The snowstorm had dulled into a brittle cold, the wind whispering over the wilderness. Claude followed the strange, erratic tracks through the snow, Mishka at his side. The trail led them to a jagged hill, where a narrow cave entrance yawned open.

A voice carried out from within—faint and desperate. “Help! Someone, please help me!”

Claude froze, his sharp elven ears twitching beneath his hood. The voice was high-pitched, trembling with panic. Mishka growled, her body lowering as she sniffed the cave entrance.

“It’s too small for you,” Claude said, patting the polar bear’s neck. “Stay here and keep watch.”

Mishka growled low but obediently sat back, her dark eyes fixed on the cave as Claude ducked inside.

The cave was narrow and dark, the walls damp and cold beneath Claude’s gloved hands. His light magic cast a faint golden glow as he moved deeper. The voice grew louder, guiding him toward the source.

“Please, help me!” the voice cried again.

Claude emerged into a wider chamber, where a small figure crouched against the far wall. It was a young girl, her red cloak frayed and smeared with dirt. She looked up at him with tear-streaked cheeks.

“My grandmother’s trapped inside,” she whimpered, pointing toward a darker passage ahead. “Please, you have to help her.”

Claude narrowed his eyes, his instincts tingling. Something about the girl’s posture and voice felt rehearsed, calculated.

“What’s your name?” he asked, keeping his tone steady.

“Mary,” she said softly, her lips trembling. “Please, Sir.”

Claude hesitated, glancing at the passage she indicated. “All right,” he said, stepping forward. “Stay here. I’ll check—”

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A low, cruel laugh cut him off. The girl straightened, her face twisting into a malicious grin. Her red cloak dissolved into shadow, revealing her goblin form: wild brunette hair, sharp claws, and gleaming eyes.

“You’re too trusting, Elf,” Mary sneered. “Makes my job so much easier.”

Claude raised his rifle, but Mary was faster. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned shadows that surged toward him like living tendrils. He fired, the bullet grazing her shoulder, but she closed the distance in seconds.

Her knife glinted in the dim light—its blade steel, wickedly sharp and deliberately chosen. She slashed at him, and though Claude dodged, the proximity made his skin crawl. The knife wasn’t enchanted, but steel was his bane, a metal that could burn his flesh like acid if it made contact.

Claude blocked her next strike with his rifle, the clash of steel against metal ringing through the cavern. Sparks flew as he shoved her back, summoning a burst of light magic that forced her to retreat.

Mary hissed, shielding her eyes from the elven light. “That’s all you’ve got?” she taunted, her goblin features twisting into a feral grin. “Pathetic.”

She lunged again, her knife cutting through the air. Claude rolled to the side, countering with a burst of flame that forced her back. The fire scorched the ground, but Mary responded by summoning hellfire, the unnatural flames licking at the walls.

The chamber became a battlefield of light and shadow. Claude used his pyromancy to shape the flames, creating barriers and weapons, but Mary’s agility and ferocity kept him on the defensive. She wielded her steel knife with deadly precision, each strike coming perilously close to his skin.

“You’re good,” she admitted, circling him like a predator. “But you’re an elf. You can’t win.”

Claude smirked, though his breaths were labored. “Funny, I was about to say the same thing about you, Goblin.”

The fight dragged on, both combatants wearing down. Claude managed to disarm Mary briefly, his silver magic searing her arm, but she retaliated with a shadowy wave that knocked him off his feet. Her steel knife clattered across the floor but was quickly reclaimed, the shadows delivering it back to her hand.

Claude dodged another slash, his silver knife glinting as he struck her side. Dark blood spilled onto the floor, but Mary retaliated with a vicious kick that sent him crashing into a wall. The force knocked the rifle from his hands, leaving him vulnerable.

“You’ve fought well,” Mary said, her voice rasping but triumphant. “But this is where it ends.”

She lunged, her steel blade plunging into his side. Claude gasped, the searing pain nearly blinding him as the blade burned against his skin. Summoning the last of his strength, he unleashed a burst of light magic, throwing her back as he staggered to his feet.

But it wasn’t enough.

Mary, bleeding and battered, advanced again. Her steel knife struck true, piercing his chest. Claude’s knees buckled, his vision dimming as he collapsed to the ground.

Mary stood over him, her breathing ragged. Blood dripped from multiple wounds, but she remained standing. With a faint, grim smile, she staggered toward the cave entrance, leaving Claude’s lifeless body behind.

Her victory tasted bitter. The duel had left her broken, her strength waning with every step she took. She wiped at her face with trembling hands, her claws receding as her glamour flickered back into place. The tattered red cloak hung loosely over her shoulders, her once-proud posture now slumped with pain and exhaustion.

Stumbling toward the cave entrance, she clutched at her side, her hand slick with her own blood. Each step was a struggle, her legs shaking beneath her. When she finally reached the narrow opening, the cold wind hit her like a wall, drawing a sharp gasp from her lips.