The White Tiger's speed is unreal. Before I can even fully process the situation, chaos erupts. Borin gets swiped by a sparking claw that rips through his makeshift earth defense like paper, sending him crashing against a tree with a sickening crunch.
Lyra tries to create distance, but a homing bolt nails her in the shoulder. She cries out and falls, her bow skittering away. Kael is a dancing shadow, dodging and distracting, but the tiger anticipates his move and slaps him hard with its tail—a dull thud that sends him slamming into the rocks.
Dad roars, his fire sword blazing with fury, but the monster is just too fast, too strong. A brutal swipe with icy claws sends him flying backward, his sword clattering away as he hits the ground, motionless.
All in the blink of an eye. Just like that, the worst possible outcome. The Four Greats—Rank A legends—defeated in seconds.
And then, the tiger's glacial blue gaze locks onto us. Mom strengthens the Light shield around us, but I know it won't be enough. The beast charges—a white and electric blur. The impact against the barrier is like thunder. The light flickers, cracks... and shatters.
Mom screams my name and shoves me behind her just as the tiger's freezing jaws snap shut. They miss me, but they get her. I hear her choked cry, see blood blossom on her side, staining her clothes and the grass. She collapses onto me, a protective but weakening weight, whispering my name before her eyes close.
In that instant, the world breaks. Fear, fury, desperation... something explodes inside my chest. It feels like time itself is tearing apart around me. The tiger's roar becomes a silent echo, the drip of Mom's blood freezes mid-air, leaves hang suspended halfway to the ground. Everything—except me—is frozen. The tiger's gaze is still locked onto me, but there's no movement. Just a statue of a predator poised for the final blow.
A corrupted purple screen, tinged with blue, suddenly flickers with cold urgency.
--------------------
[Extreme Conditions Met!]
[Unique Skill Unlocked!]
[Chronos - Time Manipulation (Active/Passive)] - Max Level.
Active Sub-Skill Available: [Time Pause (Basic)]
Duration: Unknown.
MP Cost: Massive and Continuous.
Activate [Time Pause]? [YES] / [NO]
--------------------
My mind screams YES! before I even finish reading. I feel a massive drain on my MP, but the world stays frozen. How long will it last? No idea. Doesn't matter. Mom...
I get up, trembling, carefully moving my injured mother aside. I look at the motionless tiger. The fear is still there, but now it's coated in a layer of pure, icy determination. Everything I've learned. Everything I've watched. It's now or never.
I approach the frozen beast. It feels my presence—its eyes follow me—but it can't move. I close my eyes for a split second, pulling at the energy from my core, from the earth beneath my feet, from the air around me, from the water in the stream, from the dim evening light, from the residual heat of Dad's sword. Everything! My core burns, expands, almost shatters... and then settles. 99%! Almost complete!
I open my eyes and thrust my tiny hands toward the tiger.
"Earth!" I think, remembering Borin. The ground beneath the tiger cracks, thick roots and rock spikes erupt, impaling its motionless paws.
"Air!" I think, remembering Kael and my own practice. The air around the tiger's head compresses, forming invisible blades that slash toward its eyes and neck.
"Ice!" I think, remembering Lyra. The moisture in the air condenses and freezes into sharp shards that pierce its fur, targeting the wounds already opened by the rocks.
"Fire!" I think, remembering Dad. A sphere of intense white heat forms in my palm, and I hurl it at the beast's chest.
There's no sound in the stopped time—just a silent cacophony of elemental destruction focused on a single point. The tiger's body convulses under the quad-elemental assault, its frozen form cracking, burning, being pierced. I don't know if it's enough to kill it, but I've spent almost all my offensive energy.
Without wasting a second, I turn and scramble back toward Mom. The drain from [Time Pause] is brutal, my MP emptying at an alarming rate. I kneel beside her, placing my hands over her bleeding wound. "Light!" I plead internally, channeling everything I have left—all my vestigial affinity, all my desperation. A pale light, much weaker than Mom's, but brighter than anything I've produced before, envelops the wound. I feel my mana completely drain, darkness creeping into the edges of my vision. The wound seems to close slowly... very slowly...
The world snaps back into motion with a violent lurch. The tiger's dying roar echoes—then cuts off. The sound of dripping blood returns. And I... collapse sideways, consciousness fading. My last thought is for Mom...
(Elara's Point of View)
Pain. Cold. Darkness... No, a warm light. A familiar heat driving the chill from my bones. I force my eyes open. The sharp pain in my side... is gone. I touch the area—my clothing is torn and stained with dried blood, but underneath, the skin is... intact. Healed. How?
I sit up, confused. I look around. Garen, Borin, Lyra, Kael... all down, injured, but starting to stir, to groan. Alive. And there, a few meters away, lies the imposing form of the White Tiger of Rue, motionless, multiple smoking and frozen wounds marring its form—clearly dead.
And beside me... Lexo. My little Lexo, unconscious, pale as wax, but breathing. A faint residual aura of Light clings to him, fading. The source of my healing. The probable cause of the monster's defeat.
Shock hits me like a cold wave, followed by a surge of terror and then... love so fierce it steals my breath. Ignoring my own state, I check him first. He's exhausted, completely drained of energy, but alive. No injuries.
Then, my healer's instincts take over. I stand—legs shaky—and go to Garen. My mana is low, but enough for basic healing. I stabilize him. Then Borin, Lyra, Kael. Serious wounds, but none life-threatening now that the immediate threat is gone.
Finally, I return to my son. I gather him carefully into my arms, cradling him against my chest. His small body is cold. I wrap him in my cloak. "What are you, my little one?" I whisper, stroking his soft hair. "What have you done?"
There's no answer, only his quiet breathing. I hold him tighter, feeling an overwhelming mix of pride, fear, and unconditional love.
My son. My little miracle. My responsibility.
We'll have a lot to talk about... when he wakes up.