The harsh winters came crashing down, and it felt like forever since the two had last seen sunlight. A week had passed since their arrival, and all they could do was recover from that brutal first day.
Amber sat curled near the cave wall, trembling. Her stomach had long since emptied, but the nausea still came in waves.
She pushed herself up and staggered to the side, dry heaving into the snow-packed corner.
Hayase rushed to her side, steadying her with both arms. "Amber… hey, breathe. Just breathe."
She wiped her mouth with the back of her hand, avoiding his eyes. "I'm fine. Just… hungry."
"You haven't eaten in days. Of course you're not fine." His voice softened. "We'll find a way out of this. I promise."
Amber gave a weak nod, and the two sat in silence, huddled near the dying fire.
Hayase stared into the darkness outside the cave, thoughts churning. Are we even going to survive this place?
Frustration surged inside him. He clenched his fists and shouted toward the sky, "How many more days are we gonna have to wait?!"
Amber flinched at the sudden outburst, but slowly pushed herself to her feet and walked to the entrance beside him. The wind howled, whipping snow across her face.
"How are we even supposed to complete this damn trial…" she muttered, mostly to herself.
Hayase glanced at her, seeing the shadows under her eyes, the tension in her jaw. She was always so strong—fiery and fearless—but now she looked exhausted. Worn.
"I'm not sure," he said finally. "I think it's just a matter of time before we both—"
"Don't," she cut in sharply, her voice trembling. "Don't even think about giving up, Hayase."
He turned to face her, surprised. Her eyes locked with his—steady, unwavering despite her weakness.
Something passed between them then. Not just desperation, but determination. A shared promise.
"We'll make it," she whispered, and he nodded.
As the hours passed, they sat close together, exchanging quiet words, ideas, anything to stay awake and warm.
Night came fast. The wind swooshed through the cave, blowing out their last flame. Snow piled at the entrance, and darkness swallowed them.
"Hayase?" Amber's voice wavered in the pitch black.
"I'm here," he said gently. He reached out, found her hands, and pulled her close.
"You're okay. I've got you."
Amber lit a small flame in her palm, its warm glow casting soft light on both their faces. She looked up at him, eyes shining—not just from fear, but something deeper. Gratitude. Trust.
"You're really not gonna leave me, huh?" she said with a weak smile.
"Not a chance," he replied, brushing a strand of hair from her cheek.
She leaned her head on his shoulder, the tension slowly leaving her body. Her breathing evened out.
"She's finally resting," he murmured to himself, holding her close. "She's always the strong one…"
As she slept, Hayase let his thoughts drift—to Kimiko, to his brother Yusuke. Is he going through this same hell?
A sad smile formed on his face as his eyes closed.
He dreamt of Yusuke that night. Of laughter, of warmth. Of the days before it all went wrong. Their parents. The way the world shattered after they were gone. He still felt that anger. That pain.
But tonight… there was also something else. Comfort. Hope.
"Hayase!" A voice snapped him from his dream.
"HAYASE!! WAKE UP!"
His eyes opened to find an old man standing over him. Amber was beside the man, gently shaking Hayase's shoulder.
Panicked, Hayase jumped up, shielding Amber instinctively. "Who are you?!"
"Wait!" Amber grabbed his arm. "He's not a threat. He's from a nearby village!"
The old man chuckled. "Name's Arturo. I was out wandering and happened to stumble across this cave—which just so happened to contain the both of you."
He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a small container, handing it to Hayase.
"Your girlfriend here tells me you two haven't eaten in a while."
Amber and Hayase blinked in sync, then turned to Arturo.
"Girlfriend?!"
"Boyfriend?!"
Arturo laughed heartily. "I'm just messing with ya!"
They sat around a small fire, warmth finally creeping back into their bones. As they ate, Hayase and Amber recounted their story, taking turns, their voices overlapping at times—comfortably in sync.
Arturo listened intently, then shook his head. "This forest… it's cursed. Especially around here."
He showed them a map. "You're close to the village—maybe thirty minutes away."
"Do you think we could find shelter there?" Amber asked.
"And food?" Hayase added through a mouthful.
Arturo grinned. "Of course."
Amber's face grew more serious. "But what is this place, really?"
Arturo sighed. "The weather shifts constantly. And the creatures—well, the ones that come out at night are the worst. Bloodthirsty."
"Monsters?" Amber asked, leaning closer to Hayase.
He didn't say anything, but instinctively placed a hand over hers. She didn't move away.
"Yeah," Arturo replied. "Shadows, ghouls, giant beasts. Things you don't want to run into."
Hayase squeezed Amber's hand gently. "Could you take those on?" he asked her quietly.
She looked at him and gave a faint, confident smirk. "I'll try. Especially if I've got my brainy backup."
Arturo continued, his tone grave. "Most of our warriors don't even fight. We just hide."
A silence fell between them.
Hayase stared at the fire, something stirring in his chest—sadness, for Arturo and his people. A people with no hope.
"We could help you," Hayase said quietly.
Arturo looked surprised. "What do you mean?"
"I mean… it's not right. You and your people living like this, just waiting to die."
Amber turned to Hayase, her expression unreadable—but her eyes shone with something fierce.
"I know what it's like to face monsters with nothing left," Hayase added. "But we've survived. We can help."
He motioned toward Amber. "She's powerful. And me? I may not have Seikai, but I've got a brain and a will to fight."
Amber looked at him, surprised—but touched. She smiled, gently bumping her shoulder against his.
"You're such a dork," she whispered. "But you've got heart."
Hayase wiped away a tear, chuckling softly. "Thank you, Arturo… for saving us."
Arturo smiled and clapped a hand on his shoulder. "Don't thank me, kid. It's just called being a decent person."
He stood up, stretching.
"Well, let's head back to our place."
"Our place?" Amber asked.
Arturo glanced over with a warm smile. "You didn't think I'd leave my family behind, did you?"
"Family?" Amber and Hayase echoed.
"Family," Arturo confirmed.
And as they walked out into the snow, Hayase felt something stir in his heart. A feeling he hadn't known in a long time.
Warmth.
Belonging.
And most of all… hope.
As they stepped out of the cave and into the blinding light, Hayase froze in place.
"What the hell…?" he muttered, shielding his eyes.
Gone was the snow-covered forest. Before them stretched an endless sea of sand dunes, shimmering beneath the sun's brutal glare. The cold was replaced by an unbearable wave of heat that instantly soaked their clothes in sweat.
Amber's jaw dropped. "This was ice just a minute ago. How is that even possible?"
Arturo chuckled, unaffected by the heat. "Told you. This land doesn't follow the laws you're used to. Every step is unpredictable."
Hayase squinted toward the horizon, the air warping above the sand. "We walked out of a winter storm… into a damn desert?"
"I think I preferred the snow…" Amber joked, fanning herself.
Arturo handed them each a damp cloth from his bag. "Wet these and wrap them around your necks. Won't fix the heat, but it'll help."
The trio moved forward, their boots sinking into the soft sand. The wind kicked up grit that bit into their skin, and every step felt heavier than the last.
Hayase glanced at Amber. Her fire-born abilities gave her a natural resilience to heat, but even she looked uncomfortable.
"You holding up?" he asked.
"Barely. If this keeps up, I'll turn into toast," she muttered.
They hadn't traveled long before the sand beneath them shifted.
Arturo stopped mid-step, raising a hand.
"Stay alert."
Something slithered beneath the surface. A long, sinuous movement that disturbed the dunes like rippling waves.
"Snakes?" Hayase whispered.
The sand exploded.
Two enormous serpent-like creatures shot into the air, their scales shimmering gold and green beneath the sunlight. Each had a mouth wide enough to swallow a man whole, lined with curved, venom-dripping fangs.
"MOVE!" Arturo shouted.
The trio scattered as one of the snakes slammed down where they had been standing. The impact shook the ground, spraying hot sand everywhere.
Amber landed in a roll and immediately summoned a flame to her hand. "Hayase! Talk to me! I don't want to waste my Seikai unless I know where to hit!"
Hayase's mind snapped into focus. "Go for the eyes—they're wide when they strike, but hard to reach otherwise. And when they dive underground, they leave a tail exposed.
That's their blind spot!"
"Got it!"
One of the snakes lunged at Arturo. He dodged with surprising speed for an old man, but he stumbled, tumbling into the sand.
"Amber!" Hayase shouted. "Cover Arturo—I'll distract the other!"
She nodded and charged forward, a blaze erupting from both hands.
Amber leapt between Arturo and the snake, spinning midair and launching a wave of flame directly at the beast's face. It recoiled, screeching as the fire licked across its eyes, momentarily blinding it.
"I got you, old man," she said, grabbing Arturo's arm and pulling him to safety.
Meanwhile, Hayase put his hand up and waved it in the air, catching the other snake's attention. "Hey, over here, ugly!"
The second snake turned and dove for him.
"Amber, NOW! The tail!"
Amber didn't hesitate. She sprinted, her feet kicking up sand, and dove beneath the serpent as it lunged. Her hand lit like the sun itself, and with a ferocious roar, she drove her burning fist into the exposed base of its tail.
The snake let out a horrific screech, thrashing in agony before collapsing into the sand in a plume of smoke and ash.
The other, blinded, tried to retreat underground.
"Hayase, give me the move!" Amber shouted, fire dancing across her fingertips.
"Block its escape—circle it with flame and drive it back up!"
Amber flung her arms wide, creating a ring of fire that surrounded the flailing snake. It thrashed upward in panic.
Amber summoned every ounce of her Seikai power, her body glowing from within, and unleashed a concentrated blast straight into the creature's gaping mouth.
The second snake ignited from the inside out, its shriek cutting off in a burst of fire and black smoke. The sand around it turned to glass.
The battlefield fell still.
Amber panted heavily, drops of sweat sizzling as they hit her heated skin. Hayase ran to her side.
"You okay?" he asked.
She nodded slowly, hands on her knees.
"Yeah… but I need water. And a nap. Maybe both."
He smiled, placing a steadying hand on her back. "You were amazing."
Amber glanced sideways at him, her cheeks slightly flushed—not just from the heat.
"Couldn't have done it without your brain, strategist."
They turned as Arturo approached, brushing sand off his robe and giving them a proud nod.
"Not bad," he said, eyeing the remains of the two beasts. "You two make a solid team."
Amber and Hayase exchanged a look—tired, but deeply connected. The bond between them had grown even stronger under fire… literally.
"Come on," Arturo said. "The village isn't far. Just over the next ridge. You've earned a real bed and a proper meal."
Amber let out a long breath and nudged Hayase with her elbow. "Bet they won't call me your girlfriend this time."
Hayase chuckled, brushing grit from his shoulder. "You sure? I kind of liked the sound of it."
She rolled her eyes but smiled—and for a moment, despite the burning sun, they both felt something warm and new inside their hearts..