Upon entering Coven’s headquarters, Nossa couldn’t help but notice the many members greeting Sarra along the way.
It was clear that Sarra held a prominent position within Coven. This only solidified Nossa’s assumption: the head of Coven must be Nina.
Nossa’s mind wandered back to the past. Nina had been the ultimate dark horse during the trials.
At the time, most people believed she was simply a flash in the pan—an underdog who might stir up some excitement but would ultimately fade away.
Yet here she was now, having established a formidable faction within Winterkeep Citadel.
The complexity of Nossa’s emotions grew as he processed this reality.
As these thoughts swirled in his mind, a sudden movement caught his attention. A massive bear lumbered out of one of the nearby rooms. Nossa froze.
That bear…
It was the very same Bear Prime that had appeared above Westwind Pass five years ago.
Could Bear Prime also be a part of Coven?
Nossa’s thoughts raced back to that day, to the lone figure who had taken down the enormous Bear Prime and captured a small bear.
According to his father, that figure was said to be one of Nina’s elders.
“Rikki, where are you off to?” someone called out.
Rikki? That’s its name? Nossa thought in surprise.
“Oh, just heading to the pocket realm to deliver something to the elder,” the bear replied nonchalantly before ambling off with surprising speed.
The towering figure of the bear passed directly by Nossa, who stood rooted to the spot.
By the time Nossa gathered his wits and turned around to say something, Rikki had already disappeared from sight.
“That’s Rikki,” Sarra said casually. “Though you probably know it better as Bear Prime—the same one responsible for the guidance ceremony five years ago. Don’t be so shocked; Bear Primes aren’t singular entities.”
“They’re a whole tribe,” she continued. “Sometimes, you can even spot them in the royal court’s architecture.”
Sarra’s nonchalant tone made the revelation feel almost mundane, but Nossa found it utterly astonishing.
How had he missed so much over the past five years?
He had been training in Westwind Pass, not isolated from the world, yet it felt as though he was completely out of touch with reality.
“Whitey, where’s the head?” Sarra asked, interrupting Nossa’s thoughts. “I just saw Rikki…”
“The head went looking for Ryze again,” replied a young woman nearby, who was referred to as Whitey. “I think it’s because that deadline he mentioned is almost here. She’s been searching for him constantly these past few days.”
Whitey then turned her attention to Nossa. “Who’s this? A friend of yours? He seems familiar… I feel like I’ve seen him somewhere before.”
Nossa instinctively took a step back from the sudden attention of this stranger.
“He’s someone I know from Westwind Pass,” Sarra explained. “The head knows him too. He’ll be joining us.”
“Fine,” Whitey shrugged. “Another recruit for us to babysit. This is going to be the death of me. Ever since—”
“Whitey, are you volunteering to be Sif’s next meal?” Sarra interrupted with a smirk.
“I didn’t say anything!” Whitey exclaimed. Before anyone could react, she transformed into a small white bird and flew off in haste.
…
Meanwhile, in the royal court of Winterrealm, Ryze sat alone in the garden. A wave of drowsiness swept over him, but instead of resisting, he muttered to himself, “Here we go again…”
As his eyes closed, the world around him changed.
When he opened them, he found himself in an unfamiliar place surrounded by strange and exotic plants. He instantly knew who was responsible for this.
“I heard you just got back to Winterkeep Citadel,” Ryze said aloud, his voice tinged with mild exasperation. “Couldn’t you at least take a break?”
Before he could say more, the peculiar plants around him began to attack. Ryze responded swiftly, summoning intricate runes that encircled him. The runes deflected the attacks, reducing the aggressive plants to withered husks.
Above him, the sky split open to reveal a massive, blood-red eye with a violet pupil. Simultaneously, the ground cracked, opening deep fissures like wounds across the earth.
The blood-red eye stared unblinking at Ryze as a humanoid figure, cloaked in magma, emerged from the depths.
In its hands, it wielded an ancient and sinister greatsword. Waves of relentless attacks rained down on Ryze from all directions.
Yet, the runes around Ryze held firm, shielding him from every assault.
“Nina, your attacks have improved significantly since last time,” Ryze remarked with a hint of amusement. “But they’re still not quite enough.”
As his words faded, the runes surrounding him blazed with intense light. The strange world around him began to crumble, breaking apart into fragments.
Moments later, Ryze awoke in the royal garden, letting out a long breath.
Nina’s attacks had grown stronger—undeniably so.
When Daniel had first warned him about Nina’s potential, Ryze had dismissed it as a joke. He hadn’t believed that Nina could ever narrow the gap between them.
Yet over the years, he had watched her grow, step by step, until she was now nearly his equal.
Still, Ryze had a unique advantage: his oracle class and its distinct abilities. Nina’s attacks, powerful as they were, relied heavily on illusions and psychological manipulation. Against most foes, these techniques were devastating. Against Ryze, however, they were far less effective.
His protective runes not only safeguarded his mind but also shattered illusions, forcing him awake from even the most insidious dreamscapes.
Nina had tried many times to best him in this way, only to fail repeatedly.
This time, though, something was different.
Just as Ryze was beginning to relax, a sudden sense of danger overwhelmed him. Before he could react, the world around him shattered once more.
He hadn’t escaped the illusion at all. What he thought was reality was merely another layer of the dreamscape.
Nina had trapped him in a second layer of illusion without him realizing it.
As the illusion crumbled, Ryze found himself face-to-face with Nina in the real world.
The intense sense of danger he had felt moments ago was proof of her proximity—close enough to strike him directly.
This revelation shocked Ryze. Nina’s mastery over her abilities had reached an extraordinary level, advanced enough to deceive even him. If she hadn’t chosen to reveal herself, he might never have realized the truth.
“How about that?” Nina said with a triumphant grin. “This is my latest trick! Fooled you, didn’t I?”
Ryze couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll admit, it’s impressive. Even I couldn’t distinguish the second layer of illusion from reality without activating my runes.”
He paused before adding, “Congratulations, Nina. You’ve won.”
Ryze spoke with genuine admiration. He hadn’t expected Nina’s progress to be so rapid.
Her illusion had been flawless—if she had chosen to strike instead of revealing her presence, she could have defeated him.
And now, with the second layer of illusion perfected, who was to say she wouldn’t create a third?
Ryze’s gaze lingered on Nina, a mixture of respect and unease in his eyes. Perhaps the abilities she had shown so far weren’t the full extent of her power.
“Ha! I finally did it!” Nina exclaimed, her joy spilling over. “I’m going to tell the headmaster—I’m ready to return with him!”
Nina’s excitement was infectious. Daniel had given her this challenge, and it had been anything but easy. Over the years, she had fought spell beasts, explored secret realms, and honed her abilities relentlessly.
Now, at last, she could claim her victory—and her reward: the chance to accompany the headmaster back to Riverside City.