CHAPTER 80: STAY ON THE GROUND.

Ester’s breathing was rhythmic, but heavy. Not from fatigue, but from the speed with which she advanced. Her feet barely touched the snow before the next step launched her forward. The chill of the storm didn’t matter; the wind that lashed her face didn’t bother her. What moved her wasn’t the weather, nor the destination. It was that aura.

A presence. Wild. Colossal. Full of fury and instability.

And something else... a familiar remnant mixed with it.

Her heart lurched when she realized it. Damon.

She accelerated even more, her body molding to the rhythm of her run. Frozen branches snapped against her cloak, trees scratched her skin like claws, but Ester ignored it all. Her eyes shone with the reflection of the snow and a cold flame that burned in her soul.

With each step, the aura became clearer, more unbearable. The whole world seemed to be tilting in that direction, as if the forest were merely a stage for an inevitable encounter.

Until she saw it.

The valley ahead was marked by chaos. The slope had given way, snow and rocks scattered like the wreckage of an impossible battle. Amidst the white whirlwind, a gigantic form emerged. The Snow Monkey.

The creature’s fur was covered in ice, white and blue tufts glistening in the dim light. Every movement caused mounds of snow to slide off its body, revealing heavy muscles and pulsing veins. The roar that escaped its throat was pure hatred, reverberating like thunder through the forest.

Ester stopped, her eyes quickly scanning the landscape.

The marks were everywhere. Human footprints, deep, mixed in with the chaos of the avalanche. Some still fresh, partially covered by the snow. She knelt, her fingers touching one of them, still warm enough to melt small flakes that landed.

"Shit..." she muttered, gritting her teeth. "Damon was here."

She looked up again at the giant, who was now beating his fists against his chest, as if the earth itself were the drum of his fury.

His roar shook the trees, sent crows fleeing en masse.

But Ester didn’t back down.

There was something in the air. An instinct that told her this monster wasn’t just an obstacle in Damon’s path. It was a threat that could crush him effortlessly. And if there was one thing Ester couldn’t tolerate, it was losing—much less losing someone who, no matter how much she loudly denied it, already took up too much space inside her.

She took a deep breath. The vapor from her breath danced in the air, like smoke about to freeze.

Her eyes fixed on the monster. Her tone was low, almost calm, but charged with authority.

"Get out."

The creature stared at her. The blue pupils, incandescent like furious ice, narrowed for a moment, assessing this being so small that it dared to confront it.

The Monkey roared again, ignoring the command.

Ester didn’t move a muscle.

The snow began to swirl around her, in gentle circles that seemed to obey her will. The icy air that had already bitten her skin now responded to a deeper power, bending to her presence.

And then, with a delicate, almost lazy gesture, she extended her hand.

In the air, particles of ice condensed. They formed lines, molded into perfect angles. A spear appeared, translucent as crystal, sharp as sin. The blue glow emanating from it was cold and absolute.

"Ah..." she sighed, her eyes narrowing. "I hope he doesn’t die."

Ester twirled the spear in her hand, the tip reflecting the monkey’s murderous gaze. His body leaned forward slightly, a posture that wasn’t just combative, but provocative.

He pointed the gun at the giant.

"Come."

The invitation fell like ice on water.

The Monkey roared again, and the ground shook with the footsteps that approached him. Each impact sent snow flying, trees bending, the forest itself trembling. The air between them seemed to vibrate with the promise of destruction.

Ester didn’t blink.

The giant raised his arm, preparing a blow that could crush a boulder.

And she smiled. A cold smile, small, but real.

The colossal arm descended like a meteor, tearing through the air with the force of a landslide. The sound was deafening: wood splintering, snow flying, stone shattering under the impact.

But there was no one in the shadow of the blow.

Ester was no longer there.

It moved like a flake swept by the wind, weightless, impossible to capture. Its body slid sideways, its feet barely sinking into the snow, and the blue spear described a clean arc.

The ice tore into the creature’s arm, opening a deep line that smoked as it met the absolute cold of the weapon. The beast’s blue blood sprayed into the air, staining the white with fluorescent streaks.

The roar that followed shook the tree branches. The Snow Monkey spun furiously, trying to grab the tiny being that dared to harm him. But with each attempt, Ester was already in a different position.

"Too slow," he murmured, almost dismissively.

The spear dissolved into shimmering shards, only to be reborn in his other hand, longer, heavier, as if forged from winter itself. He threw it in a swift, elegant motion, the weapon cutting through the wind until it embedded itself in the creature’s left shoulder.

A crack echoed. Ice spread from the impact, creating crystalline cracks in the monster’s thick flesh. The creature staggered back, howling, thrashing its body to try and break the forming crust of ice.

But it was futile.

Ester’s cold wasn’t just temperature. It was power. It was dominance. It was her will made manifest, and no wild beast could resist it.

She raised her hand. The snowflakes in the air instantly gathered, forming thin, razor-sharp blades. With a simple snap of her fingers, she launched them at the beast.

The blades sliced through the air in zigzags, piercing the monkey’s chest, legs, and even face. He recoiled, his blue eyes flashing with rage, but his body already scarred with dozens of cuts that released blue smoke.

"You should have listened," she said, her voice as icy as her magic. "I told you to leave."

The Monkey slammed his fists against his chest again, making the earth tremble, and launched himself at her like a living avalanche.

But Ester didn’t move.

The wind blew around her, as if the entire storm were her ally. As the beast advanced, Ester raised her spear vertically and struck the ground.

The world froze.

From the impact, a circle of ice instantly expanded, covering meters and meters of snow, turning everything into crystal as hard as steel. The Monkey skidded, his enormous feet losing their grip. His colossal weight turned against him, and he slipped, slamming his body onto the frozen ground with a crash that reverberated through the valley.

Before he could rise, Ester was on top of him.

The spear pierced his leg, pinning him to the ice. The roar of pain echoed like thunder, but she gave him no respite. She created a second spear, then a third, each piercing different limbs, pinning the monster to the ground like a broken puppet.

"What is it?" he asked, arching an eyebrow. "Is your strength gone?"

The Monkey thrashed about, each movement scattering snow and rocks. But Ester was calm, cool, as if dealing with a child throwing a tantrum.

She twisted her fist, and the spear in her hand shattered into hundreds of shards, each floating in the air around her. With a flick of her arm, she released them in unison.

The sound was like a shower of glass. The shards embedded themselves throughout the creature’s body, opening gashes and freezing flesh. The thick skin, which had previously seemed impenetrable, was now covered in wounds, each pulsing with the seeping cold.

The monster roared again, but the roar was weaker, hoarser.

"You’re nothing but an uncontrolled beast," Ester said, circling around it. "Damon faced you alone? Hah... what an idiot."

Her heart sank at the thought of him, but her expression didn’t change. It only intensified the coldness of her gaze.

The creature managed to partially rise, breaking two of the spears that held it. With a titanic effort, she leaped, trying to crush it with her entire body weight.

Ester spread her arms.

The entire ground responded.

Columns of ice erupted beneath the Monkey, impaling his belly and chest before he could even touch the ground. He was thrown into the air, a roar of pain ripping through the sky.

Ester leaped to meet him.

Her body was thrown through the air like an arrow, her spear poised in her hand. The wind slashed at her face, but she didn’t blink. The instant she met the creature in mid-leap, she thrust the weapon straight into its shoulder, piercing muscle and bone.

The impact sent icy cracks, and the Monkey’s arm plummeted, useless, trapped by a rapidly spreading layer of ice.

They fell together.

The Monkey hit the ground like a meteor, kicking up a wave of snow and rocks. Ester landed gracefully, her body gliding effortlessly over the ice.

She raised her hand again. The spear disappeared, and in its place appeared a translucent sphere, glowing a deep blue.

She closed her eyes. For a moment, silence reigned.

When she opened her eyes again, the sphere exploded into thousands of ice spears that hovered in the air, all aimed at the fallen monster.

The Monkey tried to rise, but its body no longer responded. Blue blood stained the snow, steam rose from its wounds.

Ester sighed.

"Stay on the ground."

The spears shot out.

A storm of ice descended upon the creature, each spear piercing flesh, each impact shaking the ground. The roar became a groan, and then only silence.

When the snow cleared, the Snow Monkey lay prone, its entire body covered in ice and blood. It was still breathing, but weak, defeated.

Ester walked toward it, her cape flapping in the wind. She looked into the beast’s eyes, which were now filled with fear, no longer fury.

"I said leave," she repeated, her voice low, almost a whisper.

With one final gesture, she caused the ice to envelop the creature entirely, creating a crystalline prison. The gigantic body lay motionless, frozen in time, a statue of pain and defeat.

Ester was silent for a few seconds, her gaze fixed on the outcome. The wind whistled, the storm still raged, but nothing compared to the heavy silence of that victory.

Her heart was pounding, but not from the fight. The fight had been easy, almost trivial.

What truly consumed her was the question echoing in her mind:

"Damon... where are you?"