The blizzard raged beyond the cave entrance.
Winds howled through the ancient forest, hurling snow against the massive roots surrounding the cave like waves crashing against a cliff. Yet inside, sheltered by stone and wood, warmth still lingered.
Xavier sat near the entrance, knees drawn toward his chest as he stared silently into the white storm outside.
Everyone else had fallen asleep.
Elra rested beneath the blankets Miriam had arranged for her. Xylo had long since drifted off near the dying embers of the fire.
Only Xavier remained awake.
His fingers tightened around the rough fabric covering his legs.
"You should be sleeping lad."
Xavier froze.
He turned his head.
Raiden stood a short distance away before slowly walking over and sitting beside him.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
They simply watched the storm.
"Are you okay?" Raiden finally asked.
Xavier's lips moved into a weak smile.
"Yeah."
Raiden looked at him.
"You don't look okay."
The smile disappeared immediately.
Silence returned.
"How long was I asleep?" Xavier asked quietly.
Raiden shrugged slightly.
"No idea. Time here is strange. I don't exactly have a watch." He leaned back against the cave wall. "But if morning comes soon, then congratulations."
Xavier glanced at him.
"You survived your first day in the Spell World."
"...I see."
The wind outside screamed louder.
Raiden's expression softened.
"What happened back there?"
Xavier stiffened.
His fingers curled tightly into the blanket covering him.
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Xavier."
Raiden's voice remained calm.
"When you collapsed and began convulsing... you were terrified."
Xavier lowered his head.
"I said I don't know."
"You were crying."
"..."
"You looked like someone drowning."
Xavier clenched his jaw.
Raiden remained quiet for several seconds before speaking again.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."
His gaze remained fixed on the storm outside.
"But if you're carrying something that heavy..."
He paused.
"You don't have to carry it alone."
Something inside Xavier cracked.
He lowered his head further.
His voice came out small.
"...My sis..."
The words stopped there.
His throat tightened.
Raiden remained silent.
He waited.
Xavier's hands trembled.
"I..." He swallowed hard. "I killed her."
The world seemed to go quiet.
Even the storm outside felt distant.
Raiden stared at him.
"What?"
Tears slowly rolled down Xavier's face.
"I killed her."
His voice broke.
"And not just her."
His breathing became uneven.
"I killed all of them, I led them straight into hell."
He covered his eyes with trembling hands.
"I watched them die."
"I watched all of them die because of me."
The tears wouldn't stop anymore.
"It was my fault."
"It was all my fault."
Raiden remained silent.
Xavier laughed bitterly through his tears.
"I was scared."
"So damn scared."
His shoulders trembled.
"But even then..."
His voice dropped into a whisper.
"I still chose myself."
The words sounded disgusting coming from his mouth.
"My sis..."
He stopped.
His lips trembled.
"...she..."
The sentence never finished.
He couldn't force the words out.
His fingers dug painfully into his arms.
Raiden remained silent, allowing the sound of the blizzard outside the cave to fill the space between them.
Xavier sat near the entrance, knees pulled close to his chest. His fingers trembled as they tightened around the rough fabric of his clothes. He had tried to stop crying earlier, but the tears kept returning no matter how hard he fought them.
Finally, he spoke.
"I killed them," he whispered.
Raiden's expression stiffened.
"I abandoned them. I let them die."
His voice cracked violently at the last words.
Raiden didn't interrupt.
Xavier lowered his head further.
"There was an attack," he said quietly. "Everything happened so fast. People were running everywhere. There was screaming... explosions... gunshots..." He swallowed hard. "I took my sister and my three best friends somewhere safe. I found a place for them to hide."
His hands clenched tighter.
"I told them to stay quiet. I told them I'd go find help and come back for them."
A bitter laugh escaped him.
"I really thought I could help."
The tears that had slowed began falling again.
"But I got caught."
His voice became hoarse.
"They surrounded me. Pointed their weapons at me." His breathing grew uneven. "Then they gave me a choice."
Xavier shut his eyes tightly.
"'Lead us to where everyone else is hiding... or die.'"
The cave fell silent.
"I was scared."
The confession came out weakly.
"So scared."
He lowered his head even further.
"I didn't want to die."
His shoulders trembled.
"And... I didn't want to leave my sister alone."
"I kept thinking..." His voice shook violently. "'If I die here... what happens to her? What happens to them?'"
"So..."
He bit down on his lip.
"I chose myself."
The words sounded like poison leaving his mouth.
"I led them there."
Raiden's eyes widened slightly.
Xavier stared blankly at the snowstorm outside.
"They had gathered inside one of the classrooms. Thousands of students..." His voice became distant, as if he were no longer in the cave. "Some were crying. Some were praying. Others were trying to comfort each other."
His fingers dug into his palms until they hurt.
"When the door opened..."
His breathing stopped for a moment.
"They saw me."
"The moment they looked at me..." tears streamed uncontrollably down his face, "they saw the soldiers standing behind me."
Xavier's voice became hollow.
"I still remember their expressions."
"Confusion."
"Fear."
"Betrayal."
"They were begging."
"Some asked me what was happening."
"Others screamed."
"Some begged them not to kill them."
His body began shaking.
"And then..."
He closed his eyes.
"The shooting started."
The words barely escaped his lips.
"There were so many gunshots."
"So many..."
He hugged himself tightly.
"I couldn't hear the screaming after a while."
"It all blended together."
"When it finally stopped..."
His voice cracked completely.
"...everyone was dead."
Silence.
"The man looked at me afterward."
Xavier laughed weakly through his tears.
"He thanked me."
"'Thank you for your cooperation,' he said."
Raiden's fists slowly tightened.
"But before I could even process what had happened..."
Xavier suddenly stopped breathing for a moment.
"Another soldier arrived."
His entire body froze.
"He was dragging them."
"My sister."
"My three friends."
Tears poured endlessly down his face.
"I begged them."
His voice became desperate even in recollection.
"I told them I'd already done what they wanted."
"'Please,' I said."
"'I gave you what you wanted.'"
"'Please don't hurt them.'"
"'Please.'"
Xavier's breathing turned ragged.
"But they ignored me."
His voice broke.
"I tried to stop them."
"I fought."
"I screamed."
"But they pinned me down."
His fingers dug so deeply into his arms they nearly drew blood.
"And they made me watch."
His entire body shook violently.
"I watched them kill my friends."
"One by one."
His lips trembled uncontrollably.
"My sister..."
He couldn't continue.
The image alone shattered whatever composure he had left.
Tears streamed down his face as he covered his mouth with his hand.
"They dragged their bodies away afterward," he whispered weakly. "And threw them into the room with the dead."
His voice sounded empty.
"Then they locked me inside."
He stared blankly ahead.
"I was trapped there."
"Surrounded by bodies."
"The students I led them to."
"My friends."
"My sister."
The cave felt suffocatingly silent.
"I stayed there alone with them."
His shoulders shook violently.
"And all I could think about was how none of it would've happened if I had just died instead."
Xavier buried his face into his knees.
"I'm a coward."
The words were muffled through sobs.
"I was scared of dying."
"I chose myself."
"I chose to live."
His voice cracked painfully.
"And because of that..."
"I killed them."
He finally looked up at Raiden, his eyes swollen and red from crying.
"So tell me..." he asked weakly, desperately.
"How am I supposed to forgive myself for that?"
"How am I supposed to move on after being the reason the people I loved died?"
His voice collapsed entirely.
"Every time I close my eyes..."
"I hear them screaming."
"I see their faces."
"My sister..."
He lowered his head again.
"I couldn't save anyone."
The tears flowed freely now.
"That's why I can't leave Elra behind."
"If I walk away again..."
"If I abandon someone begging for help again..."
"I don't think I'd ever be able to live with myself."
Xavier's voice became barely audible.
"I know I'm selfish."
"I know this won't erase what I did."
"But..."
He wiped desperately at his tears.
"...I want to become someone who saves people."
"Even if it's too late for me..."
"Even if I can never forgive myself..."
His voice trembled.
"I don't want anyone else to feel as helpless as they did."
The blizzard outside continued to rage against the cave entrance.
Inside, Xavier sat broken and trembling, finally revealing the burden he had carried alone.
Raiden remained silent for a long moment after Xavier finished speaking.
Beyond the cave entrance, the blizzard howled relentlessly. Cold winds slipped through the tangled roots surrounding the cave, carrying frost into the darkness within. Yet despite the bitter air, the silence between them felt heavier.
Xavier sat there quietly, his head lowered, fingers clutching the rough fabric of his clothes. His eyes remained fixed on the cave floor.
Raiden wasn't someone who knew how to comfort others.
He wasn't the type to offer warm words or reassuring hugs. Emotional speeches weren't his strong suit either. He was a knight—a man who solved problems with actions rather than words.
So after staring at Xavier for a while, he simply leaned forward and grabbed both of Xavier's wrists.
"Stretch out your arms," he said.
Xavier blinked.
"What?"
"Don't question it," Raiden replied firmly. "Just do it."
Though hesitant, Xavier slowly extended both arms in front of him.
Raiden nodded.
"Good. Now listen carefully."
His expression grew serious.
"There are two ways to become stronger in the Spell World, as I've already mentioned before. Kill monsters... or kill other people."
The cave became quiet again.
"When you kill either of them," Raiden continued, "you gain something commonly called points. These points enhance your overall physical abilities."
Xavier tilted his head slightly.
"Physical abilities?"
Raiden nodded.
"They improve your strength, speed, endurance, and even your body's durability."
Xavier frowned.
"Doesn't that sound exactly like a spell? I mean... spells give people powers too, right?"
Raiden slowly closed his eyes.
"Oh my goodness..."
Elra, who had been quietly listening nearby, raised her hand slightly.
"I mean..." she hesitated. "He's kind of right. It does sound similar."
Raiden's neck snapped toward her so quickly that even Xavier jumped.
"Are you the teacher here," he asked calmly, "or am I?"
Elra immediately lowered her hand.
"...You are."
"Good."
Raiden inhaled deeply.
"Now let me speak before I lose whatever sanity I have left."
Xavier awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Raiden pinched the bridge of his nose before continuing.
"Spells and points are completely different things. Points improve your body itself. They make you stronger, faster, tougher, and more durable."
Elra raised a finger again.
"Isn't endurance and durability basically—"
Raiden slowly turned toward her.
The smile on his face didn't reach his eyes.
"Elra."
"Yes?"
"If you interrupt me one more time, I swear you'll crawl through that blizzard back here."
Elra immediately closed her mouth.
"...Sorry."
Raiden let out a long sigh.
"Thank you."
Turning back toward Xavier, he continued.
"So no, points aren't the same thing as spells. They simply strengthen the body."
Xavier nodded slowly.
"Okay... I think I understand."
Then he paused.
"Wait. So how exactly do I get these points?"
Raiden stared at him.
"...Are you two even listening to me?"
"What?"
"I literally just explained it!" Raiden exclaimed. "You kill monsters or people to gain points!"
Xavier frowned thoughtfully.
"Oh. Right."
He paused again.
"Then how do I kill a monster?"
The cave fell silent.
Even the howling winds outside seemed quieter.
Raiden blinked.
"...Excuse me?"
Xavier tilted his head.
"What?"
Raiden stared at him in complete disbelief.
"Don't you remember the demon centaur?"
Xavier blinked.
"What demon centaur?"
"You killed one yesterday!"
Realization suddenly appeared on Xavier's face.
"Oh yeah."
Raiden looked utterly horrified.
"You forgot?"
Xavier looked away awkwardly.
"I've had a pretty stressful day."
Raiden opened his mouth to argue before stopping himself.
He let out another exhausted sigh.
"Unbelievable. It was literally yesterday."
After gathering himself, he continued.
"Anyway, since you apparently did kill that demon centaur, you should already possess points."
Xavier's attention sharpened.
"So how do I use them?"
Raiden crossed his arms.
"Inside every person exists a place I personally call the Inner Domain."
"The Inner Domain?" Xavier repeated.
Raiden nodded.
"It exists within everyone, both inside and outside the Spell World. It's connected directly to your soul. That's where your accumulated points reside."
He looked directly into Xavier's eyes.
"And unless you learn how to access that place, you'll never be able to use the strength you've earned."
Xavier's eyes widened slightly.
"When you enter your Inner Domain," Raiden explained, "you'll likely find an altar somewhere within it. Approach it and place your hand above it."
Xavier blinked.
"And then?"
"The rest should happen automatically."
Xavier stared at him.
"'Should'?"
Raiden crossed his arms.
"Nobody can enter another person's Inner Domain. Everything I know comes from my own experiences and observations."
He shrugged.
"So yes. Should."
Xavier stared at him for several seconds.
"Wow."
"What?"
"That's incredibly reassuring."
"You'll survive."
Xavier sighed.
"Okay. Fine. Teach me."
Raiden nodded.
"Close your eyes."
Xavier straightened slightly.
"Close my eyes?"
"Yes."
Raiden folded his arms.
"Listen carefully, Xavier. Your Inner Domain is where your power resides. It's the habitat of both your accumulated points and your spell."
"It's connected directly to your soul itself."
His voice became quieter.
"No two Inner Domains are exactly alike. Some appear as endless landscapes. Others resemble ruined kingdoms or ancient temples. Some manifest as burning cities, endless oceans..."
He paused.
"...Or empty voids."
"And inside that Domain lies the path to your growth."
Xavier took a deep breath.
"Now," Raiden continued, "ignore the sounds around you. Forget the cold. Forget this cave. Forget all of us."
"Reach deeper into yourself."
"Feel yourself sinking inward."
Xavier slowly closed his eyes.
The crackling fire faded.
The distant blizzard became quieter.
First attempt.
Nothing.
Second attempt.
Still nothing.
On the third attempt...
Something felt different.
It was faint.
Like brushing against the edge of a door hidden somewhere deep within himself.
His heartbeat quickened.
Then, on the fourth attempt—
Everything vanished.
The howling winds disappeared.
The warmth of the fire was gone.
He could no longer hear Raiden speaking.
The cold against his skin had vanished entirely.
Xavier slowly opened his eyes.
His breath caught in his throat.
He wasn't inside the cave anymore.
Darkness stretched endlessly in every direction.
An empty void.
Yet beneath his feet...
Water.
Perfectly still black water extended beyond his vision like an endless ocean beneath a starless sky.
When Xavier cautiously took a step forward, ripples spread outward beneath his feet.
He wasn't sinking.
He was standing on its surface.
The only sound was the gentle disturbance of water with each step he took.
Then, in the distance—
He saw it.
An altar.
Ancient and solitary.
Standing alone amidst the endless black ocean.
Xavier stared at it silently.
"So this..."
He took another careful step forward, watching the ripples spread across the dark waters beneath him.
"... this is my Inner Domain."
And slowly, with growing uncertainty, Xavier began walking toward the altar.