– Frey Starlight's POV –
Face to face with Oliver Khan, whose suffocating killing intent still weighed down on me like a storm.
Just how many lives had he taken with those hands?
"You've really lost your way this time... Lord Starlight."
Oliver walked toward me in slow, deliberate steps, while I staggered back with a half-smile.
"I was just looking for a place to spend the holiday. Heard the winter atmosphere at Moon Castle is lovely this time of year."
"…"
He didn't respond with words ... but with something else entirely.
I barely leapt back in time to dodge his sudden strike. For a moment, I thought I had succeeded ...until the burning pain in my gut told me otherwise.
With a horizontal gash across my abdomen, I stumbled backward. Oliver followed immediately.
"Your senses are impressive."
I barely managed to block his daggers with my sword, struggling to hold my ground.
"What are you talking about? I failed to dodge that," I gritted out.
"I was aiming for your intestines."
Sparks burst from the clashing of metal as Oliver ramped up the speed of his strikes. All I could do was parry.
"Did you really think you'd walk out of here alive just because you're the young lord of House Starlight?"
Slash!
He continued tearing through me with ease.
The sound of clashing metal echoed throughout Moon Castle.
"If you thought your name alone would be enough… how disappointing."
It was humiliating ...how he managed to beat me down and mock me at the same time, while I could barely breathe under the pressure of his attacks.
With a sudden kick, he launched me into the wall once again.
Just a few seconds into the clash, and the place was already starting to crumble.
I gasped for air and stood, leaning on Balerion.
He'd asked me if I thought my status alone would keep me safe.
"To be honest… I didn't think so either."
Coming here like this, without a plan or backup ... that was sheer idiocy.
It was clear I couldn't get past Oliver Khan's eyes because of a skill he possessed:
'Soul Domain.'
He could extend his aura to cover a massive range. Anything that crossed that space—he would sense it instantly.
The only way to bypass it was to either have a skill stronger than his ... or simply be stronger than him.
And clearly, I had neither.
"Ordinarily, I wouldn't have come here this way…"
It was reckless. Completely reckless.
But the system's directive was the only clue I had.
I had no other options.
Clang!
I fought back with Balerion as the wounds on my body piled up one after another.
"Do you want to die?"
His daggers cut across my face ... he did it on purpose.
"Yeah… I did, actually."
Until recently, I really wanted to die.
"But I can't die yet."
Dying pointlessly like this wasn't an option.
"Then show me how you'll survive."
It hadn't even been ten minutes, and I was already covered in blood.
I had no idea what kind of performance Oliver wanted from me.
But somehow, it felt like he didn't actually want to kill me.
Oliver Khan wasn't known for talking ... only acting.
Toying with his opponents like this wasn't his style.
If he really meant to kill me, I'd be dead already.
I didn't know much about his character ... especially since in the version of the story I wrote, Sansa didn't survive.
The Oliver I knew and the one standing before me were vastly different.
But I was certain they were the same man. And that was the bet I made , the reason I hadn't used anything but Balerion and not the dark sister .
"Why did you come here, Frey Starlight?"
Boom!
Another explosion rocked the hall, splattering more of my blood across the floor. I kept fighting ...and talking at the same time.
"I came to see the Princess."
"And why do you want to see her?"
The conversation was turning strange. Oliver answered me so casually, as if we were on a stroll.
Meanwhile, I struggled just to stay upright under the pressure of his onslaught .. let alone speak.
How many injuries had I taken by now?
"I'm worried about her," I replied.
The truth was… I came because of the mission. But that wasn't a complete lie. If I could help the Princess, I would.
"I want to help her."
I said that, panting, as Oliver paused to look at me. I had no idea what expression he wore under that mask.
But those crimson eyes ... they never lost their glow.
"I see…"
He spoke calmly, while a terrifying blue aura swirled around his right dagger. The pressure of his aura lifted his long white hair into the air .. and I froze in place.
"Now… you may die."
I didn't even see how he moved his hand ... but his dagger shot out like a missile, aiming straight for my face.
Even with my Hawk Eyes, I could barely follow it.
In my current state, that would've killed me without a doubt.
"Damn it…"
I cursed, as everything turned black.
But it wasn't the usual darkness of losing consciousness… it was something else entirely.
Oliver Khan's explosive dagger stopped mere inches from my face ... ensnared by hundreds of black threads, cocooning it like a spider's web.
I recognized it immediately. That shadow ability…
"Frey!"
Sansa rushed toward us, her steps quick and sharp.
My battered body trembled as I looked up at her. I noticed small changes—her hair had darkened, and there were shadows under her eyes—but I was in no condition to dwell on the details.
"Hey… Sansa."
The princess frowned the moment she saw the state I was in.
I guess this scene had become familiar by now…
Sansa clenched her fist, and the shadows dispersed. Oliver's dagger clattered to the ground.
"What is the meaning of this, Oliver?"
He remained calm, just as he had the entire time he was beating the hell out of me.
"He committed a crime by trespassing into royal grounds."
"He's someone I know," she said firmly.
"Even so… he must be punished."
"And he already has been."
She pointed to the gashes and bruises from my 'friendly' exchange with Oliver.
Oliver stared at her in silence for a moment, then gave a slow nod.
"As you wish."
Satisfied, Sansa exhaled in relief and turned back to me.
"Sneaking into royal territory… I'm not sure whether to call you brave or just insane."
"Probably a little bit of both," I said, lifting myself up with effort. Then I dismissed Balerion too ... hoping to ease the constant pressure Oliver had been pouring over me.
Standing before the princess, I could finally get a proper look at the changes that had come over her.
It had only been a few days since our last meeting, yet she already looked different.
"Why did you come here, Frey?" Sansa asked, with Oliver still standing behind her.
"I came to see you, of course… You left without saying a word."
A brief silence.
"Are you… worried about me?"
She seemed genuinely surprised by the idea.
"Isn't that what friends are for?" I shrugged casually. Sansa gave me a small, quiet smile.
"But you're not really that kind of friend, are you?"
"What kind of scumbag do you take me for?"
I answered her question with another. She sighed, defeated.
"Fine, there was a bit of sincerity in what you said… Come on. You're my guest now."
Sansa turned and gestured for me to follow her.