The first day of the climb was a test of endurance. Jagged trails sliced through frostbitten rock, and cruel winds howled across the cliffs. Adrien, Damien, and Nyxaris moved carefully, eyes on the shifting shadows. The higher they climbed, the quieter the world became — until even the howling stopped.
It was Nyxaris who first paused, ears twitching.
Adrien felt it too. A pressure. A presence. Something old… and watching.
Damien unsheathed his blade. "I don't like this."
"Neither does he," Adrien said, nodding toward Nyxaris, who had moved ahead, hackles raised and form flickering erratically.
Then it emerged.
From the misted ridge above them, an enormous panther cloaked in writhing shadow stepped forth — its body easily the size of a warhorse, muscles shifting beneath fur that drank in light like a void. Its eyes glowed like molten obsidian, and its mouth parted in a low growl that echoed across the stone.
More followed. Half a dozen leaner forms slithered from behind the rocks, fangs bared, claws digging into the stone.
"Shadow panthers," Damien whispered, tension in every line of his stance.
Adrien's eyes locked on the largest — the Alpha.
"No," he muttered. "These aren't just beasts. That one… it's ancient."
The Alpha snarled, and the pack tensed to pounce.
Nyxaris stepped forward, body low, horn shimmering faintly beneath the cold light. He looked back at Adrien.
Something passed between them — an unspoken command.
"Nyxaris—"
Adrien took a step forward, but Nyxaris growled low. A final glance. Then he turned and leapt toward the Alpha.
"Nyar— No!"
Adrien moved, but Damien grabbed his arm. "We have to go! Now!"
The pack lunged toward them, and the cliffs shook with the force. Nyxaris met the Alpha mid-air, their clash sending out a shockwave that cracked stone.
Adrien's chest burned, heart hammering.
But he knew.
If they stayed, they'd die too.
With a clenched jaw and fury in his gut, Adrien turned and ran, dragging Damien with him down a narrow crevice. Behind them, the sound of combat raged — snarls, whimpers, and the sickening crack of bone on stone.
Then—
Silence.
Adrien skidded to a stop behind a ledge. His eyes searched the ridge above.
The Alpha emerged… blood on its fangs. It dragged something small and limp in its maw — Nyxaris' broken body.
Adrien's breath caught. The creature dropped the body among the pack.
And they began to feed.
He stared, motionless, his fists clenched so tight his knuckles bled. Damien said nothing — there were no words that could fill that kind of silence.
The cold bit deeper than before.
"...He bought us time," Adrien finally said, his voice flat.
Damien's throat tightened. "I'm sorry, Adrien."
Adrien didn't respond. He just turned, eyes cold with something darker than grief.
Resolve.
"…Let's finish this trial."
And so they moved forward — not in flight, but in vengeance. The mountain awaited, unaware it had just buried a shadow... only to awaken something far darker.
They didn't speak for hours after the loss.
Adrien climbed with grim determination, the silence around him a reflection of what brewed within — not emptiness, but fire. Damien limped beside him, still nursing a deep gash across his ribs from their escape. Each footstep felt heavier, every breath sharper. The mountain air thinned, but neither dared to rest.
At dusk, the sky flared crimson, bleeding into the snowy clouds. That was when the wind changed again.
A guttural growl rumbled ahead, not from above… but beside.
The trees here were sparse, twisted by frost. Between their crooked shadows emerged a creature of flesh and frost — part bear, part scaled serpent. Its head was a fusion of horned skull and ice-forged jaw, eyes glowing like embers trapped in glass. Each step shook the mountainside.
"What... is that?" Damien muttered, pain in his voice.
Adrien drew his blade. "Whatever it is, it's hungry."
The creature charged.
The battle was brutal.
Adrien's sword barely nicked its hide. Damien's flames sputtered in the cold. It batted them aside like children, slamming Adrien against a boulder and throwing Damien into the snow. They rose again, bleeding, coughing, gasping for strength. It didn't matter. The beast towered over them, snarling with satisfaction.
Adrien stood his ground, blade trembling in his hand.
Then — a voice.
"Stand down, boy."
A blur moved behind the creature.
A single flash — like wind colliding with steel.
The monster reeled back.
Its head… was gone.
Blood steamed across the ice, and its massive body collapsed with a thud that echoed like thunder.
Damien coughed weakly. "Wh… what just…"
Boots crunched on stone.
A towering man stepped into view, his frame over seven feet tall, broad-shouldered, clad in layered leather and fur. His eyes were pale and sharp, the kind that had seen kingdoms fall and empires rise. His greying beard barely softened the weight of his gaze.
"Fools," he muttered, inspecting them. "Running around this range without proper warding… you're lucky I was nearby."
Adrien tried to raise his blade, but his limbs gave out. His head thudded into the snow, vision fading.
"You…" he breathed, barely conscious. "Who are you?"
The man looked down at him, frowning. "The one who just saved your life."
Darkness overtook Adrien.
And just before he blacked out, a faint whisper echoed in his soul — Nyxaris' bond stirring once more… the flicker of life returning.