Ice Phoenix stood frozen, not in the literal sense her name implied, but in the emotional storm that churned within her. The revelation that Zenian—the angel who had once betrayed her trust and caused the icy barrenness of Dementia and Rodentia—was the intruder attempting to claim the Eternal Frostheart again filled her with boiling anger. Yet, it was not Zenian's return that truly unsettled her. It was the man standing beside her: Arfrotian.
She had thought she understood him. Arfrotian, the calm, composed figure who had entered her megaverse, initially a stranger and intruder, had disarmed her in every way. She remembered their first encounter vividly. He had faced her fury and strength in battle, yet even when he overpowered her, he hadn't killed her. Instead, he had listened to her tragic tale, showing empathy and understanding. That moment, she had seen a man with a cold exterior but a warm, kind heart beneath.
But now, that image was crumbling.
Arfrotian's deduction of Zenian's identity and motives had left her shaken. The way he calmly and meticulously pieced together the angel's schemes, layer by layer, without ever encountering him, was beyond anything she had witnessed before. It wasn't just intellect—it was as though Arfrotian could peer into the minds of others and understand them completely, as if their very thoughts and ambitions were laid bare before him. It was terrifying.
Had she ever truly understood this man?
Her mind spiraled with questions. Had his every action since his arrival been calculated? When he chose not to kill her, was it mercy—or something more deliberate? When he shared his reasons for venturing into the icy omniverse, was he being honest, or was it part of a larger plan? She thought back to how he said he sought solitude to master his uncontrollable power, Pandora, so he wouldn't hurt those he cared about. She had empathized with him, believing they were kindred spirits.
But now, she wasn't sure of anything.
Her anger toward Zenian remained, but it was eclipsed by the dread gnawing at her. This revelation about Arfrotian had shaken her to her core. He had dismantled Zenian's ambitions and motives with terrifying precision and, more unsettlingly, with an unnerving lack of emotion. When she had finally gathered the courage to confront him, calling him terrifying, his response had only deepened the pit in her stomach.
"Perhaps," he had replied.
That single word, delivered with a calm, unbothered tone, had shattered her ability to process him. It wasn't denial, nor was it an admission. It was ambiguous, leaving her to grapple with her fears and questions on her own. Was he acknowledging her fear? Mocking it? Dismissing it entirely?
She blinked, shaking herself from her spiraling thoughts as she realized Arfrotian had spoken again.
"Let's prepare," he said, his tone as composed as ever, turning his gaze toward the Ice Temple where the Eternal Frostheart rested. His voice was steady, a sharp contrast to the storm brewing within her.
Finally, Ice Phoenix found herself grounding in reality again. She nodded, ready to follow his lead. But before she could step forward, Arfrotian stopped and turned to face her. His expression remained calm, his icy blue eyes betraying none of the thoughts that swirled beneath the surface.
"Perhaps," he said, tilting his head slightly, "we shouldn't prepare at all."
Her eyes widened in confusion, her anger and dread bubbling back to the surface. "What do you mean?" she asked, her voice laced with uncertainty.
Arfrotian smiled faintly, a ghost of amusement flickering across his features. "The rat's going to come after the cheese anyway," he said, his tone light, as though he were discussing something mundane.
Her heart skipped a beat. The words themselves weren't what unsettled her—it was the absolute, unshakable confidence behind them.
He was terrifying.
Ice Phoenix's mind raced. Was he serious? Did he truly intend to wait for Zenian to come to them? The thought sent a chill down her spine. She had always prided herself on her strength and ability to defend the Eternal Frostheart, but Arfrotian's approach was unlike anything she had ever encountered.
"Why would we just wait?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly despite her best efforts to remain composed.
"Because," Arfrotian said, his voice calm and deliberate, "the moment Zenian steps into this domain, he's already lost."
The confidence in his tone was absolute, and it left no room for doubt. But it wasn't comforting—it was suffocating. Ice Phoenix felt as though she were standing before a vast, unfathomable abyss.
She clenched her fists, trying to push past the dread threatening to consume her. "And what if you're wrong?"
For the first time, Arfrotian's gaze softened slightly, though his expression remained unreadable. "If I'm wrong," he said, "then I'll simply correct the error."
The words were spoken with such calm certainty that it left Ice Phoenix speechless. It wasn't arrogance—it was something far more unsettling. To him, even the prospect of failure was nothing more than a minor inconvenience, something to be adjusted and resolved with ease.
Her thoughts swirled as she looked at him. This man, who had seemed so kind and empathetic not long ago, now felt like an entirely different being. His calmness wasn't a façade—it was a weapon. Every word he spoke, every action he took, was calculated, deliberate. She couldn't help but wonder: had he always been like this? Was the kindness he had shown her genuine, or was it just another piece of his plan?
She swallowed hard, forcing herself to focus on the situation at hand. Zenian was coming—she knew that much. And despite her fear and uncertainty, she also knew one thing for certain: she was standing beside the most terrifying force she had ever encountered.
Arfrotian turned back toward the Ice Temple, his expression calm as ever. "Let him come," he said, his voice low but firm. "Let him believe he can take what doesn't belong to him."
Ice Phoenix stared at him, her anger at Zenian momentarily forgotten as her fear of Arfrotian grew. This man, who seemed so detached yet so perfectly in control, wasn't just terrifying—he was something beyond comprehension.
As the winds howled around them, Ice Phoenix felt a strange mix of dread and resolve. If Zenian was truly coming, she would face him. But standing beside Arfrotian, she couldn't shake the feeling that the real danger wasn't the intruder—it was the man she had thought she understood.
And as she followed him into the temple, she realized something chilling: she might never truly understand him.