The arena shifted once more. The last traces of flame and shadow peeled away, leaving only silence. A silence so heavy, so suffocating, that even Kai's breath felt loud inside it.

The marble floor froze over in an instant, turning to sheets of glassy ice that stretched outward until the entire chamber glittered like a frozen wasteland. Breath misted in the air. Every step crunched like brittle bone. The warmth of the fire trial was gone, devoured by the oppressive chill.

Kai shivered despite himself. But it wasn't the cold that gnawed at him. No—this was Iris's domain. The trial was not meant to freeze bodies. It was meant to freeze hearts.

At the center of the arena stood Iris.

Her violet hair drifted behind her like a banner caught in a slow, invisible wind. Her arms folded across her chest, her eyes closed, her lips a thin, unyielding line. Around her, shards of crystalline ice floated in a halo—each shard reflecting fragments of her face, emotionless and distant.

But one shard hovered directly in front of her, perfectly clear.

Inside it… stood another Iris.

The reflection's eyes opened slowly, and where the Iris at the center of the arena looked wounded and uncertain, the reflection looked calm—eerily calm. Unflinching. Numb.

"…that's not an enemy," Kai muttered, realization sinking in. His voice echoed strangely in the frozen chamber. "That's her."

Velis's hand went to her sword, then stopped. Even Astra, who always had some quip or venom on her tongue, stood silent. They could all feel it—this wasn't a foe to cut down. This was a prison Iris had built herself.

Lyra stepped forward, frost clinging to her boots. "Iris!" she shouted, her voice cracking in the silence. "Don't look away from us!"

But Iris didn't answer. The reflection did.

"You don't need them," the frozen Iris said, her voice soft, melodic, and utterly chilling. "You don't need anyone. Haven't you suffered enough trying to belong?"

The words hit like a knife. Kai felt Iris flinch—just slightly—but her arms stayed crossed. The halo of shards spun faster, glittering like blades.

The reflection continued, stepping out of the shard as though crossing a veil. "They will abandon you, as they always have. The only way to survive… is to freeze. To feel nothing. To be nothing."

The reflection touched Iris's chin tenderly, like a lover's caress. "You don't have to hurt anymore. Isn't that what you want?"

Kai's chest tightened. This wasn't a battle of swords or claws. This was a battle of the soul. If Iris gave in here, if she embraced that numbness, she'd be lost—swallowed whole by her own despair.

"No," Kai whispered, his breath clouding. He stepped forward, his boots skidding on ice. "Iris!"

At the sound of his voice, Iris's eyes opened for the first time. For a heartbeat, he saw her—really saw her. Pain. Fear. Longing. Then her gaze hardened, shuttered, and the reflection smiled.

"She doesn't need you."

The shards in the air shot outward like knives, streaking toward Kai. He barely had time to raise his arm, the Crown's burning mark flaring across his skin as he deflected the storm of ice. The shards shattered against him, but each impact seared with cold that bit into his bones.

Behind him, Astra cursed and pulled Lyra back. Velis gritted her teeth, aura flaring, but none of them dared rush forward. They knew this was Kai's moment. His fight. His bond.

Kai pressed forward, forcing each frozen step against the gale of cold. His voice carried through the icy chamber.

"You're lying!" he shouted, his breath ragged. "Iris—listen to me! You don't need to freeze your heart to survive. You're not alone anymore. You'll never be alone again!"

For a moment, he thought he saw Iris tremble. Her lips parted. But the reflection pulled her face close, whispering like venom.

"They always say that. Until they don't."

The halo of shards whirled faster, forming a barrier around Iris. Ice thickened at her feet, chaining her in place. The air grew so cold Kai's skin cracked, tiny trails of blood freezing instantly against his arm.

He fell to one knee, but his eyes never left hers.

"Iris!" he shouted again, voice breaking with raw desperation. "I don't care how many walls you've built, I'll tear them all down! Even if it hurts. Even if you hate me for it. I won't let you disappear into nothing!"

The reflection's smile faltered. Iris's shoulders shook.

A sound echoed through the chamber—the first crack of ice splitting.

The chains binding her ankles began to fissure, hairline fractures spreading like veins of light.

The reflection's face twisted into a snarl. "No. You belong to me."

It raised its hand, and spears of jagged ice erupted from the ground, racing toward Kai like fangs.

Kai braced himself, the burning mark on his arm glowing brighter, flames licking across his frozen skin. His body screamed in agony, torn between fire and ice. But he stood tall.

"I belong to her," he said. "And she belongs with me."

The ice spears struck.

The chamber shook with the impact. Frost shattered like glass. For a moment, the world blurred in a storm of shards and flame.

And then—silence.

Through the smoke, Kai saw Iris staring at him, tears frozen on her cheeks. The reflection staggered, cracks spreading through its flawless face.

But the trial wasn't over. Not yet.

The last image Kai saw before the storm swallowed him was the reflection's mouth curling into a wicked smile as it lunged toward Iris—trying to drag her down with it.

Next Chapter Preview – Chapter 110: Shards of Choice

The storm of ice hasn't cleared. Kai's body trembles under the clash of fire and frost, his mark burning hotter than ever. Through the haze, Iris stands frozen—caught between him and her reflection.

The mirrored Iris pulls harder, her voice like silk wrapped in steel:

"Be still. Be safe. Be mine."

But Kai's voice cuts through the blizzard, raw and unyielding:

"Be yourself—with us. With me."

The chains on Iris's legs fracture further, light leaking through the cracks. One step could shatter them. One choice could define her future.

Will Iris embrace the numbness of survival, or take the painful, terrifying leap toward love, trust, and belonging?

The frozen heart is breaking. But shards can cut just as deeply as they can set someone free.

Call to Action (CTA)

❄️ The stage is set for Iris's most dangerous choice yet. One path offers safety without love, the other pain with the promise of something real. Kai's words might reach her—but only if she dares to believe.

👉 Don't miss Chapter 110: Shards of Choice, where Iris stands on the razor's edge between despair and hope, and the battle for her heart reaches its breathtaking climax.

💬 If Iris's struggle resonates with you, now's the time to let it show—drop your thoughts, theories, and support. Every reaction, every comment, every power-up is what keeps Kai's bonds alive and the story pushing forward. Let's shatter the ice together!