Calm settled amidst the darkness of the night. No words, no sounds... only breaths struggling internally between anxiety and fear. From the shadows of the past until the break of dawn, I did not taste a moment of sleep.
I tossed and turned in my bed, my mind boiling with thoughts. If that demon has seen all my memories, and has seen the future of this body, how much does he truly know? Perhaps he knows exactly how my end will come. I remembered that mysterious entity who tortured me in my previous life, and how he told me my third punishment would be my reincarnation in this world—perhaps because of my arrogance when I claimed that even if I were tortured and brought back to life, I would commit the exact same deeds.
I sat on the edge of the bed and wiped the cold sweat from my forehead. I need to ask him. I must know.
Before Rose's Grave
In the Zero Ice region, the Ice Lord, Hyuga, was kneeling before a small marble grave bearing the name "Rose." He was remembering one specific thing that tore at his heart... Rose's final words before she drew her last breath.
"It hurts... save me... I don't want to die, I am afraid."
In the freezing, silent atmosphere, someone approached from behind with heavy steps until he reached the grave. It was Zephyr, the leader of the Crimson Bear Spear Tribe, and the father of both Rose and Volak.
Zephyr spoke with a broken voice filled with longing. "Rose... my beloved daughter. I hope you are living a better life than this one, my child. Do you remember those days? My daughter used to wake up before everyone else to prepare food for us. Yes, it was always either far too salty or far too sweet... she always added sugar instead of salt."
Zephyr sighed and looked at Hyuga with stern eyes. "So, Ice Lord... here is where everything began, and here is where we must end it so my daughter can be happy in her grave. You told us once that this necklace would bring her back at some point, but you never did it. Did it freeze around your neck, or what?"
Hyuga answered with calm stability, "I have already told you that I will return it, but only when the time comes. So will you just wait?"
Zephyr cried out in pain, "Wait for what?! Tell me! That necklace does not just mean something to me alone; it means everything to all the tribes, and you know the reasons!"
Hyuga nodded. "Yes, I know. Rose Zephyr... the first and youngest healer in the Spear Tribe. She treated a vast number of people and was deeply beloved among the tribes. She was destined for great things in the future. But what truly distinguished her is that she made the greatest sacrifice. A six-year-old girl managed to save what the Ice Commander could not. All the tribes owe her their lives, and they want the necklace to honor her."
Hyuga turned to look into Zephyr's tearful eyes. "As for the father... he wants it because, despite being her father, he was not with her in the final moments of her life. When he saw her dying, his eyes filled with tears and he could do nothing but watch his daughter be buried under the dirt. That is why he wants the necklace."
Zephyr bit his lip and said bitterly, "I know that the legendary beast was awake, and a father has responsibilities of that magnitude... how could he..."
Zephyr stopped talking. He clenched his fist so tightly that blood seeped from it, mixing with the snow on the grave.
Hyuga spoke in a low, dangerous voice. "Leader of the Spear Tribe... I will tell you a secret to end all these lingering issues between us. But promise me that you will keep it until the end of your life."
Zephyr asked with intense interest, "Is it a secret that dangerous?"
"Yes."
"Then what is your answer? Will you keep it or not?" Hyuga asked.
"I will keep it if it tells me the reason behind your stubborn grip on the necklace... Enlighten me, Commander."
"Then, listen closely."
The Demon's Trap
In my room, I stood before my black sword and said with forced firmness, "Demon! If you can hear me from inside the sword, I want to speak with you!"
Suddenly, a dark aura began to seep from the sword, moving toward a patch of frost clinging to my window to form a terrifying reflection.
"What do you want, host?" the demon asked with his earth-shattering voice.
I asked him directly, "Tell me, how much do you know about me?"
The demon replied with heavy sarcasm, "That is a difficult question. For I do not know much about you."
"What? Then how did you know the past and future of the person whose body I reincarnated into?"
"I had a vision."
"You said a vision?" I asked in astonishment.
"Yes. Do you want to see that vision?" the demon asked cunningly.
"Can it be seen?"
"Yes, but not here. We need a place with massive magical energy."
"Where is that place?"
The shadow pointed toward the window and said, "Boy, do you see that towering mountain through the glass? If you can make it to the peak there, we can talk and I will show you the vision."
I looked at the distant mountain, its peak shrouded in heavy clouds. "That mountain is incredibly high! It will take me two full days just to reach it."
The demon sneered. "What? Are you a coward?"
"No, but... what will I tell the squad? The Commander ordered us not to move until he makes his decision regarding the truce with the Spear Tribe."
"I do not care," the demon said coldly. "I have told you what I have. Either you come to me there, or never call upon me again, you weakling. I am truly disgusted by you. Goodbye, vessel."
"Wait! I said wait!" I shouted, but the aura vanished completely.
I bit my fingers nervously. Ugh, this is bad! Especially with the Commander's strict orders. Should I wait until the truce is finalized? But... my life, my past, and my future are on the line here! I have to go.
The Price of Peace and the Meaning of a Hero
Back in the Zero Ice region, Zephyr was staring at Hyuga in utter shock, unable to process what he had just heard.
"I cannot believe what I just heard! Ice Lord... are you sure about what you are saying now?"
"Yes."
"And you insist on keeping it despite knowing?"
"Yes."
Zephyr took a step back, wiping his face in exhaustion. "I can't believe it... So that is why you refuse to give up the necklace. You truly have your powerful reasons."
Zephyr looked closely at Hyuga and asked, "Heroes... how are they measured, Ice Lord? Or have you never been asked this question before? Because I want to know what the definition of a hero is to you."
Hyuga looked at Rose's quiet grave and answered, "Your question has only one answer, Leader of the Spear Tribe. A hero is an ordinary human. He laughs, grieves, gets angry, hates, and clings to this life with everything in it. The world weighs heavily upon him with choices. He is called a hero when the scale of good is incredibly heavy, yet he takes nothing from it. Instead, he grasps the burning coals with his bare hands, even as they boil and melt his flesh, and he keeps placing those coals on the scale until the side of good prevails... only then is he called a hero."
Zephyr fell silent for a few moments, deeply moved by the words, then said, "I understand. Then, after listening to your reasons, I declare a truce, on the condition that you honor your future promise."
"I will."
"Wait until Volak hears this news... I doubt he will accept it, for he never forgets his defeats. That is my son, after all; I raised him."
Following that, the reconciliation was officially announced. The Ice Squad was overjoyed by the declaration, but the Spear Tribe was highly hesitant, especially since the Ice King had promised to return the necklace but no one knew when.
It was then that Zephyr climbed atop a high rock and addressed his crowd. "My brothers and comrades in arms! You who have entrusted me with your affairs, do you trust me or not?"
They cheered, "Of course we trust you, Chief! But you know he promised us before and broke his word!"
Zephyr said firmly, "But in all honesty, I am the only one who now knows the true reason behind that. So, trust me this time."
The tribe members looked at each other hesitantly, then nodded in agreement out of respect for their leader.
The Path to the Peak
Elsewhere, Julian opened the door to my room, but he did not find me. He found only a small folded piece of paper on the bed, written in hurried handwriting:
"I will return in three days."
At that very moment, I was struggling to carve my path through the violent blizzards, climbing that towering mountain.
And from within the dark shadows of my consciousness, the demon was watching me with a dark, cunning smile, whispering to himself in triumph, "Humans are in such a rush for knowledge. Come... climb up to me, boy. When you reach the peak of the mountain, it will be your end, and I will seize your body entirely."