“Damn it!”

A fierce gust erupted from Freya, centering on her. She glared at the two approaching Lenas, her pupils narrowing with a resolute fierceness.

With her left hand, she swiftly drew two vials from her pouch and hurled them at the Lenas, simultaneously launching two daggers.

Crash! Crash!

The daggers shattered the fragile vials in mid-air. The transparent liquid exploded, emitting a harsh sizzling sound as it contacted the air and splattered onto the two Lenas.

Instantly, white smoke billowed from their bodies, and piercing screams filled Freya's ears. She glanced at the two melting figures and fled toward the wooden door without hesitation.

The wind howled.

In the dense fog, a figure dashed forward at breakneck speed, carving a path through the mist. Freya, harnessing the full power of a great knight combined with the lightness of the wind, achieved unprecedented speed.

Her golden hair streamed behind her, and her gray robe flapped loudly. Despite leaving the cabin, Freya's expression remained grim, as she still felt the chilling presence clinging to her back.

"Such intense malevolence... Even an adept sorcerer would find it challenging. What happened before Lena's death!?"

Though a spirit loses all earthly ties upon death, its will remains mysteriously linked to its final moments. Generally, the intensity of this will determines the spirit's strength. Even an ordinary person with a strong enough will at death could become a formidable spirit.

Lena's overwhelming malevolent will suggested something far more sinister than the unjust death of a tormented soul.

"The academy's instructors will undoubtedly investigate a student's mysterious death. I must inform my mentor of Lena's situation!"

The cold fog stung her face, wet and clammy. Freya's icy gaze focused intently on the narrow path ahead. The dense mist allowed her to see only a short distance, forcing her to slow down.

She couldn't afford to worry about the others left in the cabin. That level of spirit was beyond her ability to confront. Had she chosen to resist, the outcome could have been horrifyingly unpredictable.

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Time slipped by. The further she distanced herself from the cabin, the more the cold sensation on her back diminished. It seemed the spirit's influence waned with distance, allowing her to relax slightly.

Freya wiped her fog-dampened face, her hair clinging in strands. Her rapid pace had left her drenched, her gray robe outlining the leather armor beneath.

As her burst of energy faded, Freya's chest felt like a furnace, and her leg muscles ached with the relief of tension.

Gasping for breath, she slowed and turned back toward the cabin, though it was now obscured by the mist.

"Perhaps I've escaped its range..."

Taking a deep breath, she turned forward again. Abruptly, she halted, staring in disbelief.

Through the swirling fog, a black cabin loomed at the path's end, its door adorned with a maple leaf emblem.

Freya stood frozen, a chilling dread washing over her.

Black tendrils seemed to extend from the mist surrounding the cabin, like a monstrous entity approaching her.

Creak.

The door opened. Inside, the warm yellow glow of a fire flickered, food aroma wafting out.

Familiar figures sat around the fire, eating and chatting.

"What... is this?"

Freya watched the scene, an exact replay of earlier events. She even saw herself delicately tearing at rabbit meat.

But Lena beside Aishebern was different.

Instead of her apprentice's gray robe, Lena wore a pristine white dress, her bare feet and pallid complexion giving her a ghostly appearance. She clung to Aishebern's back, her black eyes fixated on him, dark shadows emanating from her and swirling around the cabin.

Freya's eyes widened in horror at the eerie scene, her body paralyzed as if under a spell.

Suddenly, Lena's gaze shifted from Aishebern to Freya. Red marks began to surface on Lena's pale body, blood trickling down to form a small pool.

Lena, expressionless, mouthed words at Freya.

"Murder..."

Freya, though frozen, read the meaning in Lena's silent utterance.

As if acknowledging Freya's comprehension, Lena's lips curled into a slight smile. Then, she began to disintegrate, her body melting into a pool of blood.

With Lena's dissolution, Freya felt her strength ebb away. She collapsed to the ground.

In her final vision, the cabin door slammed shut.

Gasp!

Freya's chest heaved as if surfacing from underwater. She opened her eyes wide.

Her blue pupils adjusted to the wooden ceiling above her.

She exhaled deeply, the nearby fire's warmth dispelling her chill.

Freya sat up dazedly, the blanket slipping to her legs. She clenched her hand, the tangible sensation grounding her in reality.

"A hallucination?"

She glanced around. The familiar figures slept peacefully. Lena lay snug in Aishebern's arms, her face glowing healthily in the firelight.

Everything seemed normal, as if it had been a mere dream, yet unnervingly real.

Suddenly recalling something, Freya rummaged through her pouch.

Everything was intact, even the small vials.

She pulled out the black pouch containing the golden sunlight powder. Opening it, a pungent odor wafted out.

The stench of decaying corpses made her frown. Silently, she sealed the pouch.

Raising her head, she gazed coldly at Aishebern.

"The sunlight powder is completely corrupted... This wasn't just a dream."