Sleep took Eira not like rest, but like falling through cold water.
Darkness closed around him, thick and silent — and then the snow began to fall.
White ground stretched endlessly in every direction. The sky above was pale, colorless, as if the world itself had been drained of warmth. He stood barefoot on the frost, his breath misting in front of him.
A figure appeared before him.
She was tall and graceful, hair flowing like misted snow, eyes glowing pale blue. Cold radiated from her presence.
"You asked me to prove your worth," she said calmly. "So prove it."
Eira clenched his fists. "I am trying."
"Trying is not enough," the goddess replied. "You lose fights. You stay weak. And because of that, one day, you will lose everyone you care about."
"That's not true," he snapped. "I'm getting stronger."
She tilted her head slightly, studying him.
"You were given a choice," she said. "To stay magicless. To live peacefully in the countryside. To grow old quietly."
She stepped closer.
"But instead, you joined the Adventurer Guild."
Eira's voice shook. "Neo was hurt. I couldn't just do nothing."
"She was going to be saved by the hero," the goddess said flatly.
His heart skipped.
"…What?"
She smiled — and it was wrong. Too sharp. Too knowing.
"You still don't know who you are in this story, do you?" she laughed softly. "How amusing."
Eira felt a chill that had nothing to do with snow.
"What do you mean?" he asked. "I know my past life."
She circled him slowly.
"Forget your past," she whispered. "You are still lying in that alley, bleeding out, calling to a goddess who is powerless."
His head spun.
"She sent you to a world you wanted," the voice continued, "not to a world where her power could exist."
"I don't understand," he said, pressing his hands to his temples.
"Does none of this ring a bell?" she asked. "Nothing at all?"
His vision blurred. The snow melted into flame.
The world changed.
Heat replaced cold. The white sky burned red. The figure before him was no longer pale — her hair was dark and glowing like embers, her eyes burning gold.
"I am not the one you think I am," she said.
Fire Goddess.
"Participate in the final competition," she whispered. "Then you will know whose story this really is."
Her voice echoed.
And the world shattered.
---
Eira woke with a sharp breath.
The ceiling above him was familiar — the academy infirmary.
His head throbbed.
He turned slightly.
Lily was asleep beside his bed, sitting on a chair with her arms folded on the mattress, her cheek resting on them. Her hair was messy, falling over her face.
Evening light filtered through the curtains.
"You slept for three days," Lily said softly without lifting her head.
Eira froze. "Three… days?"
She finally looked up at him. Her eyes were tired, but relieved.
"Jack took leave. Everyone was worried," she said. "You scared us."
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
She sighed. "You always say that."
He swallowed, then his voice cracked.
"How do I get stronger?"
Tears filled his eyes before he could stop them.
"I fought with everything I had… and still lost," he said quietly. "What if I'm not enough?"
Lily stood up.
"You don't get stronger alone," she said simply. "You train."
---
She took him beyond the academy grounds the next morning.
The magical mountain rose above them like a sleeping giant. Thick forest wrapped around its base, glowing faintly with mana. The air itself felt alive — humming, warm, vibrating against the skin.
Beasts watched them from the shadows.
Horned deer with crystal antlers. Wolf-like creatures with glowing eyes. Birds made of light and mist.
"This place reacts to intent," Lily explained. "If you fear it, it will crush you. If you face it, it will test you."
The training was brutal.
She made him run through uneven terrain until his legs burned. Fight beasts one after another without rest. Control his mana under pressure. Focus while exhausted. Heal himself mid-combat.
Sometimes she helped.
Sometimes she just watched.
Once he collapsed onto the grass, breathing hard.
"You're smiling," he muttered.
"You look less gloomy when you're dying of exhaustion," she teased.
He snorted despite himself.
At night they rested near small fireflies floating between the trees. Lily told him about her childhood — how her magic had appeared too early, how people treated her differently, how lonely it felt.
"I'm not used to choosing my own path," she said quietly.
Eira looked at her.
"I'm glad you chose this one."
Their eyes met. The air felt strangely still.
On the last day, she faced him directly.
"This is your final test," she said.
They fought.
Not gently. Not holding back.
And Eira won.
Barely.
She fell backward into the grass, laughing breathlessly.
"You passed," she said.
Then the forest trembled.
A shadow passed over the trees.
A massive white shape descended from the mountain — scales like ice, eyes glowing blue.
A snow dragon.
Lily slowly stood.
"…Of course."
Eira raised his sword.
And smiled.