Moments earlier, deep within the forest, Kalia ran through the trees. Her breathing remained steady, yet her mind was in turmoil. Her eyes constantly scanned her surroundings, searching for the one figure she feared for most… Alicia.
With every passing second without results, the anxiety pressing on her chest grew heavier.
What if Alicia is hurt?
What if something has happened to her?
She shook her head sharply, forcing away the horrifying images beginning to form in her mind.
No. Nothing will happen to her. It can't.
She needed a broader view. Kalia immediately manipulated the Aether within her body, forcing it to defy gravity.
"Fly."
Aether flared, wrapping around her body and lifting her off the ground before she shot upward into the air.
From above, Kalia looked around frantically. Damn it—this forest canopy was far too dense. Thick foliage blocked her vision, leaving only narrow gaps that barely revealed the forest floor below.
Suddenly, a long howl tore through the air at close range.
Kalia's heart lurched. She slowed her flight. Through the swaying leaves below, she spotted a group of monsters gathered together—Snow Wolves.
And behind the pack stood a massive beast with white fur, dagger-sharp claws, and gleaming fangs reflecting the moonlight—
a Greater Snow Wolf.
Kalia narrowed her eyes, trying to grasp the situation through the dense leaves. The Snow Wolves' body language was unmistakable; they were poised to attack. The problem was, she couldn't see their target.
Slowly, she descended toward the focal point of the monsters' attention. Her eyes caught sight of a small figure sitting helplessly on the ground.
…Someone?
Kalia sharpened her focus. Her eyes flew wide open. Her breath caught painfully in her throat. That figure was the one she cherished most—
and the one she feared most to find in such a state.
Alicia!?
The Snow Wolves lunged as one, their fangs aimed straight for Alicia's throat.
This is bad—
Kalia dove sharply, dropping like an eagle swooping down on its prey.
I won't make it in time!
Without hesitation, she forcibly drew in the surrounding Aether. The terror of loss surged through her, driving her to pour everything she had into condensing the Aether into the thickest shield she could manage.
"Magic Barrier!"
She hurled the Aether around Alicia's body. Just in time, a transparent barrier manifested.
Crash!
The Snow Wolves were violently flung back, smashing into the protective wall now enveloping Alicia.
Knowing her daughter was safe for the moment, Kalia canceled her flight spell, letting gravity pull her down. She landed heavily beside Alicia with a thunderous impact.
"Alicia! Alicia, are you alright?!" she asked, breath ragged.
Alicia didn't respond. Her gaze was empty.
Kalia dropped to her knees, her voice softening, filled with warmth as she tried to pierce the shock that had frozen her daughter in place.
"A-are you… okay?"
Her eyes traced the small body before her. Blood. Cuts. Bruises.
"Child?! Your injuries—how did you get hurt this badly?!"
Her hands trembled as she reached for Alicia's shoulder, hesitating, afraid her touch might only cause more pain.
In the midst of that hesitation, a faint voice slipped out.
"M-mom…?"
The sound was barely audible, fragile like cracked glass.
Kalia froze for a heartbeat—then, without thinking, pulled Alicia into a tight embrace. Alicia buried her face against her, and her sobs finally broke free.
Holding Alicia's head against her chest, Kalia turned her gaze behind her. Her eyes fell upon the pack of wolves ahead. The worry that had filled her face was now replaced by blazing fury, her eyes wide with rage.
The Greater Snow Wolf returned her stare.
Within Kalia's chest, anger and vengeance fused into one. As she looked at the creature, a dense killing intent poured from her, making the air around them feel heavy—suffocating.
But that murderous emotion vanished the instant she heard Alicia's voice in her arms.
"Mom… I'm scared…"
"I'm really scared. I don't want to die."
Kalia's expression softened. She answered gently, "It's alright, my dear. Mom's here."
Alicia's body still trembled faintly in her embrace. Her sobs spilled out uncontrollably, her shoulders rising and falling with ragged breaths. The tears she had been holding back finally poured forth, as though all her fear and pain had only now found permission to escape.
Kalia said nothing. She simply held her daughter tighter, one hand slowly and repeatedly stroking Alicia's white hair.
Little by little, the sobbing weakened. Alicia's once-fractured breathing began to steady. Her small grip on Kalia's clothes loosened—not because she let go, but because her body no longer had the strength to cling.
Her head sank deeper against her mother's chest.
The crying faded, though her body still trembled faintly. Her breathing hadn't fully settled, and her fingers still clutched Kalia's clothes as if afraid the world would abandon her.
"Mom… don't go…"
Kalia gently brushed her white hair.
"I'm not going anywhere."
But from beyond the trees, a growl echoed once more.
Grrrr…
Kalia's body stiffened.
Her embrace loosened slightly, but Alicia reflexively grabbed the hem of her clothes—as if silently begging her not to leave.
Kalia looked down at her weakened daughter and spoke softly. "Don't worry. Mom's here."
"I'm just going to play for a bit with those naughty wolves," she added quietly. "You wait inside this barrier, alright?"
She smiled gently as she brushed Alicia's hair. Alicia gave a small nod, showing she understood.
Kalia stood.
The motherly smile vanished.
What remained was a gaze filled with rage and vengeance.
She walked forward slowly, stopping before the pack of Snow Wolves. Behind them, the Greater Snow Wolf watched her, fully aware that the true opponent had finally arrived.
If I fight here, Alicia could get caught in it. I have to draw them away.
Kalia's gaze locked with the Greater Snow Wolf's in a silent clash of dominance. The Greater Snow Wolf growled low—a command absolute. Without further signal, the Snow Wolves charged in unison. Their movements were so fast they left only blurred afterimages in an ordinary eye.
But Kalia was no ordinary prey.
She turned and ran, moving away from Alicia's barrier. Just as she expected, the pack's hunting instincts took over; they ignored the stationary target and chased after Kalia instead.
The corner of her lips curled faintly.
Good. Follow me.
She leapt backward lightly as the Aether around her body condensed, manifesting into dozens of arrows of light.
The ethereal weapons shot forward mercilessly. Screams shattered the forest's silence as the Snow Wolves were pierced one after another, collapsing lifeless before they could even reach the hem of Kalia's clothes.
Witnessing its pack slaughtered, the Greater Snow Wolf let out a thunderous roar. The sound shook the air, forcing the remaining wolves to halt and retreat. The beast stepped forward, its movements slow yet laden with lethal threat. Kalia lowered her stance, every sense sharpening.
A bone-chilling cold suddenly poured from the giant wolf's body. Kalia's eyes widened slightly as the drastic drop in temperature bit into her skin.
What? An elemental monster?
Without wasting time, Kalia condensed Aether once more, firing a second volley of light arrows. The monster merely roared. A wave of sound mixed with icy energy tore through the air, obliterating Kalia's attack into meaningless motes of light.
"—!?"
Kalia's gaze hardened. Her jaw clenched, her breathing slowed—not to calm herself, but to restrain the fury boiling within her chest. This fight was taking longer than she wanted.
"You chose the wrong time to be alive."
A golden-yellow aura exploded from her body, wild arcs of lightning dancing around her. The electric currents intertwined, forming an absurd number of lightning spears.
They rained down like divine punishment. Sensing the mortal danger, the Greater Snow Wolf leapt aside with astonishing agility. It opened its jaws wide, unleashing a Cold Breath—a concentrated ice storm.
Kalia reacted instantly, spreading a magical shield before her. The freezing breath struck head-on. Everything in its path froze solid, and even Kalia's barrier was quickly coated in thick, creeping ice.
Lightning and cold clashed, compressing the air until it trembled violently. Cracks spread across the ground beneath Kalia's feet, yet she stood firm. Her eyes never left the giant wolf, watching every twitch of muscle.
The Greater Snow Wolf began to circle her.
Its movements weren't rushed. Too calm.
Why isn't it attacking outright?
Without warning, the massive wolf burst forward, closing the distance in the blink of an eye. Kalia jumped back, maintaining space while firing a barrage of lightning spears to slow it down.
Razor-sharp claws tore through empty air, missing her face by mere inches. She twisted, letting the momentum pass, then leapt away again. She kept moving, never letting herself stay in one place as the wolf pressed her with relentless slashes.
Wait… its movements…
The wolf lunged again—but this time, its claws were wrapped in a deadly pale-blue aura. Its speed surged dramatically, far beyond its previous attacks. Kalia reacted too late; there was no physical space left to evade.
Forced, she activated Magic Barrier.
The claws collided violently with the transparent shield, producing an ear-splitting crash. The freezing energy didn't merely strike—it seeped through. Cracks spread across the barrier like a spiderweb of ice from the impact point.
My defense will break!
Kalia poured more Aether into it, forcibly thickening the barrier at the last second. Her heart raced, her focus consumed entirely by holding the line.
And that was exactly what the beast wanted.
The monster roared. Its gaze sharpened—but it wasn't fixed on Kalia.
It looked past her.
Straight behind her.
At the same time, bushes in the distance shook violently. Three Snow Wolves burst forth, charging straight toward the barrier protecting Alicia.
Kalia's eyes flew wide. The blood drained from her face.
No!
A fear colder than any ice seized her heart. Without hesitation, she dropped the barrier protecting herself, leaving her body exposed to evade the Alpha's deadly, frost-laced claws.
"Cunning beast."
Lightning erupted around her as she shot forward, tearing through the distance. She no longer cared about strategy or defense. The only thing in her mind was reaching Alicia, frozen in terror inside the barrier.
I won't make it in time!
She pushed her speed to the absolute limit, ignoring the icy pressure bearing down on her back. She knew she was wide open. She knew another attack was coming.
But her focus was locked on the three Snow Wolves, their snouts nearly touching Alicia's barrier.
Dozens of lightning spears materialized around Kalia and shot forth like bolts of judgment, piercing the three wolves clean through.
Crash!
At the same moment, Kalia threw herself to the side. She was a fraction of a second too late. The attack from behind still struck, tearing into her shoulder.
"MOOM!!!" Alicia screamed.
Kalia staggered, her vision flashing white with searing pain. Still, she forced herself upright, planting her feet firmly into the ground. One hand clutched her shoulder, now soaked in blood and shards of ice frozen into the wound. Pain and cold fought for dominance in her nerves—but she swallowed them both.
She looked at Alicia. Her daughter's face was deathly pale, tears pooling in her eyes. Kalia took a deep breath, hiding the pain behind a thin, forced smile.
"It's alright," she said, breath ragged but firm. "Mom's fine."
She fixed her gaze on the giant wolf growling before her. Her fingers moved swiftly, retrieving a small potion from her storage ring. She downed it in a single gulp. Cold spread through her body, sealing the gaping wound in an instant—yet the exhaustion weighing down her muscles remained.
"This is bad… I'm almost out of Aether," she muttered.
How stupid. I can't believe I forgot to bring Aether and stamina recovery potions.
Kalia gave a bitter chuckle, trying to push away the creeping anxiety. "Looks like I'll have to go all out."
Without waiting a second, she cast another spell.
2-Star Spell: Lightning Dash.
A golden aura and sparks of electricity wrapped around her legs as she shot forward, closing the distance in an instant. Her fist clenched tightly as she threw a full-powered punch. The wolf, impossibly agile for its size, slipped aside. Her blow cleaved nothing but air.
Not allowing her momentum to break, Kalia cast again.
3-Star Spell: Lightning Lance.
But the number was no longer as overwhelming as at the start of the battle. Blue flashes streaked forward, yet the wolf twisted smoothly, dodging each strike as if dancing between raindrops.
Suddenly, the wolf counterattacked. Its massive body surged forward, sharp wind in its wake. Its claws rose high, ready to tear through anything in its path. Kalia flinched—the distance was too close, too intimate for such a lethal threat. There was no time to form a Magic Barrier.
She could only throw herself sideways.
Rip!
The tip of a claw still caught her. Her sleeve shredded instantly, followed by a burning pain as fresh blood seeped from torn skin. Kalia grit her teeth and reached for another potion, downing it at once. The wound closed, the bleeding stopped—but her breathing grew heavier.
What do I do?
She glanced at her remaining supplies.
Only three recovery potions left… and my Aether is nearly gone. If this keeps up—I'm finished.
Kalia cast again.
4-Star Spell: Chain of Lightning.
Her breath came in gasps as chains of electricity roared from her fingertips, racing across the ground toward the giant beast. The monster leapt nimbly, dodging chain after chain—but its movements began to slow.
One chain wrapped around its hind leg. Then another. And another. They coiled around its body, binding it forcibly. The monster roared, struggling, but its movements were completely sealed.
It was now wide open.
Kalia followed up immediately.
3-Star Spell: Lightning Spear.
The spears tore through the air and slammed into the giant wolf's flesh. A deafening howl erupted as fresh blood spilled, staining its once-pristine white fur.
"Seems even third-tier spells aren't enough to finish you," Kalia muttered coldly. She spread both hands, gathering the last of her strength.
I have to end this now—before I have nothing left.
"Thunder Break!"
A massive wave of golden energy exploded outward, obliterating the ground and trees around her. A heartbeat later, the sky itself seemed to split apart—
a colossal bolt of lightning crashed down upon the helpless monster.
Blinding light engulfed everything.
The beast died instantly, its body charred black with burn marks.
Kalia staggered, her breathing ragged from excessive Aether use. Her eyelids felt heavy as lead, but she bit her lower lip, forcing herself to stay conscious.
She had to get to Alicia.
When she returned to the hiding spot, Kalia waved her hand, dissolving the transparent dome around her daughter. Alicia immediately rushed out and clung to her tightly. The little girl trembled violently, fear still etched across her face—especially as she noticed the blood and injuries on her mother.
Kalia smiled faintly, gently stroking her daughter's hair to calm her.
"Come on. Let's go home."
She cast a flight spell and lifted Alicia onto her back. They flew low, cutting through the night air at a steady pace. Along the way, Alicia finally drifted into sleep, her head resting comfortably against Kalia's shoulder.
Seeing that, Kalia let out a long breath, allowing relief to wash over the exhaustion gripping her body.