After five months...
For five long months, Nixxin and Kael had done nothing but suffer.
Day after day, they dragged a massive boulder up the steepest mountain in Datora. There were no tools, no ropes, no shortcuts. Their hands had long since torn open and healed again into rough scars. Their legs trembled with every step, yet they never stopped.
If they slipped, they fell. And if they fell, they started again.
Cold winds howled endlessly, biting through their clothes and skin. Snow gathered on their shoulders, melted from their body heat, then froze again. Time blurred into an endless cycle of effort and exhaustion.
But on the final day, everything changed.
They reached the top.
The boulder rolled to a stop, and for the first time in months, there was nothing left to push.
At the peak stood a shrine, ancient and silent, half buried in snow. It looked untouched by time, as if it had been waiting only for them.
"Finally," Kael muttered before collapsing onto his back. His chest rose and fell rapidly as he stared up at the pale sky. "I thought this mountain was going to kill me."
Nixxin remained standing, though barely. His breathing was heavy, uneven, but his eyes stayed focused.
"We're not done yet," he said.
Kael groaned. "You're joking."
Nixxin turned toward the edge of the mountain. "We still have to jump."
Kael slowly lifted his head, disbelief clear on his face. "Jump? After all that?"
He stretched his arms weakly across the snow. "Can't we rest for a moment? Just one moment."
Nixxin began walking toward the shrine without looking back. "Wouldn't it have been smarter to rest at the bottom?"
Kael pushed himself upright with effort. His body protested every movement. "You're unbelievable."
He followed Nixxin anyway.
"So," Kael said, forcing a bit of humor into his voice, "how high is it?"
Nixxin stopped at the edge and looked down. Clouds stretched endlessly below them, hiding the ground completely.
"Higher than your father," Nixxin replied.
Kael snorted. "I don't have a father."
Nixxin glanced at him briefly, then back at the clouds. "That explains it. He probably chose drugs over milk."
Kael opened his mouth to respond.
He never got the chance.
Nixxin shoved him.
For a brief second, Kael's expression froze in shock. Then he disappeared over the edge.
His scream was swallowed instantly by the roaring wind.
Nixxin stepped forward and jumped.
The moment he left the ground, the world changed.
The air crashed into him with overwhelming force, pushing him sideways, pulling him forward. Instead of dropping straight down, his body was carried northward as if guided by an invisible current.
His eyes widened.
This is real.
Ardent was telling the truth.
He laughed, the sound lost in the rushing wind. "This is insane!"
Clouds rushed past him. The cold air stung his face, yet he felt alive in a way he never had before.
For a moment, it did not feel like falling.
It felt like flying.
Then he saw them.
Dragons.
Massive wings cut through the sky as they glided alongside him. Their scales shimmered faintly under the dim light, and their movements were calm, almost effortless.
Nixxin watched them in awe.
Even knowing he was falling, the sheer vastness of the sky made it impossible to accept.
The world was too big.
Too open.
Too free.
The sky slowly darkened.
Stars appeared, closer than they should have been, shining like distant fires just within reach. It felt unreal, as if he had left the world behind entirely.
Yet the fall continued.
He frowned slightly. "Where did Kael even go?"
There was no sign of him anywhere.
Then the ground appeared.
Far below, land spread out in breathtaking detail.
The outskirts of Danlio came into view. Endless farmlands stretched across the horizon, divided into careful patterns. Groups of soldiers trained in formation, their movements precise even from a distance.
Beyond them, a city thrived.
Lights flickered. Colors shifted. A festival.
Even from the sky, Nixxin could feel the energy of it.
As he descended faster, the details sharpened until—
Impact.
He landed cleanly on a circular altar made of smooth stone, symbols carved deeply into its surface. The air around it shimmered faintly, as if reacting to his arrival.
It felt less like landing.
More like being summoned.
Nixxin straightened up immediately.
Beside him, Kael lay sprawled across the ground, snoring loudly.
Nixxin stared at him for a second, then grabbed him by the arm and pulled him upright.
Before he could say anything, a woman approached.
She moved gracefully, her posture calm and composed. When she reached them, she bowed.
"I am Via," she said. "The fourth general of Datora."
At that exact moment, Kael woke up with a sharp inhale.
"The other generals are currently occupied preparing for your arrival," Via continued. "The Regent is training with Drei. I am the only one available to assist you."
Kael coughed as he slipped off Nixxin's grip. "Yeah, sure. I'm Kael. I'm his friend. Important person too, obviously."
Via did not respond.
She turned and began walking toward the mansion without another word.
Kael blinked. "Did she just ignore me?"
Nixxin smirked slightly and followed.
As they moved forward, a carriage appeared before Via as if it had always been there.
She stepped aside and waited.
Nixxin entered first, then she followed.
Inside, everything felt unnaturally smooth. There was no shaking, no sound of wheels grinding against stone. It was as if the carriage and the road were connected.
Outside, Kael ran after them.
"Are you serious?" he shouted, barely keeping pace. "You couldn't wait two seconds?"
By the time they reached the palace, Kael was completely drained.
"How many times," he gasped, "do I have to be exhausted in one day?"
He forced himself forward, catching up to Nixxin and Via as they entered.
They passed a large training ground.
Both Nixxin and Kael stopped instantly.
"What is this?" Kael whispered.
Before them, two figures moved at blinding speed.
Ardent.
Drei.
Numbers floated nearby, tracking every outcome.
Kael leaned forward, eyes wide. "This is ridiculous."
Nixxin nodded slowly. "You're right."
They spoke at the same time.
"There's no way."
"Drei killed Ardent once."
"Drei died over fifty thousand times."
Silence hung between them.
Nixxin crossed his arms. "Do you really think Ardent is weak? Drei is only surviving because they are limiting themselves to one skill."
Kael shook his head, frustration building. "Fifty thousand deaths is not normal. Ardent has to be cheating."
They continued watching.
Drei moved faster now. Sharper. More precise.
Still not enough.
Ardent remained untouchable.
When the count reached fifty one thousand, everything stopped.
The match was over.