Chapter 27: A Frozen Summer

There are seasons that do not obey the weather but the soul.
Winter, at times, does not arrive with snow or wind, but with loss. In certain corners of time, the cold does not spring from the earth but from empty stares and broken silences.

Amid that emotional winter, there are those who still struggle to move forward. Not because they are ready, but because staying still would mean surrender. And although pain does not melt with the sun or with words, there are steps taken with frozen feet… yet a heart on fire.

Today, the world is stained by a frozen summer.
One in which hope, rage, memory and will intertwine in a conflict deeper than any battle.
One where heat is not enough, and ice shows no mercy.

Because when everything begins to crack, the true challenge is not to fight…
…but to not let the soul break with it.

A gust of icy air cut across the ruins of Alfheim. Loki narrowed his eyes, feeling it. It was not wind… it was something else. Something approaching.
“Do you feel it too, Elsif?” he asked in a dry voice.
The elf nodded without words. The pressure was unmistakable.
“You’d better leave right now,” he said, already stepping toward Shu.
“Okay,” the boy replied, preparing himself without asking questions.

Loki stopped them with a gesture.
“While I take care of them, you run.”
Elsif hesitated for a second, but understood the weight of his tone.
“Understood,” he said without hesitation.

A vast, dark energy began to emanate from Loki’s body, growing with each second. It was brutal, overflowing, inhuman.
“It’s terrifying…” Shu murmured, involuntarily stepping back.
Loki advanced a few paces, a bitter smile on his lips.
“Come for me, you wretches…”

As if answering his call, the monsters rose from the fog, roaring with hunger. Loki launched himself without hesitation, unleashing a storm of attacks too swift to follow with the eye.
“Now!” Elsif shouted, and Shu followed immediately. Sara was the last to move, casting one last glance back before disappearing among the ruins.

While he disintegrated monster after monster, Loki clenched his teeth, speaking aloud though his voice carried the weight of an old guilt.
“I’m sorry for what I will do to you… old friends.”

He raised both hands to the blackened sky.
“Zetsubō no Uzu.”
A dark vortex began to form above their heads. The energy fell like an apocalyptic deluge, disintegrating every living being in its path.

From somewhere in the gloom, a child's laugh echoed. Loki frowned; a look of absolute hatred settled on his face.
“I will kill you… I will kill you all, you wretches…”

More monsters—hundreds of them—whirled before him. Their eyes turned completely black.
“Kunō no Kusari.”
Chains of agony sprang from the ground, wrapping the creatures. Screams of pain filled the air as their life forces were absorbed one by one.

From afar, hidden among broken columns, Shu watched.
“Are you sure he doesn’t need help?” he asked, frowning.
Elsif shook his head slowly, his gaze fixed on the battlefield.
“Maybe… but if I go now, he would finish me too.”

“This way,” Sara interrupted, pointing to a golden gleam.
On the ground, embedded as if it had never been removed, rested Heimdall’s sword.
“Thanks for the help,” Shu said with sincere gratitude.
“You’re welcome. Now go back to Asgard,” Elsif replied, his voice calm.
“All right,” Sara agreed, standing beside Shu.

Elsif stopped them one second more.
“And don’t forget… tell no one what happened here.”
“We promise,” the boy said.
The elf smiled with melancholy.
“I hope we meet again.”
“Us too,” Sara answered, returning the smile.

Heimdall’s sword shone intensely, forming a rainbow bridge. As they barely touched its surface, Sara and Shu were swallowed by the light.

Elsif sighed, left alone among the ruins.
“Now… what comes next?”

A cold blade touched his back.
“What comes next,” whispered an unfamiliar voice, “is that you take me to Loki.”

The elf turned slowly.
“Who are you?”
The hooded figure didn’t bother to answer clearly.
“Even if I explained, you wouldn’t understand.”

Behind him, two more figures emerged from the shadows. Three in total, cloaked in darkness, faceless, nameless.

Elsif lowered his gaze for just a second.
“I’m glad I saved them,” he thought.

The echoes of battle still resounded through the obsidian walls of Helheim. Dust swirled in the air, a silent witness to the fight.

Facing Garm, Eden held his ground, panting but firm. Both stepped back after a clash of blows, the tension unbroken.
“Not bad… you’ve gotten stronger,” Garm admitted, exhaling heavily.
“Thanks… but this isn’t everything,” Eden replied, breath ragged.

Dark energy began to gather in his fist, sharp and precise like a trained spear. Blow after blow collided, neither side giving in.

It’s been over ten seconds… he should be exhausted, Garm thought. But Eden’s fist still burns bright, like a stubborn flame refusing to die.
“Hey, hey… seriously?” Garm muttered in disbelief.

From a distance, Hela watched silently, arms crossed.
Not bad… his evolution has been brutal. Balder wasn’t exaggerating when he spoke of his potential, she reflected intently.

This is getting dangerous. I can barely hold the energy in my fangs. If I slip for even a second… Garm reasoned, tension building.

Just a little more… just a little more… Eden thought.

He launched himself with renewed ferocity. Garm dodged each strike with growing difficulty. Suddenly, Eden’s energy flowed down into his leg.

A kick cut through the air. Garm blocked just in time, but the impact shook his whole body.
That was close… he told himself, trying to regain balance.

Too late. Eden appeared in front of him in a blink.
“Shit…” was all he managed before the punch landed.

Garm’s body flew into a wall and crashed through it. Dust rose. Blood stained his fangs.
Coughing, he muttered, “What… was that? His movements are… savage. As if he’s not even thinking. As if… he’s a beast.”

Eden’s pupil glowed red. His breathing and his energy turned erratic. His very presence… was changing.
“Well, well…” Hela murmured, raising an eyebrow.

Garm felt the weight of more than power. A murderous intent enveloped him.
If I don’t move now, he’ll tear me apart… he thought, frozen.

Just as the tension peaked, a hand rested on Eden’s shoulder.
“That’s enough,” Hela said calmly, yet with an authority that allowed no argument.

Eden’s murderous aura vanished in an instant. His pupil returned to normal. What remained was only a young man, gasping, fists still raised.

Garm collapsed to his knees, drained of strength.
“Come on! I did it!” Eden shouted with a trembling smile. “I finally beat him…”

Incredible… in such a short time, he not only stabilized his technique, he mastered it with brutal instinct. He’s just one step away, Hela thought, eyes fixed on him.

“Sorry… I think I went a little too far,” Eden said sincerely.
“You’ve nothing to apologize for,” Garm assured him with a genuine smile. “You defeated me. Completely. You’re strong, Eden.”

Eden bowed deeply.
“Thank you for joining me in my training.”

Hela walked toward him with calm steps.
“You seem to have taken your first step,” she said, still watching him.
“And now? What comes next?” Eden asked, catching his breath.
“Your next opponent… will be me,” Hela declared.
“Really...? So soon? I still haven’t mastered the delayed strike…”
“Unexpected events have arisen. Your final exam is in three days.”

Three days…? She’s a monster! I’m still light-years away…, Eden thought, swallowing.

“Your exam will consist of landing a single blow on me. Only one,” Hela said, her voice serene but cutting.
“You say it like it’s easy…”
“When I say ‘a blow’, I don’t mean caresses or grazes. I want a real impact.”
“Understood.”

Eden stepped forward, eyes burning.
“Then I’ll run my first test today.”
“Really? I thought you’d want to rest,” Hela replied, raising an eyebrow.
“Better to know now what I’m capable of.”
“Interesting…”

Eden gripped his sword with determination.
“Can we use weapons?”
“Anything you wish,” Hela confirmed.
“Then prepare yourself.”
“Go ahead.”

With an explosion of energy, Eden charged. His sword moved with lethal precision—fast strikes, accurate impacts.
But Hela used barely two fingers to stop the blade. With her other leg she kicked him in the stomach, then another to the face. Eden flew out and crashed into the wall.

They were not wrong… his power is enormous, the young man thought as a bloodied smile formed on his face. He rose. His sword burned.
“Dark flames,” he whispered.
The blade was wrapped in fire. His eyes shone with resolve.

Not bad… but his energy is at its limit, Hela thought, watching calmly.

Eden launched again. This time he threw his sword from a distance.
“What…?” Hela murmured, surprised.
Eden appeared behind her. But Hela reacted, grabbed his leg and slammed him into the ground.
“Good idea. But still… too slow.”

Eden lay motionless. No strength. No breath.

The air in Helheim was heavy, not only from the density of the energy hanging there but from the tension between master and pupil. The silence around them was only broken by echoes of the last clash.

Eden rose slowly from the cracked stone floor. His body trembled, his muscles ached, and dried blood decorated his face like war paint.
“You seemed more tired than usual this time,” Garm commented, arms crossed.
“Did I lose?” Eden murmured, still dazed.
“Yes. The queen swept the floor with you.”

A weak smile appeared on Eden’s face.
“A very polite way to put it.”
“You’ll need more than brute force if you even want to graze her,” Garm added, looking serious.
“I know… Today I only wanted to see how far I am. And honestly… it’s frightening. I can’t even measure the limit of her power.”

Garm nodded gravely.
“They say my queen’s power ranks at the Diamond level.”

Eden sighed, lowering his head.
“What an overwhelming gap…”
“But that doesn’t mean you can’t complete your mission,” Garm continued, fixing his gaze on him.
“Mission?”
“If Hela agreed to train you it wasn’t because someone begged her… but because she saw something in you. Trust that you might reach her—if only for a moment.”

Eden looked down for a moment. Then he lifted his head with determination and nodded.
“I hope so…”

Three days later.

The training grounds in Helheim seemed darker than usual. Shadows twisted at the edges of the space. Facing Hela, Eden stood tall, like a warrior who knew there was no room for error.

“The day has come… Will you be able to do it?” Hela asked, arms crossed.
“If I weren’t capable, I wouldn’t be standing here,” Eden answered firmly.

Hela allowed herself the faintest smile.
“Good answer. I hope they’re not just words.”

Both began to release their energy. The ground trembled. The skeletons serving in the court hid behind the columns in fear.

Eden’s sword wrapped itself in dark energy. The pressure radiating from his body grew denser with every passing second.
“Hey, hey… are you serious?” Hela murmured, raising a brow.
“I won’t hold back,” Eden declared before charging.

Like a black lightning bolt wreathed in flames, he launched attacks with overwhelming intensity.
“Dark Flames!”

The field lit up with every burst of energy. For an instant, Hela was forced to step back.
That was close… she thought. Yet her agility still reigned supreme. She evaded effortlessly, analyzing each attempt.
Looks like he’s still making the same mistake as before…

“Dark Flare!”
A massive explosion erupted beneath Hela. Fire scorched part of her robe, pulling a look of surprise from her.
When did he learn that? He’s improving at a terrifying pace…

That was close… just a little more… Eden thought, his body now blazing in black fire. His breathing was fierce. The ground cracked beneath his feet.
“Dark Technique: Yami no Yaiba!”

The slash was so fast the human eye couldn’t follow. A nearby mountain split in half as if it were glass.

Hela stood firm, but on her arm… a thin line of blood ran from a shallow cut.
Was that…? I didn’t see it coming… Garm thought, trembling in the distance.

He’s done it… but to honor his effort, I must now answer as his master, Hela resolved.

The queen’s energy exploded. An invisible storm swept the field. Stones shattered around her, the very air twisted.

In her hand appeared a staff made of interwoven bones and crystallized blood. Her presence grew immense, colossal, like a goddess revealing her true form.

The skeletons fled. The walls of Helheim trembled. But Eden… only smiled.
“How fun,” he whispered, eyes blazing with dark fire.

Weapons clashed with a thunder that shook every corner of Helheim. The walls roared, the sky darkened, and the echoes of battle reverberated even beyond the threshold of death.

Hela and Eden moved at impossible speed. Their silhouettes were blurs—violent strokes of pure power. Each impact unleashed shockwaves that obliterated whatever they touched.

I can barely follow them with my eyes… this isn’t training anymore. It’s a real battle, Garm thought, watching from afar.

Both fighters separated after a final cross strike, breathing hard.
“Dark Technique: Yami no Yaiba!” Eden shouted.
“Yami no Sakeme!” Hela countered with force.

Two opposing cuts—one clean as a blade, the other ragged as a fissure—collided at the center of the field. The detonation was deafening. The ground split open, a massive crater yawning beneath their feet. Dust and dark energy rose like a heavy curtain.

“I expected no less from my apprentice,” Hela said between breaths, smiling faintly.
“Thanks… but this isn’t over yet,” Eden replied, voice firm though weary.

In the very next instant, space itself seemed to crack. As if time faltered for a heartbeat, Hela’s body was pierced by a technique she hadn’t seen coming.

She was hurled violently into one of the mountains surrounding the training grounds. Stone shattered around her. A line of blood slid slowly down her abdomen.
That was… a delayed strike. He did it! Garm thought in disbelief.

I could barely react… it was precise, it was clean… and it was real, Hela reflected as she leaned against the rock. The energy she had gathered around her torso began to fade, as if conceding defeat. Delicately, she spat blood onto the ground and raised her gaze.

Eden was on his knees, gasping, completely drained.
“Did… I do it?” he whispered between ragged breaths.

Hela looked at him in silence for several endless seconds. Then, she allowed a faint smile.
“Not only did you do it… you surpassed my expectations.”
“Good… that’s a relief…” Eden exhaled.

With a small gesture of her hand, Hela pointed toward him. A crimson energy enveloped him completely. His clothes shifted, dyed in deep black with white details reminiscent of the nobility of a warrior forged in the underworld. It was a ceremonial robe, worthy of a veteran of Helheim.

“Eden Yomi… you have officially passed the trial. You are no longer my apprentice. From now on, you are a Veteran. You have my recognition as your master… and as your goddess.”

Eden lowered his head in respect, though he was barely able to stand.
“Thank you…” he whispered softly.

And with no strength left… he collapsed unconscious.

The wind blew gently over the battlefield’s peak. Garm watched in silence… and smiled.
A new warrior had been born.