The trees of Arabisel towered in silence, like ancient guardians witnessing all who dared to cross their domain. Sunlight pierced through the branches, trembling as it kissed the earth, while the wind slipped between the leaves whispering in a language no human could understand.
Ryo walked lightly as always, one hand behind his head, appearing careless—but his eyes observed everything with hidden sharpness. Behind him, Shimoro walked quietly, brows furrowed, chest rising and falling from a tension he couldn't explain. He tried to seem calm, but deep down, he knew this forest was anything but ordinary.
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
Ryo halted as well, raising his hand without turning back. Shimoro instantly froze in place.
Ryo spoke in a low tone, staring into the layered shadows between the trees,
"Get ready… something is crawling toward us."
No sooner had he finished speaking than a faint sound emerged from the darkness—a deep, suffocating hum, like the dying breath of a creature being strangled. Two figures slithered out from between the severed branches and dry leaves. Their bodies were twisted, their eyes glowing faintly red, and their shredded skin looked as though they had once been living beings, flayed, then forced back into existence.
Ryo whispered lightly as he stepped aside,
"EIU beasts, class D… or maybe E. Not the strongest, but vicious enough to tear you apart in seconds if you hesitate."
Shimoro didn't answer. He stared at the beasts… then at his hands.
No sword… he wasn't prepared. His heartbeat pounded violently, yet he was no longer the boy who ran the moment Ryo attacked him before.
He slowly raised his right hand and stared into the air.
"…Freeze."
His breath left him as a cold mist, and at the tips of his fingers, pure ice formed—clear like crystal—slowly shaping itself into a short but sharp dagger.
In an instant, Shimoro grasped it, a faint glimmer radiating from its blade…
A silent moment—but a decisive one.
He lifted his eyes toward the beasts and whispered to himself,
"Am I… ready to kill?"
He looked at one of the creatures creeping forward, its breath hot and repulsive, its exhale sounding like branches snapping under pressure.
"These creatures… were they once innocent animals? Do I deserve to kill them just because they changed? What if something inside them is still alive… still hurting?"
He shook his head harshly, trying to rid himself of the thought, but his heart refused. His hands trembled slightly despite his efforts to remain steady.
Ryo suddenly shouted, slashing the air with his sword:
"Triple Wind slashes!"
Three invisible slashes flashed with faint light, slicing the first beast clean in half. Its black blood splattered across the ground as the second creature trembled, growling violently.
Ryo glanced back with a grin,
"What are you waiting for, Ice Heir? This isn't a cattle farm—they'll eat you alive if you don't move first!"
Shimoro didn't respond, but he steadied his breathing. Something dormant inside him roared, refusing to break again.
The second beast lunged at him, claws sharp as knives. At last, Shimoro moved—slower than Ryo, but with purpose. He ducked suddenly and thrust the ice dagger into the beast's side… but the blade struck something solid, its skin hard as a bone shield.
His arm jerked back, pain jolting through his wrist.
He retreated quickly, but the beast struck him with a heavy blow to the shoulder, sending him flying until he slammed against a tree trunk. A choked groan escaped him, but he pushed himself up, eyes burning with determination.
He spoke loudly, forming a new dagger slowly in his hand,
"No… I won't run this time. Even if I don't understand what these beasts really are… I'll fight."
The creature charged again. This time, instead of retreating, Shimoro stepped forward at the last second, ducking low before driving his dagger into the underside of its neck—where the skin was weakest.
A piercing shriek erupted from the beast before it crashed to the ground, writhing violently. The wound froze instantly, spreading across its neck until the entire creature became a distorted ice statue.
Silence…
Ryo had been watching, the smile still on his face—but his eyes were far more serious now.
He murmured,
"Hah… looks like you're still evolving, Ice Heir."
---
The forest grew eerily quiet after the fight, as if it had not witnessed a brutal clash moments earlier. Steam rose from the two beast corpses, and the shattered remains of Shimoro's ice glistened beneath the stray beams of sunlight breaking through the dense canopy.
Shimoro sat on the ground, exhausted and breathing heavily, while Ryo stood with his sword stained in dark blood, scanning the surroundings with caution.
Ryo spoke calmly,
"Not bad… for our first encounter with EIU beasts. You did alright, idiot."
Shimoro lifted his head, sweat dripping onto the damp soil, and exhaled,
"I don't feel like I did well… I hesitated too much in the final strike."
Ryo walked toward him, sitting beside him as he glanced at the beasts' fading remains—leaving behind faint black traces of dissipating EIU energy.
"You're still thinking they're just animals… aren't you?"
Shimoro stayed silent for a moment before answering quietly,
"Yes… what's the difference? These beasts lived here long before EIU corrupted them, before we judged them worthy of death. Isn't that unfair?"
Ryo shook his head slightly, his tone firm,
"Maybe. But the world doesn't care about fairness, Shimoro. Beasts, humans, kingdoms… all of them move under the same chaos. The only difference is that we know we're fighting to survive."
Shimoro slowly stood up,
"Maybe… but I won't stop questioning it. I don't want to become another mindless beast like them, without purpose or awareness."
Ryo was silent for a moment, then spoke with a faint smile,
"When you stop questioning… that's when you start becoming like them."
---
After hours of walking, and with the sun sinking behind the tall trees, the two reached a small clearing.
Ryo tossed some dry branches onto the ground,
"We'll stay here for the night. The forest doesn't show mercy in the dark."
They gathered wood, and Shimoro created a small ice orb to keep the fire from overheating once lit. Ryo sat beside him, watching the flames dance.
The sounds of night insects rose, and stars began to appear between the branches. Silence filled the clearing—broken only by the crackling fire—until Ryo finally spoke.
"Shimoro… what truly drives you to continue this journey?"
Shimoro lifted his gaze toward the flames, the orange light reflected in his eyes. His voice came out quiet but steady,
"I want to understand this world… I want to know where all this power that destroys and grants life comes from. I want to know who I am, whether I had a past or a family… whether someone from them is still alive—And protect all my loved ones.."
Ryo stared at him, something unspoken flickering in his eyes.
"A noble dream… but reality is always harsher than you wish."
Shimoro looked at him and asked softly,
"And you, Ryo? What are you searching for on this path?"
Ryo didn't answer right away. He stared into the fire for a long moment before speaking in a low voice, his eyes hiding dark shadows within,
"Revenge…"
The flames flickered violently as a cold gust swept through the clearing—as if the forest itself reacted to his answer.
Shimoro raised an eyebrow, shocked,
"Revenge? Against what?"
Ryo replied with a faint, bitter smile,
"Not now, Shimoro… when the time comes, you'll know who he is."
A heavy silence fell between them, broken only by the crackling fire and the cold night breeze.
That night, the two sat before the flames, each carrying hidden wounds and secrets unspoken.
Neither of them realized… that this night, and this fire, marked the beginning of the descent into the abyss.
To be continued…