Getting permission from Li Zenith was almost too easy.
He barely questioned , just nodded and gave the go-ahead like I'd asked to borrow a training manual instead of taking his uncle on a trip to a place that most people wouldn't even think about visiting.
Apparently, I'd earned his trust. That, or he had too much faith in Seraphina's ability to keep in check.
"So, are you going to tell where we're going?" Seraphina asked as we walked.
"Northern Sea Ice Palace," I said.
Seraphina stopped mid-step.
Her usually composed expression faltered—not much, just the tiniest crack in the mask she always wore. But for her, that was as good as shouting.
And I understood why. Continue reading stories on My Virtual Library Empire
Seraphina's father was Mo Zenith, the current Sect Leader of Mount Hua and a Radiant-rank swordsman whose strength made even the most arrogant warriors think twice. But her mother? Her mother had been the Northern Sea Ice Palace's Lord—a legendary elven ice mage, and, if we were strictly asuring strength, even stronger than her uncle Li Zenith.
But the Northern Sea Ice Palace didn't exist anymore.
It had been destroyed.
Back in 2035, when the Shadow Seekers launched their northern campaign after the Creighton land was also attacked by the Arch Lich, they didn't just push into human territory—they annihilated everything in their path. The Northern Sea Ice Palace, standing between the Northern and Eastern continents, had been their grand prize.
And they took it.
Burned it. Razed it.
Seraphina had been young when it happened. Too young to fight, too young to stop it. But that was the mont she had changed.
That was when she had beco cold.
"...Why?" she asked.
Her voice wavered. Not much, but enough. Enough for to know she didn't want to go.
She didn't want to step onto the ruined island where her mother had died.
But she hadn't refused outright. She had asked why.
Which ant—despite everything—she trusted .
"Seraphina," I said, turning to face her. "Do you trust ?"
She looked up at , her ice-blue eyes glassy with sothing she wasn't quite letting surface.
Then, after a mont, she nodded.
"There's sothing important there," I said. "Sothing you need to see."
She was silent for a long ti, her thoughts unreadable. Then—finally—she exhaled and nodded again.
"Okay," she said. "I put my belief in you."
"Thank you," I smiled.
After the destruction of the Northern Sea Ice Palace, Mo Zenith had forbidden anyone from setting foot on its remains. A decree from a King wasn't sothing people ignored.
But Seraphina—his daughter—was the one person who could bypass that rule.
She just never wanted to.
She never wanted to stand where her mother had fallen.
And yet, here she was. Choosing to go anyway.
Because of .
I watched Seraphina, quiet and withdrawn, staring like it held the answers to questions she didn't want to ask.
'It's a bit early, but it'll help her a lot.'
Each of them—Rachel, Seraphina, and Cecilia—had a trial to surpass. Sothing standing between them and their true potential. A threshold they had to cross before they reached the Wall.
And the only way past it was through.
Their trials weren't about strength, not in the physical sense. No, these were the wounds that couldn't be healed with mana or ti. Old scars buried so deep they had beco part of them. To move forward, they had to confront them.
Seraphina's trial was here, at the ruins of the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
We used a warp gate to reach a port city, the closest one to the now-abandoned island where the palace once stood. The city itself was lively—bright neon signs flashing over the streets, hovercrafts humming above, the usual blend of rchants, sailors, and travelers moving through the docks. But for us, this was just a stop.
Seraphina had to call for a boat.
Technically, this entire sea was restricted territory, completely off-limits by Mo Zenith's orders. But for Seraphina, an exception was made. For , by extension, an exception was tolerated.
So we boarded the automated boat and set out towards the island. The vessel was sleek, all polished tal and reinforced glass, gliding effortlessly over the water. It was fast—ant for dignitaries and high-ranking officials, not for two people visiting a place that didn't exist on any official map anymore.
Seraphina was quiet. More than usual.
She sat with her arms folded, her eyes downcast, saying nothing as the boat cut through the waves.
'I need to cheer her up a bit.'
I crouched and dipped my fingers into the water. Cold. Not surprising, considering where we were headed. The chill bit at my skin, sharp and crisp.
I made my decision and stopped the boat.
Seraphina blinked, her head tilting slightly. "Why are we stopping?"
"Let's swim," I said.
She gave a look. A very unimpressed look.
"Here?"
"Why not?" I shrugged. "It's not like we'll drown or anything."
Underwater beasts did exist in this world, but in these waters, at this depth, nothing stronger than a four-star creature would be lurking. In other words—nothing we couldn't handle.
Seraphina sighed. "I don't have my swimsuit."
"I brought it," I said, pulling it out of my spatial ring and holding it out to her.
I was expecting maybe a flicker of amusent. A small smile, even. Instead, she narrowed her eyes, staring at the swimsuit like I had just handed her a detailed confession of every cri I had ever committed.
"Pervert," she said.
I blinked. "What?"
"You picked up my bikini and stored it in your spatial ring."
"...And?"
"Pervert."
I exhaled. "Just change."
Her gaze remained suspicious, but after a mont, she took the swimsuit and went below deck.
The boat was large—closer to a private yacht than a simple transport. It had all the anities a person could ask for. Which ant, at the very least, she had a place to change in peace.
Soon enough, both of us were in the water, the boat floating silently behind us, perfectly still despite the gentle movent of the waves.
I glanced back at it, watching as it hovered just above the surface, its sleek, automated design keeping it locked in place without the need for an anchor.
'Technology is so cool,' I thought. Sowhere, ancient sailors were probably turning in their watery graves, cursing the fact that their descendants no longer had to wrestle with ropes and heavy iron.
"Anyway," I said, kicking lazily through the water. "This is nice, right?"
Seraphina floated beside , her pale hair fanning out in the water like silver threads.
"Yes," she agreed.
Her voice was softer than before, but lighter. The weight in her expression had eased, even if it hadn't disappeared entirely. She liked cold water—I knew that much. I'd seen her in the waterfalls of Mount Hua, the way she always seed more at ease when surrounded by crisp, freezing currents.
For a while, we just swam.
The sea stretched around us, dark and endless, but not suffocating. The air was sharp and clear, the kind of cold that stung at first but then settled into sothing invigorating. The stars above flickered, their light barely visible against the glow of distant floating cities.
Eventually, we climbed back onto the boat, the chill clinging to our skin. A quick shower, a change of clothes, and soon enough, we were back on the deck.
"Let's keep going," I said once we were both settled again.
Seraphina didn't respond imdiately. She was staring out at the sea, her expression unreadable, before she finally spoke.
"Thanks," she said quietly.
I just smiled.
The boat glided forward, cutting through the waves, carrying us toward the Northern Sea Ice Palace.
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