Seoul burned.
The city of lights, towers, and endless nights was now drowned in shadow. Flames roared from the Han River bridges, glass shattered from skyscrapers, and the air was thick with smoke. Civilians ran in chaos, their cries echoing through the neon streets.
At the center stood Hyejin, her aura a faint trail of frost wherever she stepped. Her dark hair whipped in the hot winds, her eyes glowing pale-blue, as if carved from ice itself.
---
Flashback – The Blizzard
When Hyejin was eight, the mountains above her village collapsed in a winter storm. Her family had gone to gather wood, but the blizzard struck suddenly.
Snow buried the trails, winds howled, and the cold was merciless. She clutched her younger sister's hand, shielding her with her small body.
"Unnie, I'm scared," the girl whispered.
Hyejin had been scared too. But she refused to let her sister die. She screamed at the storm—
If you must take someone, take me!
And the storm answered.
The snow hardened beneath her feet. The winds slowed. Ice bloomed from her fingertips, forming a shelter around her sister. When rescuers found them hours later, the girl was safe within a dome of frost.
That was the day Hyejin awakened.
That was the day she swore her oath: The cold will never take those I love again.
---
The Demons of Fire
The rift above Seoul pulsed, vomiting flames. Three demons stepped through the firelight:
Pyrrhos, the Ash Titan (Low-Rank).
A molten giant with skin of burning coal.
Skill: Lava Burst — hurling eruptions of molten stone.
Kairith, the Ember Huntress (Low-Rank).
A lithe demon with twin flaming spears.
Skill: Scorch Dance — weaving flame blades in a deadly dance.
Ignovar, the Infernal Duke (Mid-Rank).
A towering demon clad in crimson armor, flames erupting from his chest.
Skill: Hellflame Dominion — igniting everything within his aura into fire.
The streets boiled with their arrival.
Ignovar's laugh shook the ground. "The cold dies where fire reigns. Your city will be ash, girl."
Hyejin stepped forward, frost trailing from her boots, her aura glowing brighter. Her voice was calm, but steel hid beneath it.
"Fire consumes. Ice endures. Tonight, Seoul belongs to winter."
---
Clash of Elements
Pyrrhos roared. "Lava Burst!"
A wave of molten rock erupted, flooding the streets.
Hyejin raised both hands.
"Glacial Wall!"
An immense barrier of ice erupted, halting the lava mid-flow. Steam hissed violently as fire and frost collided, but the wall held.
Kairith spun into the air. "Scorch Dance!"
Flaming spears cut through the sky, spinning arcs of fire.
Hyejin's eyes narrowed.
"Frozen Bloom!"
Dozens of ice flowers burst around her, each petal hard as steel. The flaming spears struck and shattered harmlessly against them. She snapped her fingers, sending shards shooting upward. Kairith shrieked as frost pierced her chest, body dissolving into smoke.
Ignovar growled, flames surging higher. He raised his armored hand.
"Hellflame Dominion!"
The entire street ignited. Buildings melted, cars warped, the very air burned.
Hyejin screamed, aura flaring.
"Permafrost Veil!"
Snow erupted from her body, blanketing Seoul in a sudden storm. Fire clashed against frost, sparks and snow whirling together in a violent storm.
---
The Frozen Oath
Hyejin's strength faltered. Blood ran from her lip, her body trembling. But she thought of her sister, safe in Busan now, waiting for her. She thought of the wielders who had already fallen—Amélie, Sophia, Maria, Klaus.
If she faltered, Seoul would burn.
Her eyes blazed pale-blue, brighter than ever before.
"I swore my oath that day in the blizzard. The cold will never take those I love… and neither will you."
Her aura exploded. Ice engulfed the street, spreading like a tidal wave. She raised her arm skyward.
"Absolute Zero!"
The temperature plummeted. Flames froze midair. Lava hardened into brittle stone. Ignovar roared as frost raced across his body, sealing his armor, his flames, his scream.
The Infernal Duke shattered into a thousand frozen shards.
---
Aftermath
Seoul fell silent. Snow drifted gently over the city, covering the ruins in white. Survivors looked up, tears freezing on their cheeks, whispering prayers to the wielder who had saved them.
But Hyejin knelt in the snow, clutching her chest. Her aura flickered dangerously, her breath shallow.
She looked at the frost she had created, the lives she had saved. A faint smile touched her lips.
"…Endure… that's all… I need to do."
Her vision blurred. She collapsed to the ground, frost still trailing from her hand.
---
Council – Geneva
Back in Geneva, the Council chamber lit up with Hyejin's transmission. The image of Seoul blanketed in snow brought gasps from the assembly.
"She won…" a voice whispered.
But Ishita's hands trembled. She could see Hyejin lying in the snow, unmoving.
"She's not… she's not moving…"
Rehan's eyes burned, jaw tight. "Not another one…"
Li Wei spoke quietly, yet heavy as a mountain.
"She fought… but whether she lives or not, only the ice can decide."
Arashi closed his eyes, his expression grim. "Prepare yourselves. The storm is ending. The abyss is stirring."
Above, the rifts pulsed darker than ever.
The seal was on the verge of breaking.
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