Snow fell slowly, dancing through the air before settling softly upon the earth. The biting winter wind blew relentlessly, slipping through every gap left uncovered by thick clothing. Wonderveil's main streets lay buried under deep white drifts, where footprints and hoof‑marks stood out clearly against the smooth surface.
At the heart of the town stood a great hall, turned into a temporary shelter for the people. Inside, the air was far warmer, kept alive by several hearths burning day and night. Even so, worry lined every face — thoughts turned constantly to the battle raging outside.
Knights stood guard at every door and window. Some helped hand out hot meals, warm drinks, and thick blankets to those seeking refuge. Farmers with nearby fields were allowed out to gather supplies, always escorted by knights to keep them safe. Everyone else was told to remain inside until the fighting ended. Nobles were not housed here; they stayed in their own mansions, protected by private guards.
Ashveil moved gently from family to family, carrying bowls of steaming soup. He looked calm, though he himself had no word of how the battle fared. He offered a bowl to one group.
"Has everyone here been fed?" he asked softly.
"We have, thank you, Master Ashveil."
Ashveil nodded with a faint smile. A little boy holding his mother's hand looked up at him.
"Are Princess Celestia and Princess Elowen fighting the witch?"
Ashveil knelt until he was level with the child. "They are. And she is very powerful." He gave a reassuring smile. "But do not fear — they will surely defeat her."
The boy gripped his mother's dress tighter. "Mama… I'm scared. Will we be all right?"
His mother stroked his hair gently. "Of course we will. The princesses will protect us all. You have nothing to fear."
The boy nodded slowly, though his eyes still held worry. Ashveil let out a quiet breath — at least the people still trusted their royal family.
Once he was sure all was well, he left the main hall and climbed the stairs to the second floor. He paused at the sound of children laughing. Peering into an open room, he saw Charles surrounded by nearly twenty children sitting in a circle, watching him with bright excitement.
"Look what I have here!" Charles held up a banana.
"A banana!" they all shouted together.
"Exactly!" He grinned. "Now I shall work magic — watch it disappear!"
He hid the fruit behind his back, slipping it quickly into his sleeve without anyone noticing. Then he held out empty hands. "See? Gone!"
"Wooow!" The children cheered in delight. "Where did it go?" asked a little girl, looking left and right.
Charles pretended to think hard. "Hmm… I think… it's behind your ear." He reached behind her head and pulled the banana free. "Ta‑da!"
"Amazing!" "How did you do that?" "Is he a real wizard?" They clapped and laughed. "More magic! More tricks!"
Charles laughed softly. "Of course." Before he could go on, a voice called him. "Charles."
He turned. "Ashveil?"
Ashveil walked over. "Have you rested at all? I've seen you entertaining the children since yesterday."
Charles scratched the back of his neck, smiling. "I'm fine. Don't worry — I just want to take their minds off what's happening out there. They must be so afraid."
Ashveil nodded. "Take care of yourself. I'm heading to the temporary office to finish some paperwork."
"Right."
Ashveil went upstairs and opened the office door slowly. As he stepped inside, he stopped short — a large blue cat sat calmly on his desk.
"Nyx? What are you doing here?"
Nyx lifted his head. "Ashveil… I never realized how wise you are. No doubt that is why Princess Elowen chose you as her personal aide."
Ashveil smiled gently. "Princess Elowen is a discerning leader. She saw my potential long ago, during the selection trials."
Nyx looked straight at him. "Do you love her?"
Ashveil fell quiet for a moment. "That is a delicate question — one I cannot answer openly." He glanced toward the window, then smiled softly. "But… what I feel for her is true."
Nyx nodded slowly. "Then I hope you find happiness together."
Ashveil looked surprised. "You… you do not object? I am only a commoner — not of noble birth. Surely someone of higher standing would suit her better."
Nyx shook his head. "No one deserves her more than you. I know I have made many mistakes — once I even drove Charles from the palace out of my own stubbornness. Now I have learned to trust the choices Elowen and Celestia make."
Ashveil's smile warmed. "Thank you. I will stand by her side always."
Nyx jumped down from the desk. "I will take my leave. Where is Charles?"
Ashveil pointed toward the door. "Still with the children. Please tell him to rest soon."
Nyx nodded and padded out. He found Charles still busy with tricks, making the crowd laugh. Without warning, he nudged Charles's leg and let out a soft, affectionate meow.
Charles turned at once. "Nyx? What are you doing here?" He stroked the cat's head gently.
Nyx purred, closing his eyes. "I just wanted to see you. Are you cheering them up?"
Charles nodded. "I am."
The children stared, eyes wide. "The cat… he can talk!" "He's huge!" "His fur is like a blue cloud!"
Nyx shifted back nervously when some tried to come closer — he was never comfortable with strangers touching him. Only Charles had ever been able to reach him without making him uneasy. He leaped lightly onto Charles's lap, curling up comfortably, his tail swaying slowly.
Charles kept stroking his soft fur. "I'm sorry — Nyx doesn't like being touched by strangers. This is Nyx."
They watched in awe. "He's so fluffy…" "Lucky you, Charles!"
Charles laughed softly. "Alright — shall we continue?"
Laughter filled the hall once more. Outside, the war still raged — but for a little while longer, their smiles chased away the shadows of fear.
...........
On the battlefield, snow fell endlessly. The pure white covering the earth was now stained crimson with the blood of fallen knights and monsters.
The roar of beasts echoed across the field. The clash of steel against claw rang out without pause.
Clang! Clang!
"Arghhh!"
"Strike that beast!"
"Help… someone help me!"
The knights fought with every ounce of strength to hold their ground. Though their limbs grew heavy and their breath came in ragged gasps, not a single one stepped back. They knew their princesses still fought at the front — and as long as Elowen and Celestia stood, they would never surrender.
Elsewhere, Vaelrith battled the colossal monster Alice had summoned. The great white dragon threw his jaws wide open.
ROARRR!!
A torrent of searing fire poured forth, engulfing the creature in flames. Red fire blazed across its body — yet it did not scream. Its skin only blackened faintly before healing as if untouched.
"Tch… this one is hard to bring down."
Vaelrith beat his powerful wings, swooping low around the beast. Fwoosh! The gale from his wings pushed the monster several steps back — but it roared and lunged in pursuit.
Diving sharply, Vaelrith raked its chest and shoulders with his claws. Slash! Slash! But the creature's hide was like iron. He sank his teeth deep into its neck instead.
"Arghhh!" The monster thrashed wildly, slashing Vaelrith's face with its claws. Slash! Blood welled on the dragon's cheek. Before he could break free, the monster drove its claws into his chest.
"Graahhh!" Vaelrith roared in agony — yet he summoned every last spark of strength to shove the beast away, tearing himself free. Blood dripped onto the snow. Mercifully, his eyes were unharmed — or he might have lost his sight.
Vaelrith drew a long, ragged breath. Then he unleashed an even greater wave of fire. The monster answered with orbs of pure darkness steeped in Alice's magic. Boom! Flame and shadow collided in a deafening explosion.
Vaelrith landed hard. Without hesitation, he swung his massive tail. Bam! The monster was sent flying, crashing to the ground — the whole battlefield shook. But it rose again as if nothing had happened. It opened its maw and fired volley after volley of black spheres straight at him.
Meanwhile, Alice pressed her attack against Elowen and Celestia relentlessly. Shadowy hands rose behind her, reaching out to seize both princesses.
"I will kill you both!"
She hurled dozens of dark bolts sharp as spears. Elowen moved with instinctive grace — reading every shift, every strike before it landed. Clang! Slash! One by one, she cleaved the darkness in two. Not a single bolt touched her.
Celestia fought differently. Though she had trained tirelessly since returning to the past, her combat experience was still far less than her sister's. She dodged desperately — but one bolt grazed her arm.
"Ah!" Fresh blood welled up.
Elowen glanced over for only a heartbeat. "Celestia… you have grown so strong. I am truly proud of your courage and speed out here."
Celestia smiled through gasps of breath. "Thank you. You are the one who truly shines — you always have been so steady in battle."
Elowen was about to reply — then her eyes widened. "Watch out!"
Celestia ducked instantly. A dark sphere whizzed just over her head. Without pausing, she raised both hands. Blinding white light burst forth, shattering several more bolts racing toward Elowen. Boom! Boom!
Elowen let out a breath she had been holding. "Thank you — for saving me."
Celestia smiled back. "Of course. You protected me for so long… now it is my turn."
Alice watched from a distance, her teeth clenched until blood ran. Fury burned through her veins, and the dark aura around her swelled larger than ever.
"I… I will make sure you die! Wonderveil… Wonderveil will burn to ash!"
Elowen raised an eyebrow calmly. "If you destroy Wonderveil… where exactly do you plan to live?"
Celestia added with a faint shrug, "Maybe under a bridge, Elowen."
Elowen chuckled softly. "If there are any bridges left."
Alice's face flushed dark with rage. "I will destroy this whole world! I will devour every human and grow strong enough to rule everything! You will never understand!"
Elowen lifted one shoulder. "Then help me understand. Tell me what you truly want. How can I possibly understand if you never speak it?"
"Foolish girl!" Alice shrieked.
Elowen's smile turned sharp. "Hey… I am anything but foolish."
The words had barely left her lips when Elowen surged forward, her sword swinging with all her might. Alice raised one hand — and caught the blade bare‑handed. Crack! Elowen's sword snapped clean in two.
Alice laughed. "I broke your little toy."
Elowen stepped back without a flicker of fear. "So?"
Alice frowned — and in that exact moment, Celestia lifted one hand. Pure light gathered and solidified into a glowing sword. She held it out to Elowen.
"Take this."
Elowen caught the radiant blade. Alice stared, stunned. "How… how can you control this power so perfectly? How did I never sense it?" Her eyes widened. "Wait… back then… when your sister almost fell… you were the one who saved her with light magic, weren't you?"
Celestia nodded. "Yes. I would never let my sister die. And besides… why should I ever tell you anything?"
"I will kill you first, Celestia!"
Alice dissolved into black smoke, reappearing instantly right before Celestia — her hand reaching straight for the princess's throat. But before she could touch her — Slash!
A flash of light severed her wrist. The hand fell into the snow with a soft plop! Thick black blood gushed endlessly from the wound.
"Arghhhh!" Alice screamed, stumbling back, her face twisted in disbelief. The loss of her hand threw her magic completely out of balance. At once, her summoned monsters slowed, staggered — and many crumbled into piles of black dust.
Alice clutched her bleeding arm, her eyes blazing with unbridled hatred as she glared at Elowen and Celestia.
"I… I will never forgive you."
Alice glared fiercely at everyone before her. Her gaze shifted from Elowen to Celestia, then to Vaelrith as he spread his great wings, finally settling on the line of knights who still stood firm even though many were wounded.
Slowly, her lips curled into a terrifying smile.
"Hehehehe…"
Her laugh echoed across the battlefield. It was so strange and unsettling that it sent shivers down every spine. The knights exchanged uneasy glances — some gripped their sword hilts until their knuckles whitened, while others swallowed hard in dread.
Celestia frowned and leaned close to her sister. "Elowen… is she… losing her mind?" she whispered.
Elowen never took her eyes off Alice, her grip tightening on the glowing sword. "It seems so. This is what happens when you wield dark magic for too long. The more she uses it… the more her sanity slips away."
Alice kept laughing without pause. "Hehehehe… Hahahaha!" Her laughter grew louder, ringing through the dead forest.
Suddenly — Whoosh!
A gale‑force wind howled, lifting snow from the ground into the air. The knights' hair whipped wildly; dead trees swayed violently as if they might be torn up by their roots.
Vaelrith lifted his head to the sky. "This is no ordinary wind…"
The snow covering the earth began to vanish little by little — as if being drawn into something unseen. The air grew heavy, making every breath a struggle. Panic spread among the knights.
"What is happening?"
"The sky… look up!"
They all raised their heads. The sun, already hidden behind dark clouds, faded completely from view. Light dimmed all around them. Moments later, a lunar eclipse began. The whole battlefield plunged into gloom. The moon turned blood‑red, casting an eerie crimson glow over everything.
Elowen and Celestia turned as one toward Alice. There she stood, raising both hands high toward the sky. A thick, roiling black aura swirled around her, smoke seeping from every inch of her skin. Her blonde hair floated in the wind though she did not move an inch.
The ground beneath her feet cracked open. Krrrkk… The fissures spread across the battlefield like tangled roots. Small stones lifted into the air, suspended by the sheer weight of her magic.
Celestia could feel the crushing pressure building. "Her power… it keeps rising."
Elowen gritted her teeth. "She is gathering every last drop of her darkness."
Alice closed her eyes. Pain was etched clearly across her face — yet she did not stop. Black blood flowed from her severed wrist — but it never fell to the snow. Instead, it turned to smoke and was drawn back into her body.
"Hehehe… I do not need that hand anymore. I do not need this body anymore. All I need… is power."
The black aura swelled higher, forming a massive vortex that stretched all the way to the clouds. Storm clouds gathered directly above her head, and bolts of violet lightning crackled over and over.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Every strike shook the ground violently. Knights stumbled, struggling to stay upright. "What kind of magic is this?" "I… I have never seen anything like it!"
Vaelrith watched gravely. "That witch has lost all reason. She is willing to sacrifice herself completely."
Alice opened her eyes slowly. Her irises were gone — both eyes were now pure black, with a burning red glow at their centre. She stared straight at Elowen and Celestia, her smile stretching wider and wilder than ever.
"I will use every ounce of my strength. I do not care if this body shatters… I do not care if I die… so long as… Wonderveil… burns with all of you."