Zerin tucked and rolled just as the massive Treant's arms slammed down to crush him. He sprang to his feet, dragging his sword behind him before unleashing a series of strikes at the white bark. The creature shrieked in pain, but every shriek against the creature felt like chipping away at a glacier with a spoon. He knew it well, his current strength just wasn't enough---he didn't have what it took to bring it down alone.
Zerin stepped back, holding his breath as the creature began to move. His was exhausted---his strength spent, his options gone---leaving him with only one choice.
Cowardice.
He sheathed his blade, nestling it in his [Curtained Carcass], before scooping up Seren, and fled across the snowy plain. After slashing the creature's leg earlier, he gambled that it wouldn't be able to chase him down as swiftly as before.
He threw her over his shoulder and trudged through the snow. "I just need to create some distance, and she will wake up! "
During his first encounter with a creature of this kind, he had been enchanted---just like she was. He remembered the devilish being he believed to be the Beast God. he could never forget those red eyes or the words she spoke, thick with hatred. And then there was the woman---whom he could only assume was the Lady Repose, the Mother of Winter. He recalled her calling to him, urging him to wake. And when he did, he found himself being carried away from the tree by the Howler.
His plan now was based entirely on speculation. The very source of his awakening during that time might not have been the Howler at all, but an act of Lady Repose herself. Still, getting Seren out of the creature's path increased their chances of survival---and maybe even victory.
But of course, the creature wasn't going to allow him to get away freely, it seemed to have complete and utter disdain for him, perhaps because the creature never really had to fight for its prey as the reason for its persistence and anger.
The Terror attacked from afar, sending out thick wooden stakes that burst forth—each about have the length of a forearm and as half as wide, sharpened to a point. They flew like bolts from a ballista, their surfaces were etched with runes that pulsed just as blue as the Terror did.
Several of the enchanted stakes whistled through the air, narrowly missing him. Without hesitation, he shoved Seren harshly to the snow, keeping her low and out of harm's way, then whipped back toward the Terror.
His blade met a heavy incoming bolt mid-flight. The impact reverberated through his arm as it deflected the stake, sending it spinning off to the side.
Clang!
He pivoted toward Seren, skidding across the snow just in time to intercept another bolt flying straight at her.
Clang!
His arm trembled from the effort---deflecting two high-speed bolts was not easy task in the slightest.
Zerin sheathed his sword once again and rushed to lift her again. But something stopped him. Looking down, he saw a slender root winding tightly around his ankle. He reached for his blade---too late.
"Shit!" He cursed before the root yanked him off his feet.
He was dragged across the snow, crashing through the debris, the world blurred into icy white powder as he was dragged helplessly back toward the creature, powerless against its overwhelming strength.
Zerin was dragged to a sudden stop, right in front of the Treant. His body lay limp, a groan escaping his lips. Every inch of him ached, and though he couldn't pinpoint where, he was certain he was bleeding. It felt as if his entire body had been fed through a blender.
His breath hitched as he was lifted. Blood rushed to his head as the creature lifted him up by his ankle, his body dangling before the Terror.
The twin blue flames burning in the creature's sockets narrowed on him. Its jagged mouth, grotesquely carved like a pale twisted jack-o'-lantern, twisted into something unreadable. Yet, to his surprise, it didn't attack---yet. It only stared, its gaze pressing against his soul. Zerin could feel it---an attempt to lull him, to enchant him.
But this time, he didn't fall under. Its efforts failed, and the fury within the creature boiled over. Two slender roots erupted from the ground and, with lightning speed, pierced Zerin's body.
A cold so profound it burned---like a scorching flame searing through his veins. Zerin's body went into shock. He could hardly scream, barely breathe. His muscles seized, locked tight as the cold invaded his flesh---a torment crafted to shatter the will.
As the roots burrowed beneath his skin, sensation faded. He could hardly maintain the strength to keep his eyes open; slowly, they closed as his body went limp.
There was no resisting it. Once again, that same unsettling, unnatural peace crept over him---deeper than calm, like a fog. But this time, it pushed further into something else.
Something he could only recognize as death—a place he was destined to go, the fulfillment of his flaw. Just six months in the Dream World, and already he'd faced death more than he could ever imagine. He had always imagined death would be harsher, more violent. But this? This made more sense. The sensation aligned perfectly with his fate. That feeling he couldn't name, that feeling of—
Belonging.
He didn't know what he was fighting for anymore. There was nothing left. Even if he tried to move on, he could never reclaim what he'd lost—let alone build new friendships, not with his flaw hanging over him like a miasma of death.
Maybe it was better to give in.Maybe death was more peaceful than this path—this path that felt so carefully, cruelly curated just for him.
But just then, as he was about to relinquish his spirit, a voice—soft and familiar, whispered through the haze.
"Zerin..."
His eyes snapped open at the sound---unmistakable. She was calling to him. Her presence was palpable.
She stood---her white dress bloodied, a crimson stain still marking the corner of her forehead and matted a side of her hair.
He was no longer where he had been. Instead, he stood in a bleached void. And yet, even across the vast distance---even without his eyes to see or ears to hear---he would have known it was her. That presence alone was the peace he never wanted to let go.
"Wisteria?" His voice rose, cracking with the weight of full revelation.
His current situation faded from his thoughts---not because he forgot, but because he no longer cared. In this moment, all that mattered was her. Just like back then.
"Things are only going to get more dire. We don't have much time, Zerin." Her voice echoed around him, yet it vanished as quickly as it came—like a whisper lost to the wind.
He stepped forward, swallowing hard as his body trembled. "You're alive..."
"I am not... I am dead, and it is rather unpleasant. Do you enjoy my suffering?" She said with a smile.
He couldn't help but chuckle, a smile tugging at his lips. He couldn't believe it---she was still the same. He drew a shaky breath, steadying himself.
"If you're dead... then how am I speaking to you right now?"
"We're in your soul... in a more unstable part of it," she said glancing around before locking eyes with him. "I suppose it's my fault, my divinity is too much for your body, slowly you will expire if you don't fully establish yourself."
Zerin opened his mouth. "I---"
"We don't have much time," she interrupted. "I already know how sorry you are." She peeled her gaze from him, side eyeing him before she peered back into the bleached void. "I've learned a lot since I've been here, so I need you to trust me, okay?"
He quickly nodded.
"Good... Now listen carefully. Ecludia---that girl who's trapped---she's in far more danger than it seems. And you won't have the power to save her, so do exactly as I say. I'd hate for you to lose one of the few good friends you have.
Her smile faded just slightly.
"As soon as possible, you will take the fragment of the firmament in your possession and you will return to the real world, taking her with you. If you don't..."
She paused fully facing him.
"I can promise you---no one around you will survive. Including yourself."
Zerin took another step forward.
"Wisteria, I need to know---"
"Zerin. Listen. I promise, we will talk again soon... But now, we must part."
"Wait!" Zerin called out.
A thunderous crack followed her word, blurring it into obscurity. He flinched---and when he opened his eyes again, the white void was gone.
He was back in reality.
Standing before a hungering flame.
The Terror burned in agony. A terrible flame began to consume it, forcing it to release Zerin.
He fell, crashing into the snow, pain returning back in full force.
Then came the whir of a chain---and the whoosh of flames.
Someone grabbed him, hauling him to his feet, but as of the moment his body wouldn't even budge. His head lolled. Through the haze of pain, he forced his eyes to focus.
It was Seren.
One arm braced around him, the other holding a flaming brazier, burning wildly at the end of a chain.
Zerin pursed his lips, forcing a word through the pain.
"Run..."
Seren shook her head. "It's okay. I've got this. Just don't die on me," she said, straining to support his weight as she dragged him away.
Behind them, the Terror shrieked, consumed by fire. Its pulsing blue leaves turned to ash as it thrashed, frantically trying to extinguish the relentless flames.
Zerin's eyes stared into the flames, still trying to process what had happened just moments ago.
Seren eased him down onto the snow, and he winced in pain again. But it wasn't the physical pain that gnawed at him---it was Wisteria flooding his mind at the present moment.
There was solace, even while they parted, she was in his soul.
"She is alive..."
"She is alive? Who---Ecludia?" Seren placed her hands on Zerin's shoulders, but even she could tell his thoughts were elsewhere.
She touched his forehead---and pulled her hand back instantly, eyes wide.
"You're freezing. We need to get you warm---now!"
She quickly shed her jacket and wrapped it around him. A low groan came from behind her, and she furrowed the brow, securing the jacket tightly.
"I'll be back... Don't you dare close your eyes, you hear me?!"
Seren stood, glancing over her shoulder at the smoldering Terror.
The tree creature had managed to extinguish the flames that had been devouring it, but now, its face was even more terrifying—half of it scorched and smoldering, glowing like darkened coals.
She spun her flaming brazier with a confident smirk, the fire casting erratic shadows with every revolution.
"Hmph... You should've fled if you knew what was best for you."
Zerin's chest heaved as he struggled to get up. She couldn't fight alone, but could he really be of any use now? The pain was unbearable, and his mind wasn't quite in the right state.
His body betrayed him, forcing him to remain a mere spectator as Seren moved toward the creature. With each spin of her chain, the brazier blazed brighter.
He had to trust her, she held its weakness---something he didn't.
Seren tensed as she swung the brazier, her arms a blur of motion, showing her expertise. She hurled it toward the creature with all her strength, the chain snapping taut, the brazier sailing through the air. The brazier struck the Terror with a deafening crack, and in that instant, it erupted in a violent explosion. Flames leapt out like a monstrous wave, spreading rapidly across the creature's pale bark. The fire consumed its delicate leaves in an instant, turning them to ash that swirled in the air.
Without giving the creature a chance to recover, Seren yanked the chain back, spinning with the momentum. The brazier flew past her in a streak of light, and she hurled it again—this time with far greater speed. It collided with the creature once more, triggering a second explosion—louder than the first. The force of the blast shattered one of its limbs, and the creature's shriek rang out in pure agony as it struggled to stabilize itself.
But the fire was relentless—like a ravenous pack of hounds, starving as they tore into their prey while it still breathed, consuming every inch of it. The flames twisted and coiled, devouring bark and leaves alike. The Terror's desperate attempts to fight back the blaze were futile—for it was the very thing sustaining the flames.
Zerin watched in awe as the creature he had failed to bring down crumbled before his very eyes. The mighty Terror buckled beneath the flames. He could hardly believe it. Seren, who he assumed to lack even a shred of divinity, someone who probably hadn't receive a fraction of the combat training he had claimed victory.
The Terror let out a low, guttural groan as it collapsed, the narrow slits of flame in its hollow eye sockets flickering weakly. Ash and ember spiraled between her and the creature, the fire chewing steadily. Still, the creature stared at Seren---but it wasn't fear, it was recognizing the force that had brought it to its end.
She didn't hesitate. With a sharp breath, Seren swung the brazier once more. It soared through the air like a meteor, trailing smoke and fire.
She released it, the final impact dead center in the creature's chest.
Another deafening explosion, so loud that it shook the ground and echoed through the trees. A blast of flame that finished the Terror.
***
[You have slain a Fallen Terror, Palehollow.]
[You have received an Echo.]
Seren's heart thundered in her chest. She had done something she never thought was possible for herself---slain a Fallen Terror. The enormity of it barely settled in as she stared at the smoldering remains, the air still cracking with the remnants of the beast's death. A slow, almost disbelieving smile curved her lips. She stepped forward and knelt, grabbing two cores nestled in the ashes. Definitely of Fallen rank.
But she couldn't allow the victory to hold her. Not yet.
She turned back to Zerin. He lay sprawled in the snow, the white around him staining crimson. She sprinted to him, dropping beside his weakened body.
"Zerin," she spoke, lifting his head up off the ground. His eyes fluttered, a groan slipping from his lips.
She brushed snow from his face, her glove slipping off in haste. Skin met skin---and her body lurched.
A wave of raw sensation crashed into her like a storm. Her Aspect activated upon touch.
Chaos.
Not just a feeling, but a presence. it churned inside him---tangled and volatile. It clawed at her mind. It was alive.
She gasped and jerked back, trembling. Her heart raced for a different reason now. Her hand hovered midair, fingers still tingling from the contact.
Zerin stirred again, another pained breath escaping his lips.
Seren swallowed hard, steadied herself. No time to think. No time to feel.
She hooked his arm over her shoulders, rising with effort. His weight sagged against her, but she held firm. Together, they turned from the scorched battlefield, the Terror's smoldering corpse crackling behind them as snow began to fall again.