They continued walking without a word.
The silence was not heavy this time…
It was exhausting.
The silence of people drained to the last drop, walking only because stopping was no longer an option.
Every step was wrenched from their bodies, every breath taken as if it were their last.
Their steps were muffled against the cold rocky ground, echoing through the mountain as if the place itself counted their breaths… one by one.
And then—
The silence shattered.
A small, faint voice cut through the harsh emptiness like a crack in glass:
"Brother…
Can I open my eyes?"
Rolin stopped instinctively.
He looked at Lulu in his arms, then remembered.
He remembered the moment he whispered for her to keep her eyes closed…
So she wouldn't see the blood,
the corpses,
the monster.
And he also remembered—
that he had completely forgotten.
Meanwhile, she…
had kept her eyes closed all this time.
Rolin tightened his grip slightly, feeling a warm, painful sensation spreading through his chest—an emotion he couldn't decide if it was guilt or gratitude.
He slowly raised his head and looked around.
The mountain had swallowed the traces of battle.
The blood, the screams, the corpses—
all behind them, distant, like a black memory the mind refused to hold.
Only the rocks remained,
the shadows,
and a narrow path stretching into the unknown.
He looked back at her, a faint, barely-there smile appearing on his lips.
"Open them."
Lulu hesitated for a moment…
then slowly opened her eyes.
And for the first time in a long while—
There was nothing terrifying to behold.
She looked around quietly, her wide eyes wandering over the rocks and the vast white emptiness before her.
She paused, then said in a voice full of innocent wonder:
"Brother…
There's so much white."
Rolin followed her gaze.
Snow covered everything—
the ground, the rocks, even the edges of the narrow path.
A cold, silent whiteness, hiding the traces of blood and death, as if trying to erase what had happened… or at least bury it.
Rolin hugged her a little closer, speaking softly:
"Yes…
Snow likes to hide bad things."
Lulu didn't fully understand the meaning,
but she smiled.
And that…
was enough.
Darkness fell.
Not suddenly, but creeping slowly, devouring the last threads of light until only blackness remained… and the cold of the mountain.
They sat among massive, jagged rocks, like fangs driven into the ground. They lit a small fire, its weak flame stubborn, resisting the wind and cold just as they resisted their fate.
The soldier who had seemed gentle took the center, his back straight, his swords close at hand. The fire cast dancing shadows across his face, making his features more mysterious rather than revealing them.
He looked over them one by one, then sighed slowly, as if turning the page on a day soaked in blood.
"Alright…
What are your names?
And your abilities?"
The scarred man and the old man exchanged a brief, silent glance. The old man stepped forward.
"I am Novak… and my magic is—"
He paused.
He extended his hand.
A dark red liquid formed in his palm, thickening slowly, releasing a faint choking scent.
"Poisons.
I can craft extremely lethal toxins."
The soldier did not seem surprised.
He simply nodded, then turned to the scarred man.
The latter exhaled, as if introducing himself was a burden he didn't wish to bear, and said in a rough tone:
"I am Rak.
My magic is Enhancement."
Simple. Direct.
And in this place… more than enough.
Finally—
the soldier turned to Rolin.
His eyes lingered on him a fraction too long. A scrutinizing, uncomfortable gaze, as if seeing something that shouldn't be seen.
Before he could speak—
Lulu suddenly jumped from Rolin's arms and landed near the fire.
She raised her small hand with excitement:
"I'm Lulu!
And… and…"
She paused, furrowing her tiny brows, thinking with exaggerated seriousness.
Then her expression brightened:
"I can run fast!"
A brief silence fell.
Then—
for the first time since entering the mountain—
The air felt lighter.
The soldier smiled faintly, genuinely this time:
"That's wonderful."
Lulu immediately lit up, as if the words had ignited new energy within her. She began running around the small fire, giggling lightly, her steps fast and irregular, leaving tiny imprints on the snow before disappearing.
In that moment—
The soldier cast a sidelong glance at Rolin.
A look that was not fleeting.
Rolin tensed inwardly.
Damn… don't look at me like that.
I don't want to reveal myself… or my weaknesses.
He exhaled slowly.
There was no point in lying.
Or pretending.
Finally, he spoke in a flat, unenthusiastic tone:
"I'm Rolin.
And my magic… no need to mention it.
It's useless, anyway."
A brief silence fell.
No one laughed.
No one commented.
The soldier merely nodded, as if noting the information, then said:
"I am Lycathe."
He paused, then added steadily:
"And my magic… is Blue Hell."
The firelight reflected in his eyes.
"I suppose you've seen the flames before."
Silence returned once more.
But this time—
it was heavier.
Rak smirked sideways, sarcastically, wiping dried blood from his arm:
"Really?
What is this group…
An old man, a child, and a useless one."
Lulu stopped running.
She turned to him, furrowing her brow, clasped her hands behind her back, and stepped forward:
"I'm not useless."
A sudden silence fell.
Rak looked at her in surprise, then chuckled lightly:
"Oh?
And what will you do then? Scare the monsters by running?"
Before anyone could answer—
Lulu vanished.
She didn't run.
She didn't move slowly.
She disappeared.
And the next moment—
Rak felt something tap his leg.
"Tap."
He looked down.
Lulu was there, smiling proudly:
"I made it."
Rak froze.
Then he laughed, this time without sarcasm:
"…Alright.
Maybe we're not so bad after all."
Rolin—
just looked at the fire, hiding a small smile he wouldn't allow himself to show.
Rolin rose quietly, unnoticed, and slipped behind the jagged rocks.
He sat on a high ledge, the cold air stinging his face. The pale moon hung in the sky, casting its light over the distant field…
The battlefield.
Even from this distance, it was still visible.
Then—
He froze.
His breath caught.
There…
was the Monolith.
Or rather—
what remained of it.
Its massive body was split in half, clean and brutal, as if something merciless had passed through. Red fur scattered, charred flesh exposed, snow around it stained a dark color.
Rolin was shocked.
That monster…
the one that had almost wiped out everyone on the carriage.
Who could have killed it?
Or rather… who had split it in two?
And at that moment—
One name flashed clearly in his mind.
Ivan.
He tensed.
Slowly, he turned toward the distant armored carriage.
It was torn apart.
Metal twisted, scattered… as if something had exploded from within.
There was no longer any doubt.
Rolin felt a shiver run down his spine.
If he had opened that door…
If he had hesitated for even a moment…
He swallowed hard and looked again at the remains of the monster.
At that moment, one truth was crystal clear:
Not opening that door—
was the best decision he had ever made.