We step outside into the clearing just beyond the temple, where the air is cool and still. The sun filters through the trees, casting long shadows across the ground. I glance at Mia.

"Ready?" I ask, trying to hide my own uncertainty.

She nods, her expression set with determination. "Let's see what we can do."

I raise my hand, feeling the familiar rush of cold as the air crystallizes around me. With a flick of my wrist, I summon a wall of ice, the frost spreading rapidly over the grass. The structure stands tall, gleaming in the sunlight.

Mia steps forward, her eyes narrowing in concentration. She exhales slowly, and as she does, a flurry of snow swirls into the air, surrounding her in a gentle whirlwind. The snow dances around her fingertips before she directs it toward the wall. Instead of smashing it like I expect, her snow seems to wrap around the ice, softening its edges. The wall shimmers under her touch, not melting, but blending with her snow as if they were always part of the same whole.

"That's new," I say, impressed.

She smiles, though there's a flicker of doubt in her eyes. "I can do more. Watch."

She stretches out her hands, and the snow swirls higher, gathering into a thick cloud above us. With a swift motion, she sends the cloud spinning toward me. A gust of cold wind hits my face, and I struggle to keep my balance as the snow envelops me, cutting off my view of the world around me. It's not as fierce as my ice, but the disorienting effect is undeniable.

I push back with my own power, creating an arc of ice that clears the snow from around me. "Nice try," I say with a grin, forming a sphere of ice in my palm.

She grins back, but there's something in her eyes, something determined. I toss the sphere at her, watching as she raises her hands. Instead of blocking it with a barrier, she creates a swirling vortex of snow, absorbing the impact of the ice and sending a gentle breeze back in my direction.

Before I can react, she takes another step forward and directs her hands toward me. A cold wind swirls around my feet, slowing my movement, as if the ground itself were freezing me in place.

"Good one," I mutter, trying to free my legs from the icy grip. I concentrate, pulling the cold inward, and with a sharp motion, I release a burst of energy, shattering the ice around me. Mia staggers back from the force, her snowstorm scattering into the air.

She smiles, catching her breath. "That's about all I can do right now."

I walk over to her, noticing the snow she summoned lingering around her hands. "It's different from mine," I say, "but you have control. You can heal, right?"

Mia nods, her gaze steady. "I can try."

She kneels down, touching a small gash on my arm, one I hadn't noticed during the sparring. As her fingers brush the skin, a soft frost forms over the wound, and I feel a cool, soothing sensation. The pain fades, and when I look down, the cut is gone, replaced by a faint layer of snow that melts away in seconds.

"Wow," I say, rubbing my arm. "Wouldn't have thought we'd be doing this a couple days ago, but we make a good team."

Mia stands, the snow fading from her hands. "We need to be, if we're going to face Vermidia."

I nod, my mind already racing with possibilities. "Let's practice more. We'll need every advantage we can get."

We spend the next hour pushing our limits. The clearing becomes a field of ice, snow, and scattered frost as we test the boundaries of our abilities. Each time I hurl an ice shard, Mia counters it with a flurry of snow, either softening the impact or redirecting it into the ground.

I create walls, spikes, and waves of ice, and Mia matches them with swirling winds and gentle blasts of snow, cushioning or redirecting the chaos I create.

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

Her movements are fluid, less forceful than mine, but with a control I can't quite match. Where my power is raw and often overwhelming, hers feels like a precision tool, able to manipulate the cold in ways I hadn't thought possible.

I watch her summon another wave of snow, this one softer, more deliberate. "You could use that to confuse Vermidia," I suggest. "Distract her, disorient her while I go for a strike."

"Maybe," Mia says, and she pauses for a moment, wiping the sweat from her brow. "But Vermidia's not just about brute strength. She uses her mind too, might not be enough to throw her off."

I stiffen at the memory of Vermidia's voice echoing in my dreams, the darkness she brings with her.

Mia looks at me, her eyes serious. "We need to be ready for that too. Not just physically, but mentally."

I clench my fists, feeling the ice begin to form around my knuckles instinctively. "You're right. But I don't know how to protect us from something like that."

She walks over, placing a hand on my arm. "We watch each other's backs, stay close. If Vermidia invades your mind again, I'll be there to pull you out. And if she tries to do the same to me, I know you'll do the same."

Her words settle some of the tension in my chest. I nod, but deep down, I'm not sure how I'm supposed to protect her from someone like Vermidia, someone who knows how to tear people apart from the inside.

"Let's try something else," I say, shaking off the doubt. "See if we can combine our powers."

Mia raises an eyebrow. "You think we can?"

"Why not?" I grin. "We've got nothing to lose by trying."

I summon a ball of ice in my hand, swirling the cold energy around it. Mia watches, and then slowly, she adds her own power, layering her snow into the sphere. The ball of ice starts to glow faintly as her snow blends with my frost, creating something new, a shimmering orb of snow and ice that pulses with energy.

"It's working," Mia says softly, her eyes wide with wonder.

I feel the power hum between us, stronger together than anything we've done apart. "Let's see what happens when we throw it."

We launch the orb into the air, and as it hits the ground, it explodes into a brilliant cascade of snowflakes and ice shards, scattering across the clearing in a dazzling display of power.

For a moment, we stand there, watching the aftermath of our combined attack. Then Mia looks at me, a small smile playing on her lips.

"Okay, that was pretty cool."

I laugh, feeling the tension ease just a bit. "Yeah, it was."

But as the snow settles, the lingering unease returns. We're stronger together, sure. But is it enough to stop Vermidia?

"Come on," Mia says, reading my expression. "We should get going."

I nod, pushing the doubt aside.

We step out of the clearing, heading toward the path that leads away from the temple and deeper into the wilds of Zenot. The forest around us is dense, the air growing colder as we descend into the valley, closer to where the map had indicated the Crux might be hidden.

The trees' shadows loom over us, their branches seeming to twist and reach toward us as if sensing the power we carry. I pull my cloak tighter, glancing at Mia, who walks beside me, her hands occasionally flickering with small flurries of snow.

The further we walk, the heavier the air feels, a deep sense of foreboding settling over me.

"Do you feel that?" I ask, my voice low.

Mia nods, her eyes scanning the trees. "It's like something's watching us."

I stop, squinting into the darkness between the trees. There's a movement, too quick to see clearly, but I know something's there. A shadowy figure, just on the edge of my vision.

"Stay close," I whisper. I conjure a shard of ice in my hand, ready to attack, but before I can act, a low growl rumbles from the forest.

Suddenly, from the shadows, a massive creature steps into the clearing. Its body is sleek and dark, its eyes glowing a faint violet, matching the color of Vermidia's energy. The creature's muscles ripple under its skin as it prowls closer, its gaze locked on us.

Mia steps back instinctively, her hands already raising snow. "What is that?"

I shake my head, unable to answer. The creature looks like something from the Void, something born of Vermidia's dark magic.

The beast growls again, its form shifting and warping, almost as if it's not fully part of this world. It lunges at us without warning, its speed unnatural. I raise an ice barrier, but the creature smashes into it, cracking the surface with ease.

"Go!" I shout, pushing Mia back as I reinforce the barrier. The creature slams against it again, but this time Mia sends a blast of snow, momentarily disorienting it.

We both take a step back, keeping our eyes on the beast as it recovers from the attack. "It's not going to stop," Mia says, her voice shaking.

"We need to find a weak spot," I reply, scanning the creature for any vulnerabilities.

The creature growls again, its violet eyes glowing brighter. With a roar, it charges, and this time, instead of smashing through my ice, it vanishes, dissolving into shadows that streak toward us.

"Behind!" Mia yells, and I whirl just in time to see the shadowy form reform behind me. I barely manage to dodge as it slashes at me with claws that seem to shimmer with dark energy.

I counter with a blast of ice, but the creature is too quick, dodging the attack with inhuman agility. Mia hurls a swirling vortex of snow at it, but again, the creature fades into the shadows, only to reappear behind her.

"This thing is too fast!" I growl, frustration boiling over.

Mia ducks out of the way, her breath coming in quick gasps. "It's like it's not fully here, how do we stop it?"

I clench my fists, trying to focus on its movements. "We bring it fully into this world. It's shifting between the Void and here, if we can trap it, maybe we can hurt it."

Mia nods, her face pale but determined. "Okay, how?"

I summon as much power as I can, the air around me freezing. "I'll lock it in place with ice, but I need you to create a storm, something big enough to keep it from slipping back into the shadows."

Mia takes a deep breath, raising her hands as snow begins to swirl around us. "Ready when you are."

The creature charges again, its form flickering in and out of existence. I wait until the last moment, then slam my hands into the ground, sending jagged spikes of ice shooting upward, forming a cage around it.

"Now!" I shout.

Mia releases her power, and a blizzard erupts around us, the wind howling as snow pours down, thick and heavy. The creature growls, thrashing against the ice, but the storm holds it in place, forcing it to stay within the cage.

I watch as the creature struggles, its form flickering less and less. It's trapped, unable to escape the storm Mia's created. With a final snarl, the creature collapses, its body dissolving into nothing more than a wisp of shadow.

The storm dies down, and Mia lets out a breath, her knees buckling slightly. I rush over to catch her before she falls. "You okay?"

She nods, her face pale. "Yeah, just... tired."

I help her to her feet, looking around at the now silent forest. "We should keep moving. If Vermidia sent that thing, she knows we're coming."

Mia straightens, her resolve returning. "Then we'd better not waste any more time."

We continue down the path, the unease growing with every step. Whatever Vermidia has waiting for us, it's clear she won't stop until we're either dead, or she has the Crux.