Chapter 42: Eldaria

A long time ago…

Long enough for people to forget the beauty of that kingdom.

Its name was Eldaria.

A kingdom defined by a great mountain,

covered in flowers,

as if it were a masterpiece carved into the heart of nature itself.

Our father was beloved… and powerful.

And our family was known for its ice magic.

We lived in happiness…

until that day came.

Eldaria was a haven for rest and contemplation.

On the day of the kingdom’s annual festival,

I—Nevara—stood beside my twin sister, Frostia.

We walked behind our father, the king of this land,

as people greeted him from every side,

with sincere smiles… or so we believed.

Then—suddenly—

A man burst from the crowd,

attempting to assassinate the king.

But our father, effortlessly,

froze the man’s feet before he could reach him.

The guards rushed in and seized the attacker.

The king asked him calmly,

“Why would you do this?”

“I was paid.”

“And who paid you?”

“It doesn’t matter who.”

The attempt was deemed a failure,

and the sentence was death.

Before the execution was carried out,

the man lifted his head and said with a voice full of hatred,

“A curse of bitter winter will descend upon your family.”

And suddenly—

His body turned into black smoke,

vanishing before everyone’s eyes.

From that moment on…

everything changed.

The kingdom once praised for its beauty

became a land ravaged by merciless snowstorms.

The ice kept spreading… day after day.

The king ordered an immediate evacuation.

He provided transport for everyone,

showing no distinction between noble or poor.

Many left…

including a large number of our own relatives.

But the truth was cruel.

No one could escape.

Something unseen

kept returning everyone back into the kingdom,

as if it were an invisible cage of ice.

The people grew restless.

All contact with other kingdoms was lost.

Day after day…

fear deepened,

and people began to die slowly—

from the cold,

and from dwindling resources.

Then one day,

a man from the crowd spoke with a trembling voice,

“It’s a curse.

All we have to do is kill the king,

and everything will return to normal.”

The people gathered around our father.

He looked at them with a calm I will never forget,

and said,

“If you wish to kill me, so be it…

but stay away from my daughters.”

And so—

The king was killed.

Our father.

But instead of the calamity ending,

the storms worsened,

and winter grew even more brutal.

Then another person stepped forward,

speaking with false confidence,

“I have the solution.

All you need to do is imprison someone of royal blood

inside a crystal… beneath the palace.”

They stormed the palace.

They took me.

They sealed me inside a massive ice crystal,

deep beneath the palace,

far from light…

far from voices.

From that moment on…

I became a spirit, wandering the kingdom.

My sister Frostia learned what had happened

and began fighting to save me.

But the injuries were many,

and the casualties even more.

And then—

She used a forbidden spell.

She too became a spirit,

and entered the body of one of the people.

She began killing anyone who came near me.

The body she inhabited became the source of her strength,

and when it was exhausted…

she moved on to another.

I couldn’t bear to watch my sister like that—

killing people to protect me.

So…

I sealed my own soul here.

———

Y said calmly,

“So… this is what it feels like to be sealed.”

Nevara asked him,

“Why did you allow yourself to come in here?”

He answered without hesitation,

“It was the easiest way to understand the nature of this place.”

Then he added,

“One last question…

What is your goal now?”

After a brief silence, she replied,

“I want to save my sister…

but without hurting her.”

He raised his gaze to meet hers.

“And what if she attacks me?

Do you expect me not to defend myself?”

She took a deep breath.

“You’re right.”

Y fell silent for a moment, as if organizing his thoughts, then said,

“I think I know a way to save everyone.”

Her eyes widened.

“Do you mean that?”

“Your problem is easy to solve,” he replied calmly.

“I can free you from the crystal myself.

I’ve been through something similar before.”

Then he added,

“As for your sister…

I believe she will stop the moment you leave this place.”

Nevara nodded slowly.

“That’s a logical plan.”

Y said,

“All that remains now is to wait for someone to get us out of here.”

She smiled faintly.

“Be prepared to wait a long time.”

Y smiled with quiet confidence.

“Don’t worry… I have an excellent team.

And Leona will find a solution.”

She looked at him with interest.

“Leona? Who is she?”

He answered simply,

“My niece.

And she’s very smart.”

———

Inside the Wooden House

Leona spoke with focus,

“You’re saying there’s a palace at the center of the snow?”

Daniel nodded.

“Yes. A mountain stands behind it.

A girl lives there… and she’s responsible for all of this.”

Scarlet spoke immediately,

“Then let’s go to her.”

Solar intervened calmly,

“It’s not that simple.

The moment you approach the palace, ice monsters will appear.

No matter how many you defeat… they keep coming endlessly.”

Phoenix frowned.

“Then we defeat the girl first.”

Daniel shook his head.

“We tried that plan before.”

Leona asked,

“And what happened?”

Solar answered quietly,

“We ended up… fighting ourselves.”

Zeral’s expression darkened.

“Fighting yourselves?”

Daniel continued,

“The moment we crossed the palace’s boundary, hallucinations began.

Eventually, we couldn’t tell what was real… and what wasn’t.”

Leona said in a calm but firm voice,

“Then it must be the girl’s magic.”

Solar nodded slightly.

“That’s what we thought too.

But if she’s the cause…

then who is responsible for the ice monsters?”

A brief silence followed.

Then Leona said,

“I need to see her myself.”

Phoenix added,

“In the end, we don’t have many options.”

Scarlet asked,

“How long has Y been gone?”

Leona replied,

“Not very long.”

“I’ll go look for him,” Scarlet said.

Leona stopped her immediately.

“Wait.

Splitting up now isn’t a good idea.”

Zeral nodded.

“I agree.

We need to understand what we’re facing first…

and Y can take care of himself.”

Leona took a deep breath.

“Then… let’s head to the palace.”

Daniel asked,

“Do you have any extra coats for Solar and me?”

Zeral opened his bag.

“There were two coats meant for Y and Scarlet.

I brought them just in case.”

He handed them over.

“Thank you,” Daniel said.

Solar looked at Scarlet.

“Are you sure you don’t want one?”

Scarlet smiled.

“Don’t worry.

I’m half-human,

and I lived in the snowy mountains for a long time.

The cold doesn’t affect me much.”

Solar nodded.

“Then I’ll take it.”

Daniel put on Y’s coat and muttered,

“A bit small…

but better than nothing.”

Solar asked curiously,

“And your other friend—

is he half-human too?”

Scarlet replied,

“You mean Y?

He’s completely different…

human,

but he seems to actually like the cold.”

Leona said firmly,

“Let’s move. To the palace.”

Solar stepped forward.

“Allow me to lead.”

She walked out, and the others followed.

Zeral said quietly,

“Moving through this snow will be exhausting.”

Solar raised her hand calmly.

“No need to worry.”

A transparent barrier of ice formed around them, shielding them from the storm.

“We can move now.”

They advanced through the blizzard, the barrier holding steady.

Phoenix noticed the wooden staff in Daniel’s hand.

“Is that your weapon?”

Daniel smiled.

“Believe it or not…

this staff is extremely useful.

I was able to defeat monsters easily because of it.”

Phoenix frowned.

“It doesn’t look special.”

Daniel replied calmly,

“You’ll see…

when the fighting starts.”

Solar said,

“After this point, the monsters will appear.

What’s the plan?”

Leona answered without hesitation,

“Our goal is to reach the palace.”

———

Scarlet said calmly,

“Then… I’ll clear the way for you.”

Her body began to heat up slowly.

She took a single step back, then lowered herself into an extremely low stance,

as if waiting for the signal to start a race.

“I’m ready.”

Solar said firmly,

“Now!”

They all charged forward.

At that very moment, the snow began to shift—

twisting, condensing,

then forming into ice monsters that rushed toward them.

But a streak of red light tore through them instantly.

It was Scarlet.

Precision.

Speed.

Fluid motion.

The monsters were shredded apart,

and the path was forced open.

Daniel stared in genuine amazement.

“That’s… incredible.”

Suddenly,

a blue light appeared in the distance

and shot straight toward the barrier.

Reacting instantly,

Zeral pulled his shield forward

and blocked the attack head-on.

From within the storm,

a cold voice echoed:

“You blocked my attack?”

Zeral replied steadily,

“My apologies for ruining the surprise…

but that is my duty,

as an armored knight.”

Phoenix stepped out from the barrier and said,

“So… you’re the one behind all of this, right?”

In a single moment—

The storms vanished.

The air fell silent.

Visibility returned.

And in the sky appeared

the spirit of a girl with blue hair,

wearing a white dress,

staring directly at Solar and Daniel.

“Didn’t I tell you to stay away from this place?”

she said.

“Did you really think bringing new people

would change anything?”

Zeral said sharply,

“You completely ignored us.”

Phoenix added coldly,

“No need to dwell on that.”

Solar said firmly,

“And do you truly think your threats scare us?”

Leona observed closely.

“She’s using ice magic… no doubt about it.”

The girl spoke again,

“You are the five newcomers here.”

Phoenix replied dryly,

“There are four of us, if that wasn’t clear.”

The girl smiled mockingly.

“I know everyone who enters this place.

And it seems you were foolish enough

to let the weakest among you wander off.”

“His magic is barely there…

and now he’s sealed somewhere.

I could kill him whenever I want.”

Behind her,

a massive ice serpent began to form.

Suddenly—

Phoenix burst out laughing.

“What’s so funny?” the girl snapped.

Phoenix said calmly,

“You heard what Leona said, didn’t you?”

He planted his feet firmly.

His spear ignited with massive flames,

melting the ice around him.

Then he threw it.

In an instant,

the girl formed multiple layers of ice barriers—

But it was useless.

The spear pierced straight through them,

struck the ice serpent behind her,

and detonated in a massive explosion of fire,

obliterating it completely.

Phoenix said with confidence,

“If you can’t defeat us…

don’t even dream of defeating Y on your own.”

In the sky,

Scarlet appeared, caught the spear, and returned it to Phoenix.

“What would you have done without your weapon?” she asked.

Phoenix smiled.

“I didn’t think that far.”

Then he added,

“But… what about the monsters?”

Scarlet replied,

“Annoying.

I cut them down, and they regenerate immediately.”

The girl said coldly,

“Every monster has an attack.”

Daniel stepped forward, placing himself in front of Leona.

“I’ll protect you.”

Leona replied steadily,

“I didn’t train just to be protected.”

She stepped beside him.

“I’ll fight with you.”

Daniel lowered his head slightly.

“…I’m sorry.”

Leona looked toward Scarlet.

Scarlet understood the signal instantly

and burst forward at full speed.

“I won’t allow it!” the girl shouted,

releasing a barrage of ice arrows.

But other ice arrows intercepted them midair.

The girl spoke coldly,

“I would rather not kill someone from my own family.”

Solar answered firmly,

“Because you trapped me here.”

Solar launched herself forward,

flying upward until she reached the girl’s level.

She shaped a sword of ice—

—and in the same instant,

the girl formed an identical blade.

Their swords clashed.

Below them,

the monsters began their assault.

Phoenix charged in,

his spear blazing with fire,

cutting through several monsters with consecutive strikes.

But suddenly—

A massive ice monster emerged from behind.

Before the blow could land,

Zeral appeared.

He planted his shield

and took the attack head-on.

The monster froze for a brief moment.

Phoenix seized the opening,

leapt onto the monster’s arm,

and drove forward with all his strength,

striking its head.

But the ice shifted.

The arm twisted violently

and slammed Phoenix away.

He was thrown back

as the monster’s head began regenerating before their eyes.

Phoenix rose to his feet, grimacing.

“This is seriously annoying…

how did you manage to do this?”

Leona spoke quickly,

“You have to destroy the entire body.

There’s a magical pathway running through it.”

Phoenix glanced at Daniel.

“How did you fight these things for a year and a half?”

Daniel replied calmly,

“Simply… watch.”

He rushed forward

and struck the monster’s body with the wooden staff.

At that exact moment—

The glow vanished.

The monster collapsed,

motionless.

Leona murmured in quiet disbelief,

“The magic… it disappeared.”

Daniel nodded.

“The secret is the staff.”

Phoenix stared at it, stunned.

“No way…

a staff can do that?”

Leona thought to herself,

I understand now.

Then she said aloud,

“Hold on…

until Scarlet comes back.”

Zeral answered without hesitation,

“Understood.”

And in the sky above…

A different kind of battle raged.

Two girls from the same family.

The same magic.

But—

Which one would fall first?

———

In the sky—the battle escalated.

The girl did not hesitate.

She shattered the balance in an instant.

She drove her sword forward—not to break away,

but to open a gap no wider than half a body.

Then she vanished.

It was not a complete disappearance,

but a sharp glide

through the swirling snow.

She reappeared directly behind Solar.

Her blade came down without hesitation—

a diagonal strike,

fast,

close enough

that the ice cutting through the air could be heard.

She didn’t stop.

A second strike followed.

Then a third.

A relentless sequence—

each blow heavier than the last.

The air tore apart.

Snow exploded around them.

With the final strike,

she threw her full weight forward,

trying to hurl Solar

down into the storm below.

But—

The ice rose.

Massive pillars surged up from the heart of the blizzard—

sharp,

violent,

as if the sky itself

had turned against her.

There was no time to think.

The girl wrenched her body backward

at the very last moment,

retreating with brute force,

her sword pulled back with her.

The pillars collided with one another

and shattered

in a colossal explosion of ice

at the exact spot

where she had been standing

a heartbeat earlier.

The air shook.

Snow scattered in every direction.

The girl halted in midair.

For the first time—

Her breathing was ragged.

She glanced downward,

then refocused on Solar.

Her grip tightened around the sword.

She was no longer attacking recklessly.

The battle—

had entered a far more dangerous phase.

———

The swords collided.

This time,

neither of them retreated.

Both forces detonated at once,

and the air itself tore apart around them.

The girl spoke coldly:

“You entered a losing battle.

How do you intend to strike a spirit with magical attacks?”

Solar answered with steady resolve:

“I’ll find a way to win.”

The girl did not smile,

but something lit her eyes—

something like challenge.

“I’d like to see you try.”

In that same instant—

They both raised their hands.

Magic circles formed in the sky,

identical,

perfectly synchronized,

as if they were reflections

in a single mirror.

From each circle,

an ice spear took shape.

But the girl did not release hers immediately.

She waited—half a heartbeat.

Then she fired.

The spears launched from both sides

and collided at the midpoint.

The sky exploded in ice.

Shards scattered like a storm,

and the space between them

collapsed into white chaos.

Within that chaos—

The girl’s body did not vanish.

It shattered.

This was no teleportation,

no trick.

The magic itself dispersed,

carrying her spirit with it.

She appeared behind Solar.

Only a single spear

formed in her hand.

It was not meant to kill—

but to close the distance,

to force close-quarters combat

once more.

She lifted the spear

and advanced…

until nothing remained between them

but the length of an arm.

———

Solar evaded at the last possible instant,

but the spear still grazed her side.

The impact wasn’t deep,

yet the cold pierced straight through her body.

She retreated rapidly,

pressing her hand against the wound.

Ice spread instantly,

freezing the injury in place,

halting its effect before it could spread.

The girl noticed.

And she did not hesitate.

She surged forward at once,

exploiting the brief moment of retreat.

But—

A wall of ice rose suddenly,

completely blocking her line of sight.

She struck it without pause.

The wall shattered beneath the blow.

And in the moment the space opened again…

Solar was gone.

———

Meanwhile…

the team on the ground continued fighting the ice beasts,

bringing them down one after another.

In the sky,

the girl stood completely motionless—

still, unwavering… as if she were part of the ice itself.

From a distance, Solar watched her.

She noticed the girl slowly raising her hand,

and the snow around her beginning to gather unnaturally.

Solar said with rising concern,

“What are you doing…?”

Then she realized—the girl’s eyes were fixed on those below.

“This is bad.”

Solar lunged forward to stop her.

But the girl did not react.

She continued gathering magic,

until a colossal sphere of snow formed in the sky.

Solar slashed at her,

but her blade passed straight through the body without resistance.

A spirit.

The massive snow sphere hurtled toward the ground.

Zeral shouted instantly,

“Everyone—behind me!”

The moment the attack struck the earth…

A tremendous icy explosion erupted.

The shockwave hurled Solar several meters through the air

as she watched the scale of the destruction below.

The girl spoke coldly,

“This is reality.”

The snow-laden smoke slowly began to clear.

The girl noticed shadows moving within the wreckage

and said with irritation,

“You’re truly annoying.”

Zeral emerged from the debris,

the others standing behind him—alive.

He was breathing heavily.

“That… was a powerful attack.”

Then he spat blood

and dropped to one knee.

———

At that very moment…

Scarlet arrived and said quickly,

“Leona, I found him.”

Leona turned to Daniel with firm resolve.

“Go to Y.

Tell him that you are the key to getting out.”

Then she turned to Scarlet.

“Follow me. Now.”

Leona shouted,

“Solar! We need your support!”

Solar descended immediately.

“What do you need?”

“We just need to buy some time.”

Phoenix glanced at Zeral.

“His condition isn’t good.”

Zeral pulled out a small vial and began drinking from it.

Leona asked,

“What is that?”

Phoenix answered,

“Painkillers.”

Zeral gave a tired smile.

“Sorry…

but my pride won’t let me stop fighting before the end.”

The girl spoke coldly,

“You surprised me twice. I’ll give you that.

But what awaits you now… is death.”

She began gathering magic once more.

Another snow sphere—larger than the last.

Solar replied calmly,

“And who decided that?”

She gathered her magic,

forming a massive spear.

Both of them unleashed their attacks at the same instant.

They collided violently.

The girl said,

“That’s to be expected from a member of the Solstice family…

but I am far more experienced.”

Solar answered steadily,

“That may be true…

but I’m not alone.”

From nowhere,

a spear of flame joined Solar’s attack.

Phoenix clenched his fist.

“It’ll take a long time before we fall.”

———

Scarlet and Daniel were running at full speed.

Daniel asked between heavy breaths,

“How did you find him?”

Scarlet replied without slowing down,

“This isn’t the first time I’ve found lost people.

Look… the cave is right ahead.”

“Let’s go inside.”

They entered, moving deeper until they reached a pool of water at the heart of the cave.

Scarlet said firmly,

“He’s inside this pool.”

Daniel hesitated.

“And what do I do now?”

She looked at him seriously.

“Jump.”

He took a deep breath.

“There’s no other choice.”

And he jumped.

⸻

Inside…

Nevara was staring at Y,

who sat quietly, lost in thought.

She said,

“If it were anyone else but you…

they would have started screaming or striking already.”

Y opened his eyes.

“It’s time.”

“Time?” she asked.

A familiar voice echoed through the space.

“I haven’t seen you in a long time, Y.”

Y smiled faintly.

“What a coincidence.”

Daniel spoke quickly,

“We have to get out of here. Now.”

Nevara asked anxiously,

“But… how?”

Daniel replied,

“Leona said I’m the key to getting out.

I don’t know how… but that’s what she told me.”

Y drew his weapon.

“A key?

That’s interesting.”

He unsheathed two blades

and handed one of them to Daniel.

Daniel looked at it, startled.

“And… what am I supposed to do?”

Y said calmly but firmly,

“This place stands between you and Jean.

Show me what you can do.”

Daniel hesitated.

“You want me… to cut?”

Y replied,

“The real question is—

are you ready to cut

if it means seeing her again?”

Daniel answered without hesitation,

“Without a doubt.”

They stood side by side.

Daniel released all of his magic at once.

Y expanded his domain

and fused Daniel’s magic with his own.

And in a single instant…

They cut this world apart.

———

Outside…

Scarlet was waiting.

The cave began to collapse,

and they rushed out just in time.

She asked in disbelief,

“What’s happening…?”

A massive aura erupted—

one powerful enough for everyone to feel it.

The girl cried out in shock,

“What is this…?”

Solar asked,

“Is this part of the plan?”

Leona answered with absolute confidence,

“That… is Y.”

Y appeared before the ruined cave,

Daniel behind him, completely exhausted.

Scarlet asked,

“So how did being sealed feel?”

Y replied calmly,

“A useful experience.”

Nevara asked in astonishment,

“How did you do that?”

Y picked up a stone,

placed a piece of paper on it,

and threw it toward the battlefield.

He said,

“The credit goes to Leona.

She’s the one who discovered Daniel’s magic—

magic that allows him to cut anything made of magic.”

Nevara looked at him intently.

“May I ask you a favor?”

Y replied,

“That depends on the nature of the request.”

“My request is—”

“Approved,” Y said at once.

Daniel raised his hand weakly and added,

“I’m a bit exhausted… can you take over for me?”

Y clasped his hand.

“Leave it to me.”