The First Beast lunged.
Its body—now smaller, faster, coiled like a predator ready to strike—cut through the air with terrifying speed.
Owain didn't hesitate.
He twisted, pulling Kanah into his arms, rolling as the beast's claws slashed the snow exactly where they'd been a heartbeat earlier.
A deep gouge carved through the ice, spraying shards into the air.
Kanah choked on a gasp.
"Owain—!"
"I've got you," he growled, placing her gently behind him before leaping back into the fray.
The First Beast whipped around, jaws open, charging again.
Owain met it head-on.
Claws collided with claws.
Fangs snapped inches from his throat.
Magic crackled like static around them.
Gerrin gasped from a distance.
"It's reading him—predicting his movements—"
"How—?" Kanah rasped, gripping her chest.
Gerrin swallowed.
"The First Beast adapts. The more it sees, the more it understands. It evolves at the speed of instinct."
Kanah stared, horrified.
"Then it'll learn to counter all of you."
Helion spit blood and rose to his feet, curse-marks burning.
"Not if we outpace it."
He sprinted toward Owain, claws glowing with corrupted energy.
Owain kicked the beast away long enough for Helion to strike—
a slash of cursed light arcing across the creature's flank.
But the wound sealed immediately.
Helion hissed,
"Damn it—!"
The First Beast swung its tail and sent Helion flying across the snow.
"Owain!" Yllas shouted hoarsely. "Get DOWN!"
Owain ducked just as a blast of golden fire streaked overhead.
Yllas—barely standing—had launched the flame from his palms, eyes blazing with phoenix light.
The fire hit the beast—
It screamed—
—and the flames went out.
Gerrin's face drained.
"It adapted to fire too fast—this is bad—"
The First Beast lunged at Yllas, jaws wide.
Kanah screamed, "YLLAS—!"
Owain sprinted.
He didn't think. He didn't hesitate.
He slammed into Yllas, knocking him out of the way just as the beast's teeth snapped down where Yllas had been.
But Owain didn't move fast enough to avoid—
Kanah saw it happen.
The beast's second strike.
Its claws.
Tearing across Owain's back.
Blood sprayed.
Owain dropped to one knee, teeth gritted, breath ripped out of him.
"Owain—!" Kanah ran toward him—
Gerrin grabbed her.
"NO! Kanah—don't—if it sees you close—!"
The beast's head whipped toward her.
Kanah froze.
Its eyes widened.
Its body—twisted.
And Kanah realized something horrifying.
It had felt her fear.
Because it fed on it.
The First Beast stared at her…and smiled.
Not a beast's smile.
A human one.
Kanah's blood turned to ice.
"Owain…"
Her voice cracked.
"It's… mimicking me…"
Owain pushed to his feet, shaking.
"Stay behind me."
But Gerrin stepped forward, panic in his voice.
"No—Owain—wait—don't attack—look at it—look CLOSELY—"
Owain growled.
Kanah did.
And she understood.
The First Beast was… shifting.
Its limbs elongating.
Its posture rising upright.
Its hair—darkening.
Gerrin whispered in horror:
"It's taking the shape she fears most…"
Kanah shook her head.
"No… no, I don't fear myself—"
Helion wiped blood off his jaw.
"You fear hurting them."
Kanah's breath hitched.
"If the beast becomes YOU," Yllas rasped,
"…then every time they attack it—they'll feel like they're hurting you."
And the First Beast finished transforming.
Where the monster once stood—
Kanah now saw a perfect reflection of herself.
Her height.
Her hair.
Her face.
Her expression.
Her eyes.
But wrong.
Vacant.
Silver.
Predatory.
"Goddess…" Helion whispered.
"That's not a monster anymore. That's—"
"—a Kanah-shaped executioner," Gerrin finished.
Kanah stumbled back, shaking violently.
"No… NO—please—no—this is cruel—"
Owain stepped in front of her again, claws extended.
"Stay behind me."
Yllas limped forward.
"Owain—the beast wants her afraid. It mimics what she feels."
Helion nodded.
"She's scared of being the cause of our suffering."
Gerrin added quietly:
"So it became the form that would make her hesitate."
Kanah felt tears burning.
"I don't WANT to hurt you—any of you—ever—"
Owain grabbed her wrist, turning her to face him.
"Look at me."
She did.
His amber eyes were intense.
Steady.
Unwavering.
"You are NOT a monster."
Kanah shook.
"Owain—"
"You are NOT a threat."
She swallowed hard.
"But if I use my power—it'll look like I'm attacking myself."
Owain cupped her face.
"If the beast looks like you—we hit it anyway."
Her breath froze.
"You'd… strike something with my face?"
"If it means keeping you alive?" He whispered against her forehead.
"Yes.
A thousand times."
She trembled.
"You won't hesitate?"
He shook his head.
"I'd never confuse you with a creature trying to kill you."
She exhaled unevenly.
"Owain…"
But the First Beast—now in her form—moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
It darted sideways—
And struck Helion.
Helion grunted as the Kanah-shaped beast slammed him into the ground, claws digging into his shoulder.
He grabbed its wrist, snarling:
"I preferred the giant version."
Yllas staggered forward, wings spread.
"Helion—brace—!"
He shot a burst of golden flame—
Helion rolled away an instant before it struck.
The fire hit the Kanah-shaped beast—
But the creature twisted its face into Kanah's terrified expression.
Kanah cried out in panic.
"STOP—STOP—DON'T BURN HER—"
Yllas coughed blood.
"Kanah—PLEASE—it's NOT you—!"
Owain spun toward her.
"DON'T LOOK AT ITS FACE."
Kanah forced her eyes away.
The beast lunged again—
this time toward Kanah.
Owain intercepted—
but the beast used Kanah's own fighting posture
her stance
her step
her instinctive movement—
—and slipped past him.
Kanah gasped.
The Kanah-shaped creature grabbed her by the throat.
Owain roared.
Kanah struggled, claws digging into the beast's arm, feet kicking helplessly.
Her mirror image leaned close—
And whispered in her voice:
"You are weak."
Kanah's eyes widened.
"No—"
"You fear your past."
"No—stop—"
"You fear hurting them."
"Stop it—"
"You fear being unworthy."
Kanah cried out.
The creature's fingers tightened around her throat—
And whispered:
"You fear everything you are."
Owain slammed into the creature, ripping it away from her.
The beast skidded, twisting mid-air, then landed like a predator.
Kanah fell into the snow, coughing.
Owain crouched beside her.
"Are you hurt?"
"Just… shaken," she whispered.
Gerrin steadied himself beside them.
"Kanah… listen to me… I finally understand—why your magic awakened."
Kanah blinked through tears.
"My… magic…?"
"The First Beast mirrors the heir's fear," Gerrin breathed.
"That's why your light didn't kill it."
Kanah swallowed.
"So it's… my fault?"
"No."
Gerrin grabbed her shoulders.
"It's responding to the wound in your heart your trial revealed."
Kanah flinched.
"The fear that became part of you when you died."
She shook her head.
"No—no—I don't want this—"
Owain cupped her cheek again.
"You don't have to want it."
She looked at him, eyes wide and trembling.
He held her gaze.
"You just have to face it."
Kanah stared at the Kanah-shaped creature—
Her mirrored face staring back, expression blank and merciless.
Gerrin's voice steadied:
"The beast won't die until you stop fearing your own reflection."
Helion muttered, "No pressure."
Yllas chuckled weakly, blood dripping from his mouth.
Owain rose slowly, lifting Kanah with him.
Her legs shook.
Her hands trembled.
"Owain…"
He leaned close, resting his forehead against hers.
"You survived your death," he whispered.
"You survived the truth."
"You anchored me back from madness."
Her breath hitched.
"And now," Owain said softly, "you face yourself."
Kanah looked back at the creature.
Her mirror wore no emotions.
No shame.
No fear.
No pain.
Only her face—
The one she'd hated.
The one she blamed.
The one she saw when she died.
Her voice cracked.
"Owain… I don't know if I'm strong enough."
Owain's voice steadied.
"Yes, you are."
"How do you know?"
He kissed her forehead.
"Because you were strong enough to choose me."
Her knees weakened.
She exhaled shakily.
"Okay… okay—"
She looked at her mirror self.
Her heartbeat pounded painfully.
"I'm ready."
Owain stepped back, but not far.
"Then I'm right behind you."
Kanah took one step forward.
The creature tilted its head—slowly—mockingly.
Kanah's fingers glowed faint white.
Her voice didn't shake this time.
"I'm not afraid of you anymore."
The Kanah-shaped beast smiled.
And lunged.
Kanah stood her ground.
She inhaled—
Then screamed:
"STOP TAKING MY FACE—!"
Her white magic burst out—
Not as a beam—
But as a shockwave of pure will.
The First Beast froze mid-lunge.
Cracks spread across its Kanah-shaped body.
Kanah stepped toward it.
"You're not me."
The cracks deepened.
"You're not my fear."
The creature's face warped.
"You're not my shame."
Its eyes flickered.
"You are what I USED to be."
The First Beast convulsed—
shuddered—
and shattered like glass.
White fragments scattered across the snow.
Silence.
Kanah's knees buckled.
Owain caught her instantly.
"It's over," he murmured into her hair.
Gerrin exhaled.
Helion collapsed to the ground.
Yllas leaned on his knees, exhausted.
Kanah breathed shakily.
"I… I did it…"
Owain kissed her temple.
"Yes. You did."
But then—
The snow fell upward.
The sky cracked like glass.
And the First King's voice returned.
"Trial Four complete."
Kanah gasped.
Owain tensed.
Yllas swallowed.
Helion muttered, "Here we go again."
Gerrin whispered:
"Oh gods… Trial Five."
The First King spoke.
"The Last Trial begins now."
Kanah shivered in Owain's arms.
"What… is Trial Five?"
The First King answered:
"The Trial of Loss."
And the ground vanished beneath them.