Chapter 156: Into The Divide [II]
Azel regained his consciousness slowly, his breath heavy as though he had been dragged through an endless void.
Well he had but that didn’t make it better.
The transmission through the Divide had left him blind, every sense stripped away until only the howling of his heart remained.
But gradually, light returned to him.
Shapes formed.
Shadows sharpened.
And then he realized — he wasn’t staring into the stormy white of the beyond.
He wasn’t staring at jagged trees or ruined snowfields.
No rather what filled his vision was a veil of silver.
Long, silken strands fell across his eyes, brushing against his cheeks.
His lips tingled, pressed upon by lips that moved with fervent hunger, stealing his breath, claiming his mouth as though it already belonged to them.
The warmth shocked him awake.
He froze, caught off-guard, his mind struggling to process what was happening.
The lips finally pulled away, parting with an audible breath, and the veil of silver shifted back.
Azel blinked rapidly, his vision sharpening on the face of the one who had stolen the kiss.
Veyra.
There was no mistaking her.
The silver-haired huntress, the Winter woman who vanished without a trace weeks ago, stood before him.
Her silver eyes glimmered with satisfaction and mischief.
Before Azel could speak, she darted backward — her movements like a blur in the snowstorm.
A heartbeat later, two massive spider legs slammed into the ground where she had stood, shaking the earth and sending up an explosion of white snow.
The impact left a crater, a harsh warning of the strike’s intent.
Medusa stood protectively in front of him, her purple hair whipping wildly, her jaw clenched as a guttural growl slipped past her lips.
The arachnid appendages protruding from her back glistened with venomous malice, swaying and ready to impale.
But Veyra only smiled.
She was unchanged in appearance, wearing her usual attire that left her toned stomach exposed despite the bitter cold.
Yet across that pale stomach was a new mark — a gash, long healed but still faintly red, slashing across her midsection.
Her gaze locked onto Azel’s, and her lips curled.
"Hey cutie~"
Her voice was melodic as always.
Azel exhaled sharply, his eyes narrowing. "Where did you go?"
Veyra twirled her bone scythe lazily, the weapon humming with snow.
"Where else?" Her grin widened. "To get myself ready for our wedding, of course."
She licked her lips. "And if you’re still stubborn, I’ll just kidnap you and make you mine."
Azel’s face froze.
Internally, his thoughts were less composed.
’...Again?’
Was this some kind of curse?
First Kyone with her demands, now Veyra with eyes glowing like a predator who had found her prey.
He hadn’t done anything — hadn’t pursued her, hadn’t encouraged her so how in the frozen hells had she turned into a yandere?
He lifted a hand, forcing calm into his voice. "Veyra. Calm down. Look around you. Do you even see where we are?"
The words cut through her haze.
For the first time since appearing, she glanced past him.
Her grin faltered, her grip on her scythe tightening.
She inhaled sharply, eyes widening at the realization.
They were beyond the Divide.
The three of them stood in a clearing unlike any she had seen before.
Jagged trees loomed overhead, some skeletal and stripped bare, others clinging to blackened leaves that rustled like whispers.
The snow underfoot wasn’t soft, it was sharp like crystal and glimmered like powdered glass.
Above, a storm howled, flinging sleet and snow so violently it stung the skin like needles.
It was a place that reeked of danger. A place where silence was never safety.
Veyra lowered her weapon reluctantly, though her gaze remained locked on Azel.
Medusa, cautious but not reckless, retracted her spider legs.
Veyra lifted a hand to her lips, her cheeks coloring faintly.
She had kissed him.
Not a fleeting brush, not a playful act, but a kiss filled with desperate, fervent claim.
It had been reckless and impulsive of her and yet her body ached to repeat it.
The thought alone made her chest tighten.
She pushed it aside with visible effort.
"Where is everyone?" she muttered, finally turning her attention to their surroundings.
Azel frowned. That was the question gnawing at him as well.
They had crossed the Divide with hundreds of warriors, yet now, the clearing was empty.
Only the three of them remained.
He turned to Medusa. "Meda. Scout."
She nodded without hesitation. Her hands glowed faintly, wreathed in a pulsing violet aura.
This was the first time Azel would see her attempt the spider summoning.
A flicker of curiosity sparked within him, how would she do it?
The violet glow condensed, dripping like liquid from her palms.
Each droplet hissed as it touched the snow, it expanded and shaped.
From the black stain that spread, legs unfolded and fangs glistened.
One spider emerged.
Then another.
Then another.
Until ten large, chitin-armored spiders crawled across the snow, their bodies shimmering with faint purple patterns.
They clicked their mandibles, twitching impatiently.
Veyra recoiled. She staggered a step back, her face paling.
"Ugh — Snowspiders!"
Her disgust was almost comical, though not unique.
Spiders were a near-universal fear, even here.
Azel himself felt a prickle of discomfort crawl up his spine, though he masked it with a neutral look.
Medusa’s lips curved slightly. "Scout, my darlings."
Her voice shifted, it was a soft command.
The spiders perked up, their bodies pulsing with violet glow.
Then —
With a rush of motion, they skittered forward, their limbs leaving streaks of purple light on the snow.
A moment later, wings unfurled from their carapaces — fragile-looking yet strong, glowing with ethereal light.
The creatures lifted into the air, soaring outward into the storm like sinister fireflies.
Beautiful.
And terrifying.
Veyra shivered, hugging herself. "I hate this. Why snowspiders? Why not Frost wolves or Icebirds?"
Azel ignored her, his eyes following the scouts.
They needed answers — where they were, what happened to the others and what dangers lay ahead.
Only after that could he move.
Medusa closed her eyes.
Her hair whipped in the storm
She was no longer here. Her vision, her senses, flowed through the spiders.
In that pause, the world grew quiet. Only the storm filled the silence.
And then Veyra took a step closer.
She looked directly into Azel’s eyes, silver irises shimmering with intensity. "Did you miss me?"
His jaw tightened.
He wanted to dismiss her question but he couldn’t ignore her expression.
"...Yeah," he admitted quietly.
His gaze dropped to her stomach.
The scar stood out against her pale skin. "What caused that?"
Her smile turned sharp. "After I heard the news, I jumped into the Ocean."
Azel’s eyes widened. "You what—?"
Her laugh was bitter, edged with madness. "I was furious. I needed to vent. So I dove headfirst into the deep and fought whatever dared cross my path."
She ran a finger lightly across the scar. "One of the sea monsters nearly took me. I nearly drowned. But it didn’t matter. Because I came out stronger."
Her voice hardened.
"And I made a decision."
She met his gaze unflinchingly.
"Will you marry me... or will I have to kidnap you and take you with me?"
Azel’s skin prickled.
He swallowed, shoulders tensing.
What is it with these women?
First Kyone forcing him into a marriage and now Veyra? Did these Winter Women have a fetish or something?
Before he could answer, Medusa’s eyes snapped open.
Her face was pale.
"Master," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I have bad news."