Frostfire Legacy

Faeloria watched as the man's fist approached her face. She was too weak to dodge, her body battered and barely standing. The world around her blurred, and she braced herself for the blow.

"Hold it!"

However, the man's fist was abruptly stopped by a hand.

The interloper's voice echoed coolly. The one who had intercepted the strike was none other than Selene, her half-sister!

Faeloria, barely able to keep her eyes open, met Selene's cold gaze. The stark contrast between the two of them was painfully clear: Faeloria, the fallen guardian, struggling to stand, and Selene, the relentless avenger, calm and composed as always.

"It wouldn't be interesting if you died too fast," Selene remarked, her tone flat but laced with venom. "We're not having a contest to see who can destroy you the quickest. Killing you slowly, as you did to me, is undoubtedly a lot more interesting."

Her words were like ice, and though they were harsh, Faeloria couldn't argue. Twisted as Selene's interpretation was, the essence of it held truth. The past hung between them like a heavy fog, impossible to ignore.

"I... didn't let you die back then!" Faeloria's voice, though weak and hoarse, carried a determination that refused to break. "You know that... You should've known that!"

"Enough." Selene cut her off, her voice sharp, as if the very idea of discussing their past was a personal affront. "I didn't come here to relive old memories anyway. Whatever you think you did doesn't matter. What matters is what I went through. You didn't expect me to survive, did you?"

The accusation stung, but Faeloria remained silent. Her mind drifted back to when they first met, not as sisters but as strangers who didn't even know of their shared blood.

They were both members of the elite Hit Squad—joining at the same time—tasked with missions that required the utmost discretion, particularly pertaining to the city's defenses.

It wasn't until they joined the squad that they learned they shared the same father. The discovery shocked them both, but they initially ignored the connection. They were comrades in battle first, and family was a distant afterthought.

Yet, as they trained together, fought side by side, and survived countless missions, something changed. What began as professional respect evolved into a reluctant bond and, from there, into a genuine sisterhood. They started to watch each other's backs, not just out of duty but out of care.

The brutal world of the Hit Squad had forged a rare trust between them, and for a time, it had seemed unbreakable.

Then came the mission that shattered everything.

The Devouring.

The plan was for it to be a straightforward containment, with no further expectations. Faeloria had been tasked with controlling the Ancient Shadow Spirit King, a volatile entity that could only be bound by her abilities as a Watcher of the World Tree. However, during the mission's execution, her failure was catastrophic.

The Spirit King had slipped from her control, its dark power spreading like wildfire. It consumed everything in its path—trees, animals, people. It was a force of destruction, relentless and unstoppable. Faeloria had done everything she could to rein it in, but it was beyond her. And in the chaos, Selene had been caught in the crossfire.

Faeloria had fought desperately to save her sister.

She could still remember the terror in Selene's eyes, the choking darkness that surrounded them both. She had used every ounce of strength, every last spell she knew, but it hadn't been enough. She'd failed. The Spirit King had torn them apart, and when the devastation finally ended, Selene was gone.

Faeloria had thought she'd died that day—but she hadn't.

Selene had survived, though Faeloria hadn't known it until this very moment. And when they finally met again, Selene was no longer the sister she remembered. She was colder, harder—a survivor who had clawed her way back from the brink and who now blamed Faeloria for every moment of agony she'd endured.

"I never stopped trying to save you," Faeloria whispered, her voice strained with the weight of guilt. "But I was too weak."

"Weakness isn't an excuse," Selene replied, her voice like steel. "You failed. And I paid the price."

Faeloria grated her teeth. There was nothing she could say to change Selene's mind. The bond they had once shared was shattered, replaced by bitterness and resentment. Faeloria understood Selene's hatred, even if it tore her apart. She had always seen herself as the one responsible for Selene's "death."

No matter how much she had tried to control the Spirit King, no matter how desperately she had fought to protect her sister, in the end, everything boiled down to her severe lack in strength. That failure haunted her, even now.

"You think you're the only one who suffered?" Faeloria muttered, her voice low. "I've carried the weight of that day every moment since. But I won't let you destroy me for something I never stopped regretting."

Selene's cold gaze didn't as much as shake. "I don't care about your regret. I care about what's coming next."

Before Faeloria could respond, Selene turned away from her, the tension in the air still thick with unresolved pain. For a brief moment, there was silence between them, broken only by Selene's grating voice as she walked toward Kaz, the man whose fist she'd stopped.

"You're done here," Selene said to him, her voice devoid of emotion. "It's now my turn. Buzz off.."

Kaz groaned with discontent, then nodded stiffly before retreating. The air felt colder as he left, as if his presence had been the last thing tethering the moment to reality.

Faeloria's legs trembled, but she forced herself to stay standing. She knew she couldn't afford to fall now. Not in front of Selene.

"I've never forgiven myself for thinking you've died," Faeloria said softly, watching as her sister continued to walk away. "But I'll never stop trying to make things right."

Selene paused for a heartbeat; her back still turned. But then she kept moving, disappearing into the shadows without a word.

[Then...] Shortly after, her voice echoed from all over the place, as if a god projecting her voice toward all directions. [Let's see if your penance will save you from my wrath!]

Faeloria steadied herself, struggling to stay upright as Selene's voice lingered in the air like a haunting melody. The darkness around her seemed to pulse in response, growing thicker, appearing more oppressive.

Every breath Faeloria took felt like she was inhaling a cold, frozen mist!

Suddenly, without warning, the shadows surged forward, taking the shape of jagged mouths, gaping and gnashing with hunger. Faeloria barely had time to react as they descended upon her, tearing into her flesh like ravenous beasts.

"Ack!"

A sharp cry escaped her lips as the pain ripped through her body, her weakened state making her defenses pitiful against Selene's onslaught.

[Is this how you plan to face me?] Selene's voice echoed mockingly from the void, her presence felt everywhere and nowhere all at once. [Still the same helpless guardian, too weak to protect anyone, let alone yourself.]

Faeloria staggered backward, her body trembling as the shadows bit into her skin, leaving trails of searing pain and blood. She fought to stay on her feet, refusing to fall despite the agony.

The shadows were relentless, attacking from every direction. Every time she tried to block or parry, they shifted, their form unpredictable, elusive—just like Selene.

'I can't keep this up...' Faeloria thought, gritting her teeth as her vision blurred from the pain.

She needed to do something—anything—to turn the tide. Selene's mastery of the shadows was far beyond anything Faeloria had anticipated, especially with it being the shadows controlled directly by the Shadow Spirit King. But she couldn't give up—not now.

"I have... the duty to protect Aster!"

Her hand reached for the acorn-shaped pendant hanging from her neck, usually hidden under her clothes, a relic from the World Tree itself. It was her last resort, her trump card. She had been saving it for a moment like this, knowing the cost of unleashing its power could be dire. But she was out of options.
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'It's all or nothing...!'

With a surge of determination, Faeloria channeled her remaining mana into the pendant, feeling the ancient magic within respond to her call. A faint green glow surrounded her as the power of the World Tree coursed through her veins, renewing her strength. The ground beneath her trembled as her connection to the natural world intensified, and with it, the power of her spells magnified.

Her eyes flashed with a fierce light as she raised her hands, calling upon the forces of nature. "I won't be helpless anymore," she whispered, her voice carrying a renewed strength. "Not against you, not against anyone!"

In an instant, the air around Faeloria changed. The shadows that had been biting at her retreated, momentarily held back by the surge of magic that poured from her. Vines shot up from the floating rocks—even on those away from her—entwining with the darkness and holding it at bay.

A gust of wind whipped through the battlefield, swirling around Faeloria as she released a barrage of spells. Each attack was five times stronger than before, tearing through the air with lethal force.

The shadows "screamed" in response, the mouths recoiling as the vines cut into them. Faeloria pressed forward, her spells raining down in a relentless assault. For a moment, it seemed like the tide was turning—like she was finally gaining the upper hand.

But Selene... she was nowhere to be seen.

Faeloria's heart raced as she scanned the battlefield, her eyes darting from shadow to shadow. The attacks were powerful, yes, but they were useless if she couldn't find her main body! The darkness was Selene's domain, and she had vanished into it like a wraith!

"Where are you...?" Faeloria muttered, her voice edged with frustration.