Kyle laughed softly.
"I finally made it."
"We can go back."
"The gate will close."
His smile warm with a hint of shock. His face pale.
"Right, Val?"
"The five of us…"
He stared below the runes shining.
"We can all still leave togeth—"
The next second, a slash ran across his neck. Blood slowly emerging from his cut. His head falling down from his body. His gaze proud, even in his last breath.
The last one of his comrades now dead. Each second created pain in his heart. His heartbeat growing quicker each second. His chest aching, his mind resounding.
HOW…
CAN I BE SO USELESS!
Izanami right behind, the blade of Val's katana in her hand now away from her body.
Val stared, his emotions gone. His mind as empty as his eyes.
His hands beginning to grow cold. His head down low.
Izanami spoke, her voice vile and joyous.
"Oh, look at that…"
"He actually did do something."
"He didn't activate it though, of course…"
"He was waiting for all of you."
Val spoke, his voice devoid of anything. Cold leaving his breath. His hands hanging from his body, his eyes blue, wide. A glimmer inside shining lightly.
"You…"
Izanami shivered.
Staring at him with a curious look. Letting go of the blade of the katana. Dropping it on the floor. Her voice innocent and childlike.
"Yes, my winter?"
Val clenched his fists. The whole room rumbling, the debris jumping up and down. The walls began forming frost. Snow began rising in the room, circling around the walls. The candles all turning off.
Izanami spoke once again, her voice now worried.
"Winter?"
In the circular room, the only thing shining was the runes carved in the middle…
As well as Val's eyes. A white light beginning to form in his eyes. Its hue lighting his surroundings. His body felt stronger, breathing easier. Like a power that fell upon him from above. His fingertips felt precise. His mind. Lost.
Silence, wind, and cold was all that was left.
Val spoke, his voice now hoarse and powerful.
"Took it all away…"
Izanami took a step back. Her eyes wide, sweat falling down her face. Her hands beginning to tremble. She mumbled to herself.
"Why is it so cold…"
Her breath now just as cold as his. Her body fully grasping the cold air. She heard a whisper coming out of Val's mouth.
"Power…"
"Power…"
The next second he disappeared from view, leaving only a trace of snow behind.
Izanami scouted the surroundings.
A cold whisper reaching her ear.
"So this is how you did it, isn't it?"
Her lips shaking.
Her body tensed, her mind resounded.
What is this…
I feel his pressure… strong and cold…
This power… it isn't of a lineage heir.
"How…"
It's the power of a Monarch.
The next second, he disappeared once again.
Tearing down the undead one by one. Only his eyes shining in the darkness. Ripping them apart. Slashing them. Even freezing them cold.
The next second, each of the dead bodies plummeted. One following the other. Circling around Izanami. Unable to keep up with him with her eyes.
The next second she felt cold on her neck. His hands gripping her with great strength, raising her with one hand in the center of the room.
His eyes empty, gazing at her own. She struggled, groaning. A smirk forming on her face.
"You are dumb…"
She grabbed his arm, attempting to take out his life.
She grasped it strongly, his still around her neck.
She closed her eyes, concentrating. Her mind tearing apart.
What…
This… there is no life in this man.
He is nothing else but freezing cold.
She struggled, panic could be heard in her voice.
"WHO ARE YOU!"
"WHERE IS MY WINTER?"
Val exhaled, a surge of cold leaving his mouth.
He looked at her, his eyes still empty. He turned his head to the side without any seen expression.
"I am here."
"I am Winter."
Her legs shaking above the air, unable to move.
Val crouched, prompting to jump.
Her eyes wide.
The next second, he jumped up, entering the circular portal.
Surging from Dontenslav. Night still reigning.
From above, a rift rupture appeared. Like a shooting white star falling towards the center of Dontenslav. Illuminating the night until it landed at its peak. Izanami still in his grasp.
He raised her slightly and pushed her back sending her flying in towards the mountains peak. Her back hitting the ground.
"Ack"
Out of her mouth droplets of blood left with her grunt.
The peak of the mountain almost flat, its ends curving.
The surroundings of the mountain all filled with mist, full of Daunters inside. Far away, the mist was approaching towards the people, slowly yet surely.
Izanami resting on the floor, her elbows on the ground, her head raised looking at the figure in front.
His hands shining at the tip of his fingers. A surge of snow surrounding him, his eyes white, piercing in the shadows.
His walk slow and steady towards the heir of death.
Izanami laughed.
"It doesn't matter if you killed me. I already fulfilled my mission."
" dauntets will reach them, soon this will become the Netherfall."
"The only way to stop this is for another season to take over this one…"
A smirk formed on her face.
"You are all alone now."
Val's steps steady, walking towards her slowly.
Each second felt chilling, Izanami's nervousness rising. Unfazed by her speech.
He raised his hand, pointing upward. His voice resounding above. The tip of his finger shining, raised up high.
"If a season is what is needed…"
"Then I will make one."
Izanami shivered.
"Ha!"
"You, a Monarch?!"
His steps began changing his surroundings. Snow conjuring from below. She gulped nervously. More rising from each step. His breath heavy.
Izanami panicking as he gets closer. Crawling back, reaching the end of the mountain. Rubble falling below. Her eyes widened at the sight of their height. The mountain tall and mighty.
His step sounding clearer, like cracking ice. The mountain of Dontenslav beginning to get cold. From its peak, snow surged reaching below. The mist beginning to reside.
Izanami's mind puzzled.
I can just jump.
Die below and heal myself.
A smile forming on her mouth. She pushed herself back, attempting to leap from the mountain.
Right before she began falling, a cold grasp grabbed her from the knee.
Raising her strongly, throwing her off of the mountain with great strength. Her body hitting sharp rocks below. Breaking them on impact. Blood coming out of her mouth. Until she reached the floor, eyes hollow. Snow in her surroundings. Her body resting on the floor.
Her body regaining life, the injuries from the fall healing. She stood up slowly, exhaling strongly.
Right before gaining composure, ahead of her was Val. Her eyes now unconfident. Her hand grasping her stomach. Her head lowered.
Her voice echoed.
"Do you remember, Val?"
"The first time we met?"
Val ahead stopped. His legs coming to a halt.
"You were getting flowers for your mother…"
"Me for my father."
A smile now warm, not malicious. Her head still low.
"I remember."
"You said that I should pick only the best and helped me choose."
"We were so innocent back then."
She raised her gaze towards the moon shining brightly above. Snow beginning to fall on her face.
Her hand twitching from the cold.
"The day that lineage awakened within me."
"There was a man…"
"Stronger than any other."
"His presence was suffocating."
"Similar to yours right now."
"He took it all away from me."
Val's lips trembled.
"SHUT UP!"
She lowered her head, gazing at Val. Him gritting his teeth. His voice echoing through the snow.
"Don't act like a victim."
Izanami stared at her hands slowly.
"I know I am not a victim."
"I brought this upon myself."
"There's no choice but to become like this in the Netherfall."
A split second later, he was in front of her. Grasping her hands.
She raised her head, her eyes glimmering.
"Val?"
A hint of hope deep inside her fluttered. He had embraced her hand.
But a second later, she realized the grasp was not of love but hatred. His grip tightened.
"Val, it hurts…"
He grabbed her arms and tore her arms whole, ripping them apart. Blood splattering in the white flakes. His teeth still gritted. He spoke.
"Phes."
Izanami's eyes widened.
The next second, he punched her down, her body now armless. Snow rising from the impact.
"Thorn."
Her body regenerating arms below. Her chest sunk from his fist.
Before they regenerated completely, he raised his hand. From it, a blade of ice surged.
Piercing her stomach.
"Kyle."
All of her body regenerating fast.
He raised his feet, stomping down on her head, now grunting.
"Indra."
His voice raised, continuing to stomp her in her head. Impeding her speech.
"EVERYONE!"
More blood scattering.
The cold growing stronger.
Everything it touched beginning to freeze. Deer, Daunters, the dead trees beginning to freeze. Sweat rolling down his face. His brows frowning.
Her voice cut, heard in the intervals of him raising his feet.
"You—"
Another stomp followed.
"Will—"
Val's eyes widening.
"Kill"
"Everyone."
She gasped.
"The cold will reach your mother!"
Suddenly his feet, raised above, ready to strike again, stopped. His mind crumbling.
Why am I stopping?
I want her to suffer!
His eyes shaking.
His hair beginning to slowly turn white.
His eyes beginning to turn from a white hue to blue.
No…
I won't lose anyone again.
I don't want to lose my mother again…
If I were to lose my loved ones…
Aos, Maya, Mila…
The village is filled with people. Everyone bound by love and care. I won't be the one to tear that connection apart.
"I am Jack. Not Winter. I am not following this route."
He muttered, his stance beginning to change.
The cold began to slow down. Not reaching the city. The Daunters all already dead. The mist gone. The people resting in peace.
He rested his feet back. His hands clutching.
A sound could be heard in the sky, its voice ethereal like a waling spirit.
[DESTINY DEFIED]