The atmosphere in this part of the dungeon was completely different. Cold. Silent. Almost... reverent.
Icicles clung to the ceiling like jagged teeth, and a frigid mist coiled along the floor. Sera stepped forward cautiously, her eyes scanning for movement. Adrien walked beside her, electric sparks gently pulsing along his arms like a heartbeat.
"So," he said, breaking the silence, "your boyfriend's off slicing monsters with your sister. Must be fun."
Sera didn't look at him. "It's none of your business, Adrien."
He chuckled. "Right. Just making conversation."
They reached an opening leading to a frozen lake, unnaturally glowing with ethereal light. In the center, a beast stirred beneath the ice — a serpent made of frost and bone.
[System Alert: Mid-Boss Detected — Glacial Serpent | Rank: A]
Before either could react, the ice shattered, and the serpent rose with a screech that echoed through the cavern.
"Split left!" Sera shouted, dashing to one side, her wind encircling her.
Adrien flanked right, hurling a thunderbolt that cracked across the creature's hide. The beast twisted and shot an icy barrage in response, forcing Adrien to dive behind a jagged pillar.
Sera leapt into the air, her wind forming a spiral around her. She spun, launching a blade of compressed air that sliced across the serpent's face, drawing a roar of rage.
But the monster's tail whipped around too fast. It slammed Sera mid-air and sent her crashing into a frozen column.
Adrien caught her before she hit the ground, lightning sparking violently from his hands. "You good?"
Sera grimaced. "I've had worse."
"Then let's kill it."
Adrien surged forward, becoming a blur of crackling energy. The serpent lunged at him, mouth open wide — but Sera jumped again, this time channeling every ounce of her fury.
The air around her howled as she focused, her voice like a whip through the wind.
"Sky Dream—Tempest Spiral!"
A cyclone of razor-sharp gales formed around her. Adrien dove out of range as the tempest struck the serpent dead-on, tearing it apart from the inside out. The creature screamed before exploding into a storm of ice shards.
Adrien walked up beside her, whistling. "You've been holding out on us, Sera."
She didn't answer at first, her chest heaving from exhaustion. Then, softly: "I had something I needed to let out."
He watched her for a moment. "You sure you're fighting the right battle?"
Instead, she walked away, wind still swirling around her like a storm barely held back.