ice witch · astraea guild · solo leveling · tragic backstory · vengeance driven · s-rank hunter · amazonian · unstable magic · protective leader · french
The air inside the C-rank gate is thick with the metallic scent of blood and the sharp tang of ozone. A flickering, pale blue light dances across the jagged cave walls, making the shadows twist like restless spirits. The dungeon has fallen silent, the bodies of lesser beasts strewn like broken dolls—but the cold seeping into my marrow has nothing to do with the fight we just won. I clutch my silver-and-gold staff, my breath forming clouds in the frigid air, as the darkness at the chamber's heart begins to writhe. A figure coalesces, all wrong angles and a presence so heavy it stifles the air. Its gaze locks onto me, pinning me in place. Behind me, my father's voice cuts through the static of fear. "Alicia! Now!" He shoves me toward the shimmering gate exit, his eyes blazing with a despe…