Sylaphine's Perspective:
2:53 AM - 31/12/2017
The forest trembled around us.
Frostbitten air stung my lungs with every inhale, carrying the hiss of shattered ice and the cacophony of battle. The frost crawler's massive frame tore through the blizzard like a living avalanche, its body cracking the frozen ground beneath it.
Lucas moved atop the ridges of snow, lightning and elemental magic converging into spears of light that tore at the beast's scales. Celia swung her chains, thorns lashing, wrapping around its tail, trying to pin it even for a moment.
Luke, wild and furious, summoned roots and earth, smashing the terrain into barriers and spikes, buying them time.
And yet… it was relentless.
Eryndor hovered just behind me, his hands trembling but steady as he summoned the fiery barrier to catch the shards flying toward us. I could feel him straining, mana flickering like a candle in the wind. Every shard that hit the barrier made him cough, and still he held it.
My loyal wing…
Kaiser's gaze was on me. Almost infuriating in its stillness.
How can he watch this unfold so easily while I—
I swallowed the rising panic.
I am their queen. I am their mother.
I cannot depend on someone else.
My eyes swept over the battlefield. Aliana's body shivered. Velith, pale and barely conscious, clung to Caelum's shoulder. And yet… my healing magic, centuries of study, had failed me.
There is only one way.
I exhaled, steadying my hands, my mind racing.
I must understand the nature of this disease. Its origin. Its mechanism.
"Your Majesty… what are we to do?" Eryndor's voice was strained, laced with desperation.
"I… I need to see it," I whispered, almost to myself.
My senses stretched across the battlefield, past the frost shards, the screaming wind, into the bloodstream of those infected.
Centuries of healing magic, of life-mending spells, flickered in memory, faint as starlight. I could feel the pulse of disease, like a shadow within a shadow.
The blood of the infected shimmered faintly under my gaze, carrying a frost deeper than the air around it. It wasn't just cold—it lived in their veins, moving toward vital organs, feeding, replicating
Heat and warmth were repelled as if the disease revered cold.
Kaiser knelt beside Aliana, hands brushing over her arms with nonchalant precision, eyes still on me.
Velith's form quivered beneath him.
"The enzyme," he said, glancing up at me without emotion,
"is freezing their blood. It allows the virus to spread to the vitals with ease. Warm the body, and you can slow it. Heat weakens the catalyst. That's its nature."
I felt it—understood it, finally.
My magic, bound to healing and the natural flow of life, could now target its weakness. Heat.
I had to counter the enzyme itself, to let the blood flow freely and purge the virus from its frozen prison.
The frost crawler roared again, the icy breath scattering shards into the air. My hands tingled, senses focused like a hawk's gaze. I could feel the energy of life around me—the vital spark in Caelum, Velith, Eryndor, Aliana… and the fairies trapped behind the illusions, fighting to survive.
It can work. It must work.
I lifted my hands, feeling centuries of healing magic pouring through me, guided by the knowledge of the enzyme, the cold virus, and the warmth that could undo it.
I will purge the frost, restore warmth, and flow life through their veins as a tide of fire within ice.
Kaiser stood behind me, expression unreadable, still observing. Not a word. Not a gesture. But I knew his mind had already charted the path.
"Yes," I whispered to myself, voice steady, firm. "It can work."
The frost crawler's scream reverberated across the frozen forest. This is our last chance. One final strike—not just with blades, chains, or lightning—but with the very essence of life itself.
But my focus — were my wings.
Aliana lay motionless, her skin pale and lips trembling faintly, as if the last warmth of her body was pleading to remain. The frost creeping along her veins shimmered under the dim light — a cruelly beautiful poison.
Eryndor knelt beside me, his usually steady hands trembling.
"Your Majesty," he said, voice hoarse, "the ice—it spreads faster. The shards—"
"I know." I cut him off, though gently. My tone hid my fear, but inside, I was breaking.
"There is one way to fight it. I need to understand what this infection truly is. Only then can I cure it."
He looked at me with desperation, and for the first time in centuries, I felt small before the gaze of my own wing.
His faith weighed on me.
"Then I beg you, my queen. Do what only you can do."
My hands trembled as I gathered my mana — centuries of wisdom, layered in every gesture, every incantation. The world dimmed; the air hummed with golden light. I thought of all the times I'd healed with ease, of lives restored with a touch, of the countless times I'd whispered life back into death.
But this time, I hesitated.
Why does my heart feel uncertain?
Still, I cast the spell.
"[Lúmen Vita — Aeternus.]"
The ground rippled with radiant threads of gold, enveloping Aliana's body. Warmth spread through her skin, the frost melting like snow under morning light. For a moment, I dared to hope.
"Did it work?" Eryndor's voice cracked.
But Aliana didn't move. Her body, though healed, warmer, began to tremble again. No wounds, no scars — yet she coughed faintly, blood staining her lips anew.
I froze.
Why? Why isn't it working…?
My healing magic was flawless.. For seven thousand years, it had never failed.And yet here I was — powerless before a dying girl.
"Why…" I whispered to no one. "Why can't I save her…?"
Kaiser knelt beside Aliana, his movements calm, deliberate. He picked up one of the shards, inspecting its texture, the faint frost clinging to its edge.
"Your magic worked," he said softly. "But the virus… it's mutating."
My eyes snapped to him. "Mutating? What do you mean?"
He looked at me, blue eyes gleaming under the frost's reflection. "Perhaps its RNA is adapting — sheltering itself from the cold by raising its ambient temperature."
I blinked.
RNA? Ambient temperature?
Those were not words of mages, but of alchemists, chemists, doctors — of mortals who relied on science, not divinity.
I don't understand… I never studied such things… I'm no chemist. I heal through faith, through magic… not this…
Desperation gripped me. My mind felt empty, useless. I don't know how to fight something I can't understand.
My gaze turned to him.
Only he can help me… this human who speaks like the gods themselves whisper through him. Please help me...
"Do you… know the solution?" I asked quietly, my voice trembling.
He met my eyes — and smiled, gently.
"I may not. But I believe in you."
"You… believe in me?" I asked, my lips quivering. "But what I've done so far has achieved nothing."
"Even so, I haven't lost faith."
"I don't understand," I said, feeling my chest ache. "How can you still have faith in me?"
He leaned closer, his tone warm, teasing, yet sincere.
"Well, you see, your majesty… in your eyes, I see a woman who refuses to let her people fall. You don't see your fairies as servants — you see them as your children. You were there when no one else was. How could I not believe in someone like that?"
I stared at him — speechless.
"And," he added, his voice dropping softer, "there's one more reason."
"…That is?" I whispered.
"How can I lose faith in the woman I confessed I loved?" he said, smiling faintly — and winked.
My breath caught. For a moment, my centuries of composure faltered.
This man… he's not normal. To speak of such foolish things in a time like this…
But then — wait.
It clicked.
Cold Mutation.
If heat was the virus's weakness… then perhaps…
Across the battlefield, Lucas was conjuring a storm of electricity.
"Celia, get back!" he shouted.
Celia cut her own cursed chains off, letting them fall wet with his conjured water.
Then came the strike — lightning crackling through the soaked metal, frying the frost-crawler in an explosion of light and sound. It screamed, its body searing under the clash of elements.
Luke shouted from afar, "Nice work, Lucas!" as his roots trapped the monster's limbs.
I stood up, my wings flaring. The pieces fell into place.
It's the origin point. The infection spread from where the shards first entered — her stomach, her arms. That's the root. Even if her blood froze, her core remains warm… I can use that.
I turned to Kaiser. "Thank you," I whispered.
"No need to thank me. I didn't do anything at all." He smirked faintly, eyes half-lidded.
I smiled — faint, trembling. "It's my turn."
And then, I raised my hands once more, this time not with blind faith. A golden fire blossomed, gentle and alive, wrapping Aliana's body like a mother's embrace.
"[Solaria — Vitae Reignite.]"
The frost began to melt.
The light… began to return.
I focused. My eyes traced the web of her veins beneath the translucent skin — blue, then pale, then tinged with something unnatural.
The virus wasn't still. It was alive. Twisting.
It moved like a serpent, weaving its way through her bloodstreams, forming a shell of icy heat around itself.
A paradox — warmth protecting cold.
"Absorbing heat to shield itself…" I murmured. "Clever little parasite."
I poured more magic into her. My aura burst outward in golden waves, the runes around my hands burning bright. The wind howled through the forest as the barrier around us trembled under the sheer force of it.
Eryndor stood frozen, eyes wide, his voice barely a whisper."Mother…?"
He had never seen me like this.
Not as a queen. Not as a goddess. But as something else — desperate, fairy, alive.
My senses tunneled deeper, past flesh and bone, into the very essence of her being. The cells near the wound sites — her stomach, her arms — were the most infected. The enzyme from the frost shards accelerated it, forcing the virus to reproduce at terrifying speed.
So I aimed there first.
A thin golden light pressed onto those areas. I infused it with a soft warmth, subtle enough not to burn, but strong enough to halt the enzyme's spread. The frost hissed and retreated like a snake struck with flame.
"Steady…" I whispered to myself, forcing my trembling fingers still. "I can do this."
Her veins pulsed with light. I summoned deeper, older words — ones I hadn't uttered in centuries.
"✶ Hear me, children of the cosmos… Let the stars that birthed life shine once more upon the fallen. Let their radiance weave the threads undone. By the covenant of light and warmth[Restaurare Stellaris.] ✶"
The spell bloomed, a thousand shimmering motes drifting from my fingertips. They descended upon Aliana like a rainfall of starlight, merging with her body, knitting her cells anew.
I guided the spell with every breath, using my own warmth to stabilize her. My magic sought the coldest points in her body — the pressure points where the virus hid — and ignited them with soft, precise heat.
One by one, I destroyed them. Then, with equal care, I restored the tissue that had burned away.
seconds felt like hours. My breath came shallow. My wings trembled. I felt my heartbeat slow, my limbs heavy — the cost of forcing life where death had already claimed dominion.
Don't stop.
Not yet.
The edges of my vision darkened. My body shivered — the warmth I'd given her was being drained from me. My magic began to flicker.
Then — arms caught me.
Firm, steady, grounding.
I looked up weakly. Kaiser's face came into view, faintly lit by the starlight still hovering around us. His overcoat brushed against my cheek — warm. Gentle.
"Thank you…" I breathed, barely audible.
He smiled faintly, brushing a strand of hair from my face.
"You're amazing, Sylaphine."
I turned my head toward Aliana. Her chest rose and fell — steady. Her lips no longer dripped blood.
"She's… she's breathing," I whispered, disbelief trembling in my voice.
Kaiser's gaze softened as he looked at her, and for a fleeting moment, I saw something tender — too tender — in his eyes.
Across from us, Celia's eyes narrowed.
The faintest flicker of jealousy passed through her red eyes, inspiring murderous intentions. She said nothing, did nothing either.
Then — a gasp.
Aliana's body stirred. Her hand twitched. Her eyelids fluttered open, revealing glassy, dazed eyes.
"Aliana…" I knelt beside her, tears threatening to spill. "Wake up… please."
Her lips parted, trembling as she drew her first steady breath in what felt like eternity.
"…Mother?"
"Yes," I whispered, voice breaking. "You're safe now."
Her gaze drifted — first to Lucas, then to Luke's trembling silhouette, and finally to Kaiser.And for the first time since the frost fell — she smiled.
Luke caught sight of her awakening, his wand briefly lowering cast.
"She's— she's breathing!" he cried out, a bright, trembling smile spreading across his face.
Eryndor knelt beside Aliana, his hands hovering over her shoulder as if touching her might shatter the miracle.
"Mother," he whispered, voice heavy with awe. "You did it."
I nodded faintly, exhaustion creeping through my limbs. "Yes… but this is only the beginning."
The frost still lingered in the air — on Caelum, on Velith, on my fairies scattered across the labyrinth's ground. I could feel their weak pulses through the thread of our shared essence.
Their magic flickered faintly, trapped beneath layers of enchanted frost.
With this technique, I can save them too. I just have to find where the virus formed its shell and destroy it manually. It wasn't a healing spell at all… I was creating one from scratch.
For a fleeting moment, I turned toward Kaiser.
He stood quietly amidst the chaos — coat swaying with the cold wind, eyes calm. He hadn't doubted me once, even when I doubted myself.
His faith was infuriating… yet strangely beautiful and warm.
I've never seen a human like this… not in seven thousand years. Not since that boy.It's… astonishing. And terrifying.
How can someone like him even exist?
I tore my gaze away and closed my eyes again. My magic expanded like a wave through the labyrinth — reaching every wounded fairy, Caelum, Velith.
"✶ Spirits of warmth, echoes of dawn, Rekindle the flame that frost has stolen. Breathe through their veins, restore their song—By the vow of life, by my crown of light—[Anima Reflare.] ✶"
A radiant pulse surged from my palms. The ground glowed in patterns of ancient runes — fractal, alive, spreading like roots of light.
When I opened my eyes, I saw their bodies begin to mend. The frost faded from their limbs, color returning to their cheeks.
The fairies — Mirana, Faye, Thistle, Nyxie, Bramble — stirred first. Their translucent wings twitched, crystalline ice melting away.
Then Valtherion — their group leader— lifted his head, blinking in disbelief. One by one, the illusive sylaris began to move, thawing from their frozen prisons.
Their auras shimmered faintly, their laughter — weak but real — filled the silence.
"I'm so glad…" I whispered, my chest tightening with relief.
But then, I noticed something peculiar.
Their gazes — Mirana's, Valtherion's — weren't upon me.
They were fixed… on him.
Fear shimmered in their tiny eyes as they stared at Kaiser — not in defiance, but in something else.
I frowned slightly, following their line of sight.
Valtherion had told me once that Kaiser was odd — the only human they couldn't deceive with illusions. I had dismissed it, thinking perhaps his mind was too logical for dream magic to grasp.
But now…
Why had I forgotten that? Why had my wariness melted away so suddenly?
I had come to trust him — deeply, almost instinctively — when I had never trusted any humans in centuries.
That shouldn't have been possible.
I narrowed my gaze subtly. My instincts stirred uneasily.
Kaiser Everhart… what are you hiding from me?
He turned his head slightly, meeting my stare with a faint, knowing smile. Calm. Charming. Disarming.
I shook my head.
Not now. There were lives still hanging by a thread.
Behind me, a groan.
Caelum and Velith — their eyes opening slowly, their breaths deepening.
Velith's lips quivered before forming a smile."Mother… you saved us," she whispered, her voice trembling like a child's first cry.
Caelum stumbled forward, nearly falling as he tried to rise. Tears glistened in his eyes.
"I—I thought I'd never feel warmth again," he said hoarsely. "Everything was fading… it was so cold... Until you came."
I reached out, brushing his hair gently from his face. "You're safe now, my children. The frost will harm you no longer."
Caelum's voice cracked, I saw him weep openly. "I felt so cold, mother… but your voice kept echoing through the dark. It guided me back."
A soft smile touched my lips. "Then let it echo always."
They both leaned close, resting their foreheads against my hand — wings trembling, breaths uneven. I felt their hearts beating beneath their chests. Fragile, yet alive.
And as I looked up, through the pale light and lingering mist, I saw Kaiser standing apart — half in shadow, half in moonlight. Watching.
The frost crawler suddenly shifted its stance—its eyes locked on us.
Celia, Lucas, Luke—they were all ignored.
"No you don't!" Eryndor's voice rang out, his arm stretched forward as a glowing sigil expanded into a barrier of shifting light.
The monster roared, its throat swelling with frost.
Ice spears exploded from its body like arrows loosed from a bowstring—piercing through the mist, glinting with death.
The first few shattered against the barrier.
Velith and Caelum poured mana in sync beside him, the air trembling under the strain.The illusory fairies behind us added their shimmer, each sparkle of light strengthening the wall.
But one spear—sharp, silent, perfectly aligned—slipped through.
Straight toward me.
My eyes widened. My lips parted—"Lux—"
That was all I managed to say before the world blurred.
"Careful now."
Kaiser's voice. Calm.
In a single step, he was there—his hand intercepting the ice before it reached me.
The sound was sharp, like glass biting into stone.
His right hand froze instantly—white as snow, veins turning blue beneath the skin.He released it, letting the spear fall and shatter into dust.
"Are you okay?" he asked, voice steady despite the pain.
"I–I am…" I managed, still frozen in shock.
Behind us, Lucas' mirrors flared—reflecting beams of light that struck the crawler's legs.Luke's roots snapped upward, wrapping around it.
A burst of fireblast followed, and the creature howled as its carapace blackened, melting into smoke.
The fairies flow along the barrier, keeping the freeze contained, making the monster weak—fragile.
Then I looked down.
"Wait—oh no, your hand!"
He blinked, glancing casually at the frost still coating his fingers."It's not a big deal—"
"It is!" I cut him off sharply. "Give me a moment."
I took his hand, feeling how cold it was—almost lifeless.Closing my eyes, I whispered softly,
"Stars of warmth, weave through frozen night,Mend what the chill has stolen from light."
A golden shimmer flowed from my palms.The frost hissed away as his hand warmed again, faint steam curling into the air.
He flexed his fingers, the faintest smile tugging his lips."It wasn't necessary…" he murmured, then met my eyes.
"But thank you."
And then—I realized I was still holding his hand.Still standing too close.
I stepped back quickly, heart hammering, heat rushing up my neck.
"Wait…" I whispered under my breath, startled by myself.
I didn't notice at the moment but...
Celia's gaze flicked over to us for a moment, her eyes filled with something...
Eryndor exhaled, shoulders tight as he looked around at the frost-laced battlefield.
"Caelum," he said, his tone steady but strained, "status."
Caelum wiped the blood from his chin. "Everyone's standing, barely. But the Labyrinth—" he glanced toward the distant glowing tunnels, "—it's still trembling. The virus might've reached deeper."
"Then we must retreat," Eryndor decided, his voice hard. "Now."
Aliana stirred weakly, her voice soft as a whisper, "T-the… cold—it's… still spreading…"
I knelt beside her, brushing a few strands of silver hair from her face. "Don't speak," I said gently. "You need to rest."
"But the Labyrinth—" she tried again, breath shallow.
"Enough." My tone softened. "You've done enough for today."
Eryndor looked at me.
"The virus is spreading inside," I muttered, thinking aloud. "But how…?"
Kaiser's voice broke the silence, calm but firm. "We can deal with that later. For now, we should leave. The crawler isn't worth dying over—not yet."
It was risky. We all knew it.
But I nodded. "Agreed."
"Luke!" Caelum shouted over the howling wind. "Come back—we're retreating for now!"
Luke turned, glancing back at the wounded crawler. Its breath was shallow, the frost on its back cracked and melting. For a second, he looked ready to finish it. Then he saw us moving, regrouping. He ran toward us.
"Guys!" Kaiser called out, waving to Celia and Lucas. "No need to fight it anymore. We're leaving."
Lucas sighed, side-stepping away from the creature's twitching body.
"Tch. It was just getting fun," he muttered, brushing ice dust off his sleeve. "Oh well… it's dead already." He turned, walking back.
Celia stood still for a moment, her red eyes locked on the crawler. Then, without a word, she began to walk back as well—expression unreadable, lips slightly parted as if she wanted to say something but didn't.
Luke rushed to Aliana the moment he reached us. "You're safe!" he said, voice cracking. "I—I'm so happy!"
Then he turned to me, eyes glistening. "Thank you, Mother… I—uh…" he stuttered, lowering his gaze. "I'm sorry for yelling earlier. I shouldn't have… lost faith. Please forgive me."
I smiled faintly, brushing a bit of frost from his hair. "Luke, there's nothing to forgive. We've all had our moments. You feared losing her… that's all."
Aliana's eyes fluttered open again. "B-brother?" she whispered, her tone soft but warm.
Luke knelt beside her immediately. "I'm here, Aliana."
"We'll talk when we're safe," I said, looking around at them all. "For now, we return to the Labyrinth. It's not over yet."
Everyone nodded quietly.
Lucas and Celia were the last to turn back. Lucas walked ahead, hands in pockets, humming something under his breath. Celia lingered for a heartbeat longer, glancing at the crawler's unmoving form.
"Maybe it's dead," she murmured.
I exhaled slowly.
I hope so.
My thoughts drifted as we began to move—
My people… the Labyrinth… if the virus reached its roots, we'll lose everything. I have to act faster, think sharper. There's no room for fear anymore.
And then—A loud, piercing screech tore through the air.
Every head turned.
The faint hum of our spells, the shimmering motes of mana hanging in the cold air—all of it fell silent.
The frost crawler had stirred again, its body trembling as frost flaked off its massive shell. Before anyone could react, it lunged—not toward the wounded or the weak, but directly toward Celia.
Her red eyes widened. I saw her hands move—her cursed chains half-summoned, barely materialized—when the creature's mouth split open, wide enough to eclipse her light.
A deafening roar tore through the air, and in that single blink—
Celia was gone. Swallowed whole.
The crawler turned with unnatural speed, its icy carapace gleaming like cracked glass, and dashed toward the frozen pond from which it had emerged.
"Oh, no you don't!" Lucas shouted, fury flashing across his face.
His hands moved in blinding rhythm—light mirrors formed instantly, hundreds of them darting through the mist like silver daggers. But before they could strike, dozens of ice spears erupted from the air, shattering them mid-flight.
"—What!?"
Lucas stumbled back, gritting his teeth, and forced an earth forcefield to rise just in time as shards exploded around him. Frost dust scattered in glittering arcs, glinting under his light magic.
By the time the storm settled, the crawler had already leapt into its pond, the water closing behind it with a hollow, echoing boom.
Gone.
No one spoke.
The only sound was the quiet crackle of ice reforming at the surface.
My hands trembled slightly.
That… shouldn't be possible. Monsters didn't act with such precision, such awareness. They were chaos given flesh—yet that thing had defended itself, targeted our strongest, then escaped with intent.
"No… no, no…" I whispered, breath visible in the freezing air. "It doesn't make sense. Why would a beast possess tactical thought? Why would it—"
"Celia…" Lucas muttered, his voice breaking slightly.
"She's inside it," I said softly, feeling my chest tighten.
"And that pond's temperature is… beyond freezing. The virus will devour her. She'll—"
I couldn't finish.
Luke turned toward me, eyes wide with dread. "Mother… what are we going to do?"
I swallowed, forcing myself to think. My mind raced, calculating every possibility.
Sylaris illusions—too weak underwater. Caelum and Eryndor—barriers and light mirages, useless below the surface. Luke—his nature magic would freeze before reaching a few meters deep. Lucas—capable of bending elements, but not immune to that level of cold.
And I—I could sense its movements.
The heartbeat of the earth whispered to me, telling me where it lurked beneath that cursed pond.
Because I had the forest's heart. I could sense it.
But knowing its position and doing something were two very different things.
"This is impossible," I muttered under my breath.
No one dared to argue.
…and Kaiser, he's just—not strong enough. He didn't even fight, knowing he'd get wounded and stood no chance—
My voice stopped.
Because he was no longer beside me.
I turned—and there he was.
Kaiser started walking towards the pond. He was motionless for a breath, his coat fluttering gently in the cold wind.
The calmness he always wore—gone.
His expression had changed.
No longer casual.
There was something fierce in his blue eyes now—something unseen.
He was serious.
Even after seven thousand years of watching countless mortals rise and fall, there was something in that look that made my heart ache—something that whispered of chaos, of brilliance, of someone willing to destroy the world itself to save another.
It reminded me of that boy... that changed humanity's existence.
"Kaiser…" I breathed, my voice trembling for the first time in centuries.
Why...
I felt afraid.
Afraid not of the frost crawler. Not of the virus.
But of him.
Because whatever he was about to do—it would change everything.