The winds howled like starving wolves.
Kairo stood at the entrance of the Frozen Labyrinth, his cloak billowing in the blizzard. The snow here wasn't white—it shimmered like crushed crystal, sharp enough to draw blood if it touched bare skin. In his gloved hand, he held the map he'd found in the guild's sealed archives, its ink glowing faintly in the bitter cold.
> [System Notification: You are now entering a Tier-S Hazard Zone — Temporal Distortion Active]
The moment his boots stepped past the gate, everything changed.
Time slowed.
His heartbeat echoed like thunder, each step dragging like he was walking through molasses. His breath hung in the air, frozen in place like a painting.
Then came the voices.
Not in his ears, but in his mind.
> "Turn back…"
"You'll freeze before you reach the first trial…"
"This path is for the dead."
Kairo ignored them.
He was used to fear by now.
---
The labyrinth stretched endlessly—icy halls twisted like living veins, and mirrors coated in frost lined the walls. As he walked deeper, the reflections began to shift. They no longer showed him, but versions of him from different times.
One showed him still weak, covered in bruises.
Another showed him powerful, but… monstrous. His eyes glowed red, his hands soaked in blood.
He stopped at one that showed nothing.
No reflection.
Just darkness.
> "You haven't earned the right to see what you'll become."
The words came from behind.
He turned, blade drawn—
—but saw no one.
Only the air, shimmering with power.
---
Hours passed—or maybe days. Time twisted here, refusing to move in straight lines. His watch had stopped. His internal clock betrayed him.
Eventually, he reached the heart of the labyrinth: a circular chamber with an altar of solid ice. On it sat a sliver of silver light—hovering, humming with power.
The First Fragment.
As he approached, the temperature plummeted. His breath froze midair and fell like glass. His limbs went numb. His vision blurred.
And then—
A figure rose from the altar, tall and regal, clad in jagged armor made of frost and stars. Its face was hidden beneath a visor of clear ice.
> "To claim the First Fragment, you must defeat what you fear most."
It raised a hand.
And from the ice behind it emerged… Kairo.
But this version was twisted—his hair pale as snow, his eyes void of empathy. He smiled cruelly.
> "Hello, me."
---
The battle was chaos.
Every strike of his sword was matched perfectly.
Every dodge, anticipated.
His clone moved like him, thought like him—but without hesitation, without mercy. Where Kairo hesitated to kill, this one did not.
Blood splattered across the icy floor.
> "You're not strong enough to wield the Fractured Star," the clone hissed. "You'll die long before the ninth."
"I don't need to be perfect," Kairo spat, panting, "I just need to outlast you."
And then, in one reckless move, he dropped his sword—and tackled his clone into the altar behind them.
The fragment pulsed between them—
A shockwave erupted.
Both versions of Kairo screamed.
And the chamber fell silent.
---
When Kairo opened his eyes, he lay alone.
His blade was beside him.
The altar was gone.
And in his hand… was the First Fragment, now embedded in a glowing mark on his palm.
> [System Update: You have obtained the Fragment of Eternity – 1/9]
[Your essence has evolved.]
> New Skill Unlocked: Frozen Mirror Domain
Create an illusory field that slows enemy perception and mirrors their attacks.
---
As he walked out of the labyrinth, the wind no longer bit at him. The cold respected him now. The mirrors showed only his reflection.
But in each reflection, his eyes glowed a little brighter. And behind him, in every one… a shadow grew longer.