The morning air was deceptively calm.
Birds chirped. The wind rustled. Kael was attempting to braid Elara's hair while she was clearly regretting not freezing him in his sleep.
"Just hold still," Kael whined. "It's supposed to be a protective charm braid!"
Elara: "Kael, this is literally just you trying to touch my hair."
The system popped up on her shoulder in porcupine form, holding a mini placard:
"Flirt attempt #12 today. Odds of success: 3%. Please try again after lunch."
Kael groaned. "You're no wingman!"
"Incorrect. I am winged enough to glide approximately 2.7 feet."
Raykan, sharpening his blade under a tree, glanced up. "Less talking, more moving. The cave we need to reach is on unstable terrain."
Zan yawned. "Can it wait until after breakfast? I dreamed of Elara making pancakes. It felt so real."
"I did make pancakes," Elara said flatly. "You ate four. Already."
Zan: "...Oh."
Auren tossed his cloak over his shoulder, voice gruff. "We move in ten. Everyone gear up. The cave isn't safe."
---
The mouth of the obsidian cave yawned before them like the throat of a beast. Jagged, smoking ridges, and air that crackled with old magic.
"This place stinks of trapped spirits," Varek murmured. "It's a place where people go mad."
Raykan nodded. "And it's where the Sealing Chains that bind our true powers run through."
Elara blinked. "You never told me the cave had that."
"You weren't ready," Auren said softly. "And... neither were we."
As they stepped inside, the torches flickered blue. The shadows pressed tightly around them.
The deeper they went, the colder it got.
Elara could feel something ancient—like the breath of a thousand ghosts whispering in her veins.
Suddenly—
BOOM!
A wall collapsed behind them, sealing the exit.
From the smoke stepped a monstrous figure. Eight feet tall. Half stone, half shadow.
Raykan drew his sword. "Obsidian Guardian."
Elara stepped forward, raising her hand. "Wait. I can try talking to—"
The creature lunged.
Kael tackled her just in time, rolling them both across the ground.
"I told you not to play the hero alone!" he snapped.
She shoved him off. "And I told you not to be overdramatic!"
"Too late!"
The fight erupted.
Zan vanished into the shadows, appearing behind the creature to stab its joint.
Auren blasted molten fire, distracting it while Varek used his axes to slice the legs.
But it regenerated. Fast.
"It's drawing on the chains' energy!" Raykan shouted. "We need to sever it from the seal!"
Elara's eyes glowed faintly.
Ice. She could feel it. It wanted to answer her.
But if she revealed herself now...
She clenched her fists.
Kael limped over, smirking through a cut lip. "Hey, Princess... wanna cheat a little?"
She looked at him.
Then nodded.
The system whirled into her view.
"Emergency system activation. Ice Vein Protocol: Accessing 12% of Host's sealed heritage. Temporary usage for 90 seconds."
Blue frost spiraled from her hands. Delicate. Dangerous.
The warriors stared in awe.
She raised her arm—and a massive shard of ice burst beneath the guardian, piercing through its heart.
The shadow shrieked and disintegrated.
Silence.
Elara dropped to her knees, breathing heavily.
The warriors surrounded her.
Auren: "What... was that?"
Raykan, voice quiet: "That was not normal frost."
Kael helped her up, his touch gentle. "You really are full of surprises."
She gave a weak smile. "Just good instincts."
The porcupine system appeared, popping a party hat.
"Victory! Quest: Guardian of Ice complete. Hidden stat boost: +5 affection from all male leads. Warning: Jealousy may now begin."
Zan glanced at Kael. "Why do you get to catch her?"
Auren folded his arms. "And why does she only trust him?"
Raykan looked ready to sigh again.
Varek just muttered, "We're all doomed."
Elara looked at all of them—battle-worn, frustrated, and absolutely ridiculous.
Then she laughed.
Softly, genuinely.
Because for the first time since freeing them... she felt like this broken group might become a family.
Even if they bickered like overgrown children.
Even if they didn't know her truth yet.
That she was the daughter of the true Light God...
...and they were her fate.
End of Chapter 20
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