—Frey Starlight's POV—
Hidden among the Nightmare Mountains, I sat alone—leaning against the icy wall of a towering peak that reached into the clouds.
Two nights had passed since the battle in the Puppet City.
With a broken body, I made a vow to never fall again.
I could feel every cell in this body burning, straining to repair the devastating injuries I'd sustained.
I never lost consciousness—not even once. I wouldn't allow myself to.
Trapped in a strange limbo between wakefulness and sleep, I kept my eyes half-open.
Motionless. Frozen in place like a lifeless corpse.
But life hadn't abandoned this body. It wouldn't.
Every so often, primitive nightmare creatures emerged from the shadows, creeping toward me with the intent to feast.
I didn't see them.
I sensed them.
They would draw close—very close—only to retreat the moment they breached the invisible boundary around me.
