Zeke's lashes fluttered, the first sign of movement in days. His brow furrowed briefly before his eyes slowly opened. He blinked a few times, his vision blurred and his eyes weary, despite having just woken. After a moment, his surroundings came into focus. He was on his back, staring up at a ceiling made of interconnected glass panels—a familiar sight.
This was definitely the Mana Purifying device. But something was off. There was no smoke in the chamber! Zeke sat up abruptly, his eyes darting to the entrance. It was open. When had that happened? But even more puzzling—he felt... fine?
Shouldn't he be going through withdrawal? Pain? Something?
However, as far as he could tell, there was nothing wrong with him. No, more than that. He felt… fantastic.
Tentatively, he placed his hands on the floor and began to push himself up. The movement felt effortless, his body pulsing with strength. It was hard to believe he had spent the last few months confined to a cramped room, immersed in research. If he didn't know better, he'd think he'd been training his body instead.
As he began to lift himself up, an unfamiliar sight greeted him—a sea of red filled his vision. Confused, Zeke reached out and felt something soft. Pushing the curtain aside, he found himself holding a few strands of hair. The color was unmistakable. Zeke's gaze followed the length of his hair, now cascading far past his shoulders. His eyes widened in shock. His heart raced, but with a deep breath, he steadied himself. If his hair had grown so long, how much time had passed? He had to get out of this place and figure out what was happening.
As Zeke moved toward the exit, he marveled at how light his body felt. His muscles, once stiff and sore from months of inactivity, now felt fluid and responsive. But that was nothing compared to what came next. The moment he stepped out of the sphere, a new world unfolded before him. His Spatial Awareness, once confined to a few steps around him, now stretched to encompass half of the mine complex.
Zeke gaped, momentarily overwhelmed by the flood of information. Yet, to his surprise, his mind quickly adapted. He soon realized how much his ability to process his surroundings had improved. His enhanced comprehension of the images generated by his Spatial Awareness was due to his Mind affinity, which had clearly advanced significantly as well.
"Akasha," Zeke murmured, barely able to keep his mind from wandering.
"I am here, Host," A clear voice said from behind him.
Zeke whirled, not expecting somebody to be in the room with him. However, when he saw the person standing there, his jaw fell open.
In front of him stood a woman with silver hair, her beauty unlike anything he'd ever seen. But that was impossible—Akasha didn't exist in a physical form. There was no way she could be standing here. His eyes narrowed as he noticed subtle irregularities in the image before him. Yet, the moment he focused on them, those discrepancies vanished, as if his brain was deliberately trying to convince him that the scene before him was normal.
"You're not really here, are you?" he asked.
Akasha smiled, her expression more animated than he had ever seen. "I am not."
"Are you manipulating my senses?" Zeke asked, slowly putting the pieces together.
Akasha nodded. "It's what I've always done. After all, isn't [Telepathy] just a manipulation of one's sense of hearing?"
Zeke nodded slowly. Her explanation made sense. Telepathy convinced the mind that a voice was speaking, even without sound. If that was true, then what Akasha was doing now was the same, but for his sight. Though it seemed straightforward, the complexity was far greater. It seemed he wasn't the only one who had benefitted from his breakthrough.
However, he didn't have time to ponder that right now. He frantically pointed at his long hair. "Akasha, how much time has passed?"
Noticing his panic, Akasha smirked. "Don't worry, Host. Your hair isn't an accurate measure of time."
Zeke relaxed slightly at her words. "Then why do I feel so good? Shouldn't I be a mess after spending so much time in the chamber?"
Akasha nodded. "You were in a bad state after the advancement. I took… certain liberties to ensure your recovery."
"What liberties?" Zeke raised an eyebrow. He trusted Akasha completely, but that didn't mean she couldn't make mistakes. He knew her priorities didn't always align with his, especially regarding the survival of his people.
"For one," Akasha said, "I convinced your followers to seal off the mine and leave."
"WHAT!?" Zeke burst out, but caught himself right after. There had to be a good reason for this. He patiently waited for the Spirit to continue.
"…I deemed it the best strategy to ensure both Host and the Chimeroi survived when the Frostscale Tribe attacked the—"
"WHAT!?" Zeke burst out once more, unable to stop himself.
Akasha sighed. "Host, this would go much faster if you'd let me finish first."
Zeke nodded sheepishly, letting the Spirit explain everything that had happened—at least, everything she was aware of. Once he heard the entire story, he fell into deep thought. He had to admit that Akasha had made the right choice. If the Chimeroi had been forced to defend the mine without the option to retreat, they likely would have perished. Yet, even now, survival was uncertain.
The attack had occurred over a week ago, and he had been in a comatose state since then. Akasha had facilitated that, but he didn't blame her. It was impressive enough that he had managed to recover so quickly, and whatever she had done during that time had worked wonders for him.
Before he could say anything else, a second figure appeared beside the Spirit. It was a man Zeke had seen only once before, with flowing red hair and two curved horns proudly rising from his forehead. A quick glance at the Spirit confirmed that the Dragon's presence was also her doing.
"It's been a while, Khai'Zar," Zeke said.
"Has it?" the Dragon replied lazily. "It felt more like a blink of an eye to me…"
Zeke regarded the imposing figure with skepticism. He sensed there was more to the Dragon's unusual absence in recent months. "We haven't spoken since the Deadlands, have we?"
Khai'Zar frowned. "What are you implying, whelp?"
"It couldn't be that you were afraid to show yourself in front of the King of the Dead, could it?" he asked directly.
The Dragon scoffed. "That human was strong, I admit it. The strongest I've ever seen, but somebody of his caliber is still unable to force me into hiding."
Zeke raised a brow. He had been certain that the Dragon's absence was related to Sheol's appearance. But he didn't think the reptile would lie about this. "Then why?"
"…There was a smell about that place that I hoped never to encounter again," the Dragon began, shaking his head as if to dispel bad memories. "But that's not important right now. I just urge you not to return there."
"Any reasons?"
The Dragon regarded him with a serious expression. "It's never wise to enter the domain of such a being. The moment you set foot in those lands, your life is no longer your own. You escaped purely by happenstance; nothing more."
Zeke was about to ask another question, but the Dragon silenced him by raising his hand. "Do you really have time for this right now?" he asked. "Every second you waste, the survival of your people grows more uncertain."
Zeke froze, realization washing over him. In his elation, he had completely forgotten about the situation. A frown soon replaced his shock. "I need to finish my poison tempering—"
Akasha shook her head. "I took care of that while Host was asleep."
Zeke shot her a grateful look. He honestly didn't know what he would have done without the Spirit. "Then, my next step should be clear."
***
In an isolated room, a girl sat cross-legged beside her father's bed. For the past few days, the chamber had been completely deserted, with no visitors coming by. She couldn't blame them; with everything happening, there was little time to worry about her father's situation. On top of that, her brother had ordered the area sealed, apparently spreading the rumor that their father was almost recovered.
Snow sighed. If only that were true. Her father's condition had only worsened, and she worried whether he would last until the end of the moon.
With nothing else to do, she returned to her training. She had promised that she would take her improvements seriously, and she intended to fulfill that vow. Over the last few moons, she had made significant progress. While her relentless efforts contributed to her growth, a larger part was thanks to her location and her father's presence.
Winter's heart, the sacred dwelling of the tribe, held the purest Ice-attributed Mana in the entire region. This was why their tribe had become so strong but also why the Frostscale Tribe coveted their lands. And now, it seemed as if the Frostscale's wish would finally come true.
Unless a miracle happened.
***
Zeke located the [Beacon] beside the Progenitor in an instant. With laughable ease, he crossed the void and found himself standing inside the round chamber. The curtains around Winter's bed were wide open, revealing a young woman with snow-white hair sitting cross-legged before it.
A guard?
Zeke took a step forward, but the woman didn't move; she seemed unaware of his presence. What a poor guard, he thought as he approached the bed. Only when he was nearly beside her did she finally react. She stretched lazily, as if waking from a long sleep, and slowly turned to face him.
However, the moment their eyes met, she sprang to her feet. "Zeke!?" she exclaimed.
Zeke froze. That voice, that face, those eyes… "Snow?" he asked tentatively. "Is that you?"
"Who else would it be?" the woman asked as she rushed into his embrace.
Zeke hesitated. This was Snow? Little Snow? The woman in his arms look nothing like the little kid he remembered. For one, she was almost as tall as him, with graceful curves that hinted at maturity. Her long, pale hair cascaded over her shoulders like a waterfall, framing a face that had blossomed into stunning beauty. Her lips, full and inviting, were curled into a warm smile. Zeke noticed how her skin glowed with a icy luster, a stark contrast to the ruddy cheeks of the girl he had known.
"…Damn Chimeroi," Zeke muttered under his breath as he finally returned the hug, relieved that his own little sister wouldn't suddenly grow up like that. It would have been a blow he could hardly recover from.
"Where have you been all this time?" Snow asked as she finally pulled away from him.
Zeke rubbed the back of his head, feeling a bit ashamed about his long absence. "I've been preparing…"
Snow's eyes widened as she glanced from Zeke to the bed where her father lay. "Could it be…?"
Zeke nodded confidently. Before his advancement, he had doubts about his success. But now, a boundless sense of confidence filled him. He could do it. No, he would do it! He gently patted Snow on the shoulder as he walked past her.
It was time to put his newfound powers to the test.