A vast, frozen wasteland stretched endlessly in all directions, painted in hues of crimson and white ice. A red sun loomed above, radiating not heat, but an overwhelming, unnatural coldness. The world was eerily silent, except for the occasional gust of frigid wind, carrying with it the echoes of something ancient, something untamed.

  Arfrotian stood alone in this icy desert, awake within his own consciousness. This was no ordinary dream—it was a prison forged by two cataclysmic forces clashing within him: Pandora, the forbidden ice of paradox, and the Eternal Frostheart’s divine backlash. The mere act of absorbing both had fractured the barriers of reality within him, leaving him stranded in this enigmatic world that should not exist.

  Yet, Arfrotian remained calm. He had always been a man who analyzed every detail, every anomaly. Panic was for those who didn't understand the game.

  He took a deep breath, his cold breath visible even in this bizarre world of absolute frost, and spoke a single word.

  "Pandora."

  Silence.

  He waited for something—anything—to happen. Yet, nothing did.

  Arfrotian narrowed his eyes. That was strange. This entire place was supposed to be created from the backlash of Pandora and Eternal Frostheart. By logic, invoking Pandora should have triggered some reaction, yet the world remained still.

  "Hmm..." He muttered, rubbing his chin. "Even after saying Pandora, nothing happened. Then what could possibly be the cause for this?"

  He glanced around, scanning the icy desert, trying to spot something—anything—out of place. If Pandora had no immediate effect, then surely there must be a subtle sign that he had overlooked.

  Then, as he observed the chilling environment more carefully, he finally noticed the change.

  At first, it was nearly imperceptible, but now that he focused—yes, the cold had deepened. The biting frost around him had grown more intense, as if responding to his words.

  Then he looked up.

  The red sun above—radiating sheer coldness instead of heat—had grown slightly larger.

  "Ah," Arfrotian smirked. "So that’s how it is."

  It wasn’t that Pandora did nothing—it did something so subtle that only someone like him would have caught it.

  "By saying Pandora, the sun grew larger… interesting."

  He crossed his arms, thinking deeply. If invoking Pandora increased the sun’s size, then it stood to reason that the sun was connected to this frozen world’s balance. But if that was the case…

  What would happen if he made it grow too large?

  Arfrotian chuckled to himself. "If I burst that thing open, will I wake up? Or will I be as good as dead?"

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  He exhaled sharply through his nose, a glint of amusement flashing in his eyes. "Quite the absurd idea. But my gut tells me it wouldn’t end well."

  Most men would tremble at such a realization, knowing that one wrong move could lead to permanent destruction.

  But not Arfrotian.

  He laughed.

  Not because he was reckless, but because he knew—even within a dream, even within a prison forged from cosmic forces, there was always a way to turn the board in his favor.

  But brute force alone wouldn't solve this puzzle. If Pandora expanded the sun, perhaps there was something else that could counterbalance it.

  He tapped his chin thoughtfully before deciding to test his hypothesis.

  With his usual confidence, he spoke another word.

  "Eternal Frostheart."

  Immediately, the world reacted.

  The air turned sharper, the frost deepened, and the red sun shrank slightly.

  Arfrotian smiled knowingly. "So it really does counter Pandora."

  That confirmed it—this world was a battlefield between Pandora and Eternal Frostheart, their influence tugging at reality itself.

  But something else tugged at his intuition.

  He had felt it back then—a presence.

  When he had first entered the icy temple, the divine spear, Eternal Frostheart, always reacted to him. Its radiance would stir, as if it were alive, watching, waiting.

  If Eternal Frostheart was alive, if it had some form of consciousness… then that spirit must be here, watching him.

  Arfrotian smirked as he pieced it together. "I know you're here with me, Eternal Frostheart."

  The moment he uttered those words, the very air itself trembled.

  A chuckle.

  It came from everywhere.

  The chuckle grew into laughter—light, melodic, and amused, yet carrying an ethereal power. It resonated through the icy desert like an echo from the divine.

  Arfrotian, standing tall amidst the frost, merely smirked. He had finally caught the flow.

  From the endless white and crimson wasteland, something began to emerge.

  A radiant spear materialized before him—Eternal Frostheart itself.

  But then, the form shifted.

  Before him now stood a woman.

  She was breathtaking. Draped in flowing robes of celestial blue and white, adorned with intricate patterns mirroring the legendary spear itself. Her long, flowing blue hair shimmered like the waves of an ethereal sea, and her deep, liquid-blue eyes held a radiance that was both powerful and affectionate.

  She exuded divine beauty, an otherworldly presence.

  Yet, Arfrotian's demeanor remained unchanged. He merely observed her with his usual sharp gaze, before finally speaking.

  "So, are you the spirit of Eternal Frostheart, the divine consciousness of this icy omniverse... or perhaps both?"

  The woman chuckled once more before fully bursting into laughter.

  "Oh please," she said, her voice smooth and radiant, filled with amusement. "Just call me Eterna, okay?"

  Arfrotian raised an eyebrow. "Perhaps?"

  Eterna just couldn't contain her laughter, her eyes gleaming with pure delight. "Oh, you really are something else!"

  With a snap of her fingers, a round table and two chairs, sculpted from pure ice, materialized before them.

  "Come now," she gestured, smiling brightly. "Why are you standing? Please, take a seat."

  Arfrotian glanced at the table, then smirked. "Oh? Is that so? Well then, don’t mind if I do."

  He casually took a seat, his demeanor completely at ease, while Eterna sat across from him.

  For a moment, she simply observed him, her blue eyes shimmering with curiosity.

  Then, she asked, "Aren't you in a hurry to leave this place?"

  Arfrotian leaned back, a mischievous smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh please, do I look like I’m in a hurry?"

  Eterna chuckled, shaking her head in amusement. "You truly are the most interesting, intelligent, and might I add, handsome man I've ever seen."

  Arfrotian closed his eyes briefly, as if contemplating her words, then lazily responded, "Hmm? Am I really that interesting, smart, and handsome? Even I didn’t know about that."

  Eterna laughed once more, the divine mirth in her voice echoing throughout the dream.

  "Oh, you really are."

  The game had just begun.