "I have to."
Cerys's small hands trembled as he pulled away from my grasp. His silver eyes — usually so full of wonder — were now clouded with sadness.
"You never listen…" he whispered, shaking his head slowly. "You always try to do everything alone."
"Cerys—" I started, my voice cracking. But before I could take a single step closer, he looked up at me one last time — his expression filled with disappointment rather than anger.
"I thought you wanted to come back home…" he said quietly. "I guess I was wrong."
My heart dropped. The next second, a light burst from beneath his feet — the familiar glow of his portal magic. The air rippled around him like a fragile mirror.
"Cerys, wait!" I reached out, but my hand only touched air. The light swallowed him whole, and then he was gone.
The silence that followed felt heavier than stone. I stared at the spot where my little brother had stood, my chest tightening painfully. "...I didn't mean to make him upset," I murmured.
Selendra's voice broke through my thoughts. "Hey, Lyrrise... the ground—what's happening?"
At first, I thought it was just my imagination — but then the earth trembled beneath our feet. Pebbles rattled, cracks formed across the icy ground, and an echoing rumble filled the air.
"An earthquake?" Selendra shouted over the deafening sound.
"No... it's something worse."
Outside the cave, I could hear the distant screams of the skeleton townsfolk. The ground split open, swallowing bits of the frozen terrain. Ice shards rained down from the cliffs above, and a chilling wind howled like a wounded beast.
Selendra, completely panicked, clung to my arm. "Lyrrise, this is insane! We're going to die here! Why is this happening now?! I told you this world was cursed!"
I gritted my teeth and held her steady as another tremor shook the ground. "Get a grip, Selendra! Panicking won't save us!"
"But—my hair! My shoes—!"
"Forget your hair and shoes!" I snapped, pulling her close as another massive quake hit. "Stay close to me if you don't want to be buried alive!"
The two of us stumbled toward the cave's entrance, watching as the once-frozen ocean cracked and shattered apart — massive waves of icy water crashing against the land.
Somewhere in my heart, I knew.
This wasn't just an earthquake.
It was a warning — a reaction from this cursed world itself.
And maybe… from whatever force had trapped us here.
I clenched my fists, whispering under my breath, "Cerys... I'll fix this. Even if you hate me for it."
The ground split open once more — a deep, thunderous crack echoing through the cursed land. Skeletons screamed, scrambling for shelter as the icy floor crumbled beneath them.
One of the skeleton guards pointed toward the distance, his jaw rattling as he yelled, "She's here! Agatha's here to destroy everything!"
"Agatha?" I shouted back over the rumbling. "Who's Agatha?"
The skeleton turned to me, his empty sockets glowing faintly red. "She's the King's daughter — the one who betrayed him! She's the reason the Heart Gem shattered in the first place!"
Before I could respond, the ground beneath us erupted.
A massive explosion of dirt and ice sent Selendra and me flying backward. I coughed as dust filled the air, my vision blurred by the blinding light emerging from the chasm.
And then — I saw her.
A colossal figure rose from the depths, her presence shaking the very air.
Her hair was as black as night, cascading like a waterfall down her back. Her eyes glowed gold, burning with ancient power and hatred. Her skin shimmered in shades of dark blue — unnatural, ethereal, yet mesmerizingly beautiful.
Even though her form towered above us like a goddess, her beauty was terrifying. Every movement she made made the air hum with energy. In her hand, something pulsed — a fragment of the Heart Gem, glowing with the same crimson light that had cursed this land.
Agatha laughed — a sound that echoed like glass shattering.
"So... after all these years, another fool dares to fix my father's mistakes?" she sneered, her voice sharp and melodic.
The skeletons bowed in terror, some collapsing as the tremors intensified. Selendra clung to my arm again, her voice trembling. "Lyrrise… she's—she's not human…"
Agatha's golden eyes turned toward us. For a second, I thought she might crush us where we stood — but instead, her smile widened. "Ah... you must be the one who gathered the pieces."
I stepped forward, tightening my grip on my katana. "You're the reason this world is dying, aren't you?"
Her laughter filled the skies. "Dying? No, child. It's evolving."
Then, before my eyes, her body began to shrink — the towering giant form collapsing into a human-sized figure, still elegant, still radiating danger. Even in her smaller form, her beauty was unsettling — golden eyes gleaming with mischief and wrath.
She raised her hand, and the gem in her palm pulsed. The energy that surged from it was like a wave of destruction — trees around us turned to ash, the ground split again, and the sky seemed to scream as lightning ripped across the clouds.
Selendra covered her head and screamed, "She's going to kill us!"
I planted my feet, staring straight at Agatha. My blood burned, my instincts flaring. "No," I said under my breath, feeling the pulse of Elira's ice power in my veins. "Not while I'm still breathing."
Agatha tilted her head, smiling as if amused. "Then come, little heroine. Let's see if you're strong enough to rewrite the sins of this world."
The air was thick with tension. The sky churned above us — black clouds swirling as if reflecting Agatha's rage. The earth beneath my boots trembled with every breath she took.
"Why?" I asked, gripping my katana tightly. "Why did you do all of this? Why curse your people, your father, your world?"
Agatha tilted her head, her golden eyes glinting like molten metal. Then, she smiled — not cruelly this time, but tiredly, as if the weight of centuries hung on her shoulders.
"Why?" she echoed, stepping closer. "Because they ruined me first."
Her voice softened, trembling with emotion as her gaze shifted away, staring at the dark sky. "Do you know what it's like to be born unwanted, Lyrrise? To live in the shadow of someone else's perfection? My father, the great King Veythar… he only saw me as a tool — another piece to his empire. I was never his daughter, only his pawn."
I lowered my weapon slightly, watching her. Her tone wasn't that of a villain — it was of someone broken.
Agatha clenched her fists, her power sparking faintly. "They called me cursed, unstable, wicked — when all I ever did was try to be loved. And when I failed… they locked me away."
Her voice cracked, and she laughed bitterly, shaking her head. "I tried to protect myself. To protect the only thing that made me feel alive. But in the end, they called me a monster."
"You destroyed your world," I said softly.
"I saved myself," she snapped back. "If being the villain means surviving, then I'll be the villain."
There was silence. Only the faint sound of the wind passing through the shattered trees.
Agatha's eyes met mine — sharp, piercing, almost sorrowful. "You're too young to understand, Lyrrise. One day, you'll realize that the world isn't divided between good and evil. It's between those who are used… and those who refuse to be used anymore."
Her words stung — because deep down, I felt a sliver of truth in them.
I took a step forward. "Then let me understand," I said. "But I won't let you destroy everyone else in the process."
Agatha smirked, a glint of amusement flashing in her golden eyes. "Then fight me, daughter of Veythar. Show me if your conviction is stronger than my pain."
Lightning flashed behind her, her power flaring once again — and I tightened my grip on my weapon, my blood stirring beneath my skin.
Agatha raised her hand, and the sky screamed. The black clouds twisted violently, swallowing what little light was left. Her golden eyes glowed brighter — like two suns burning in the dark.
Then it came.
A wave of dark magic burst from her palm, tearing through the ground like a raging storm.
"—Lyrrise, move!" Selendra shouted from behind.
I barely leaped aside, feeling the raw force scrape against my skin as the blast exploded, leaving a crater where I had just stood. The shockwave sent me tumbling through the dirt, my breath knocked out of me.
Agatha's laughter echoed through the chaos. "You can't even touch me. How could someone like you think of saving this world?"
I gritted my teeth, pushing myself to my feet. "Maybe I can't," I said, my voice trembling but defiant. "But I have to."
Blood trickled from my palm, my katana trembling in my grip. I tried to close the distance, darting forward with speed — but the closer I got, the heavier the air became. It was as if her power itself was suffocating me.
Dark energy pulsed from her body, forming a barrier that my blade couldn't pierce. Every time I swung, the impact sent a jolt up my arm, the shock numbing my fingers.
Agatha smirked, floating above the shattered earth, her hair dancing wildly in the storm. "You're strong, Lyrrise… but strength without darkness means nothing."
Her magic surged again — tendrils of shadow whipping through the air like living serpents. I slashed through them, using my blood to form a shield, but each strike drained me further. My vision blurred, and my knees trembled.
She was too powerful.
Too fast.
Too furious.
I fell back, gasping for air, the metallic taste of blood in my mouth.
Selendra's voice echoed distantly — "Lyrrise! You're bleeding—!"
But I couldn't focus. My gaze locked on Agatha — radiant and monstrous, her power devouring everything in its path.
And in that moment, I realized something — I wasn't fighting just Agatha.
I was fighting every pain, every scar, every loneliness that had shaped her into what she'd become.
I clenched my fist, blood dripping to the ground.
"I don't need to be stronger than you," I whispered. "I just need to stop you."
Agatha raised her hand again, her next strike gathering enough power to destroy everything around us.
And I… I prepared to risk everything.
The storm raged above them — lightning tearing the clouds apart, the ground trembling under the weight of two opposing forces.
Agatha's golden eyes burned with fury, but beneath that flame was something deeper — something fragile.