Robert's chest heaved with anger and horror, his body trembling with both emotions as the Yuki Onna's laughter echoed in the cabin. Her form shimmered, half-translucent, yet chillingly present, her eyes glinting with cruel amusement. She hovered just out of reach, the air around her crackling with icy energy.

"Stay back!" Robert shouted, thrusting a hand forward. A burst of telekinetic force surged toward her, rattling the furniture and sending loose objects flying. But the wave passed harmlessly through her phantom form, dissipating like smoke against a gale.

Her laughter deepened, a sound like the wind howling through a frozen forest. "Oh, Robert," she purred, circling him like a predator toying with its prey. "Did you think your little tricks could hurt me?"

His jaw clenched. He lashed out again and again, telekinetic blasts shaking the room, but each one was met with the same result: nothing. The Yuki Onna danced through the attacks, her movements fluid and graceful, her body untouched by his desperate power.

The temperature in the cabin plummeted. Frost crept along the floorboards and walls, turning the wood brittle. A thin layer of ice began to form on the surfaces, glinting in the dim lantern light. Robert's breath fogged in the frigid air, his frustration mounting as he realized the futility of his efforts.

"You'll regret this," he growled, his voice thick with defiance. Closing his eyes, he reached out with his power, feeling for the pull of the sea. The ocean answered, its vast energy humming in his mind, but something blocked his connection. The deck's doors-his path to the water-were shut, sealed by her icy will.

The Yuki Onna's grin widened. "Looking for your precious sea, are you?" she mocked, her voice laced with derision. "How pitiful. Like a fish flopping on dry land."

Robert's eyes snapped open, blazing with determination. "You can't stop me," he snarled, focusing harder, trying to summon seawater from within the ship itself. He could feel it, the faint trickle of moisture deep in the planks, but the Yuki Onna's icy presence choked it off like a dam.

"Oh, very well," she said, her tone mockingly generous. She waved a translucent hand toward the porthole, where the moonlit sea shimmered beyond the glass. "If you're so desperate, I'll give you access to your precious water."

Robert hesitated, his instincts warning him of a trap, but the allure of the sea's power was too strong. He stepped toward the porthole, his gaze fixed on the water beyond, his mind reaching for the waves. Just a little closer...

The spectre struck!

With a force that defied her ethereal form, she grabbed Robert by the back of the head, her icy grip biting into his scalp. Before he could react, she drove his face forward, smashing it through the porthole's glass. The sound of shattering glass mixed with the roar of the wind and the crashing of the sea below.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

Robert cried out in pain, the sharp edges slicing into his skin, the cold wind biting into his exposed flesh. Blood trickled down his face, warm against the freezing air. His vision blurred, both from the shock of the impact and the mix of seawater spray and crimson streaks.

The Yuki Onna leaned close, her icy breath ghosting over his ear. "Did you really think I'd let you win so easily?" she whispered, her voice a mix of mockery and malice. She shoved him harder against the jagged edges of the broken porthole, the shards of glass biting deeper.

Robert's mind reeled, his power faltering as the pain overwhelmed him. The sea was so close, just beyond his reach, but her icy hold kept him pinned, her laughter ringing in his ears.

Robert thrashed, his bloodied hands bracing against the edges of the porthole, but the Yuki Onna’s grip was relentless. The wind howled through the shattered glass, spraying his face with salty mist, stinging his wounds. Every instinct screamed at him to fight, but her strength was unnatural, her icy power coursing through him like frostbite in his veins.

"You look so pathetic, Robert," the spectre sneered, her fingers tightening in his hair. "For all your power, all your pride, you're nothing without your sea."

Summoning what strength he could muster, Robert focused his mind, trying to reach beyond her freezing grasp. His telekinetic energy pulsed weakly at first, then surged outward in a desperate burst. The ship groaned under the strain as objects were hurled across the cabin, but the Yuki Onna stood firm, unfazed. She laughed, the sound slicing through him like a blade.

"Your little tricks are useless," she said, shoving him once more against the jagged glass. "You’re fighting a phantom, Robert. I’m as untouchable as the wind and as merciless as the snow."

But Robert wasn’t finished yet. Ignoring the pain and the blood running into his eyes, he reached deeper, his mind clawing for the sea’s energy. He could feel it, distant and muffled, but alive. It responded to his call, the waves outside churning violently. He strained harder, pushing past the Yuki Onna’s icy blockade.

The ship rocked suddenly, throwing both of them off balance. For a moment, her grip loosened, and Robert twisted free, staggering back from the porthole. His chest heaved as he wiped blood from his face, his eyes blazing with defiance.

"You think I’m powerless?" he spat, his voice raw but resolute. "You think I need to touch the sea to fight you?"

The Yuki Onna’s smirk faltered for the first time. She glided backward, her translucent form shifting, the frost in the room thickening around her. Her voice was sharp, cutting through the air. "You can’t win, Robert. Even with the sea, you’re nothing compared to me."

Robert raised a trembling hand, his telekinetic energy sparking to life once more. This time, he focused not on her, but on the ship itself. The seawater trapped within its planks, deep in its wood, answered his call. A groan echoed through the vessel as water seeped from the walls and floor, droplets forming and coalescing into rivulets.

The Yuki Onna hissed, her form flickering as she realized what he was doing. “No!” she shrieked, her icy powers surging in an attempt to stop him. Snow swirled in the cabin, the air becoming almost too cold to breathe.

But Robert didn’t stop. The seawater pooled at his feet, surging upward in defiance of gravity, forming a swirling barrier around him. He gritted his teeth, his focus unwavering despite the Yuki Onna’s desperate attacks. Ice shards flew at him, cutting into his arms and legs, but the seawater shielded him, absorbing the blows.

“You’re not untouchable,” he growled, stepping toward her. The water lashed out, crashing against her ghostly form, and for the first time, she recoiled. Her laugh turned into a snarl, her features twisting with fury.

“I won’t let you win!” she screamed, the frost around her intensifying. She summoned a whirlwind of snow and wind, hurling it at him with all her strength.

Robert raised his arms, the seawater surging forward to meet her attack. The two forces clashed, a storm of ice and water filling the room. The ship groaned under the strain, the walls cracking as the battle raged on.

But Robert wasn’t finished. With a final, desperate surge of power, he directed the seawater toward her, its sheer force crashing against her like a tidal wave. The Yuki Onna shrieked, her form flickering wildly, struggling to hold itself together.

“You shouldn’t have underestimated me,” Robert said through gritted teeth, his voice steady despite the chaos around him.

The seawater engulfed her, and for a moment, it seemed as though she might dissolve into the waves. But her laughter, faint and echoing, lingered in the air, a chilling reminder that this battle was far from over.