The climb is unlike anything I've ever known an endless grind through a mountain chains that seems designed to break us. The great Sinwade Range, they call it, a fortress of ice and stone that stretches for thousands of miles the natural barrier between Avrael and Trola, jagged peaks piercing the sky, snow swirling in relentless torrents that threaten to drown us in their icy grip. We're already days into it, maybe more time blurs in the cold, in the exhaustion, in the constant threat of slipping and tumbling into the abyss.
The mountains are treacherous sheer cliffs that seem to reach into the clouds, narrow ledges slick with frost, hidden crevasses that swallow the unwary. The snow has turned to ice in many places, a brutal, glassy surface that's impossible to grip. Rye's fire flickers weakly, struggling against the cold, while Zaria's molten rock keeps some patches of the trail stable her effort a fragile lifeline. But even their magic wears thin in the endless cold.
I've lost track of how many times we've come close to disaster. The worst was when Vihaan, reckless as always, charged ahead along a narrow ledge. I watched him slip, his boot skidding on a patch of ice, and for a terrifying moment, I thought he'd tumble into the abyss. His arms flailed, and he caught himself just in time, clutching onto a jagged outcropping with a snarl. "Damn it, Vihaan," I shouted, voice muffled by the wind. "Don't push your luck!"
He grinned, blood on his face his eyes gleaming. "Relax, Ayato. I've got this." He scrambled up, unrepentant, and I sneer. Ego driven fool.
Lucians voice breaks the silence. "We can't keep this up much longer. The cold's eating us alive."
"Then we push through," Dominick replies, voice grim. "No other choice. We're too close now."
"We've been close for days," Rye mutters, voice tired "There is no end"
The mountains seem to conspire against us. The snow falls harder, the wind whips colder, and every time I think I've caught my breath, a new peril emerges. Sometimes, the snow hides a hidden crevasse or a patch of ice so slick that one wrong step sends you sliding into a death trap. Other times, it's the cold itself so sinister that I swear I can feel it gnawing at my bone marrow, trying to freeze me from the inside out.
One night, we find a larger cave an almost hollowed-out chamber that offers some shelter. Inside, the air is stale. I curl up against the wall, exhausted beyond words, my limbs numb. Rye's fire flickers weakly, casting long shadows. Zaria kneels beside me, her molten hands glowing faintly, trying to warm my icy fingers.
Then we cross icy ridges that threaten to crumble beneath our feet, scramble over jagged rocks that look like the skeletons of some ancient beast. Vihaan's reckless nature is both a curse and a blessing he's pushing himself harder than anyone, ignoring the frostbite creeping into his fingers and the ache in his joints. Imara keeps scouting ahead, her sharp eyes finding safe passages through the chaos.
We're exhausted, filthy, and cold so cold that even Rye's fire feels like a fragile flicker of hope amid the darkness. Every hour, we stop to rest in whatever shelter we can find a hollowed-out cave, a crevice in the rock, and then push onward, knowing the end is somewhere.
Then, after what feels like an eternity of climbing, we reach a ridge at last. The wind is fiercer here, and the world seems to hold its breath. I clutch my robe tightly, heart pounding. We pause at the top of yet another mountain, looking out across the landscape.
And what I see makes my breath catch.
The mountains fall away behind me as I no longer care. Before us stretches an expanse of breathtaking beauty. The snow gives way to lush, rolling fields vast, greenish-brown meadows, dotted with scattered trees that stretch in gentle waves toward the horizon. The land is alive, vibrant, almost inviting. No snow here, no ice, no icy wind just warm light spilling over the gentle hills. It's paradise, a stark contrast to the hellscape we've been trapped in for days.
I stare, stunned, at the sight that feels like a gift something I'd thought I'd never see again. The mountains, with all their deadly glory, seem to fade behind us, retreating into the distance. We've crossed the brutal, treacherous range, and now, finally, we're out. We actually crossed it.
Zaria's voice breaks the silence, quiet but firm, from the top of the ridge. "The academy should be somewhere ahead," she says, eyes wet with tears. "The hard part's over."
****************************************************************
We step out of the mountain's shadow and onto a vast expanse of grass. It's like emerging from a nightmare into dawn bright, warm, alive. The cold, oppressive grip of the mountains melts away as if a great hand has lifted it from the world. Grass waves gently in the breeze, lush and green, dotted with scattered trees and wildflowers that seem to glow in the morning light. The sky opens above us, a clear canvas of azure and gold. The snow is gone entirely, replaced by this vibrant, living landscape stretching to the horizon.
For a moment, I just stand there, stunned. The bitter, icy cold that has clung to me like a second skin evaporates in an instant. I take a deep breath fresh, clean, and full of life. The others are silent, eyes wide as they take in the view and warmth. Rye's mouth opens slightly, and she seems to breathe in deeply, as if she can't believe it's real. Zaria's eyes flick over the landscape, her expression joyous. Imara's shoulders shake slightly, and she kneels down on one knee, her head dropping as she mutters a prayer to the Gods words lost in the wind, but heavy with reverence and gratitude. Her voice is raw, trembling with emotion, and I see tears glittering on her cheeks.
When she finally stands, wiping at her eyes, she looks as fragile as a leaf. Her face is streaked with dirt and tears, but her expression is fierce steadfast. She points forward, her voice steady despite the tremor in her tone. "Onwards to the academy." Her gaze is intense, full of purpose, as if she's claiming victory over the mountains that nearly broke us.
But the peace is short lived as suddenly, everything around us shifts a flicker, a ripple, like the fabric of reality itself tearing apart. The scenery blurs, and the ground beneath my feet wavers like a mirage. Colors bleed and swirl together greens, blues, whites until the landscape dissolves into a swirling vortex of light. It's as if the universe is folding in on itself, bending, warping, twisting in ways I can't understand.
I freeze, heart pounding, eyes wide with panic. "What... what now?" I whisper, voice trembling. The sense of dread creeps into my bones. It never ends.
The white light twists and turns, curling in on itself like a serpent in a never-ending dance. It's relentless, swirling around us in a maelstrom of pure, blinding chaos. I hang suspended in it, weightless and disoriented, feeling like I've been caught in this endless vortex for years time itself stretching and warping in ways I can't understand. Every second drags into an eternity; every eternity flickers past in a heartbeat. The world I knew, the mountains, the snow, the endless climb all of it feels like a distant memory, slipping further away with each twist of the white whirlpool.
I clutch my head, trying to find some anchor, some sense of where or when I am. Lucians voice is muffled, Imara's prayers are distant echoes, and even my own thoughts seem fractured and broken. The white light pulses, shifts, and then… it changes.
Suddenly, I'm not hanging in that endless chaos anymore. The whirlpool of white dissolves, peeling away like a shattered mirror. I stumble forward and land hard on solid ground cold, unyielding, but familiar. I'm back where I started, standing on a vast, open plain that looks the same as it did moments ago, yet… different. It's as if the very fabric of reality has been rewritten. The landscape stretches out in every direction, but then I look up and I see it.
I stand there, stunned, trying to process what just happened.
I feel something shift inside me. A voice calm, commanding and powerful slides into my mind with effortless authority.
Congratulations, Awakened Ayato Daath. You have passed the Combine. Welcome to the Academy.
And indeed in the distance in front of us stands towering structures that rise into the sky a sprawling school complex so vast it defies imagination. It's so enormous, so majestic, that it makes the kings' castles in Lusa look like modest fortresses. Walls stretch high and wide, glowing with an ethereal light, and spires pierce the clouds, shimmering like they're made of pure crystal. It's a place of power, of knowledge, of history.
But what truly causes my trembling isn't just the size or grandeur of the school. It's the two dragons flying above it massive, majestic, and terrifying. Their roars echo across the sky, reverberating in my skull. One is a deep onyx black, scales shining with an almost otherworldly luster, rippling like liquid night. Its wings are vast, shadowed and powerful, beating with a strength that seems to shake the very air.
The other dragon is sapphire blue, radiant and luminous, scales shimmering like polished jewel. Its eyes are piercing, intelligent, and ancient. The wings of the blue dragon ripple with a majestic grace, catching the sunlight and casting a fleeting rainbow across the sky.
They fly in perfect harmony, circling the school like guardians titans of myth, symbols of power and mystery I've only ever read about. Their roars are deafening, yet somehow majestic, echoing across the endless sky and making my stomach churn with awe and fear.
I start laughing hard, mad, uncontrollable. It's a laugh that bubbles up from somewhere deep inside, a release of all the shock and disbelief. The distant roars of the dragons seem to echo my madness, fueling my laughter until tears stream down my face. I can't stop, and in that moment, all the confusion, all the pain, the endless suffering I've endured suddenly feels insignificant. Because I realize I am nothing in the face of real power.
"Madness," I whisper aloud, trembling as I stare up at the sky. "The world… it's all madness." My voice cracks, but I don't care. I let the laughter drown out everything else the pain, the fear, the endless questions that swirl in my mind.
I look at the others Rye, Zaria, Imara, Niko, Dominick, Vihaan, Lucian each of them staring too, eyes wide with shock and awe. I see the tremor in their features, the disbelief and fear etched into their faces.
I take a shuddering breath, and then another, forcing myself to steady. The chaos of the universe's unraveling the power to transport them, the dragons, the impossible school begins to settle. Fear still lingers at the back of my mind, a silent, nagging voice trying to claw its way in, but I clamp down on it. I remind myself fear is the mind killer it is the little death that brings total obliteration.
I've read that somewhere, and now I understand it more than ever. Fear is the dark room where all my doubts, my failures, my weakness hide. It's unnecessary. It's useless. I won't feed it.
My eyes narrow, and the cold, calculating part of me takes control. I focus on the truth. The truth that this place, this vast, alien academy of Elites, is my future. This is where I become something more. I can feel it the power thrumming around those towering walls, whispering promises of strength, of mastery. I will be strong. I must be strong. This academy will carve me into something unbreakable. I won't let fear or confusion hold me back. I am the one who will seize this moment who will forge himself through fire and ice, even if I have to burn everything I am to do it. I will become a Spellbreaker. I will grow into something that can never be beaten, by human or monster alike.
I turn my gaze from the swirling chaos above the dragons soaring like majestic gods they are and lock my eyes onto the academy. Its vast towers and glowing walls shimmer in the distance. It's more than just a school; it's a beacon of power, a city of secrets, a forge where I will be tested and reforged. And I want it. I want it with a sick, greedy hunger. I want to take everything it has to offer and make it mine.
My lips curl into a cold smile. "Per Aspera Ad Astra," I say, my voice steady, echoing the motto of House Apophis.
I see the others startle slightly at my words, blinking out of their trance-like stare at the distant, majestic academy and the dragons that circle above. They look at me and I see the flicker of understanding ignite, as if they're finally grasping what I've already decided: we're not just survivors anymore. We're destined for something far bigger.
Without hesitation, they raise their fists to their chests, and they echo my words back to me, their voices steady and strong. "Per Aspera Ad Astra."
The words resonate through the air. I watch them, my expression cold and calculating, my violet eyes gleaming with what I can only imagine is sick greed. I want more than just survival. The days of fighting for survival from the monster to the cold and snow has taken it's toll on me. And now seeing the academy in all its glory, with two creatures said to be extinct has ignited something inside me. I crave power unquestioned, absolute. I want to stand at the top of that school and command everything beneath me. I want to carve my name into the very foundation of this empire, and I will do whatever it takes to get there.
The mountains, the world, this entire universe it's mine for the taking. I just have to reach out and grasp it.