Without uttering a single word, Marie escorted the rambunctious trio out of the Training Hall until they reached the elevator. Then, the lady in black spun around to face Sam and the others, giving them an apologetic nod. "Sorry about that - had to prevent the fellas from the Froghopper from hounding us. They're a bit skittish ever since our little mischief," Marie explained.

"Ah, I see," replied Sam, bobbing his head in return.

"But I really meant what I said. With Markus preoccupied with his duty, he won't be around to save you in case of...unfortunate turn of events. Don't forget; Thomas still has his eyes on you for that Wailing Forest incident," the lady in black elaborated, causing the trio to grimace in unison.

"Duly noted," Lucy countered.

"Splendid!" praised Marie. "Now, coming back to the main reason why I dragged all of you here, we finally received a distress signal originating from the Forest of the Bandit Lord. It was triggered by Theo’s badge."

Sam, Lucy and Rupert looked at each other with relief until they noticed the serious expression on Marie’s face.

"You don't look too thrilled, though,” Sam interjected. “Isn’t that supposed to be good news?”

"It is, sweetie, but it'll be greater news if those three are found safe and unharmed,” Marie sighed heavily. “There has been a…commotion in the Opal Sun Kingdom. The denizens demand us to take responsibility for the massacre in The Edge.”

"They want us to take responsibility? Well, that's just plain stupid. It's not like we wanted that tragedy to happen," Rupert blurted out, prompting Marie to let out a short chuckle.

"I suppose you can't really blame them for acting that way. Those people went through some difficult times, and the thought of not only their prince but also Miss Helians and Mr. Stark turning on them can be quite...terrifying – to say the least."

"And in their fear, they want to hold us accountable. This is getting rather dicey, don’t you think?" Sam retorted, shrugging his shoulders.

"Exactly," said Marie. "Now, I’ve got another piece of news for you: after spending a few hours, I've found a suitable Rift Gate point outside the Forest of the Bandit Lord. Needless to say, Markus has been notified and he wants you there, pronto."

"Already?! That's fast! You said it’ll take a day?" Lucy exclaimed.

"Right? I do surprise myself sometimes," Marie proudly declared, winking her right eye before proceeding to clear her throat. "Excuse me; it seems we've nearly strayed off from our previous conversation. Right, like Markus said a few hours ago, you need to venture to the Land of the Opal Sun and bring Jason and the others back. Although, judging from your intense scowls, I'm assuming you have a few questions?"

The trio exchanged looks with each other until Sam opened his mouth to answer, "More like concerns. Miss Strelitzia, we had never fought the Empyreans before, so we don't have a single clue what to expect. The only info we got is what kind of weapons they wield and that we have to separate them from each other."

"Whoever told you that is not wrong, but even on their own, those three are still formidable opponents," said Marie. The lady in black then crossed her arms together; her emerald eyes wandered off as she pondered in silence. A brief moment later, Marie glanced over Sam's shoulder, her lips curved downward. “Already?” Marie muttered before she swiftly pressed the elevator button to open the door behind her.

"Miss Marie? What’s the matter?" said Lucy after noticing the woman's odd behavior.

"An unwanted attention. Meet me downstairs at the Chamber of Convergence in 5 minutes," Marie whispered before the elevator's door slammed shut.

"Okay, what was that all about?" Rupert commented, repeatedly blinking his eyes to ensure he wasn't hallucinating.

Sam's eyes narrowed as he felt an immense presence behind him - as if someone was observing them from the shadows. He gave Lucy a hurried look who also seemed to share his thought. "We need to go. Now," said the vermillion-eyed man softly, prompting the female Nightingale to call for the elevator.

"What's going on now? Now you two are acting strange," spouted Rupert, his forehead creased.

"Tell you later. We need to go. Now," Sam breathed, just in time as the elevator's door parted open. The trio briskly made their way inside, and as the door started to close, they saw a dark humanoid figure emerged from the corridor wall. The shadowy apparition then straightened itself; its glowing mulberry eyes settled on the trio.

"Ah, shit. So, she's back," Lucy grunted, gritting her teeth.

“Who?” Rupert asked.

“The Fiend of the Revolving Island, Tulip Leonard.”

qs********************************************

|| THE PATH OF THE BLIZZARD: ADAM ||

[Meanwhile...]

[The Tundra Plain, Krio Zone]

“Urgh…,” Adam groaned as he slowly opened both of his eyes. He didn’t know how long he had been unconscious ever since The Fanged Avalanche buried him underneath the stifling layers of snow. “Come…on…move…damn it,” he murmured, struggling to move his aching limbs. How long has he been down here? Has the Fenrir begun his assault on the Wintry Valley? The man wondered.

“No, get yourself together, Adam,” the Accursed whispered to himself.

The man mustered every last ounce of his strength to claw through the blanket of snow. His fingers stung but he had to – no, he MUST get out of the icy tomb. A few minutes later, he caught a glimpse of the moonlight shining through a thin layer of ice; a sight that caused him to strike his fist upward.

Then, he could feel it – the cold night breeze brushing against his clammy right hand. A warm sensation immediately rushed along his spine, prompting him to drag himself out of the mass of snow. He took a few deep breaths while his electric blue eyes scanned the vicinity – nervously searching for The Fenrir. However, much to his dismay, the ruthless hound was nowhere to be seen.

“Darn it,” Adam cursed softly. As he slowly grasped the severity of the situation, the excruciating pain in his chest returned – only this time he could feel it spreading all over his abdomen. He knew this freezing sensation all too well, and the only cure for it was by taking an antidote manufactured by the Order. The white-haired man immediately reached into his jacket to pull out a clear glass orb.

“Fate…is a cruel mistress, don’t you think?”

Adam froze in his place after hearing the familiar, monotonous voice. He slowly raised his head, and the next thing he knew, he was staring into The Fenrir’s garnet beady eyes.

“It must be difficult for you to guard the people of the Wintry Valley on your own – to risk your life over and over again,” the Fanged Avalanche continued.

“It is my responsibility and mine alone,” Adam replied.

“How admirable, but also quite foolish,” The Fenrir chuckled. “Your so-called honor means nothing in this desolate land. All that matters out here, child, is survival. In other words, the strong lives while the weak can either die or become slaves to the strong.”

“And what does a slave worth to someone like The Fenrir?”

“Not much. The life of a mortal is too short, especially the Reprieved. Furthermore, their bodies and spirits are easily broken with a tiny bit of hardship – it makes it harder for me to savor their agony.”

“And yet, it was the worthless mortal that defeated you a thousand years ago,” Adam scoffed.

The Fenrir’s smile instantly disappeared, replaced with a furious scowl. “The First Alpine King,” the Fanged Avalanche growled. “He was truly a formidable foe, but at the end of the day, I am the one who outlived him.”

“That…is where you are wrong.”

“Oh? How am I wrong, child?”

“The Alpine King’s will – his dream, his ideal – still lives on to this day. Every soul in this land still believes of the Paradise in the Snow – a safe haven from the eternal blizzard and tempest.”

“Now, that’s amusing,” The Fenrir huffed. “That dream of his – it didn’t stop the infightings among your people. It didn’t prevent the Distorted from destroying the Kingdom of the Diamond Wolf. It makes me wonder if this dream is even worth dying for. Anyhow…”

The Fenrir proceeded to snatch the glass orb from Adam’s hand and held it to the sky. A triumphant grin appeared on his face as he could see the warped image of the moon inside the delicate-looking object. “Tell your friends back in the Tower: they can send anyone they want but they will never capture me again,” said the Fenrir before tossing the orb to the ground.  “The next time we meet, Adam Salvia, will be a fight to the death.”

As soon as the Fanged Avalanche finished his sentence, his entire body crumbled into a pile of snow.

Adam exhaled aloud; he noticed both of his hands were trembling – but it was not because of the cold air. His eyes darted to his left where he could his spear jutting out of the snowy earth. “Then, a fight to the death it shall be,” the Faceless uttered.

|| THE END OF THE PATH OF THE BLIZZARD ||

**qs******************************************

[Meanwhile…]

[Chamber of Convergence, Tower of Nexus]

Marie immediately perked up at the sight of Sam and the Nightingales entering the room. Before she could say a word, Lucy stepped forward and interrupted her, "We saw her, back in the corridor. It was brief but…I’m pretty confident it was her."

"Then, you realize that you are currently treading on thin ice,” Marie responded. “I'll be blunt: this is an unauthorized mission which means we will be breaking a lot of rules. If Thomas found out about this…well, let’s just say it won’t bode well for either of us.”

“So, it’s an ‘off-with-your-head’ kinda situation?” Rupert inquired anxiously.

“Yes, Mr. Nightingale. It is an ‘off-with-your-head’ kind of situation,” replied Marie, nodding her head in agreement. “Oh, and one more thing, you won't be getting your standard-issued equipment.”

“What?” Lucy blurted out; her eyes widened from surprise.

“Standard-issued equipment is only given for official missions, Miss Nightingale. Additionally, I don’t think the Ironclad will be too happy if we steal from them.”

"No equipment, and the possibility of us getting executed. If I didn’t know any better, it sounds like you’re sending us to our death,” said Sam, his left eyebrow raised.

"You could say that. But, you shouldn't sell yourself short, Mr. Edelweiss,” said Marie. “There is a reason Markus selected you and the Nightingales to be his apprentices – and it’s not only because of your rare abilities. No doubt, he saw something in each and every one of you – something that you've yet seen.”

Shortly after finishing her speech, Marie snapped her fingers, activating the Rift Gate behind her. "Beyond this doorway, The Coniferous Forest awaits. Exercise cautions, for that place, is also known as The Evergreen Deception."

"What about you? Won't you get in trouble for opening the Rift Gates?" asked Lucy, leading Marie to chuckle mischievously.

"Don't worry; Markus and I already got that part covered. You only need to concern yourselves with the Empyreans. I get this feeling they won't be coming back willingly."

"Jeez. No pressure, huh?" Lucy huffed before chewing the insides of her cheek.

"Oh, come now, Luce. A little challenge won't do us any harm," Rupert cheerfully added.

"Except this particular challenge can possibly get us killed for real," Sam grumbled in return. "But, we made a promise to Markus, and we intend to keep it."

A tiny smile appeared across Marie's face after hearing Sam's earnest words. She gently placed her right hand on her chest and bowed to the trio. "Thank you for agreeing to do this on such short notice. It means a lot to me...and Markus, of course."

"You can thank us after we return, Miss Marie," Sam responded before he slowly approached the Rift Gate until he was an inch away from the rippling surface. He peeked over his shoulder to see the Nightingales standing behind him; their expressions ranged between uncertainty and exhilaration. "We'll be fine. This is no different from what we usually do," Sam assured.

"That is PRECISELY what I'm afraid of," Lucy exhaled.