One month passed in the blink of an eye.
The city of Frostvale greeted us once more with its familiar blend of frozen elegance and quiet strength. Snowflakes still danced in the crisp air, but something had changed—not the city, but us. We were no longer the same group that had walked into those icy streets weeks ago, uncertain and searching for strength.
We were stronger now.
Not just in power—but in resolve.
Day after day, we took on quests—subjugating beasts, retrieving lost artifacts, escorting nobles too proud to admit fear. It wasn't always glamorous, but every mission sharpened our instincts, tempered our reflexes, and added to the weight behind our blades.
But the true battlefield… was the night.
Every evening after dinner, we'd retreat to the comfort of our inn, smile at each other as we lay down close—Scarlett clutching my hand, Lyra resting against my side, and Layla happily draped over me like a cat claiming its territory.
And then—
We'd open the door to the soul space.
Time moved differently there: one hour in the real world equaled one week inside. That meant every night, while others slept peacefully, we trained—hard.
Eight hours of sleep in Frostvale was nearly two months of training in our personal realm.
Multiply that by thirty nights…
We trained for sixty months. Five years. In one month.
Lyra, once quiet and reserved in battle, was now a force of nature. Her mastery over ice had grown sharper, yes—but her real breakthrough came when she finally stopped overthinking and combined her elements.
She had always kept snow and ice separate, thinking the difference was negligible.
But when she let them fuse?
Her attacks became colder. Denser. Her aura began to radiate with such intensity that when she slept beside me—if she forgot to control her mana—I'd nearly freeze solid by morning.
"T-This is nothing," she'd mutter, cheeks pink, as icicles formed on my eyelashes.
I wasn't even mad. Just impressed… and a little frozen.
Scarlett had blossomed in her own terrifying way.
Her shadow monsters—once wild, unpredictable things—now stood in formation when she called. Their eyes glowed with eerie obedience, and they had begun organizing themselves into legions. When she lifted her dagger, they moved like soldiers.
Even more dangerous were her new wind dagger techniques. She could vanish and reappear mid-strike, slicing through enemies with razor-thin gusts that turned air into a weapon.
"You're getting a little scary," I'd joked once.
She had only smiled. "Then don't leave my side."
Layla—well, Layla was already stronger than all of us combined when she got serious. But she hadn't slacked off either.
She trained her wings relentlessly, refining their movement until she could slice the air itself with a single beat. And her control over her domain—once chaotic and overwhelming—was now precise. She could deploy it, reshape it, retract it… all without backlash.
Watching her spar was like witnessing beauty and destruction blended into one.
And then there was me.
I'd improved—yes—but I knew I still had a long road ahead.
My elemental control had deepened. My swordsmanship grew sharper thanks to endless duels with Layla and dozens of clones mimicking different fighting styles.
But what I focused on most… was understanding corruption and curses.
Layla's power wasn't just deadly—it was alien. Demonic. A wrongness that twisted reality itself. If she ever lost control… if something triggered her—there might be no one capable of stopping her.
So I fought her again and again, absorbing pain, learning the rhythms of her darkness. I needed to be ready—not because I didn't trust her…
But because if she ever fell, I had to be the one to pull her back.
I had even begun learning Elemental Domain.
Unlike Layla's curse-driven field, mine was built purely from mana—a blank canvas.
That meant I could amplify any element within it.
Fire burned hotter. Wind moved faster. Shadows danced more wildly. Nature bloomed unnaturally fast.
And it was just the beginning.
What if… I could fuse elements like the headmaster once did?
Time and Light…
Just thinking about it made my heart race.
Limitless potential.
But to get there, I needed more mana. More control.
More time.
And yes, we all reached S-rank.
Too fast?
Hah.
Let me remind you: we trained for sixty months while you were dreaming about your next meal.
We didn't get handed cheat items or protagonist privileges.
We bled for every inch of progress.
We were shaping ourselves into weapons, not waiting to be rescued by plot armor.
The academy students—first years, second years—most were at home, relaxing. Enjoying the extended break.
We were in the shadows, grinding.
We had surpassed them all.
And now…
Now, we were trying to help Lyra push one step further.
Scarlett hadn't reached her domain yet, but Lyra… she was close.
Her aura vibrated with pressure. Her spells carried the weight of something more trying to break free.
She just needed a spark. A push.
We stood around her in the soul space, offering silent support as she tried again.
Her fingers glowed blue, her eyes narrowed.
I stepped forward and offered my hand with a quiet smile.
"Lyra… you can do it."
Her eyes widened slightly, then softened.
She reached for my hand—
And the air shifted.
To be continued…