Friezzar's glow flickered through the night like a candle beaten by wind.
Sometimes bright.
Sometimes faint.
Sometimes so dim Lyra panicked and shook him awake—
even though he wasn't truly conscious.
Every time she whispered his name,
every time she touched his hand,
his core pulsed softly in response.
Like her voice was the last rope holding him to the world.
Arden dozed in a chair, sword still across his lap.
Oren worked nonstop outside the room.
But Lyra never left Friezzar's side.
She sat on the edge of the bed, brushing her thumb gently over his carved knuckles.
"You're safe," she whispered.
"We're here. You're safe."
But Friezzar's chest glowed erratically—
shaking, trembling, pulsing too fast.
He wasn't safe.
Not inside.
Not in the darkness of his own mind.
INSIDE THE CORE — FEAR
Friezzar stumbled through the empty void of his core realm, holding his chest as unstable mana flared with each breath.
He was alone.
Lyra wasn't here.
Her warmth wasn't here.
Only icy darkness stretching forever.
"…Lyra?" he called softly.
His voice echoed back, hollow.
No answer.
A pulse cracked through the void.
WHUM.
Something stirred behind him.
The shadowy figure of Fragment Zero emerged again, its runes glowing faintly.
Friezzar stepped back instinctively.
"…Zero."
The broken prototype tilted its head.
"You fear."
Friezzar lowered his gaze.
"…yes."
"Good," Zero replied. "Fear means you understand what will happen."
Friezzar clutched his chest.
"…Lyra… danger."
Zero walked closer, eyes like dim embers.
"The intruder seeks to sever your anchor.
If the anchor breaks—"
Friezzar flinched violently.
Zero continued mercilessly.
"—you will collapse."
"…no…" Friezzar whispered.
"You cling to her," Zero said.
"But she is fragile. Human. Mortal."
Friezzar shook his head.
"…Lyra… strong."
Zero paused.
Then, quietly:
"She is strong.
But limitations remain."
Friezzar stared at the darkness under his feet.
"…Friezzar… protect."
Zero lifted a carved hand to Friezzar's cheek.
A surprisingly gentle gesture.
"That is what you are trying to do.
But you cannot protect anything if you are weak."
The void shuddered.
Images flickered around them:
— Friezzar shielding Lyra from the intruder
— Friezzar taking the dungeon blast
— Friezzar standing against Vessel Two
— Friezzar breaking, splintering, falling
Friezzar trembled.
"…weak…"
Zero placed a hand on his chest.
"You are not weak."
"Only incomplete."
Friezzar blinked.
"…in…complete?"
Zero nodded.
"You were not finished when you were created.
The intruder abandoned your evolution, choosing to build Vessel Two."
Friezzar's runes dimmed with confusion.
"…why?"
Zero took a step back.
Mana shimmered in the void as Zero revealed the truth:
"Because you evolved emotions."
"You began to choose."
"You were unstable."
The darkness pulsed.
Zero's voice deepened:
"You were a failure."
Friezzar froze.
The word echoed.
Failure.
Failure.
Failure.
He fell to his knees.
"…F-friezzar… failure?"
Zero's hand hovered above his shoulder.
"No."
Friezzar looked up, confused.
Zero's expression finally softened.
"You are a failure to them.
Not to yourself."
Friezzar blinked slowly.
Zero knelt to meet him at eye level.
"You evolved beyond your purpose.
You felt beyond your programming.
You chose beyond your design."
Zero lightly touched Friezzar's chest.
"You chose Lyra.
That is why you live."
Friezzar's eyes glowed faintly.
"…Lyra…"
Zero nodded.
"And that is why you will continue to live.
If you become stronger."
Friezzar swallowed.
"…how?"
The void around them cracked with new light.
Zero whispered:
"By devouring not just monsters—
but the fragments inside you."
Mana threads extended from Zero's chest—
faint, broken pieces of ancient runes.
Zero placed them in Friezzar's hands.
"These are your missing pieces.
Your first evolution.
Take them."
Friezzar held the shimmering fragments.
He hesitated.
"…hurt?"
Zero nodded.
"Yes.
Evolution always hurts."
Friezzar looked down.
"…Lyra…"
Zero smiled faintly.
"She believes in you.
Let that belief be your core."
Friezzar tightened his grip on the fragments—
And devoured them.
A surge of blue fire erupted inside the void.
Zero's voice echoed as the world shattered—
"Become whole, Friezzar."
"So you can protect the one who made you choose."
BACK IN ARNVALE — HE WAKES
Lyra jolted awake as Friezzar's body arched sharply off the bed.
Blue light poured from the cracks in his chest.
A surge of mana blasted outward—
Knocking chairs back—
Flickering lanterns—
Making Arden swear so loudly half the guild heard.
"WHAT IS HAPPENING—?!"
Lyra grabbed Friezzar's hand.
"Friezzar! Friezzar, I'm here!"
His glow pulsed violently—
Then steadied.
Then brightened.
His cracks sealed over with new runes.
Lines of pale gold joined the blue glow, weaving elegant new patterns across his arms and chest.
Arden's jaw dropped.
"He—he evolved in his sleep?! Is that allowed!?"
Lyra's heart raced.
"Friezzar…?"
His eyes opened.
Slowly.
Softly.
And he whispered:
"…Lyra."
She sobbed into his shoulder.
"You came back…"
He touched her hair gently.
"…Lyra… safe."
Arden exhaled with relief.
"Thank the gods. The puppet's still here."
Friezzar sat up, stronger than before.
He looked at his hands.
Runes glowing fiercely.
Mana pulsing with new warmth.
He whispered:
"…Friezzar…
not broken."
Lyra nodded, smiling through her tears.
"No. You're stronger."
Friezzar turned his head toward the window—
toward the dormant Second Vessel sealed below.
He whispered:
"…bring… fight."
Arden grinned.
"Oh? Now the puppet's got confidence."
Oren entered the infirmary with urgency.
"Lyra, Arden—good. You're both here."
He looked at Friezzar and froze.
"Oh. Oh, gods… he stabilized."
Lyra beamed.
"He evolved."
Oren released a long breath.
"Good. Because we need every advantage."
Lyra swallowed.
"…Why?"
Oren met her eyes.
Grit in his voice.
"The intruder sent Vessel Two ahead."
He paused.
"And he—
is coming next."
The room fell silent.
Friezzar's glow darkened just slightly.
"…Master…"
Lyra grabbed his hand.
"We stop him. Together."
Friezzar leaned into her warmth.
"…together."