A bright afternoon stretched across the forest path leading toward Valenor.
Sunlight slipped through the tall trees, scattering across the dirt road in soft golden patches. The wind carried the scent of leaves and distant water.
Vyvian, Faye, and Rem walked quietly along the path.
After a while, Faye broke the silence.
"How long is the journey?" she asked, glancing at Rem.
Rem thought for a moment before answering.
"We're moving at a fast pace," he said. "But to reach Valenor, we must cross a river first. It will take about one more day to reach it. After we cross, we'll need to walk two more days before we arrive."
Faye sighed.
"Damn… that's pretty far."
"Yeah," Vyvian nodded quietly.
They continued walking.
After some time, Vyvian spoke again.
"Guys… we should probably have lunch. If we keep walking without eating, we'll get weak."
Rem nodded.
"I guess you're right."
Faye agreed as well.
They laid down a small eating cloth and unpacked their food.
Bread. Some dried meat. A few fruits.
Faye looked at the small pile with concern.
"Do you think this food will last until we reach Valenor?"
Rem shook his head.
"Food is abundant in Valenor. Prices are low there too. We'll be able to buy more easily once we arrive. For now, we just eat enough to avoid starving."
Vyvian stared at his portion.
"…My food definitely won't last."
Faye rolled her eyes.
"That's because you always eat more than you should."
"Whatever," Vyvian muttered.
They finished eating and packed their things.
Just as they were about to continue walking—
Something landed nearby.
The ground trembled.
All three froze.
A creature stood before them.
A Higher Being.
It was tall and grotesque.
Three eyes stared from its face. Its muddy skin looked cracked and uneven. Behind its back stretched massive bat-like wings.
Its mouth twisted into a hideous grin, crooked teeth protruding outward.
The creature sniffed the air.
"Give me your food," it said lazily. "I want to taste the bread you have. It smells nice."
Faye and Vyvian froze.
The sight of it…
The shape.
The presence.
It looked just like the one that had destroyed their village.
Rem didn't speak.
Instead, he silently stepped forward.
Preparing himself.
Faye's voice trembled.
"Y-you… Are you the one who destroyed our village… and ate our people?"
Vyvian said nothing.
He simply stared at the ground.
The creature tilted its head.
"What are you talking about?" it said. "I don't know you."
It shrugged.
"Maybe one of us did it. But not me."
Its grin widened.
"Anyway… give me your food."
Its eyes glimmered with something vile.
"Or I'll rape and eat all of you."
Something inside Faye snapped.
Flames burst from her body.
A violent wave of orange fire engulfed her.
When the flames faded, she stood transformed.
Fire curled around her neck and tail like living serpents.
Her eyes burned with fury.
"I'm going to kill you right here!"
"Faye— wait," Rem said quickly.
But he knew it was pointless.
She was already gone.
With a sigh, Rem transformed as well.
Dark energy surged around him.
The monster laughed.
"Oh? So the puny brats want to fight?"
Its wings spread wide.
"Bring it on!"
Behind them
Vyvian didn't move, his legs trembled, he tried to step forward but his knees gave out and he fell to the ground.
No one noticed.
"Corruption Wave!"
Rem thrust his hand forward, releasing a surge of chaotic Qi.
Dark energy slammed into the creature.
The Higher Being staggered slightly,
But barely reacted.
It leapt into the air.
Then crashed down toward them.
Faye and Rem dodged instantly.
The shockwave from its landing blasted outward.
Vyvian was thrown back into a nearby tree.
But he still didn't move.
Faye and Rem counterattacked.
Both of them lunged forward.
A shockwave punch.
A flame-infused strike.
Their fists slammed into the creature.
The impact forced it backward.
It howled.
Then suddenly, it moved.
Its body twisted and sidestepped rapidly.
Its speed was so fast it looked like teleportation.
Before they could react,
Both Faye and Rem were struck.
They crashed to the ground.
They quickly stood again, barely avoiding the monster's stomp.
Then, cold wind erupted.
Vyvian stood there.
Already transformed.
A violent burst of icy wind surged forward.
The Higher Being's leg froze mid-air, trapped in ice just before crushing them.
"You—!" the creature growled.
Suddenly—
A dense icy mist spread across the battlefield.
Visibility vanished.
"VOID FROST."
Vyvian's voice echoed calmly.
The mist cleared instantly.
Above him floated a massive black ice crystal, hovering between his raised arms.
The creature dashed toward him.
But before it could reach him—
The crystal collapsed inward.
Compressing into a dark frosty aura around Vyvian's palms.
He aimed forward.
"Shoot."
A black beam of freezing energy blasted forward.
The creature was struck mid-dash.
In seconds—
Its entire body froze solid.
Only its head remained unfrozen.
Black frost wrapped around it like chains.
"What… is this…?!"
The creature screamed.
"THE ICE IS BURNING!"
Vyvian walked toward it slowly.
"My ice burns and freezes at the same time," he said coldly.
"It will melt your insides while locking your body in place."
His voice carried no emotion.
Rem dashed forward.
"I'll finish it."
He slammed a massive shockwave directly into the creature's face.
The ground shattered outward.
Vyvian raised his fist—
But Faye's voice cut through the air.
"REM! VYVIAN! MOVE!"
They jumped aside.
Faye descended from the sky.
"HELL FIRE!"
Crimson flames erupted around her.
The color of blood.
The flames crashed into the frozen monster.
The Void Frost shattered.
The crimson fire consumed it.
Then the attack imploded inward.
Silence fell.
The Higher Being collapsed, unconscious
Faye and Rem both detransformed.
"We… won," Faye said quietly.
"Yeah," Rem nodded.
But Vyvian did not detransform.
He walked toward the fallen creature.
Frost formed around his arms.
Shaping into sharp blades.
Without hesitation
He stabbed the creature.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Purple blood splattered across the ground.
"Vyvian… what are you doing?" Rem asked, shocked.
"Vyvian?" Faye said.
He didn't stop.
The blades pierced its limbs.
Its chest.
Its throat.
Its three eyes.
"What?" Vyvian finally replied calmly.
Purple blood covered his frost blades.
"I'm just doing what it deserves."
"STOP, VYVIAN!" Faye shouted.
Rem stared at him.
"That's not who you are."
But Vyvian didn't listen.
He continued until the creature's body was completely mutilated.
Then he finally detransformed.
"Let's go," he said coldly.
"We need to move fast."
He turned and began walking toward Valenor.
Faye and Rem stood silently behind him.
Both of them exchanged uneasy glances.
As they resumed walking, Vyvian remained quiet.
Faye leaned closer to Rem and whispered.
"Why did Vyvian act like that?"
Rem sighed.
"He definitely has unresolved wounds"
"We'll figure it out later."
Faye nodded.
The three continued down the long road toward Valenor, but the victory didnt bring peace.
Because some wounds are deeper than flesh.
Some scars do not bleed.
They simply stay hidden in the quiet chambers of the heart.
Inside Vyvian, the past still howled like a winter storm.
And as the road stretched endlessly before them…
No one knew what darkness still waited ahead.
As three of them walked away,
Among the mutilated remains of the Higher Being, one of its shattered eyes slowly rolled across the ground.
Thin strands of purple flesh began stretching from its back like veins.
The eye dragged itself across the dirt, slowly… painfully.
Crawling deeper into the forest, where something waited to grow again.