The cavern was eerily silent in the aftermath of the previous battle. The only sounds were the distant echoes of dripping water and the faint crackling of molten rock cooling from the earlier fight. The air was thick with tension, an unseen pressure bearing down on everything.
Standing at the center of it all was Lucas, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails bit into his palms. His breath came in slow, controlled exhales, though the rage boiling inside him threatened to explode at any second.
Across from him stood Lisa—the woman who had once been his greatest ally, his most trusted companion. The woman who had betrayed him, killed him, and shattered everything he had once believed in.
Lisa smirked, her arms crossed as she leaned casually against a jagged rock. The way she looked at him—amused, unconcerned—only made his fury burn hotter.
Lisa:
"Lucas, Lucas, Lucas… it's almost adorable how much you're shaking. It's been so long, and yet, you still act like a child throwing a tantrum."
Lucas's eyes narrowed, his breath turning to mist in the suddenly freezing air.
Lucas:
"You think this is just a tantrum?"
He took a step forward, and instantly, frost spread beneath his feet, coating the molten rock in a thin sheet of ice. The temperature plummeted, each breath becoming a visible puff of vapor.
Lucas:
"I have waited for this moment. Every. Single. Day."
His voice was low, barely above a whisper, but the sheer venom in it sent chills through the air.
Lisa tilted her head, feigning curiosity.
Lisa:
"Oh? Enlighten me, then. What exactly have you been waiting for, dear Lucas?"
Lucas inhaled sharply, his fingers twitching as he fought the overwhelming urge to attack immediately. But no—he needed to say this first.
Lucas:
"I was a fool. Back then, in my past life, I trusted you. I admired you. You were my girlfriend, my closest companion. I thought you were someone worth following. Someone who would never betray me."
Lisa's smirk widened.
Lisa:
"And yet, I did."
Lucas's vision blurred with rage for a split second before he forced himself to stay focused. His voice shook, but not with fear—only raw, unfiltered fury.
Lucas:
"Yes. You did. You manipulated me. Used my trust, my admiration, against me. You made me believe we were fighting for the same cause. And then, when I least expected it—"
He clenched his fists, ice crackling around his arms.
Lucas:
"—you killed me."
Lisa chuckled.
Lisa:
"And yet, here you are. Alive again. So was it really such a big deal?"
That was it. That was the final straw.
Lucas exhaled, and the temperature in the cavern plummeted. The ice spread rapidly, creeping up the walls, turning the battlefield into a frozen wasteland. His rage was no longer just emotion—it was something tangible, something that warped reality itself.
Lucas:
"I will never forgive you for what you did. Not just to me, but to Dakota."
Lisa's expression darkened slightly at the mention of Dakota, but she quickly masked it with another smirk.
Lucas:
"Because of you, Dakota suffered. Because of you, he lost me. You made him watch as I died. You made him suffer!"
The ice crackled violently beneath his feet.
Lucas:
"And now? Now, I'm going to return the favor."
Lisa sighed dramatically, stretching her arms.
Lisa:
"Ah, Lucas, you really are pathetic. Still clinging to old grudges, still playing the role of a wounded little boy. Let me tell you something."
Her eyes gleamed with sadistic amusement.
Lisa:
"Just like I did in the past—I'm going to kill you again."
Lucas didn't flinch. His expression remained cold as ice.
Lucas:
"You can try."
He raised his hand, ice magic swirling violently around his arm like a raging blizzard.
Lucas:
"But this time… you'll fail."
And then—
They clashed.
BOOOOOOM!
The cavern exploded as Lucas and Lisa lunged at each other, their magic colliding in a dazzling display of ice and darkness.
Lucas swung his arm forward, releasing a massive ice spear that shot toward Lisa at breakneck speed.
Lisa smirked, raising her hand.
A wall of shadow materialized in front of her, absorbing the attack effortlessly. The ice shattered upon impact, sending razor-sharp shards in every direction.
Lisa:
"Is that all?"
She flicked her wrist, and from the darkness, black tendrils lashed out, aiming to pierce Lucas from all directions.
Lucas vanished in a blur of ice, reappearing above her.
Lucas:
"Not even close!"
With a swipe of his arm, a hailstorm of ice spikes rained down upon Lisa.
Lisa dodged with unnatural grace, weaving through the deadly storm, but Lucas was relentless. He froze the air itself, creating platforms of ice that let him dart through the battlefield with blinding speed.
Lucas was angry. No—he was furious.
Every strike, every spell, was fueled by pure rage.
Lisa laughed as she narrowly dodged another wave of ice.
Lisa:
"You're cute when you're mad, Lucas!"
She snapped her fingers, and a massive black vortex erupted beneath him.
Lucas's eyes widened as the shadows swallowed him whole.
For a moment, everything was silent.
Then—
CRACK!
A pillar of ice erupted from the darkness, shattering the vortex instantly.
Lucas emerged, eyes glowing with fury, frost covering every inch of his body.
Lucas:
"You talk too much."
He snapped his fingers—
And in an instant, the entire cavern turned into a frozen wasteland.
Lisa shivered as ice formed along her limbs, slowing her movements.
Lisa:
"Tch. Annoying."
Lucas clenched his fist, and dozens of ice spears formed in the air, all pointed at Lisa.
Lucas:
"Let's see you dodge this."
With a single flick of his wrist—
BOOOOOM!
The spears shot forward like missiles, each one aimed to kill.
Lisa's eyes gleamed.
Lisa:
"Oops. Guess I should start taking this seriously."
And then—she disappeared.
Lucas's eyes widened.
Suddenly—
BAM!
A black tendril slammed into his stomach, sending him crashing into the ice-covered ground.
Lisa appeared above him, her hand wreathed in dark energy.
Lisa:
"You almost had me for a second, Lucas. Almost."
She raised her hand—
Lucas gritted his teeth, grabbing her wrist before she could attack.
Lucas:
"You think I'm done?"
A chilling smirk crossed his lips.
And then—
A wave of ice exploded outward, freezing Lisa's arm solid.
Lisa's eyes widened.
Lucas:
"Got you."
He twisted his body, delivering a brutal kick to her ribs, sending her flying across the battlefield.
She crashed against a frozen pillar, coughing as blood dripped from her mouth.
For the first time—Lisa's smirk wavered.
Lucas slowly walked toward her, his ice magic surging around him like a raging storm.
Lucas:
"This time, Lisa… you won't escape."
Lisa wiped the blood from her lips and grinned.
Lisa:
"We'll see about that."
The battle wasn't over.
Not yet.
Not until one of them was dead.