?I ascended the Ice Mountain, my boots crunching against a wasteland of white. A pervasive, unsettling silence hung in the air—no monsters, no roars, only the void. This stillness worried me more than any beast could; it felt like the mountain itself was holding its breath. I followed the shimmering trail revealed by my blade until I stood at the jagged zenith. There was nothing there but the biting, crystalline cold—a frost so deep I felt the very spark of life freezing within my marrow. ?"Hey, demon!" I roared into the gale. "I’ve climbed your wretched mountain—show yourself! I have no patience for riddles while I freeze to death!" ?From the depths of my consciousness, a faint, gravelly voice answered. "Silence, boy. I hear you perfectly. But your journey is not yet measured in steps. Be patient; you are not there yet. Keep walking, and then we shall speak." ?"For how much longer?!" I hissed. "Until I say. It is a simple task... for you, at least. You do not feel the biting edge of this world as I do." "And what if I complain?! Ugh... fine." ?I pushed forward through the blinding blizzards until the landscape shifted. Amidst the chaos of ice, I stumbled into a sanctuary of unnatural warmth. A massive, invisible tide of energy pulsed through the air. "What is this power...? I cannot absorb mana, yet I can feel its presence... it’s indescribable." ?The demon’s voice returned, now resonant and heavy: "This place, vessel, is saturated with power because it sits in the shadow of the Dimas your comrades seek." ?"What? You mean the Dimas is near? I have to return, I have to tell them—" "Do not bother, vessel," the demon interrupted. "Even if I guided your hand to the latch, the Dimas waits for a specific soul. Until that person steps forth, it shall remain sealed. You cannot force destiny with a common key." "Waiting for someone? Who?" "I do not know. But this realm is known as The Site of the First Prophecy." "The First Prophecy?" "It is whispered that peace will only be restored when the Dimas in every kingdom is unsealed and its secrets laid bare. Only then will the wheels of fate turn." ?I narrowed my eyes. "So, the prophecy hinges on these gates... tell me, demon—how do you know so much of my past?" "As I told you: I walk the halls of your memories." "Then you’ve seen him? The one who tortured me?" There was a heavy pause. The demon’s voice dropped to a chilling whisper. "No. I could not see his face. But the sound of your screams... ah, they were like music to my ears." ?"Music, huh? Then tell me this—how did you know the fate of this body’s original master?" "That was easy. He was the one who first unearthed this sanctuary. I haunted his dreams, believing him to be the chosen vessel. He lived in terror until one night, he fled from sleep. He climbed this mountain, reached this very spot, and entered a cavern of mirrors. There, he saw the reflection of his own future. He saw himself wielding my shadow, standing against the Lord of the Dead, and casting him down." ?"Wait—who is the Lord of the Dead?" "A being whose shadow eclipses my own," the demon replied with rare gravity. "Even when I was human—back when I still cherished my own flesh—I faced him. Our clash unmade the world around us. He is the only soul I have ever acknowledged as my equal. We fought to a stalemate, a draw that left me hollow with dissatisfaction. When I saw the vision of his defeat, I was pleased. But as the image flickered, I realized it would not be him who wielded my blade. It would be you, Andre... or should I say, Olav." ?"So, the vision was true... but where is this place? The mirror?" "The crystal? I had no desire to gaze upon it. But listen, vessel—to find that mirror, you must seek the head of the sleeping beast beneath the waves. The crystal was forged to stand watch over it." "The beast is underwater, but the crystal is in the mountains? That makes no sense." "Ha ha ha! It makes perfect sense when you realize that beast is ten times larger than this entire kingdom!" ?I climbed to the highest precipice and looked out. The horizon stretched into infinity. "I can’t even see the borders of the kingdom from here, and you claim that thing is ten times larger? How could the Lord of Ice defeat such a nightmare?!" "You are right to doubt," the demon mused, "but you forgot one thing, Andre... you never listen to what a demon says." ?Suddenly, a shadow detached itself from the air—a dark, monstrous silhouette. It lunged, seizing the sword and slashing my back in one fluid motion. I staggered, blood hot against the cold, and turned to see the demon standing before me in a physical, terrifying form, gripping my own blade. "How... how did you take shape?!" "I simply gathered the ambient mana and gave it a spine. Simple." "Is this your true form?!" "No, fool. This is a construct of spite—built to kill you. But if you fall, I perish as well." "You idiot! We are a balance—if one side breaks, the whole world collapses!" "Exactly! And as you wither, I shall take the reins. I will not just survive; I will finally settle my debt with humanity. So, thank you, Andre." ?I was defenseless. No weapon, no strength, my blood staining the snow. The demon lunged again, a whirlwind of steel. I dodged, stumbling until I fell, my leg screaming in pain. "This is the end, vessel. Your body is mine." ?Before the killing blow descended, chains of blinding light erupted from the blizzard, binding the demon fast. "You fool, Andre," a voice echoed through the storm. "Did your commander not forbid you from leaving until the pact was sealed? Why do you court death?" I looked up, gasping. "Volak?!" "And you—why did you flee as well?" Volak's eyes were hard. "Hah, still an idiot even at death's door," Volak muttered. "We will settle this later. For now, let me handle this parasite." ?Volak hauled on the chains, dragging the demon back. "Andre, what is that thing?" "It’s the sword demon... the one bound to my blade." "What?! This is the creature that fought me at the Twin Mountains?" "Yes. It’s powerful, but it’s not at full strength yet." "Gather your mana, human!" the demon roared, straining against the light. "You have ruined everything, you cursed eye!" ?"I’ll take that as a compliment," Volak smirked. "But I thought the one who fought me back then was a King of the Abyss... I don't see a king here." "I am no king, mortal. I am the King of the Kings you tremble before! But for your insolence... I shall give you a performance." ?The Demon King raised the sword, and the atmosphere grew heavy enough to crush bone. The very mountain seemed to groan under the weight of his power. Volak braced himself, every muscle taut, waiting for the impact—but the Demon King remained still. He spoke, his voice a cold blade: "I was merely harvesting a taste of power. Now... remember the shadow you have provoked, human." ?He turned his burning gaze to me. "And you... your body will be mine in time. I have designs of my own. Farewell—for now. And you as well..." ?With a flicker of shadow, he vanished into the wind. ?Volak sank to the ground, his chest heaving, shaken by the sheer malice that had just dissipated. He looked at me—pale, broken, and trembling. "What in hell is inside you, Andre?" I let out a long, ragged breath, my eyes fixed on the empty air. "Believe me... I have no idea."

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