The air inside Renji's mansion was tense, heavy with the weight of unanswered questions. Outside, the island's winds howled faintly, brushing against the cold windows. Everyone sat scattered across the large living room—Sol, Jasmine, Shin, King, Amelia, Aisa, Yumi, Akira, Izumi, Tatsuya, Celica, Hiroshi, Arisu, Mio, Saki, and the others.
Ryker remained unconscious in one of the side rooms.
Renji sat hunched on the sofa, his eyes hollow. In his hand, the ancient book—its spine cracked, its language lost to time—trembled slightly.
Sol stepped forward, arms crossed. "Renji. What's written in this book? What does it mean?"
Renji didn't answer immediately. His eyes lingered on the worn cover, as though haunted by what it held.
"I can't read it," he finally muttered. "But I know the story. The truth behind this cursed island… The tale of the Ice Goddess—or rather, the Ice Princess."
Shin frowned. "Ice Princess?"
Renji looked up, eyes heavy. "Yes. Listen closely. This is no fairy tale. This is the origin of everything that haunts this land."
The room grew still as he began.
Long ago, when the world was young—when gods and demons still walked the earth—peace was but an illusion. The land was split in two: the sacred territories of the gods, and the dark dominions of the demons.
But this island… was different. It was ruled by an Absolute Being. A divine entity above gods and demons. From this being came a daughter, known to us as the Ice Princess—her name was Eira.
She was a being of purity and power, untouched by the hatred that ruled the world.
Meanwhile, across the seas and shadows, the Demon King had a son: Kael. Unlike the savage image of demons told in myths, Kael was kind-hearted, brave, and gentle.
Renji's voice softened, as though caught in the emotion of a memory.
"One day, while walking through the human villages with her companions, Princess Eira saw him. Kael. He was helping a child gather water, his hands rough from labor, but his eyes kind."
"They met again. And again. What began as curiosity… became love."
Jasmine whispered, "A forbidden love."
Renji nodded.
"But the Absolute Being discovered them. Enraged that his daughter had fallen for the enemy, he declared Kael a threat to the balance of the world. A war between gods and demons was imminent."
"To prevent the bloodshed, Kael offered himself. He stood before both realms… and took his own life. A sword through the chest… right before Eira's eyes."
No one spoke. The fire crackled in the silence.
Renji's voice grew darker. "That moment broke her. Her screams froze the winds. Her sorrow became wrath. And in one night—"
He looked up, eyes wide.
"—Eira destroyed both gods and demons on this island. She became something else. A being of sorrow, rage… and eternal winter."
Everyone sat frozen.
Sol finally muttered, "So that's the statue in the forest house. The girl… and the boy with the sword…"
Amelia added quietly, "Princess Eira and Prince Kael."
A bitter silence followed. Then Renji looked down at the book again.
"And now… her story is no longer a myth. She's not just history. She's waking up."
Renji closed his eyes. "But that wasn't the end."
Everyone looked at him, breath held.
Renji's voice dropped lower—haunted, almost reverent.
"When Kael's body fell… Eira didn't scream.
She didn't cry.
She froze."
Aisa whispered, "Froze…?"
Renji nodded.
"The sky darkened. The air turned still. The ground beneath her feet turned to frost.
And then—snow began to fall.
Not from the heavens. But from her."
The very land trembled beneath her grief.
Eira stepped toward Kael's lifeless body, her fingers trembling as they brushed his cold cheek. Her once warm blue eyes had turned pale—like frostbitten skies. Her tears fell not as water, but as shards of ice that cut into the ground.
She did not speak. She simply stood there.
And then… the world answered.
A pillar of freezing light erupted from her body—blinding, deafening.
The gods above and demons below felt it.
The Absolute Being himself was struck down by the power he had birthed.
In that moment…
Eira was no longer a princess. She had become a god.
The Ice Goddess.
The front door creaked open as the group stepped inside. Their footsteps were heavy, their expressions distant—each still haunted by the story Renji had shared.
Celica turned from the hallway where she had been waiting.
"You're all back," she said, her voice gentle but edged with concern.
Jasmine gave a small nod. "Yeah... we are."
Celica looked at them carefully, eyes scanning each face. "Did you find something in that house?"
Sol stepped forward, his expression unreadable. "We found a legend. No… a truth. About this island. About the Ice Goddess."
Celica's brow furrowed. "The Ice Goddess?"
Aisa looked toward the room where Ryker lay. "It's connected to everything… and maybe even to him."
Celica glanced over her shoulder toward Ryker's room. "He's still unconscious. No change. But his body... it trembles. Like he's seeing something terrible in his dreams."
Shin sighed. "Figures. He always hides things. Always takes the weight alone."
"I wish he'd just talk to us," Yumi whispered.
"No," Sol muttered, walking past them. "We'll figure this out. With or without his help. But if this goddess is waking up again…"
He paused at the doorway to Ryker's room.
"…we're running out of time."
Celica looked at him, then slowly followed. "So what do we do now?"
Jasmine answered quietly, "We prepare. The Ice Goddess wasn't just a story. She's real. And something—or someone—is trying to awaken her vengeance again."
Amelia, standing near the window, looked out into the night. Snow had started to fall.
"In that case…" she said softly, "…we need answers before the storm turns into a war."
The sky over the island had darkened.
Storm clouds swirled like an omen above Saori's home as tension grew among the heroes. Inside, Ryker remained unconscious—his breathing faint but steady. His body was wrapped in clean white sheets, wounds sealed by Celica and Yumi's relentless healing. But his mind was far away, lost in a dream of ice, sorrow, and the past.
Outside, the courtyard echoed with steel.
Celica stepped out of the house, her expression hardened with duty.
Sol approached her, fixing the last strap on his armored vest.
"He's still not up?" Sol asked, his voice low.
Celica shook her head.
"No. Whatever he saw… whatever happened to him—it wasn't just a fight. Something deeper broke inside him."
Sol clenched his jaw and turned to the others.
Jasmine, Shin, King, Izumi, Amelia, Hiroshi, Tasuya, Arisu, Mio, and Saki were all gathered, standing in lines like soldiers before a battlefield. Hizuru and Saori stood to the side, watching the young warriors prepare to face a legend.
"Everyone listen," Sol said, stepping forward. "We don't know when she'll strike. But we know she will. The Ice Goddess isn't a myth anymore—she's real. She's awake. And she's angry."
Mio's voice trembled.
"Can… can we really fight a goddess?"
Amelia stepped beside her, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"We don't have a choice."
Shin cracked his knuckles, grinning as usual, though his eyes were sharp.
"Even if she's a god, we've got monsters on our side too."
Everyone looked toward the house—toward Ryker.
He hadn't moved. Not a sound. But somehow, his presence lingered like a silent promise.
"Ryker would stand with us if he could," said Jasmine. "So we'll fight until he can."
King stepped forward, holding out the strategy scroll.
"We split into three squads. Defense, Recon, and Assault. The mansion, the forest house, the church—every site must be guarded. Until Ryker wakes up… we'll hold this island."
Sol turned, eyes narrowing.
"Prepare yourselves. Because the war… starts now."
The wind picked up, cold and unnatural.
Far off in the distance, at the edge of the cursed forest, a faint shimmer of frost began spreading across the trees—unnatural, creeping, and full of hatred.
And somewhere, deep in a dream…
Ryker heard a voice whisper through the snow:
"Save me… or destroy me."