The astronaut crushed another skull underneath his feet, fending off five blackened skeletons at once. Mark carefully followed in his footsteps, finishing the survivors off.

“Slow down! We need to incinerate them.” - The nameless one protested, seeing that the two keep marching on.

“Ay, no worry. We can do it on our way back!” - Mark ignored the pleas, his only concern was not to lose sight of his father, who pierced through the undead at an alarming pace.

“Why the hurry!? What else do you hope to find here!?” - The nameless one asked, perturbed.

“Heh, no idea. Ask dad.”

“I would rather not.” - She muttered.

“Hahaha.” - Mark laughed it off. - “He may seem a scary man, but you can trust his decisions.”

“Like when you tried to toss me out in the cold?” - She grumbled angrily.

“Sorry about that... but it was you, or the caravan.” - Mark's heart ached for some reason, he had no better excuses.

“I understand, fate is a cruel mistress...” - The girl was ready to forgive him. - “...but that was a bad decision, you wouldn't fare far without a guide.”

“You think so? We're almost at the golden valleys.”

“This storm, it won't pass.” - The guide paused. - “It's not natural, I can feel it in my bones. You would only get lost.”

“Whatever you say, lady.” - Mark seemed to disregard the advice. He was too focused on his father, who stopped for some reason and stared at the floor.

“Mark, bring her!” - The father shouted.

“Yes, pa.” - Mark nodded to the guide.

In response, she moved to the astronaut. - “You seem to need me after all.” - She replied in a disgruntled tone.

“Save those remarks for yourself.” - The astronaut replied and pointed at runes around a square pedestal. - “You know what it is?”

“Seals of malice.” - She answered. - “You wouldn't want to walk down this path.”

“It leads deeper though, am I correct?” - The astronaut asked.

“You're not wrong, but you are certainly unaware of how deep it leads.” - She tried to warn him.

“It's none of your concern, we will go as deep as we desire. A few undead don't scare me.” - The elder man declared.

“You really are not aware!” - The guide burst out in mocking laughter. - “Amateurs! It leads to the abyss of the end. You better turn back.”

“Oh.” - The astronaut smiled, though. - “That's an opportunity we were waiting for. Mark!” - His father shouted. - “From now on, you better be prepared... and I mean it.” - He said the last few words in a terrifying tone.

“You... you're not jesting,” - The guide muttered silently, with her eyes wide from fear.

“You can always turn back, the path is clear.” - The astronaut added.

The guide looked at Mark, who had a serious expression on his face, like he was prepared to win or die.

“Mark.” - The woman gently pinched the cloth on his elbow. - “Please, don't go there.”

He just turned and smiled, even with his scars, it appeared gentle, kind, and sweet. - “No worries. We will be back.”

“Mark! I'm not waiting!” - The astronaut knelt in the portal, pressing the runes.

“It's a promise.” - Mark whispered silently and jumped inside.

The guide just stared, watching two men disappear in a flash of purple light. She knew that it would be a bad decision to follow.

[ … ]

An eyeless horse-creature with a pair of scythe-like arms growled, its saliva dripping before Mark. The man steadied his breath, carefully focusing energy into his feet. In a flash, the monster leaped at the man, slicing through the air as he dodged to the side. A pair of knives cut through the monster's thick, bristled hide, causing its intestines to spill on the ice.

Mark panted, moderately fatigued, but his father just laughed as he impaled the snake-like head of another spider-centaur.

“Giving up? We barely just started.” - The father called loudly.

“Father, it's a torturous endeavor.” - Mark complained. - “What do you plan to find here?”

“Anything that could help you get stronger.” - He said with more concern. - “You know, regular humans aren't supposed to survive long in this world, but you'll be the first to change it.”

“Father, you know well that there is no man who bested me, but these creatures... are different. Do I have to fight them?”

“No... not yet, at least, but you insisted to come. It'll be a good test of your skill.”

Mark panted, his breath was still unsteady. His eyes stared at a reflection in the ice. He immediately turned and threw a dagger at the ceiling, right between the razor-sharp teeth of a lurking octopus.

“Good intuition, son!” - The astronaut praised.

Mark just quietly removed the blade from a corpse and cleaned it with the help of his trousers. He sensed that his father's expectations were too high, but wouldn't say a word of a protest and kept marching onward, slaying more beasts, until they reached a gargantuan, black blob of flesh slumbering in a vast chamber.

“Oh, the guardian.” - The father uttered. - “This one is yours.”

Mark approached, and an uneasy sensation crept upon his neck. He felt trembling of his limbs, he felt fear.

“What's wrong Mark!?” - His father called, encouraging him to attack. - “Just stab it to death.”

Mark disregarded the remarks and steadied on his breath. He knew that his emotions were just a trick of the creature, an aura of some sort. He carefully approached, but in an instant, a sharp tentacle flashed next to his cheek. He barely deflected an attack with a knife.

“You're getting slow, Mark! Keep up the tempo! Work with your feet!” - The father reminded him of the basics. If Mark tried to limit the range of dodge to just his body, or block with weapons, he would be in danger.

In a mere fraction of a second, an onslaught of tentacles headed at the boy, but he gracefully shifted between positions, faster than a human eye could register. Sharp black spears crashed into ice, luring Mark closer and closer, until a row of them erupted from underneath, almost impaling the rogue.

The situation changed dramatically, and Mark was now fighting for his life, unable to close the distance.

“Mark, it's trying to tire you!” - The astronaut shouted. - “You play it too safe! Be faster and strike!”

It was easy to say, Mark believed he was already at his speed limit and it was impossible to find an opening, yet he knew he had to try. He dodged to the side, accelerating, even when a wall of sharp tentacles blocked his path. He ran right into them, deflecting two tentacles that were about to pierce his guts. There was it, a temporary opening that allowed him to slide underneath a spike aimed at his skull. His back moved smoothly on slimy appendages and he landed right against the wall, which was promptly bombarded by black spears. While they were stuck in the ice, Mark propelled onward, with both knives ready. He quickly noticed a yellow eye under layers of skin and fat and aimed at it, but a shot from blunderbuss interrupted the fight. A cone of white light engulfed the creature, evaporating it.

“Two notes. You cheated with the wall, and you were too slow.” - His father said, disappointed.

Mark lowered his head, a tentacle that pierced the ice was right under his chin.

“So-sorry.” - Mark said between the pants, he collapsed on his arms, unable to feel the legs. Drops of hot sweat dripped down his forehead.

“Can't help it.” - The father sighed. - “This creature was designed to stop regular men. I hoped that you're different, but I made a mistake in my judgment.”

“S-sorry.” - Mark's vision was blurry, his stomach retracted and he vomited out his stew.

The father looked at him and guffawed, his humor was back. - “Shouldn't have eaten!” - After he stopped laughing at his son, he added. - “Let's check what was it guarding.”

In front of the astronaut was an ice sarcophagus. Inside shone a blue light.

“No... no way.” - The astronaut's fingers lied on the surface of a coffin. - “Is it... a frozen starlight?”

“What?” - Mark just uttered. - “Is it something important?”

“With this... they'll take me back!” - Illuminated by the azure afterglow, he ignored his son. It seemed like he forgot his existence.

“Dad?” - Mark was worried.

The man didn't reply, instead, he tried to pry the lid open.

“Dad!” - Mark screamed.

“SHUT UP!” - The man turned, enraged, but his rage quickly turned to shock, when he noticed a female figure materializing out of whirling ice.

She wore a dress as white as the purest snow, her eyelids, hair, and irises were of the same color. The figure lifted her arm, pointing at the astronaut. - “Perish.”

The astronaut turned into ice and exploded into billion pieces.

“Dad!!!” - Mark screamed, tears welled up in his eyes. He struggled to get up, slipping in his own vomit.

“Pathetic.” - The female figure stared at the man with disgust. She slowly lifted her finger.

“NO!” - A sudden yell came from the tunnel and a bolt of black lightning shattered her arm.

The ice apparition stared at the melted stub of her arm, the ice gradually re-materialized, reforming her limb. - “You're not meant to be here, cursed child.” - It addressed the adversary. - “You shall perish too.”

“Mark! GET UP AND RUN!” - It was the guide, she begged, surrounded by a translucent shield of black tar.

“I... I can't...” - Mark uttered in a faint voice. - “It killed... my father.” - He firmly grasped his knives, and wobbling on his feet, directed his angered eyes at the white silhouette.

“Don't be stupid!!!” - The nameless one cried out. - “Forget him! You're not ready for what is yet to come! You have to live on!”

“I promised him... to never back off.” - Mark uttered, his blades ready.

“I can't protect us both!” - The guide cried. - “Please, stop acting tough...”

Mark stared at the ice maiden, her unrelenting gaze looking down at him, like he was some sort of annoying, powerless worm. His eyes then turned to the nameless one, in her wet, black sclera, he found a devotion, unlike that of his father.

Mark finally understood a bitter truth, he always had been a tool for his father's ambitions. Ambitions that reached farther than a mere mortal, like him, could ever achieve. He knew it was out of his reach, the moment he understood what he was to the powers in play.

“Don't try to make yourself remember, darling.” - The guide uttered. - “Move on, and live.”

“...what about you?” - Mark said, as he slowly dragged his feet.

“I'll be fine.” - The woman said, smiling in the same manner as Mark before he stepped into the portal. - "It's a promise."

Mark pretended that it was a pledge she could keep, and didn't look back.