The cold morning passed through the windows of the cabin. Ferinish looked at the man lying on the bed before her: his skin cracked, breaking apart into thin flakes, both eyes missing, his hair slowly coming loose from his scalp like leaves from a dead tree.
Several filthy insects lay dead on the floor. One or another was still escaping from the bed. Ferinish touched him. The flakes of skin detached from his body, revealing the flesh, already dark underneath. How many hours had passed? What had happened to him? What had he gone through in that place, besides the flames?
Ferinish turned her back and wiped the damp stains from her face with the back of her hand.
In the forest, the wind made her shiver. But soon her skin reddened and the heat took hold of her spirit. She walked with her legs sinking into the snow. Before long, she found a pig wandering through the area, with smooth white fur and a large amount of fat. It was leaning forward, eating something that the tree trunks prevented her from seeing. Ferinish approached.
They were two people. A man and a woman. And on the woman's chest, a baby.
A reddish energy rose from the corpses, making her step back and draw her sword. The pig turned around, releasing a distorted roar. Four eyes blinked at the same time. Fangs emerged from its mouth. With a sudden leap, it came toward her.
Blood sprayed against the trees.
Ferinish observed the tracks hidden in the snow. Shoes stained red originated from a familiar place: the cabin. Her mouth fell open. She murmured. Unfortunate was that fate. But worse than that was knowing that they had probably screamed, a lot, and that there was not a single footprint around indicating that anyone had come to help.
Then she turned her gaze toward the pig. Her stomach growled endlessly.
Sitting before the fire, Ferinish drew her legs up, pressing them against her chest covered by the short shirt that swayed together with her pants. She covered her face with her arms and trembled continuously.
In the bedroom, with smoke coming out in thin strands, Ferinish brought the pig's meat to Slady's dark lips. She gently pulled his jaw downward and, with an apology he could not hear, placed the food on his tongue. She moved his jaw up and down. Within moments, she caught sight of a subconscious movement of his mouth: he swallowed with difficulty. His fists clenched. His eyelids contracted even more tightly.
She ran outside the cabin, found a small stream, filled her hands with icy water, returned, and brought them to the man's lips. He drank slowly, and a sigh escaped afterward.
Before she could leave, his voice echoed. Why was she doing that? She turned around and crouched before him, trying to understand what he had said. He repeated the question, his voice dry and hoarse. She did not know. She only knew that she had to do it. He thanked her. Silence returned to the room. What was she supposed to do? Nothing answered.
Suddenly, the door slammed. An authoritative voice ordered whoever was inside the cabin to reveal themselves. Ferinish left the bedroom with the crimson blade dragging across the floor. The soldier's eyes widened when she saw the woman's condition, but she swallowed hard and said that she was there to escort them to the kingdom, and that Ferinish had to present herself or face punishment.
Ferinish refused.
The soldier prepared to grab her spear. But, in the blink of an eye, she was slammed against the wood, Ferinish's hand wrapped around her neck, the rigid muscles of her arm tightening. Who was she? Why had she interfered? And, above all, why had she not seen two people and a child dead nearby?
The soldier's eyes widened even further. Who were these people? Ferinish released her and pressed the hot blade against her neck. She would follow her, without moving unless ordered to do so.
Soon, they were standing before the bodies. The soldier fell silent. A whisper to herself: she lamented that the child had been there. Ferinish demanded context. They were a criminal couple, expelled from the kingdom. They had no right to reproduce. The child was a surprise, an unfortunate surprise. Ferinish questioned why she should believe her if she had not expelled them together with the child. The soldier said that she had no reason to lie. And that, if Ferinish doubted her, she should kill her. But, as a consequence, she would be hunted by the entire kingdom.
Ferinish fell silent. She released her. Not because she was afraid, but because there was perhaps someone who needed her.
When she revealed the man to the soldier, the soldier left the cabin and vomited in a corner. Ferinish followed her, standing behind her. She said that she would not trust her. But if there was any way to help that man, she begged her to provide it. The soldier apologized: there were few doctors, and none of them could help that young man, especially in that condition.
A melancholic glimmer appeared in the redhead's eyes. She felt guilty for everything that had happened. If she had not injured him simply because he had touched her, he would not have ended up like this. She asked to be left alone. She no longer wanted the soldier's presence nearby. The soldier stood up, wiping her mouth with her fists. If she was going to leave her alone, she asked at least that she stay somewhere where she could be cared for, together with the man. But Ferinish refused. No one could take care of her. Nor him. Only she could.
Thus, she slammed the door shut. And the soldier remained alone, asking herself for forgiveness, or perhaps the queen, for feeling pity.
Days drifted by in solitude. On a harsh night, Ferinish slept curled up on the floor. But suddenly she felt colder. When she opened her eyes, the window was open. She walked toward it. There were folded clothes, resting there, clean.
Coats, pants, loose clothing in general. She undressed and dressed quickly. The fur-lined inner fabric caressed her skin, almost blue from the ice, which returned to its original state within moments. The skirt reached her ankles, warm. The reddish coat had a hood that protected her head. At the same moment, she looked at Slady. Then at the men's clothes. She swallowed hard, picked them up, and headed toward the bedroom.
The next morning, she woke up in bed. The sound of the wind blew through the small gaps in the window. She turned to the side.
There was no one.
She abruptly got up and searched the entire house. She went outside shouting his name. Her hurried footsteps swept through the entire forest, the rivers. She entered deep caves, eliminated every demon she encountered along the way, but there was nothing. And then she stopped before something she recognized.
The laboratory site. It no longer existed. In its place, only snow.
And there, a man also lay, wearing the dark clothes that protected his bandaged skin.
She approached in silence. It was Slady, standing there. His face, the only arm he had left, everything covered in bandages, only his hair exposed, gently swaying in the wind. Before she could even speak, he said her name.
Ferinish. Why were you crying?
The answer was uncertain. It had simply happened. Slady nodded, still standing before the scene. After a long silence, the redhead asked what had happened in that place for it to disappear so suddenly. It had not been sudden. It had taken days. Perhaps she had not witnessed it because she had been unconscious, but he had been there the entire time.
She asked for one more piece of information: the final fate of everyone. He was honest: too cruel to be remembered. Thus, he turned his back and walked away. She swallowed hard, the sword firm in her hands. She turned toward him and called out, his neck turning in response. She wanted to follow him, to make sure he was safe. It was the only way to repay him for everything he had done.
He said nothing more. He simply continued walking. She followed him.
For a long time, only the rustling of the trees broke the silence between them. Animals hidden in the shadows devoured one another. Slady suddenly stopped and pointed toward another legion of pigs. They were to kill them and provide him with their blood. The reason? For his recovery. Once again, she questioned how he had ended up bandaged. He simply pointed toward the pigs once more.
And once again, blood sprayed, painting the white snow red.
Sitting before a fire, Slady sat on a tree trunk, running his fingers over the wooden cup in his hand, praising its craftsmanship. Ferinish thanked him. She had learned on several expeditions, during which she had been trapped in Inferius for days, surviving solely on water and small amounts of meat. It was a way to keep her hands from freezing before she learned to control her own heat.
Yes, if the body does not adapt, technologies are created.
Now she wanted to know how he managed to know where he was going, now that he lacked sight. It was a matter of habit. He had lost his vision so many times that, over time, he had learned how to navigate. But now, with nothing left to regenerate, all he had was patience to recover. She said she would help him with that, and he accepted.
In leaf sacks, the meat hung from the woman's arms. The man continued walking ahead, offering to help. She handed it to him, but he fell immediately after taking hold of it, causing Ferinish to laugh and Slady to mutter a few mild curses.
Then, when the sun had already begun descending toward the horizon, illuminating the clouds orange, they reached a cliff where Ferinish held Slady by the hood. And the sight revealed itself to her: a great kingdom, with a castle that pierced the clouds, made of ice. And something just as intimidating: barriers rising meters and meters above the ground, stretching like piercing blades, like a natural barrier surrounding an entire continent.
Slady asked what she could see to make her fall so silent. A sigh escaped her mouth before she said: they were not going to leave that place, not so easily.
In the distance, she saw the stone walls reinforced around the kingdom. Ferinish held Slady in her arms, placed the sack over her shoulders, and launched herself toward the ground, creating a curtain of snow that fell like rain over them. The soldiers immediately turned, pointing firearms at them and shouting that there was an intruder, and that if she took another step, they would fire. Ferinish stopped, neither too close nor too far. She simply said that she wanted to see a woman with light blue hair like snow who carried an intimidating spear.
And, within moments, she found the woman she had seen a few days earlier. She really seemed to have reconsidered the proposal. She refused, but said that the idea of having a place to stay was more interesting than drifting at the mercy of misfortune. The soldier nodded and looked at Slady, asking if he was the same man who had been introduced. Ferinish confirmed it, placing the man on the ground. Then she stepped in front of him. Ferinish showed the hilt of her blade beneath her coat and even added, uncertainly, whether she had been the one who had given them the clothes. The soldier looked around and confirmed her suspicion. Therefore, there was no reason to hurt the man.
Then Ferinish stepped away and allowed the soldier to approach. The woman introduced herself as Carolina, Carolina Silver. She was one of the main direct subordinates of Fraizen Rosenmary, the queen of the kingdom of IceStorm. He introduced himself as well, avoiding the handshake. He thanked her for her kindness, but for now, he only needed a place where he could recover. With Carolina's eyebrows furrowing, she questioned his methods. Considering what she had seen of him, no doctor in the region could help him, at most, they could provide mechanical equipment for his arm. And he made it clear that he had his own methods and, when he recovered, he would do his utmost to compensate for everything.
Then, turning her back to them, she ordered them to follow her.
Holding Slady's arm by the hand, Ferinish kept him close to her. Following Carolina. The soldiers watched the pair with their weapons held firmly. When they entered, people in humble wooden houses whispered as they saw them, pointing mainly at Slady. Others backed away and entered their homes, closing everything. Carolina looked at everyone seriously, and those who exchanged glances with her knelt before her.
Then they arrived at a slightly larger building, where several loud murmurs could be heard, with Carolina entering and Ferinish pulling Slady along with her. Inside, the previously lively sound became absolute silence. The tavern owner, a portly, bald man, looked at the soldier with deference and at the pair with one eyebrow raised. Carolina placed one arm across her chest, formally introducing herself before declaring the pair to be a sick man and his female friend. She then asked for a room where they could stay for a few days before finding work.
The man laughed, asking for informality, as she was welcome. And as for the pair, they did not seem capable of working anytime soon, especially the man. Therefore, the woman could work as a bartender or waitress. Carolina looked at Ferinish, who shook her head. Before the owner could refuse to take her in, Ferinish said that she would hunt Renkai Creatures and bring back Renkata. The owner fell silent and looked at Carolina. Was she capable of that? She was, more than capable. With a big smile, he welcomed her and gave her the room number.
When the two went upstairs to the second floor and Carolina said goodbye, the place filled with murmurs about Ferinish and Slady, considering them completely strange. But the owner silenced them. Later, they would prove whether they were worthy of staying in that place or not.
On the cold night, a silhouette walked through the tavern, slowly touching the wood of the walls and the counter. Before he reached the door, he froze, with the wood of that same place wrapping tightly around him. From the shadows, the owner emerged, his tone more serious. He did not know him, did not know who he was, but if he sensed any danger coming from him, he would kill him right there. He removed his hood. He did not doubt his abilities, and much less would he be capable of posing a danger to someone with an awakened Mana Liberator.
The bald man called him clever. At least he knew that he could not fight. With that, he walked until he stood beside him. Now that he had discovered his secret, and it seemed unnecessary to kill him because of it, he asked whether he could truly trust him. He refused. It was never good to trust someone he did not know. But now, the middle-aged man wanted to take the risk. He had once been a powerful soldier of Fraizen before ending up that way, fat and lazy. What was the reason for this fate? It was because Fraizen Rosenmary was a damn woman who would accept nothing less than complete submission. Those who opposed her would die.
So Carolina knew about her cruelty? He doubted it. Carolina, to him, was merely an unfortunate young woman who had to join the Destroyer Queen to give her beloved brother a better life. Destroyer? Oh, he did not know? Then the man led him outside the shop, as far away from the castle as possible, specifically to a square.
The queen, an orphan from an old orphanage, ended up lost in the middle of the forest and eventually entered an Inferius. No one reported her missing. They only found out when the area became uninhabitable, and when she returned, destroying everything, raising the walls around the entire region and killing the former king. He showed pity. Renkai Energy had ended up destroying the innocence and heart of a little girl. But Slady, still absorbed in his words, said something that made the old man step away and lean forward, paying closer attention:
Renkai Energy only turns a Destroyer into something without consciousness, driven solely by the instinct to destroy everything. If she rules such a kingdom today, then in truth, she passed the Sin Test and the Consciousness Test. She is more than aware of everything. If she is cruel, there are two reasons: revenge against the kingdom, or because power merely revealed her true cruelty.
The man then fell silent. He had been ignorant all his life, believing that Renkai Energy only destroyed the mind, leaving no possibility of retaining consciousness. Perhaps that was how she ended up that way. She wanted his total devotion, as if she were a deity. Slady agreed, but now it was too late. From what he understood of the story, it had already been many years since Fraizen Rosenmary had held authoritarian power over an entire kingdom. It would hardly be possible to change the way she thought.
The old man then nodded, thanking him for clarifying his mind. And he invited him to return. He did not want to. He wanted to be alone. Would he be able to return? Slady said that, despite being blind, he knew very well where he was and where he had been, and thanked him. Then, with a gentle squeeze on his shoulder, Slady found himself alone, standing before the square.
A voice echoed in his mind: why was he holding himself back? From what, exactly? Holding himself back from crying. Crying? He did not even have eyes to cry with. But he could still allow himself to feel the pain. Holding it back would only bring more. He ordered her to be silent. Truth had not appeared to comfort him when the scientists destroyed what remained of him as revenge for Ferinish's escape.
Thus, he sat on the bench. The wind howled, his hair swaying. Gradually, he curled in on himself, feeling the stitched skin on his back stretch and tear, making him fall and sob onto the kingdom's icy ground, with images of Elisa and Shaphira in his mind, thinking about how much he wished for their embrace at that moment.
And before long, Truth's soft voice whispered in his ear. She would give him the rest he deserved. And a gentle warmth took hold of him, the sensations losing their intensity, his muscles relaxing...
Until he could no longer feel anything.