Darkness surrounded Ryker.
Not the gentle calm of night, but a suffocating, absolute void. There was no sky, no ground, no warmth—just stillness, endless and consuming.
He floated in it, hollow. Senseless.
Until a sound cracked through the silence.
Drip… drip…
Faint. Distant. Water striking stone, echoing through emptiness.
Then came a voice. Quiet. Soft as a dying whisper, yet heavy with sorrow.
"You must save the island…"
His eyes stirred beneath closed lids. But even open, there was no light. Only shadow.
"she… she was never meant to become a goddess…"
A faint blue glow flickered in the void. It danced like a dying flame—then shaped itself into a figure.
A young man.
Hair pale as snow, eyes shimmering like winter light. A long, silver blade pierced straight through his chest… and yet he stood upright, ethereal, unbroken.
Ryker's breath caught.
"Who… are you?" he asked.
The boy's expression was calm, almost tender.
"I am the Prince of the demons," he said. "The one she loved… the one who chose death to save both worlds."
A bitter silence followed.
Ryker's heart beat faster, the pieces forming in his mind. The Ice Princess… the legend…
"Her grief twisted her soul," the Prince continued. "She became something else. Something divine… and wrathful."
He took a step forward. His glow flared faintly as he reached out and rested a hand on Ryker's shoulder.
"You are not me. But you carry strength. And burden. That's why you're here."
"Find the truth. End the curse. Set her free."
The glow around the boy began to fade. His body slowly dissolved into the dark.
"Save her… Ryker…"
Ryker reached out.
"Wait—why are you here? Why me?"
But the Prince was gone.
A whisper lingered—one last voice, uncertain and trembling:
"I… I don't know. Someone brought me here…"
And then—
Light.
A flash.
A gasp.
Ryker's body jolted as he surged upright.
Pain exploded through him—raw, burning—but he was awake. Alive.
He felt the warmth of cloth. The sharp scent of herbs in the air. A hand gripped his.
Voices.
Familiar. Urgent.
"He's awake!"
Celica's voice, breaking through the chaos.
Outside, a cold wind screamed through the trees. And far across the island—deep in the forgotten forest—a statue began to shatter.
The Ice Goddess…
Was waking.
Ryker stirred, rising slowly as the sheets clung to his damp skin. A dull ache pulsed through his muscles, and every movement sent a wave of pain echoing through his body. His chest rose and fell with shallow, strained breaths.
He winced and muttered, his voice cracked and dry.
"…That dream… what does it mean?"
From across the room, a gentle voice answered, soft but laced with relief.
"You're awake."
His head turned sluggishly toward the sound.
Celica stood by the doorway, her arms crossed and her eyes wide with a storm of emotions—relief, concern, and something more guarded. She walked toward him cautiously.
Ryker blinked a few times, his thoughts swimming. "What… what happened to me?"
"That's what we want to ask you," Celica said, stopping beside the bed. Her tone was firm but not harsh. "You tell us. What happened?"
He looked down at his trembling hands. They didn't stop shaking, no matter how hard he tried.
"I… I don't know anything," he whispered. "I just remember… someone watching me. Then—nothing. It all went black."
Celica sighed, frustration tightening her jaw. "Tch… So even you don't know."
Ryker slowly pulled the blanket off his body, then froze.
His body was covered in cuts—dozens of them. Deep, jagged, bandaged with care but still raw and painful. His chest was wrapped tightly, blood seeping faintly through the cloth. His arms and torso bore fresh scars, angry and unhealed.
His eyes widened. "What the hell…?"
He stared at the wounds like they belonged to someone else.
Celica sat down in the nearby chair, silent now. Her eyes never left him, but she didn't speak.
The wind outside howled against the windowpanes, carrying with it a bitter cold. In the distance, something ancient seemed to awaken—a presence that neither of them could see, but both could feel.
A chill ran down Ryker's spine.
And deep in his chest, the echo of that voice from the dream lingered—
"Save her… Ryker…"
The dense trees gave way to a small clearing as Jasmine led the group through the forest. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and moss.
Ahead, the old house stood quiet and still, its wooden walls faded and covered in creeping vines.
Jasmine stopped and glanced back at the others—King, Sol, Shin, Amelia, Hiroshi, Arisu, Mio, Saki, Izumi, Tasuya, Aisa, Yumi, and Akira—all catching their breath, forest house.
"We've arrived," Jasmine said softly, her voice barely breaking the forest's silence.
Sol stepped forward, narrowing his eyes. "This place… it feels wrong."
Izumi nodded, gripping her weapon tightly. "We need to be careful."
One by one, they moved toward the door, the weight of what they might find pressing down on them all.
The door creaked open, the old hinges groaning as the group stepped into the house.
A sudden chill swept through the air. It wasn't just cold—it was unnatural, biting through their clothes and cutting straight to the bone.
Arisu paused, shivering slightly.
"This… this isn't how it felt last time," he whispered. "The aura… it's changed."
Shin glanced around warily, eyes narrowed. "More sinister."
Sol raised his hand, signaling the others. "Everyone, stay ready."
They moved carefully through the dim halls, every step echoing on the wooden floor. Shadows danced across the walls. No one spoke, but the weight of fear clung to their backs.
At the end of the corridor stood a door—carved with symbols they hadn't noticed before.
Amelia placed her hand on the handle. "This is the statue room…"
Tasuya nodded. "We should be careful."
Together, they pushed the door open.
A blast of icy air surged past them.
Inside the room, the walls shimmered with frost. And standing at the center, before the ancient statue, was a girl.
Her eyes glowed a piercing red—unnatural, commanding—and her long hair flowed like silk spun from snow. Her clothes shimmered like ice, elegant and divine. She didn't move. She didn't need to. Her presence alone made the air feel heavier.
The group froze.
Sol took a sharp breath.
"Ahh… that's…" he muttered, his voice laced with disbelief.
"She's Renji's daughter…"
"Elena," he said aloud.
A stunned silence followed.
"Elena…?" several voices echoed at once, filled with shock.
The girl turned her head slightly—expression unreadable, gaze locked on them like she had been expecting this moment.