Silver pupils trembled, reflecting the odd image of the youth within. An entity composed of crystal-clear ice exuded a dangerous aura as it stared down at the silver-eyed youth trapped within its grasp. Feeling his lungs straining from the lack of oxygen, Moulin saw himself within the mirror-like pupils of his doppelganger.
"Ah..." He gasped desperately for air as the icy fingers dug into the skin of his neck, almost drawing blood and crushing his windpipe.
Truthfully, he didn't expect a physical form to confront him. The brief sense of panic had vanished inside him, replaced by the urgent will to survive. Silver eyes glowed, and Moulin swiftly directed mana into his hands, intending to freeze the wrist of his assailant. The frost gathered quickly, turning that clear ice-made hand into white.
The crystal Moulin tilted his head as though in curiosity. He yanked Moulin closer to his face, witnessing the fiery determination in his eyes.
'My soul has done wonders to your appearance...'
Suddenly, a voice spoke into Moulin's ears, making him stop struggling. It sounded like a child, clear and soft.
Crystal Moulin narrowed his eyes. His mouth remained shut, not moving a centiter. But his voice rang loud and clear like cracking ice echoing in a desolate cave. '... but it has done nothing to nd your nosiness.'
Moulin's heart quickened, realizing that his mana seed to do nothing to him.
The entity of ice smiled faintly, 'My own energy cannot hurt , child. You forget your origin...'
The mont his words ended, a sharp force of energy hurled towards him like an arrow strike. Crystal Moulin slightly leaned back, casually letting the attack shoot past his face. The grip on Moulin's neck loosened. In the next instant, he loudly crashed into the rough, frozen ground. The biting cold scraped his skin.
'A pest...' Crystal Moulin lifted his head, turning to a lone figure in the distance.
A robed woman with fierce eyes. Pure mana exudes from her body, acting as a shield. Her pale pink hair fluttered slightly from the amount of mana she was emitting. Lady Celeste's gaze is cautious on the intruder standing at the center of the frozen pool. The safety of the heavenly bath was compromised. Although she didn't sense any demonic aura from the intruder, it attempted to harm Moulin and must be eliminated.
She didn't hesitate to activate the ergency distress spell to contact the other elders. But a second before she could, a terrifying force abruptly surrounded her and froze her in place. Panic filled her eyes when she realized she had been restrained, confined in a spell where nothing but her eyes could move. The energy was beyond anything she had ever felt, raw and powerful.
'Lady Celeste!' Moulin's eyes widened. He didn't dare to make any offensive moves against his copy.
Turning to the crystal version of himself, Moulin deliberately lowered his stance and softened his voice. "Please, I only ant to speak to you."
Crystal Moulin snapped his attention towards him, making Moulin flinch. The entity's gaze grew colder, and the voice grew harsher, "I intended to save your life!... You fool... Do you know what you are risking by summoning ?"
Moulin inwardly wavered but spoke. "I know... yes... I know... but hear ... Your aid-"
"MY AID?" The voice roared, causing the ground to quake. His crystal body began to darken as the darkness grew gradually from his feet. The ceiling shakes from the power of his emotions.
"I am nothing!" He continues to shout. A hysterical rage burned, fueled by the thought of everything coming to ruin by this single summon.
Moulin winced, covering his ears. He could feel the anger emanating from those words. The youth trembled and finally whispered.
"Morhas..."
The mont that na was spoken, everything stilled. The crystal entity paused, stiffening from where he stood. That single word imdiately smothered the flas of wrath. Out of nowhere, a softness erged from his eyes after a long silence.
Moulin flinched when Morhas moved. Instead of another hurtful lashing, a hand was extended before him.
"..." The youth hesitantly gazed at it for a few seconds before finally taking it.
A soothing calmness washed over Moulin, making him sigh in relief. The darkness of the cald deity slowly disappeared, returning its clear luster. Moulin felt the warmth of the touch even though it was made of freezing ice. It felt more... alive...
"I do not have much ti..." Morhas voice sounded like chis dancing with the wind. The helplessness in his tone pierced Moulin's heart.
"You have separated yourself from ..." Moulin's voice was as soft as a spring breeze. "I thought you had disappeared. But the visions... it was-"
"I play no part in the visions you saw..." Morhas's voice echoed in Moulin's ears. "It was rely a lure... to determine where these mortals had hidden you..."
A chill climbed up Moulin's spine. So it was a trap.
"Had they ripped off your presence from ?" Moulin's fingers trembled slightly. "So I could be delivered with ease?"
Moulin felt the deity stare intently at him. He heard him respond.
"I will not deny... My father yearns for his rebirth. You must prevent it at all costs. I cannot help for I had long been defeated. No longer am I your voice, nor anything, but a tool to be used and trap you..."
Morhas's crystal eyes narrowed as he continued. His features turned cold. "I no longer have the power to aid you. Use it well... the last gift I have bestowed upon you."
A crease appeared between Moulin's brows. "Your gift?"
"My soul, dear Moulin..." Morhas responded. For a mont, his features beca tender as one would look at their beloved. "The last remnant of my existence..."
Suddenly, the darkness in the crystal body returned. It moved faster than usual, completely reaching Morhas's stomach in seconds. Without a hint of hesitation, the deity let go of Moulin's hand before the darkness in his hand could infect the youth. With trembling pupils, Moulin watched as the crystal body took a few steps away from him.
His voice was now hoarse and in pain.
"Finish before he takes over..."
Slender fingers shook.
Moulin felt heat prick his eyes as he materialized his sacred weapon in his grasp. The bow glistened with power. The power is similar to the the victim it was aiming for. Morhas stood before him. Their body shook as another entity began to replace them. However, his eyes were calm and determined, mirroring Moulin's gaze.
With a shuddering breath, Moulin drew the invisible string and released the pointed energy towards the blackened crystal body, convulsing as it reached for him.
The arrow shot into the crystal chest in the blink of an eye, shattering the formidable crystal shell. The entity released a loud, piercing screech as excruciating pain burned from his shattering chest. Pure energy wrestled against the dark mana. But the frozen rose-shaped pool glowed, channeling its pure heavenly energy and attacking the malevolence.
Boom!
Finally, the shell couldn't bear the power of both and exploded into shards.
Moulin shielded his face with his arms. The ice cut his skin, and the air ward. In the next instant, the ice beneath his feet gave way, and pure waters engulfed his body. He choked, caught off-guard, bubbles bursting from his gaping mouth.
The pool's once stiff ice body had lted in a flash, returning to its pure liquid form as it had before.
Splash!
Moulin erged from the water's surface, coughing and gasping for air. His weak limbs struggled underneath, but he persisted in swimming toward the edge of the pool.
"Agh..." Moulin supported his body with his elbows upon the marble tiles. Thick silver strands clung to his face and damp clothes while a chill engulfed his entire being.
"Moulin!" Lady Celeste, released from her restraints, hurriedly kneeled before Moulin. Her warm hands infused with mana, went to dry him while assessing his body for any injuries and mana surges. The humid air made her hair darken a bit from the dampness.
"I'm alright..." The youth spoke with a final cough, feeling the burn from his throat and nose.
When he finally steadied his breathing, he glanced at her, asking if she was hard. Lady Celeste paused, eyes widening slightly, before she resud a calm countenance, replying that she was not hurt.
"That person...," Lady Celeste began but paused her words midway, "No, that... deity. Was it him? Your patron?...Morhas"
For a few seconds, Moulin was silent. He nodded with a despondent sigh. "It is him..."
As though she was plunged into the ice-cold pool, the High Priestess paled. A chill climbed up her spine at the thought that she held wrathful intentions before a heavenly entity. To think Celeste had attacked him. She is a supposed preacher, a guardian to protect and honor the divine realm. Her calm composure barely persisted.
"Don't think too much..." Moulin gave her a helpless look as he slowly pulled himself up. Lady Celeste flinched, wrenching herself from her thoughts, and looked at him. Moulin stretched out a hand to her, "It seed our enemies are even using my visions against . I believe there needs to be an extensive alteration to our sessions."
Lady Celeste blinked, nodding. "I will see to it as soon as I can..."
A foreboding sensation crept around the two of them.
.....
Boots crunched gravel and rocks underneath their soles. The howling wind sounded like a mournful cry, eerie and soulful, as the expedition, weary yet determined, pressed on up the sloping path of the mountain. They had long shed their thick, wintry coats, tossing them into their packs a few hours ago as the heat gradually engulfed their bodies. Around them, there is nothing alive but the barren and towering dust-covered mountains and sandy gusts of winds blowing into their covered faces.
What they had expected to be a harsh winter land a few days ago turned into a chalky deceased wasteland. The heat was perilous, attracting strange abominations trailing them from afar.
Emlen Fraunces, the head of the group, lifted his eyes, the only thing visible from his cloth-covered head. When he stopped, so did the group. Ghana had paused a step behind him, following his gaze.
From afar, an eye-catching gigantic mountain. Its skin was marred with black stones. Cracks filled the earth as steam burst from its seams, enshrouding the skies in the dimness. What appeared like hundreds of columns were bare trees, scorched to death. And even from this distance, the howling sounds were akin to roars of hungry beasts. It seems they weren't the only living things treading this place. A land filled with nothing but danger, Mount Tenyur.
Ghana's shoulders fell.
"I want to go ho..."
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