Chapter 44
FORTY-FOUR
Ice spreads over my body, creating a protective armor just as the first blast of energy hits me. I’m thrown back with a force that slams me against a tree. My lungs constrict as the air is knocked out of me, but I am shielded from any direct injuries by the icy shell.
With great effort, I push myself off the ground and watch as Cerenios approaches with casual ease.
“I hope you will provide some entertainment before your inevitable death,” he taunts. “Though it pains me to end the life of such a pathetic weakling.”
“You’re a despicable being,” I manage to say through labored breaths, trying to regain my composure.
He simply shrugs. “Perhaps. But an efficient one.”
In an instant, another wave of energy is hurtling toward me. This time it takes on a deep burgundy hue, swirling and pulsing with increasing intensity as it closes in on me.
Just barely avoiding its deadly trajectory, I drop to the ground and watch in horror as it slices through trees, leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The severed trunks thud against the forest floor with a sickening weight, followed by more trees toppling over in the aftershocks of the attack.
My heart races as I gulp down nervously, my palms slick with sweat. His muscular frame towers over me, his presence alone enough to strike fear into my bones. If that had hit me, I would be dead.
“You say you must kill me. Why? Who gave the order?” My voice trembles as I attempt to reason with him.
“In cases such as yours, no order is necessary. I am allowed to act as I see fit,” he states coldly, his expression betraying no hint of remorse.
“This will cause a scandal. You forget I am part of the royal House of Cryos.” I try to use my status to appeal to his sense of duty and honor.
“And you think anyone will miss you?” His lips slowly tug up in a mocking smile. “I did my research on you, Minerva. Your family will be rather pleased to see you gone.” His words hit me like a physical blow, but I refuse to let him see my weakness.
He’s right. The only one who cares about me is Mine—the only one who will feel my absence. A sudden wave of guilt washes over me as I think of my beloved and how he always stood by my side.
My eyes widen in sudden realization. What will Mine think when I never return to him? The thought brings tears to my eyes, but I quickly blink them away, refusing to give this cruel man the satisfaction of seeing me cry.
I may put up a fight here, but I know I am no match for Cerenios. He will kill me.
Mine will never know what happened to me. He might think I abandoned him. That I decided to go back to my world and forget about him.
Tears stab at my eyes. I don’t care about my own death as much as I care about Mine’s opinion of me. I never want him to think I don’t love him or that I could turn my back on him.
Determination within me surges with fierce intensity, propelling me forward. Failure is not an option. No matter the odds stacked against me, I must find a way to return to Mine.
Cerenios advances toward me, his sword still sheathed at his side. But his true weapon is the raw, pure energy emanating from his body. In this battle of strength and power, I am clearly outmatched.
Each time he unleashes a barrage of energy blast at me, a surge of panic courses through my veins. My armor may be impenetrable, but I know all too well that it has its weak points. Should one of his blasts find its mark, even the most minor injury could prove fatal. The thought alone is enough to send shivers down my spine.
But I cannot give up. Death may be looming over me, but I refuse to surrender. There must be a way to turn this fight in my favor.
With a flick of my wrists, two swords made of solid ice materialize in my hands. Against Cerenios’ energy attacks, close combat may be my only chance at survival.
I charge toward him, swinging my swords with calculated precision aimed for his neck. He raises his sword in defense, effortlessly blocking my strike without ever unsheathing his weapon.
My speed proves advantageous as I quickly teleport behind him and thrust my blades toward his unprotected back. But just before they make contact with his flesh, he vanishes into thin air and reappears behind me.
“Nice try,” he whispers in my ear just as he pushes the handle of his sword into my back. The blow is imbued with energy, and what would have been a light injury becomes a ravaging one as I’m thrown farther into the field, flying past the cut-down trees until I finally hit the trunk of a still standing one.
I struggle to control my harsh, ragged breathing as intense pain radiates from the spot where I was struck. My hand probes around my back, searching for the source of the injury, and my eyes widen in shock when I feel the unmistakable cracks in my armor. The damage is concentrated on my lower back, a large crack followed by hairline fractures that spiderweb across the surface. But it’s not just my back that’s affected. As I glance down at my torso, I see the fine lines etched into the once impenetrable ice armor, tracing their way around my stomach and chest. A shiver runs down my spine at the realization.
It can’t be possible…
This armor is crafted from the strongest ice in the universe. Yet here I am, already injured from a single strike that didn’t even use the sharp end of Cerenios’ sword. How could this be?
Cerenios materializes in front of me, his sword securely sheathed at his waist. His expression is one of boredom as he gazes at me with cold detachment.
With a disappointed shake of his head, he asks, “That is all?”
I grit my teeth and stand up, ignoring the sharp pain that courses through my body. Every movement seems to exacerbate the fractures in my back, causing me to hold back any cries of agony.
But then I feel it—a loud snap that echoes through the air. My hand flies to my back and I realize with horror that the crack has turned into a gaping hole, one that threatens to spread even further.
Fueled by determination and desperation, I grab my swords and let out a fierce battle cry before launching into attack mode.
I can’t go down without a fight. I won’t.
My strikes are wild and untargeted, driven solely by instinct and adrenaline. But as I continue to attack, I start to notice something—my speed is slightly faster than my opponent’s. It may only be by a nanosecond at first, but with each strike, it stretches into multiple ones while I keep his other senses distracted.
Finally, it all culminates in one powerful strike, using my swords to create an illusion of attack while simultaneously conjuring a dagger of eternal ice from my wrist and shielding it under one of the swords.
As I swing my swords toward him, he gracefully deflects them with a flick of his wrist. But in that moment of distraction, I seize the opportunity to send a shard of ice flying toward his chest. The sharp edge pierces through his skin just as he opens his palm to unleash a powerful wave of energy toward me.
The impact is deafening and my armor can barely withstand it. A loud snap echoes through the air and my protective gear shatters into pieces, falling to the ground in a heap. The spot where the energy blast hit me turns red and throbs with intense pain, causing me to double over and spit out a mouthful of blood.
But despite the agony coursing through my body, I can’t help but feel a sense of satisfaction. My eternal ice has made contact with his skin, sending thousands of particles throughout his body, ready to wreak havoc on his cells.
In response to the foreign substance invading his bloodstream, his armor quickly envelops his body, trying to contain and counteract the effects of the icy particles spreading inside him.
I focus on conjuring all my energy, pushing past the searing pain that radiates from my wounds. With every ounce of strength I possess, I will tiny particles of eternal ice to form within Cerenios’ heart, commanding them to freeze and create a barrier to stop the blood flow. His brows furrow in shock as his body stiffens, his black armor pulsing and dissipating in the areas where the eternal ice takes hold.
His expression morphs to one of anger as he turns his gaze toward me.
“Not so smug now, are you?” I smirk at him, my own pain temporarily forgotten.
“This…eternal ice.” He grunts, small patches of frost forming on his chest. If my pain is a nine out of ten, then his must be unimaginable. Eternal ice is known as one of the most excruciating substances in existence, coveted by many for its power. It’s no wonder Theron’s family sought an alliance with mine.
“Neat trick,” Cerenios mutters.
“Neat trick?” I raise an eyebrow. “I don’t think you’ll say the same when your heart freezes and bursts in your chest. Any moment now.”
He stares at me.
“Any moment?” He raises a brow skeptically. “Do let me know when that moment comes.”
I frown. Moments pass. Nothing happens. The ice at the surface of his skin recedes.
Summoning more of my energy, I attempt to make contact with the ice particles inside of him.
But no matter how hard I try, I cannot sense them.
They’re gone. They’re not inside his body, or anywhere else for that matter. It’s like they never existed.
“H-how?” I ask in a broken whisper.
All my hopes were pinned on that one trick. It had never failed me before, regardless of my adversary’s strength or abilities. Though I may not boast a high level like others, my inherited powers were enough to see me through any challenge.
But this…this is something new entirely.
Eternal ice—the name itself hints at its indestructible nature. This substance cannot be melted, vanquished, or even destroyed. It is one of the strongest and most resilient materials in existence, with no being in the world able to survive it. And when fine particles of it enter the body, clogging arteries and stopping vital organs, there is no chance for survival. Not only does it cause harm, but it also prevents any form of healing.
No matter how strong one’s spiritual energy may be, if they can’t heal, they are doomed to die.
But Cerenios isn’t dying. Far from it. He stands before me with an amused look on his face as if he were indulging a small child with a simple party trick.
“I have heard, of course, of your eternal ice,” he starts, walking casually toward me.
I take slow steps backward, each one sending a jolt of agony through my abdomen. My heart races in terror as I see the nonchalant expression on his face, a stark contrast to the pain and fear consuming me.
My body feels like it’s being weighed down by chains, my energy levels drained from the intense battle. But despite my weakened state, I refuse to back down.
“You think you know enough about eternal ice? You can barely control it,” he taunts.
My eyes widen in confusion. “What are you talking about?”
He smirks. “Eternal ice may be invincible in theory, but in practice, it is only as strong as its wielder.”
“That’s not true!” I argue desperately.
“Isn’t it? Then how do you explain the fact that I am still standing?” he challenges.
I stumble backward and fall to the ground, the impact causing more pain to erupt from my already injured stomach. My movements are sluggish and weak, and I feel like I’m drowning in my own blood.
He looms over me now, just a few paces away. “If your energy level was even close to mine, perhaps your attack would have been effective. But as it stands…” His voice trails off with a mocking chuckle. “I suppose it just tickled.”
“It…tickled?” I gape at him in disbelief.
He shrugs casually. “A cold tickle,” he clarifies with a smirk.
I don’t know whether I should laugh or cry at his statement.
I end up doing both.
The tears are from the pain while the laughter is from the hopelessness.
I was quite arrogant to think someone like me could defeat the great Cerenios, wasn’t I?
I can still fight. I still have energy left. But as my stomach injury heals, I realize that it is moot.
Everything is moot.
With one motion, he lifts me in the air, staring at me.
“You might have lived still, if you did not cross paths with Wyn,” he tells me. “I take her safety very seriously, and your mere presence jeopardizes it.”
“I only talked to her for a moment,” I protest. “And we didn’t speak of anything scandalous!”
“Perhaps you did, perhaps you did not. I do not take risks with her safety. Therefore, you will have to be exterminated.”
“You’re crazy.”
He shrugs. “I am crazy good at my job.” And with that, he opens his palm and gathers a ball of dark energy that he presses into my stomach.
A guttural cry bursts from my throat, my body thrashing wildly as I struggle to break free from his telekinetic hold. But his grip on me is unyielding, his powers acting like a searing laser that slices through layers of skin and muscle to reach deep into my organs.
Blood gushes up my throat, forcing me to choke and gasp for air. The pain intensifies with each passing second, the hole in my stomach expanding at an alarming rate under the relentless assault of his energy.
Desperately, I try to use what little control I have left over my own abilities to heal the damage he’s inflicting. Every slight pause in his attacks is met with a burst of healing energy, but it’s only a temporary reprieve. I know that no matter how hard I fight, my death is inevitable.
Still, some stubborn part of me refuses to give up. Through the agonizing pain, I focus on the simple mantra: Bear. Heal. Bear. Heal. Over and over again, I bear the excruciating agony before mustering all my strength to heal myself. Each time, it’s only a small amount, but it’s enough to shield my heart from his destructive onslaught.
More blood comes out of my mouth, and in an act of defiance, I spit it right in his face.
His nostrils flare in disgust and he thrusts me away from him. Despite the pain coursing through my body, I take advantage of the distance to heal my wounds. My energy is rapidly draining, but I can’t help but wonder if I’ve found a weakness in him.
He brings his sleeve to his face to wipe off my blood, repulsed by its touch. He’s so disgusted that he doesn’t even realize when I flash behind him and tackle him to the ground.
Without enough strength to summon my swords, I resort to using my fists. Straddling him on the ground, I rain down punch after punch on his face until my skin is scraped raw and my knuckles are bleeding.
But as my own blood threatens to mingle with his, something flashes in his eyes and he delivers a powerful blow that sends me flying across the field. I dig my feet into the ground, skidding backward until finally coming to a stop. Every breath is ragged and painful, my throat still raw from our earlier encounter.
I see him get to his feet, his expression a mixture of panic and annoyance. He wipes at his face, cleaning himself until there’s no more trace of me left.
It’s odd. Yet that oddity might be my winning ticket. So far, he hasn’t touched me. Every time, he used his telekinesis or his energy blasts to strike me.
Using my nails, I prick my skin at the back of my elbow on each arm, letting a small rivulet of blood flow down my wrist. Once my skin is stained red, I flash myself to his side.
His eyes are on my bloody arms and even bloodier clothes, so much so he doesn’t notice the blast of energy behind him.
It hits him in the back of the head, making him reel. He stumbles forward, and pressing his hand to his nape, he finds it sticky with blood. My brows knit into a frown when I note that the color of his blood is such a dark red, it’s bordering on black.
What…
His expression suddenly changes into cold, murderous intent. If before he’d been mostly amused by little old me trying to fight in the big leagues, now he’s killing me with his gaze alone.
Coldness seeps into my bones as I step back.
He swipes his fingers over his bloody nape and brings them in front of him, staring at that oddly colored liquid with an odd glint in his eyes.
“Game over, Minerva.” He slowly lifts his eyes. It’s almost as if a film covers his irises. They’re no longer a golden hue, but a dark burgundy one that flashes dangerously at me.
His next strike, I don’t even see.
I’m still rooted to the spot, terrified of what’s to come, when the first stab of pain brings me to my knees.
I look down to see his hand. His gloved hand shoved deep into my chest cavity.
I let out a loud gasp, followed by a wheezing sound as his fingers dig around the inside of my chest until they find their target.
He grips my heart and pulls, ripping it out of my chest.
One last breath leaves my lips, enough to see that vital organ drop to the ground next to me, enough to realize that this is the end.
“Mine,” I whisper or attempt to. He needs to know; he needs to…
Coldness surrounds me and my gaze becomes blurry.
A dark cloud descends into the forest, or is it a tornado? I cannot tell for sure, just as I cannot tell any longer what is real and what is not.
This swirl of dark matter lands on the ground next to me and starts gaining the shape of a person, a male.
His features are shrouded in mystery, but there is something familiar about him.
Something…
A loud, shrilly sound erupts from that swirl of dark mist as it witnesses my death. The dark matter fills the entire area like a thick fog, making it impossible to see what’s happening.
That I’m still conscious—if this is real—is a miracle in itself. But the real miracle happens when I feel something touching me.
I cannot move. I cannot blink. I can only think, and even that is from a faraway place that doesn’t seem like me.
Something warm and wet is placed within my open chest. Probing hands look for the perfect placement, and once the piece fits in the puzzle, a burst of energy explodes within me.
Healing energy travels to my newly returned heart, repairing my arteries and all connective tissue.
Slowly, so very slowly, my body recognizes this is not the end. I am still alive.
But I am not sure my mind does, too.
The mist is everywhere. I want to open my mouth and warn it about Cerenios, but I cannot speak, not yet.
I lie still on the grass, my body slowly healing but still bleeding.
In the distance, I hear a tight exchange, words I cannot understand. Explosions, crashes, and loud thuds reverberate through the air. There is a war going on somewhere, but the mist makes it impossible for me to see.
Moments pass. Silence ensues. Though still alive, I do not have enough energy to keep my mental functions active. Slowly, I drift into a deep, healing sleep.