Once my resolve was set, everything around me seemed to vanish. The torrential rain no longer felt cold, and the wind, once howling, ceased to stir. All of it merged into one within me—an overwhelming, surging force that I could not contain. In the silence that seemed to stretch on forever, I felt the power of nature flowing through every inch of my being. My hands rose, challenging the overcast sky and pressing upon the trembling earth.
"What are you doing, Anggi?"
"Will you waste all your strength here!?" The voices of the Spirit of Wind and the Spirit of Water echoed in my mind. Warnings that came too late. Though formless, I could feel both elemental spirits trembling with fear.
But I did not care. My sharp gaze fixed far ahead, toward the enemy I must defeat here and now, into the vortex of fate that I must conquer. "I must do this," I whispered to myself, a voice only heard by my heart.
With the power gathered within me, I raised both hands before me, creating a swirling wind that began to envelop Strigifavorus. Not just any wind, but a vortex imbued with water—from the rain that fell, and the ground water I had absorbed, all uniting in an unimaginable formation. Wind and water spiraled, creating a force that grew ever more potent. The roar in the air awakened fear in anyone who might hear, but also an incredible strength.
My body began to tremble. Blood seemed to surge outward from within me, my tongue tasting iron, and my vision began to blur.
"Foolish girl! Stop now! Do you wish to throw away your life here?"
"Please, Anggi! Stop!"
The warnings came again, louder and more urgent, but I could not stop. "I will finish this here, and I will live," I said to the Spirits of Wind and Water, who must have been watching me with worry and fear.
Suddenly, my body nearly collapsed to the ground, unable to bear the weight of the power I had drawn from nature. Blood flowed from my eyes and mouth, but I forced my weak body to stand. I stood upon the wet earth, battered by the wind and water that now raged in a wild storm around me. I felt my body grow hotter, as if it were fire itself, but all of it could not halt my resolve.
My body was weakening, yet my resolve remained unshaken. Every drop of blood flowing from my eyes, nose, and mouth was a reminder that this frail body could no longer withstand the weight of the power I had called from the Esze circuit. Yet within my heart, the fire still blazed—there was no thought of surrender.
I faced my palms forward, fixing my gaze upon Strigifavorus, the owl-like monster ensnared in the whirl of wind and water. Its large, silver-black feathers were trapped within the force I had conjured, its body shaking, immobile, only able to scream in rising panic. The wind, once fierce, now howled like the screams of a hundred creatures. I could feel it—within the tremor of the air, in my breath growing heavier.
"Anggi!! Stop before you destroy yourself!"
"What must we do for you to stop?"
"Don't be foolish! No creature on the surface can withstand such power!"
Yet those voices were only distant echoes. I knew they were worried for me, but I had to finish this. Not just for myself, but for those close to me—those who hoped I would lead them out of this darkness.
With all the strength I had left, I drew deeper from the Esze circuit. As my right hand clenched, I felt the temperature around me drop—sharply, deeply. The wind that had once swirled so fiercely now began to lose its strength. Slowly, I felt a new power arise within me—a power colder, deadlier. Like a thickening fog, I froze everything around Strigifavorus.
The swirling water that had spun with such speed suddenly changed. The water, once sparkling like falling jewels, began to freeze. I could feel it—ice growing quickly, climbing from the bottom of the vortex, creeping like a constricting serpent. The faint rustling of the first ice crystals sounded, racing to freeze in the chilling air.
The wind that had once whirled wildly now stilled, afraid to disturb the freezing I was undertaking. Strigifavorus' large body began to be covered in a cold layer of ice, its black feathers now encased, as though it were a statue trapped in time. I could see the ice crystals coating every inch of its body, from its outstretched wings to its claws, grasping at the air. Everything froze completely.
But it was not only Strigifavorus that froze. With every drop of blood spilled from my body, I felt this power extend even further. What had been concentrated on Strigifavorus now began to spread in all directions. The chilling temperature sank so deep that the air around me felt rigid, and in an instant, the forest, once filled with life's hustle and bustle, fell silent. Everything living—leaves falling, small creatures hiding—froze in a deathly stillness. The towering Hanarusa trees around me began to freeze, their branches halting mid-motion, as if carved from ice. This world slowly turned into an eternal snowfield.
I felt my body weaken further. The pain became unbearable, and the blood flowing from my eyes grew more intense, but still, I could not stop. Snow began to fall, but not from the sky—it came from within me. This was the manifestation of my power, the power I had drawn, the power I had created myself. Every drop of blood, every labored breath, played its part in this freezing process.
Finally, Strigifavorus—the fearsome owl—was trapped in an unyielding shell of ice. Its large and powerful body now lay still, unable to move in the slightest. Around me, the forest, which had once been alive, now resembled a frozen world, isolated and cold. The air felt sharp, piercing to the bone, and in that silence, there was only me and the frozen remains of Strigifavorus—no longer a threat.
I collapsed, my body unable to withstand the weight of the power I had just unleashed. Blood flowed from my eyes, mouth, and nose, soaking into the frozen earth around me. Everything around me had turned silent—the world I had altered with uncontrollable power now felt like a tomb, sealed beneath an eternal layer of ice.
As I stared far ahead, I exhaled in relief, sensing that the great threat had finally ended. Strigifavorus, the monster that had terrorized me, was now imprisoned in a cold shell, its body perfectly frozen—a terrifying ice statue. But just as I was about to find peace in this stillness, a faint screech shook the silence. The sound came from its frozen beak, though its body was trapped in ice, the monster still lived.
I staggered. A thin wisp of steam escaped from its frozen beak, a sign that life had not fully departed from it. In my heart, the fighting spirit still burned bright. I could move, just a little more.
"Truly a monster," I whispered, my breath heavy, the taste of iron thick in my mouth. "You never know when to quit. I suppose we are the same."
With the last of my strength, I forced my body to move again, though it felt as though it were made of stone—heavy, rigid. Blood continued to flow from my eyes, nose, and mouth, leaving red trails in the frozen earth. I knew I had to act quickly. Every second that passed weakened me further, and I could not let the monster live again.
My right hand trembled as I attempted to manifest my final weapon—a dagger of ice. The ice flowed from my hand, forming a sharp blade that radiated a chilling cold. Every detail was solid, so sharp it seemed it could pierce anything—even the life of this monster. The ice dagger shimmered in the darkness, the culmination of all I had done. This would be the final blow. If it could survive this, I would have no idea what to do next.
I closed my eyes for a moment, concentrating what little power I had left. With a strong push from my legs, I forced myself off the frozen ground. The wind, my ally, pushed me forward. I thrust the ice dagger with all the strength I had, driving it straight into the heart of Strigifavorus, trapped in its frozen prison.
The dagger plunged into the monster's body with a horrific sound, as if splitting something more than just flesh and bone. In an instant, Strigifavorus's frozen body shattered, bursting into pieces like a statue struck by a mighty blow. Some parts of its body that had not yet frozen exploded in fresh blood, spraying the air with crimson liquid, splashing across my body.
I staggered. The blood, once contained within its body, now flowed freely, splattering across my face, my body, even my hand that still held the ice dagger. The blood contrasted sharply with the surrounding ice.
My breath came in ragged gasps, the blood staining my body more with each passing moment. A drop of pure red blood clung to my lips, mingling with my own. It was a foreign sensation—one I could not comprehend—when the warmth of that blood contrasted against the coldness of the ice still clinging to my skin. Each drop that fell from Strigifavorus felt like a curse, as though it was something I had to accept.
My vision began to blur as I gazed at the remnants of the monster, now shattered. Most of its body had melted in the cold I had summoned. Yet the parts trapped in ice remained frozen, a lasting memory of the immense power I had wielded. Strigifavorus was dead, but my body—I, myself—could no longer stand after expending all my energy.
In the stillness of this frozen forest, I collapsed to the ground. The power I had summoned was immense, but this frail mortal body began to exact its toll. I felt as though I were freezing, my body destroyed by what I had just done.
Before I lost consciousness, the last thing I saw was the snowflakes falling from the clouds. A bitter smile crossed my lips as I felt a touch of irony. Born and raised in a tropical land, seeing snow fall had always been one of my desires. I once thought of snow as pure, as beautiful. But now, snow seemed to me to be the very embodiment of stillness, peace, and death.
I felt the cold deepen, piercing my bones, before everything went dark. I could only hope that the world would continue on as it should—though I was no longer a part of it.