The silence between us felt almost heavier than the damp chill of the cave walls pressing in. Only the soft echo of our footsteps and the low hum of the glowing vines filled the void as we ventured deeper.

  The teal light pulsed gently, illuminating just enough of the path to keep moving forward—but the shadows ahead remained endless.

  "Skymint," I whispered, voice steadier than the fear curling in my chest. "Where are you taking me?"

  "To an old friend," he replied, glancing back at me with furrowed brows. "Are you alright? If you're uncomfortable, I can take you somewhere else. Is it... enclosed spaces?"

  I shook my head, carefully pulling my hand free from his. The words tumbled out before I could stop them. "But this... this is the Ice Monster’s Lair. I don't want to be eaten."

  He blinked. "What?" His expression twisted with genuine confusion. "I've come here so many times. I've never seen anything like that."

  "Are you sure?" I challenged, unease prickling my spine. "Maybe it didn't appear before. Maybe now it will—because you're with me."

  His gaze shifted between the tunnel and my face, the beginnings of uncertainty flickering in his eyes—but then, just as quickly, he smiled, gentle and reassuring. "Arie, that's just an old story. I promise you, there's nothing to fear."

  His hand touched my shoulder, steady, grounding. For a moment, his startling eyes—so pale they almost glowed—managed to anchor me, and I allowed a breath to escape, tension easing slightly from my posture.

  Until the roar came.

  A deep, guttural sound, echoing from the void ahead—low, furious, and unmistakably alive.

  I froze.

  The sound was real.

  Real.

  Panic surged. My hands rose instinctively, trembling as ice gathered at my palms, pale frost swirling into existence.

  "Arie, wait—"

  "Don't touch me!" My voice lashed out as my fingers curled tighter, the raw instinct of survival overriding reason.

  I couldn't trust him.

  Not when I was being led deeper into this cursed cavern. Not when a creature was lurking just beyond the veil of shadows. My hands surged with power, a jagged ice shard forming faster than I could control—

  And I released it.

  The ice shot forward, too fast to call back—striking Skymint squarely in the chest.

  The impact sent him staggering a step backward.

  I felt the blood drain from my face.

  I turned away sharply, pulse hammering as my knees buckled. No. No, no, no—

  "I killed him."

  The shard. My power. His kindness.

  "He shouldn't have rescued me. None of this would have happened—"

  A whisper—barely audible.

  "Arie... it's not your fault."

  I gasped, spinning back toward him—

  He was still standing.

  The ice shard jutted out from his chest, embedded deep—yet not a single drop of blood stained his pale fur.

  His hand reached up calmly, fingers curling around the jagged ice. And with a casual tug, he pulled it free as if it were no more than a splinter.

  And then—

  Darkness.

  The world spun. My vision blurred, and the cold was gone.

  This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

  ***

  Warmth.

  Silk, soft against my skin.

  I stirred, disoriented, consciousness returning in fragments.

  "Arie."

  The voice—gentle. Familiar.

  "Arie."

  My eyelids fluttered open. Skymint's face hovered above mine, his expression creased with concern. I was lying on some sort of foam mattress, a pale gray blanket tucked around me. The cave's cyan vines pulsed gently around us, painting the stone in eerie shades of silver-blue.

  But we weren't alone.

  An old turtle, cloaked in worn midnight fabric, stood quietly at the tunnel's end. The light caught the smooth dome of his bald head, and perched on his shoulder, clinging to his sleeve with sharp claws, was—

  A creature.

  Tiny. Snow-white. Its beady black eyes fixed on me with unsettling intensity.

  The turtle's voice broke the silence. "Fear nothing, young one. This is my companion. He used to be three times the height of your friend here, but I assure you—he's harmless now."

  I stared. "That—that was the Ice Monster?!"

  The creature blinked. Its deep black gaze seemed to mock me.

  The turtle chuckled. "Ah, yes. Skymint, explain."

  Skymint winced as the turtle prodded his ribs with the tip of an ancient wooden staff.

  "Ack—alright, alright! Um... so, the sorcerer here—Donshell—defeated the Ice Monster years ago. He shrank it down with a spell."

  Donshell nodded, stroking his beard. "Indeed. Though, I fear the spell's effects have begun to wane. Hence the...roaring."

  I paled, instinctively eyeing the tiny creature.

  "Don't worry," Skymint cut in, flashing a nervous smile. "The spell's stable. As long as no one here tries... experimenting with forbidden magic or anything."

  The monster opened its mouth and let out a surprisingly loud, tiny roar.

  Donshell sighed. "I admit, I may have amplified it a touch for dramatic effect. Life in solitude gets dull. Forgive the theatrics, Princess Arie."

  I blinked. "Wait—how do you know who I am?"

  The old sorcerer offered a knowing smile. "I see more than most. Now, tell me... how did you end up with him?"

  Skymint flushed. "I rescued her! She was—"

  "Yes, yes, I’m just surprised you were the rescuer. Not exactly—"

  "I rescued her!"

  I ignored their banter. Something stirred in the back of my mind, a memory resurfacing. I sat upright, ignoring the ache lingering in my limbs, and extended my palm.

  "Arie?" Skymint asked warily.

  "My kingdom is in peril. Felipe killed my brother." The words slipped from my lips before I could stop them, a quiet confession that seemed to echo in the cave’s cold, hollow air.

  “Felipe invades our kingdom. He killed my brother,” I repeated, louder this time. The statement struck Skymint visibly, his jaw tightening as he processed it. Donshell, however, remained still, his expression unreadable—like he’d already anticipated my revelation.

  “The Wolf King,” the old sorcerer murmured, his voice carrying the weight of a story long buried. “He harbors an unrelenting hatred for the Glaciouso bloodline. A hatred born of the days when Wolfmen were enslaved by your family. They are free now—but only because of him.”

  I froze, his words like shards of ice cutting into me. “Slaves? Why—why would we do that?” The question fell from my lips as though seeking answers from someone long gone.

  Donshell’s gaze softened, though the gravity of his tone remained. “Even I lack the full knowledge of those times, Ice Princess. But mark my words—you are not bound by the sins of your ancestors. You can choose to be better.”

  I looked away, shame blooming in my chest. “But... I don’t want to be the Queen of Glacia.” The admission left my mouth bitter and raw, the silence that followed heavy with disappointment.

  “That title belongs to my mother. I have to find her—to dethrone Felipe.”

  “And if she isn’t what you believe her to be?” Donshell’s voice was sharp, deliberate, like a dagger poised to strike. “Will you still pursue her?”

  I hesitated, glancing at Skymint for reassurance. His expression was kind but cautious.

  “Shell, don’t test her,” Skymint said quietly, as if trying to shield me. “She’s stronger than you think.”

  “Please,” I whispered, forcing my voice to steady itself against the swell of doubt rising inside me. “Teach me how to reach Class 5 today.”

  Donshell laughed, the sound loud and booming, like thunder cracking through the stillness. He leaned on his staff for support as though the notion itself had weakened him. “Class 5? Today? Oh, child—I'm not a fruit master. I am but a humble sorcerer. Besides, such a leap—"

  Skymint chuckled softly, his tone light. “Don’t mind him, Arie. Solitude’s made him... eccentric.” His smile lingered before fading into something more serious. “But he’s right—jumping to Class 5 in a day is unrealistic.”

  I crossed my arms, determined. “You shrugged off an ice shard to the chest earlier. That wasn’t exactly ordinary either.”

  Skymint rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. “Ah. Right.” He hesitated, pulling something small from his pocket. “Well... my fruit category is a melon.”

  A cube floated into the air between us, glowing faintly.

  “Summon Wintermelon!” Skymint called, and a cantaloupe-shaped fruit materialized above the cube, its aura a soft, shimmering blue—much like my own.

  “So it’s an ice type, too...” I murmured, studying it.

  “Your passive ability must be a hardened body,” I guessed aloud, observing the light that danced between the fruit and his hand.

  “Correct.” Skymint nodded. “And yours enhances your stamina by extending your internal body clock. It’s why you haven’t collapsed from exhaustion yet.”

  “Shell!” Skymint turned abruptly to Donshell. “Can we stay here until tomorrow?”

  “You may stay as long as you like,” Donshell replied warmly, though his gaze flickered toward me, silently assessing my resolve.

  “Thank you, but I have to return to my village by noon,” Skymint added.

  My chest tightened. Leave? Was he going to leave me here? Alone? My mind spiraled at the thought of Wolfmen stalking the shadows, waiting for night to fall and drag me to Felipe. I didn’t want to be abandoned—not again.

  Skymint seemed to sense my panic, his eyes softening as they met mine. “Don’t worry, Arie. I’ll bring you with me.”

  Relief washed over me, and I couldn’t help but smile. “Thank you. But before then, please teach me ice-fighting techniques. I might not reach Class 5 today, but I’ll push myself as far as I can.”

  Skymint gave me a long look before his lips curved into a soft, almost reluctant smile. “If that’s what you want, I won’t stop you. Let’s begin your first lesson.”