A full week had passed since I accidentally—somehow—became a mercenary with the Black Ravens.
One moment I was quietly drinking water at an inn…
The next moment I was handed a badge, surrounded by seven strangers, and being pulled along like some lost puppy who "looked useful."
I still don't understand how it happened.
But… I wasn't complaining.
Traveling with them for seven days felt nothing like the academy, nothing like the slums, nothing like the quiet loneliness I had grown too used to.
They were loud, chaotic, weird, and strangely warm.
And for the first time in a long time…
I felt like I belonged somewhere.
The Black Ravens
Aeralyn teased me constantly, flipping her fiery red hair with her sharp fan like she wanted to carve her name into the world itself.
Elunari, the silver-haired mage, scolded everyone like an exasperated mother and threatened to freeze our boots shut if the arguing didn't stop.
Maerith, the spear-wielder, was tall and graceful but also terrifying. I once saw her throw Raelan into a bush for snoring too loud.
Sora barely spoke, but when he did, it was usually, "Trap on the left", saving us from instant death.
Raelan… well, he was a giant brick with arms. My ribs still hurt from the "welcome hug" he gave me.
Teralin, the healer, was soft-spoken and gentle, always hovering near me to make sure I didn't trip and die "by accident."
And then their leader—
Rheos.
With black armor, black hair, and a presence that parted crowds like a knife.
Silent. Sharp. Unshakable.
He scared me the most.
But… he was also the one who made sure I always had the best spot near the fire. And he never let anyone push me too hard.
They treated me like… like a younger brother.
And that scared me almost as much as the Frostveil forest ahead.
"Kid, quit spacing out," Aeralyn snapped her fingers in front of my face. "I'm talking to you."
"Oh—sorry," I muttered. "I was just… thinking."
"Thinking too hard," Raelan grinned. "That's dangerous. You'll hurt yourself."
I groaned.
They all laughed.
The closer we got to Frostveil, the colder the air became—sharp, biting, carrying the scent of frozen pine. Snowflakes drifted lazily down, clinging to my cloak.
The frost wolves were the first monsters to greet us.
Sora's arrow took one through the skull before it even finished growling.
Then frozen slimes oozed out of the underbrush, shimmering like chunks of living ice.
Elunari muttered a spell, flicked her staff, and—
CRACK.
They shattered into perfect cubes.
I stared, jaw dropping.
I had never seen real mage combat before. Knights fought with steel. Slumlords fought with fists and cheap knives. Never seen anything like this, the way they fought. All of them were new, unique, and different.
This?
This was something else.
Maerith noticed my expression and chuckled.
"First time seeing a real caster at work?"
I nodded stupidly.
"You'll get used to it," she said, patting my shoulder with a hand that probably could've snapped my spine.
That night, while we camped near the frostveil treeline, Teralin wrapped a scarf around my neck.
"You're shivering," she said softly. "You'll freeze."
"I—I'm fine—"
"No, you're not."
She tightened it gently. "There. Better?"
My face went hot.
I wasn't used to this.
Kindness like this.
"Thanks," I muttered.
Aeralyn threw her arm around me next.
"Look at you! Becoming our little brother!"
"I'm not a—!"
Raelan lifted me up by the back of my cloak.
"Small. Cute. Helpless. Definitely a mascot."
"I'M NOT HELPLESS— PUT ME DOWN!"
Rheos watched from the fire, expression unreadable, but I caught the faintest twitch of a smile.
Warm.
That was what it felt like.
Warm.
We entered the forest at dawn.
Tall ancient trees coated in frost towered overhead, branches heavy with snow. Light filtered through in icy blue rays.
Beautiful. Deadly. Silent.
Too silent.
Sora froze mid-step and raised a fist.
We stopped.
Rheos narrowed his eyes.
Maerith lowered her spear.
Aeralyn reached for her fan.
I didn't understand.
Until the temperature dropped—
not a little, but violently.
Every breath hurt.
Ice crawled across the ground like living veins.
Teralin whispered with trembling lips:
"…No. No way."
Elunari's face drained of color.
"That mana signature… that density… this is—"
A shadow formed in the mist.
Huge.
Flowing.
Like a humanoid figure made entirely of swirling frost and shards of ice. Two glowing eyes opened in the dark.
My blood froze.
Rheos hissed under his breath:
"A Monarch Frost Shade."
The creature raised its arm.
The world turned white.
BOOOOOOOM
Ice exploded outward, forming a dome around us—
a giant sphere of solid, unbreakable frost.
We were trapped.
"Spread out!" Rheos shouted.
Aeralyn vanished into the mist.
Sora fired arrows so fast they blurred.
Elunari tightened her grip on her staff, magic swirling.
The Shade pointed at her.
FWOOOOOOSH
A spear of ice launched from its hand.
I ran—instinctively—
Sword drawn—
"ELUNARI!"
She wasn't fast enough.
I threw myself against her, shoving her to the side as the spear slammed into the ground.
Snow exploded everywhere.
My ribs burned.
My hands shook.
But we weren't dead.
"Thank you," she whispered.
I nodded, too breathless to respond.
Rheos barked orders.
"Elunari—freeze its lower body! Aeralyn, Maerith—aim the core! Sora suppress! Raelan, with me! Rain—support where you can and DON'T get killed!"
"R-right!"
They moved like a real strike team.
Precise. Deadly. Perfectly in sync.
Elunari unleashed a wave of ice magic, coating part of the Shade's body in thick ice.
Aeralyn and Maerith darted in, slashing and thrusting—
But the Shade shattered the ice with a pulse of mana.
SHOOOM
The shockwave threw us back.
I crashed into the icy ground, coughing.
My vision blurred.
This thing…
This thing was strong.
Stronger than anything I'd faced.
"Rain!" Aeralyn yelled. "MOVE!"
I rolled instinctively.
A frozen spike pierced the ground where my head had been a heartbeat earlier.
Desperation
Minutes felt like hours.
We were bleeding, bruised, frozen, exhausted.
Raelan's shield arm went numb.
Maerith had a cut across her cheek.
Aeralyn's breathing was ragged.
Sora's fingers bled from the cold.
Elunari dropped to one knee, pale and shaking, mana nearly gone.
And the Monarch Frost Shade?
Barely damaged.
"T-this is bad," Teralin whispered as she healed Maerith's arm. "We're going to die if—"
"No." Rheos steadied himself. His armor was cracked, frostbitten. "Not while I'm still standing."
I forced myself up.
My legs trembled.
But I couldn't let them fight alone.
My sword felt heavier than ever.
Still—
I charged.
Rheos saw me.
"Rain—!"
Too late.
The Shade swung its arm.
Ice blades rained down like a storm.
I deflected the first.
Dodged the second.
Took the third in the shoulder.
Pain flared white-hot.
I stumbled—
And Maerith grabbed me from behind, yanking me away before a shard impaled my chest.
"You idiot!" she snapped. "Don't charge in blindly!"
"I—I wasn't—!"
"You absolutely were!"
But there wasn't time to argue.
Elunari staggered forward.
Her staff glowed faintly.
"I'll… I'll stun it," she breathed. "I can use the last of my mana… but someone needs to finish it."
Her eyes drifted to me.
"Rain… can you?"
My heart pounded.
Could I?
"…Yes."
She smirked weakly. "Good."
She slammed her staff down.
CRACK—KA-THOOOOOM
A burst of brilliant blue light erupted, stunning the Shade, freezing its body for just a second—
A second was enough.
I sprinted.
My legs screamed.
My lungs burned.
Blood dripped from my shoulder.
The Shade turned—slowly, sluggishly—
Its eyes flickering—
I leapt.
All my strength.
All my training.
All my will.
And with a roar tearing from my throat—
I swung.
SLLLLAAAAASH
My blade tore through its chest—
Through the swirling frost—
Through its glowing mana core—
And then—
Silence.
The Shade shattered.
Ice fragments scattered like falling stars.
And the dome melted away, snow drifting gently to the ground.
It was over.
I collapsed.
Someone caught me.
Rheos.
"...Good work," he said quietly. "Reckless. But good."
Aeralyn stood over me, hands on hips.
"You scared me half to death, you little brat!"
Maerith sighed. "Honestly, Rain…"
Teralin gently healed my shoulder. "You did well."
Sora gave a rare thumbs-up.
Raelan ruffled my hair like I was five.
Warm.
Despite the cold…
It felt warm.
We stayed there for hours, resting, talking, laughing weakly through the pain.
Like a family.
The next morning, I stood at the edge of camp, tightening my cloak.
"I… have somewhere I need to go," I told them.
They didn't ask where.
Rheos stepped forward and placed a hand on my shoulder.
"That badge makes you one of us," he said. "If you ever need help… call."
Aeralyn pulled me into a hug.
"Come back alive, okay?"
Maerith nodded firmly.
Elunari smiled faintly.
Teralin waved sweetly.
Sora lifted a hand in quiet goodbye.
Raelan cried. A lot.
I bowed deeply.
"…Thank you. For everything."
Then I turned.
And walked alone toward the far northeast.
Toward the Orcs.
Toward my trial.
Toward whatever awaited me.