The chains of frost shattered slowly, dissolving into mist.
The armored figure vanished with them, leaving behind a silence that felt heavier than any battle.
Lina stood still, her breath unsteady.
The seal on her wrist no longer burned—it pulsed calmly, as if satisfied.
"You passed," Kyle said softly.
"Did I?" Lina asked.
"I feel like I lost something."
Kyle shook his head.
"No. You let go of fear."
The forest began to change.
Ice receded from the path, revealing ancient stone steps carved with symbols older than the oath itself.
Lina knelt, tracing the markings with her fingers.
"These existed before the seal," she realized.
"Yes," Kyle replied.
"And they lead beyond it."
A distant rumble echoed through the mountains.
Not an attack—but a warning.
Lina rose, resolve settling deep within her.
"If the seal was born from the past," she said,
"then the future doesn't belong to it."
She took the first step forward.
The winter followed.
To be continued…