I watched from above as several soldiers attempted to replicate my "Pillar of the Unknown" skill. Again and again, they failed. At best, they managed to force the ground upward—but none of them could shape it into a true pillar, nor sustain it continuously. It was clear they were missing something fundamental.
Satisfied—and a little disappointed—I left the area and headed toward my research lab. On the way, Professor Iris stopped me. We exchanged a few words, nothing important, just casual conversation that passed the time.
Later, I went to the cafeteria to eat. A few other professors joined me, and we talked as we ate, but my mind wasn't really there. Luka and Matthiew had been gone for two days now. No messages. No explanation. The noise around me only made the absence feel louder, and for the first time in a while, I felt… lonely.
After the meal, I returned to my room and fell asleep sometime in the afternoon. When I woke up, night had already settled in. I made my way to the terrace, lay down against the cool surface, and stared up at the stars, letting the silence wrap around me.
I suddenly felt someone's presence near me. When I looked up, I saw Professor Abel standing there. He reached out and tried to hand me cigarette . I shook my head and refused.
He didn't force it. Instead, he looked at me quietly and asked, "Why are you sad?"
"I'm not sad," I replied after a pause. "I'm just… feeling lonely."
Abel nodded slowly. "I know why," he said. "Luka and Matthiew went on a mission on orders of Head Michael. They were sent to capture an anomaly."
He continued, "This anomaly becomes stronger by killing people. Those who survived say it looks like a giant lizard."
I clenched my fists. "Then why didn't he take me?" I asked. "I know I'm stronger than any one them. You already reported him about our fight—does he still not trust me? I've killed many anomalies before. I have experience."
The night wind brushed past us as I looked back at the stars. "I know how to fight," I said quietly. "I know how to survive. And I know how to kill."
"You geniuses… all of you, you carry the same flaw. You think you're the main character. That the world is made for your talent. That no one could ever do it better than you. Winter… Luka… Matthiew… you all have that arrogance naturally, it's in your blood. But arrogance is a fragile thing. It doesn't take much to crack it. Someone comes along—someone with more skill, more instinct, more raw power—and suddenly the world isn't bending to you anymore.
He draws in a slow drag from his cigarette and lets the smoke curl into the air.
That's when reality hits. That's when you learn your limits. Winter… you just have to wait. Wait until your perspective, your confidence, everything you think you know about yourself… breaks completely. Only then… only then will you truly see, and only then will you be ready."
"Professor Abel… what you said is true," I said quietly. "We are like that. But you're too late for one thing ."
I closed my eyes. "I've already been defeated many times—by people far better than me." Memories of countless battles surfaced, one after another. But among them all, one stood above the rest. The most humiliating one.
The scene replayed in my mind.
She moved.
In less than a second, the fight was over.
I saw my own head on the ground, my eyes still open, staring at my body. Only then did I realize—she had cut my head off. I didn't die, not because I was strong, but because the strongest magician I know reversed time in that area. He could rewind an entire hour… but for me, thirty seconds were enough.
I stood up slowly.
"After every defeat," I continued, "I try to create a counter to whatever beat me. I work harder. I push further. That's how I reached where I am now. Those people who defeated me before could defeat me again…"
I clenched my fist.
"But this time," I said firmly, "I know I would perform better than the last time."
****
"Don't you think you should help us here?" someone shouted.
We all turned toward the commander, who was casually sitting on a rock, watching us as if this were nothing more than a show.
We were trying to seal the creature, but first we had to stop it. The soldiers kept firing their strongest attacks, one after another, yet the creature didn't even fight back. Its body regenerated almost instantly—its wounds closing in a split second.
We cut off its limbs again and again, but each time they grew back tougher than before. That's when we realized the truth: we had to destroy its entire body. Only then could we seal it.
"Destroy its eyes first," Matthiew shouted. "Then stab your weapons into it. Even if it regenerates, it won't be able to see. Split into groups—cut its limbs and pin it to the ground. Luka, from above, use the seal and capture it."
We moved at once. The plan worked smoothly—until it didn't.
The creature suddenly opened its mouth and fired a devastating blast of fire straight at me. I felt no pain. No heat.
The commander had moved.
He stepped onto the battlefield. In his hands appeared his battle weapons—two axes. He clicked his tongue and said, "Fuck it. We already have enough of its body samples. All we need now is its brain."
He didn't need the soldiers. He didn't need us.
In 15 minutes, the lizard's entire body was cut apart, and its brain was sealed. And during those 15 minutes, we didn't feel like we were watching a man fight—but an anomaly itself, cutting faster than a second .
[3 hours later]
We were eating at the camp while some soldiers danced and drank nearby, laughing loudly as the fire crackled between us. Matthiew and I shared food and drinks, eating in silence for a while. Eventually, my thoughts drifted to Winter.
"Why wasn't Winter called for this mission?" I asked.
Matthiew didn't look up from his food. "The professors and I agreed not to take him," he said casually.
"Why?" I asked.
"We didn't like his behavior," Matthiew replied.
I don't know why, but I found myself defending Winter at first. Still, after Matthiew listed everything—his attitude, his unpredictability—I stopped arguing.
I changed the topic. "Do you think you could defeat Winter alone?" I asked, half out of curiosity.
"No," Matthiew replied instantly.
That surprised me. "Why?"
"I looked into Winter's past," he said. "He's taken part in every competition and field battle. He's won and lost, but he never stopped improving. He was the best at magic construction in the academy. Because of that, he indirectly won most of his battles in his final year. He almost never lost—except once, in an unofficial fight." He paused. "And that fight started a rumor."
"What rumor?" I asked, now interested.
"That Winter massacred an entire village."
I laughed. "That's obviously false."
Matthiew didn't laugh with me. "Luka… it might be true. I searched the newspapers. The whole village was found dead."
I slowly put my food down. "So you're saying Winter did it?"
"The villagers were covered in slash wounds," Matthiew said quietly. "Even the soldiers who arrived later had similar marks of being slashed. And Winter was found there—unconscious, blood all over his weapon."
My chest tightened.
"He claimed he was protecting the people but couldn't save any ," Matthiew continued. "He was put on trial, but because of his reputation, no charges were filed."
"What was he protecting the people against?" I asked.
Matthiew replied after a short pause. "He said there were two individuals—a girl and a man."
I sat there in silence, staring into the fire.
There was no way Winter would do something like that… not willingly. It wasn't that he couldn't destroy a village—technically, he could. But something about the story didn't sit right with me.
For now, I decided to keep my guard up.
****
In the morning, we began our return. As we rode, we passed the village that had once been massacred. Now, it was nothing more than empty ground surrounded by tall walls.
"Listen carefully," the commander said. "I'll say this only once. We race until we reach the facility."
The moment he finished speaking, he sped up on his motorcycle. Matthiew and the others smiled and followed, increasing their speed. I stayed at the back, chasing after them.
Halfway through, I heard someone call for help. I stopped and looked to my left, but there was no one there. The sound didn't come again. After a moment, I restarted my bike and rode hard to catch up.
As we raced, everyone began changing the terrain to gain an advantage. I summoned my gauntlets and smoothed the ground into a perfectly even path. Once I passed through, I returned the terrain to normal so anyone behind us wouldn't lose balance.
I stopped when I saw the others halt suddenly. I followed their gaze—and my eyes widened in shock.
Near the facility, the ground had risen into countless sharp spikes. But what caught our attention wasn't the ground itself. Several giant birds were impaled on those spikes.
On the ground below, more creatures lay dead, blood scattered everywhere. We rode past them quickly. Some had been slashed apart; others were pierced straight through by the earth.
Then I saw a sword stuck in the ground.
I recognized it instantly. "It's Winter's sword ," I said.
Matthiew nodded as he rode away with others .
A little farther ahead, I spotted another sword. Then I saw a dome. I knew it immediately—Winter had to be inside.
I broke through the dome and found Winter lying there, covered in blood and bruises. His breathing was shallow.
I lifted him onto my bike and rode straight for the facility. But when I arrived, my heart sank.
The entire facility was destroyed. There was no one there.
"Search for the Head and the others," the commander ordered. I could see worry in his eyes as he spoke.