The cold air that flowed from the gate was not just wind...
It carried with it memories, old promises, and a silence that lasted for centuries.
The three of them entered together.
Ryo was the first to cross the threshold, followed by Yue and then Rin...
Their three steps were like a declaration of a new war, or perhaps... the beginning of a new era.
The city that stretched before them...
was made of ice, but it wasn't dead.
Pure crystals sparkled under the winter sunlight, reflecting off the snow-paved roads.
Palaces with blue domes shimmered like stars fallen to the earth.
But despite the beauty... there was no one.
> "Where is everyone?" Rin asked in a low voice, watching the closed balconies and windows.
"They're watching from behind the ice," Ryo replied, staring at the top of a frozen tower… where a distant shadow waved at him.
Yue said nothing...
But her ashen eyes moved slowly, as if she could see beyond walls.
---
In the throne hall
They were escorted in silence by knights with helmeted faces, holding crystal spears. No one spoke.
Until they reached a vast throne hall, at its center stood a throne of glowing blue ice.
And upon that throne... she sat.
A woman.
Her hair was white as snow, long and cascading on both sides of the throne. Her eyes were the color of the frozen sea.
She wore a dress woven from the cold winds…
Still as a mountain, and beautiful like a moon in a clear night sky.
> "Welcome..." she said softly, as if the snow itself was speaking.
"I am Illyria, Queen of the Great Ice Kingdom."
---
Ryo bowed slightly.
> "Greetings, Queen of Ice... I hope your reign continues without fall."
Illyria nodded.
> "I know who you are… Yue, Ryo, Rin. Heroes of the Fire Kingdom."
Yue (looked and bowed with a formal tone): "It is an honor that the Queen of Ice knows of mere travelers like us."
Illyria (laughed): "No need for… all that formality. Treat me like you treated Infernus!"
Rin (surprised, raised his eyebrows): "May I ask… how does the Queen of Ice know about our connection to Infernus?!"
Illyria didn't answer Rin. She simply walked past him and said,
> "Follow me."
Rin was confused at first but followed her.
Ryo and Yue were taken to the Guest of Honor chambers.
---
Inside the royal palace – in a training room
Rin (looking around in confusion): "May I know why you brought me here?"
Illyria looked at him with cold eyes filled with murderous intent and suddenly attacked him—faster than lightning.
Rin (drew his sword and blocked): "What are you doing??!!! What's happening here?!"
Illyria (smiled lightly): "You're good... Alright, let's begin the training."
Rin (blinked twice and pointed at himself): "Me? Training?"
Illyria (looked at him with a natural, beautiful smile): "Yes!"
Rin didn't want to train, so he tried to escape, but—
> "Where do you think you're going?"
Illyria appeared in front of him, smiling... but clearly angry.
---
Days began to pass.
Every morning, Rin woke up before sunrise and followed the queen to the Grand Hall of Snow, where the walls reflected everything and the ceiling opened to the sky.
There, he learned how to hold his breath in a storm, how to guide the wind through the ice, and how to hear the voice of frost in his heart.
The queen was not merciful.
Each day, she threw him far, trapped him in ice, and forced him to fight amid blizzards.
She used to say,
> "If you don't understand the coldness of ice… you won't understand its power."
Rin complained a lot.
He fell… and didn't want to rise.
He froze… then screamed and melted the ice with sheer will.
Yue watched from a distance and said:
> "What an idiot! He just keeps whining... Can't he train in silence?!"
---
On the final day of Rin's training…
The sky was gray, and the snow fell heavily.
The queen stood in the training yard and removed her cloak, revealing a blade of ice glowing with blue light.
Illyria (firmly):
> "Today… you'll fight me."
> "I won't go easy. And I won't forgive you if you back down."
Rin took a deep breath and said with full confidence:
> "I won't… I won't back down!"
Then… the battle began.
Illyria waved her hand, and thousands of ice arrows rose from the ground, chasing Rin like an army of cold death.
He jumped, spun mid-air, used the ice to deflect the arrows…
but one struck his shoulder.
> "Faster," said Illyria, and attacked.
She vanished and appeared behind him.
Hit him in the stomach—he crashed into the ice wall, cracking it.
Rin coughed, stood up, and shouted:
> "Ice Storm!!"
The air around him exploded into a massive whirl of ice, but Illyria stopped it with a single look.
Illyria (charged swiftly): "Listen to the ice."
Then she struck the ground.
Monsters of ice rose—three of them the size of towers.
Rin faced them.
He ran, used water to melt ice between attacks, froze one of their legs, jumped on it, and then—
> "Winter Winds!!"
…struck the beast in the heart.
It shattered.
But the other two charged him together.
One from behind, one from the front.
Rin twisted his back, dodged both, and grabbed their chests—
> "Ice Arrow!"
Crystalline arrows pierced their chests—destroyed.
Illyria raised her hand.
The training ground turned into a massive snowy mountain.
Rin was at the peak, and she was below.
> "If you can stand against me atop this mountain… then you're worthy of the power of ice."
They fought.
Ice slaps, whirlwinds, stabs, explosions…
Every moment that passed, Rin learned.
Until…
In a moment of silence, he closed his eyes.
Then opened them.
Rin's eyes turned blue… and the air around him began to freeze.
> "Now I understand."
He struck the ground, and a long icy blade emerged.
He grabbed it and charged at the queen.
He struck her.
Illyria blocked the strike… but slid backward.
Illyria (looking at Rin proudly):
> "Well done."
Illyria (sheathed her sword and walked back to the palace):
> "Training is over."
---
At the end of the day, Rin sat alone, gazing at the battlefield filled with traces of battle.
Then the queen appeared behind him and extended her hands.
> "The training is over. Now… you're strong enough to face what's coming."
> "But don't forget… the cold cannot be conquered. It must be embraced."
---
In the private guest room of Yue, Ryo, and Rin
Ryo (looked annoyed):
> "Why… why don't I get a cool mentor like you guys?!"
Yue (trying to comfort him):
> "Ryo, you don't need a mentor. After all, you can already use all elements easily. Your only problem is mastering your skills. Once you turn fifteen, you'll understand everything."
Ryo (looked at her and laughed):
> "Yue, you've never seen my real form, have you?"
Yue: "You mean the form you were born with? …No, I haven't.
Rin told me you're actually an eight-year-old kid."
Ryo (smiled gently as his form changed—his body became smaller, hair turning golden blonde, eyes light brown, skin flawless and pale, with a childlike charm):
> "Rin was right."
Yue (staring at Ryo in shock):
> "Wait… you really are a kid!!!
That's your real form?! Oh my god!"
Ryo (puffed his cheeks, clearly embarrassed):
> "Umm… stop calling me a kid… Yue."
Yue (burst out laughing):
> "Nothing, I just can't believe the team leader is just a little kid!
And he's even called a hero!"
Ryo (childishly annoyed):
> "Yes, Rin knew from the beginning."
Yue: "Why don't you go back to your adult form before Illyria sees you?
She'll be shocked to know the great team leader is just a kid."
Ryo (looked at her and sighed slowly):
> "You're right."
Ryo tried to return to his adult form, but…
Ryo (screamed):
> "HAAAGGHHH!!!?? I… I CAN'T… I CAN'T GO BACK TO MY ADULT FORM!!!"
Yue (stopped laughing, blinked twice, and screamed):
> "HAAAAAGGGHHHH??!!"
To be continued...