Leaving the destroyed village behind, I continued on my journey to the north. My heart felt heavy as I approached my destination, the thought of me having to fight a Shade brought out my deepest instincts and filled me with uncontrollable rage.

As I flew across the sky, I tried my best to keep myself calm and not lose my rationality. The fact that the Shade managed to bypass all the dragons could only mean one of two things, either it was very strong, too much so that It could completely hide its presence from everyone, something I very much doubted considering the amount of 'monsters' we have on our side, like grandfather. The second possibility was that it was weak, perhaps it was injured or maybe only a fragment of it survived, otherwise why would it attack itself to the so-called knight?

I quickly shook my head and took a deep breath. I did a quick check on the mana elements inside my soul space as I prepared myself for the possibility of a gruesome battle. The small world inside my soul space was as peaceful as ever. The blue ocean, the green mountains, the hills, the darkness at the edge of the world, along with the two poisonous dragons that flew freely in the sky. All of the elements were in harmony and ready should the need arise for me to use them. Not to mention the cosmic mana...

'It's okay, I got this,' I inwardly muttered as my gaze turned cold. It was time to hunt a Shade.

****

The chill in the air grew colder and colder as I soared deeper into the northern reaches of Lumia. The once-green forests and rolling hills had given way to icy tundras and towering snow-capped mountains that scraped the sky above. The ground beneath me had turned into a pure white blanket of snow that stretched out as far as the eye could see. The only sounds I could hear were the soft flapping of my wings and the occasional howl of a distant wolf.

As I continued my journey, I spotted a small settlement in the distance, a collection of wooden huts and makeshift tents nestled against the side of a mountain. The villagers here were dressed in heavy furs and woolen clothing, with thick beards and fur-lined hats to protect them from the bitter cold. They cast curious looks up at me as I flew overhead, their expressions shifting from wonder to fear.

I decided to land and speak with them, hoping to gather any information that could lead me to Lana. As I touched down on the snow-covered ground, the villagers trembled with fear and awe. I paid them no heed and focused on the elder who had come forward to greet me.

"Greetings, mighty dragon," he said, his voice trembling with reverence. "What brings you to our humble village?"

"I am in search of someone," I replied, my voice deep and resonant. "A young woman by the name of Lana. She was last seen in these parts, and I seek her whereabouts."

The elder's eyes widened in surprise. "Ah, you seek the Red-Haired One. She passed through here not long ago, heading northward towards the peaks of the Icefang Mountains."

"Oh, did she say what she was looking for?"

"She did not, mighty dragon. She only passed by our humble village for supplies before she continued on her journey. We seldom get any visitors in these parts, so I invited her to stay, but she refused saying she was in a rush."

Hearing that I nodded and got the directions to Icefang mountain. "I see, you have my thanks," saying that, I shot toward the sky and left the small village behind.

As I soared through the frigid air, the snow-capped mountains of Lumia stretched out before me. The chill was harsher here but my scales were enough protection. The ground beneath me slowly turned white as snowflakes danced around me. Despite the numbing cold, I was alert, every sense sharpened to detect any hint of trouble.

It was then that my eyes widened as I caught on to the aura of a Shade, emanating from the vicinity of the mountain. And so I landed at the base of the mountain when something caught my attention - a cave, its entrance obscured by the thick snow. The aura of the Shade was emanating from within, and my instincts told me that it was worth investigating.

I reached out to the elements and used my mana to clear the entrance. I approached the cave cautiously, my eyes scanning the surroundings for any potential threats. The opening was dark, and the aura of the Shade was getting stronger as I neared. I could feel the chill of the wind picking up, and a sense of unease gnawed at me.

As I entered the cave, the darkness enveloped me, and I had to rely on my dark mana elements to guide me. I could feel the presence of the remanant of the Shade aura growing stronger. And so I pushed forward, determined to uncover the truth.

It didn't take long before I reached a large open area inside the cave. For some reason, the aura of the Shade was very familiar, it was as if I had already encountered it before. A chill ran down my spine at the second.

"What was that?" I scanned my surroundings, but there was nothing.

As I turned to the empty cave hall, my mind suddenly recalled the ominous cave Sidus had once led me through - the dreadful Door. I quickly shook my head at the thought.

"No, that's not possible. That thing is bound by that Dragon and the door. He can't leave," I muttered in an attempt to convince myself.

After scanning the cave for a few more minutes, and making sure there was nothing left. I slowly took my leave. The Shade was here, there's no doubt about it. Although its aura disappears outside the cave for some reason, I'm sure it already left. But how did it completely hide its aura, and why can't I trace it?

As I walked out of the cave, the sudden winter chill made me squint my eyes. The cold did not bother me, if anything the water mana in the surroundings only made me feel stronger. Still, I felt apprehensive as I thought of a Shade roaming around unchecked.