The forest was silent, but the air still thrummed with the residual energy of the god-tier battle that had taken place. Broken branches, jagged ice, and scorched earth marked the remnants of the clash between Arlen Frost and the humanoid figure. Even the mist, once thick and suffocating, now curled gently around the shattered trunks, carrying the faint scent of ozone and frost.
Lira knelt beside Arlen, his form heavy in her arms. His chest rose and fell unevenly, the faint traces of frost and electricity still clinging to his body like a fading storm. She had seen him at his peak — god-tier mastery over Frost and Lightning — yet now he was vulnerable, his human shell fragile and worn from the intensity of the battle.
> "Arlen… stay with me," she whispered, brushing her fingers along his temple. "You're safe… I'll keep you safe."
She could feel the faint pulse of his energy beneath her touch, a heartbeat that resonated with the echoes of his recent power. Even unconscious, he radiated a presence that made her both awed and terrified. He had faced a being beyond comprehension, yet now lay silent, trusting her to carry him from the remnants of the battlefield.
---
The first step was the hardest. Lira shifted Arlen's weight onto her back, adjusting carefully so as not to worsen any unseen injuries. Frost crunched beneath her boots, and occasional sparks of residual lightning flickered across the ice-coated ground. Every branch she stepped over threatened to slip, every jagged root could trip her. The forest had not yet recovered from the clash; the corrupted energies of the humanoid figure lingered, twisting shadows into unnatural shapes.
> I have to stay focused… one step at a time, Lira thought, tightening her grip. He can't survive another fall, not in this state.
She navigated the treacherous terrain, her senses alert to every movement. A branch snapping under its own weight sent her heart leaping, and she froze, listening to the rustle of leaves. The faint hum of residual elemental energy made the hair on her arms stand on end. Arlen, though unconscious, was alive, and every second counted.
---
The first night was cold. The moon cast a pale light over the broken clearing, glinting on frost-covered leaves and glimmering shards of ice. Lira found a natural alcove between two fallen trees and a small ridge of ice, carefully laying Arlen down. She draped her cloak over him, watching his chest rise and fall, and felt a weight settle in her chest — not just from carrying him, but from the realization of what they had just endured.
> I saw it… she thought, her mind still replaying the battle. I saw him awaken… the power… it's… it's beyond anything I've ever witnessed.
She remembered the fragment of his past that had surfaced — a glimpse of a version of Arlen she couldn't even begin to comprehend. Frost and lightning had danced at his command with perfect mastery, slicing through the humanoid figure's defenses with a fluidity and precision that felt almost divine. He had not wielded his full power, but even that fragment was enough to leave her breathless with awe.
---
Night after night, Lira kept vigil. The forest was quiet, but her senses remained on high alert. Every snap of a twig, every distant howl of some hidden creature, sent her heart racing. She whispered to him frequently, half as comfort to herself, half as a tether for him in case consciousness flickered.
> "Arlen… you're safe… I won't let anything happen to you," she said softly. "Not now… not ever."
Sometimes she imagined him responding, saw in her mind the faint glimmer of the smile he had given her before collapsing. That smile — soft, almost human, in contrast to the god-tier aura he had wielded — haunted her.
> I'm Arlen Frost, of course… she remembered his words.
Take care of me…
Her chest tightened. Those words were simple, yet carried a weight she could barely bear. A god-tier being, trusting her, vulnerable. She vowed silently that no one would ever know, that she would protect him, protect his secret, and honor the fragility of this moment.
---
The days following were arduous. Lira moved through the frozen forest with painstaking care. Each step required balance, each motion precise. The residual energy in the trees, in the ice, even in the fog, threatened to strike unpredictably. She avoided lingering in areas where the humanoid's energy had scorched or twisted the land. Arlen's weight strained her muscles, frost clinging to her boots and clothing, yet she refused to falter.
> He's alive… that's all that matters, she repeated to herself. Everything else… I can endure.
She hunted small creatures for food, melted snow for water, and fashioned temporary shelters when the wind grew too fierce. Every night, she kept a close vigil, adjusting his cloak, checking for frostbite, ensuring the faint pulse beneath her hands remained steady.
---
Throughout the journey, Lira reflected constantly on the battle and on Arlen. She noticed nuances she had missed before — the subtle shifts in his stance, the way his eyes calculated movement even in the midst of god-tier attacks, the precision with which he combined Frost and Lightning. He was no ordinary warrior, not even by the standards of the Vale Guild, and yet, even at the pinnacle of his brief awakening, he had relied on her presence, her support, in ways that humbled her.
> Who… who is he really? she wondered. And why does it feel like I've only seen a fraction of him?
Her reflections were interrupted constantly by survival itself. Crossing frozen streams demanded exact precision; any misstep would send both of them plunging into icy water. She used bursts of her magic to reinforce fragile ice, to slow rushing currents, and to create temporary platforms across treacherous terrain. The forest, scarred and twisted by the earlier battle, challenged her at every turn.
---
The second week was the hardest. Fatigue weighed heavily, and even the strongest resolve began to fray. Lira's muscles ached from supporting Arlen's weight day and night. Her sleep was shallow, broken by instinctive vigilance. Frostbite threatened her extremities, yet she refused to pause for long.
> "We're almost there… just a little longer," she muttered to herself, voice low and hoarse.
Arlen's form, though unconscious, became a kind of anchor for her will. She could feel his latent energy pulsing faintly, a heartbeat in the storm of her own exhaustion. Every movement, every choice, was dictated by the need to keep him alive, to honor the silent trust he had placed in her.
---
Finally, after nearly two full weeks, Lira and Arlen emerged from the corrupted forest. The sunlight glinted off patches of frost, painting the valley in gold and silver. The air was warmer, the threat of immediate danger diminished. Lira carefully lowered Arlen to the ground, ensuring he lay comfortably against soft grass rather than jagged ice. She draped additional layers of cloak over him, checking once more for signs of life.
> He's still Arlen Frost… but what he became… no one can know, she thought, her heart swelling with both awe and fear.
The valley offered shelter, warmth, and a temporary reprieve. Lira settled beside him, staff upright and eyes scanning the perimeter. Her mind replayed the battle, the awakening, the god-tier mastery he had briefly wielded. And through it all, the memory of his soft smile lingered, haunting and beautiful.
> "Who… who are you really?" she whispered, almost to herself, almost hoping he would answer.
The silence answered back. But she knew the truth. She had witnessed a fragment of something beyond mortal comprehension, and the weight of that secret pressed down upon her like the very frost that had lingered around him for so long.
---
The clearing grew quiet, the sun slowly climbing higher. Birds cautiously began to return, and the forest's shadows retreated from the scars left behind. Lira remained vigilant, her eyes never leaving Arlen. She could feel the faint residual pulses of Frost and Lightning energy around him, still echoing the god-tier power he had commanded.
> He will awaken eventually… she thought. And when he does, the world will never be the same.
For now, she held him, silently vowing:
> I will protect this secret. I will keep you safe, Arlen Frost.
The forest, quiet and scarred, seemed to acknowledge her vow. Somewhere in the distance, a faint shimmer of frost and electricity danced across the trees, a whisper of the god-tier power that had passed through this land, and a reminder that Arlen's journey was far from over.
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