Avatar of the Frozen Behemoth: Volume 1

Chapter 32: The Eye of the Storm

As Yukio stood amidst the chaos, his heart pounded in his chest, each beat reverberating with the fear that clawed at his insides. He could feel the weight of everything crashing down on him-the destruction of Spadia, the screams of the dying, the smoke-choked sky, and the overwhelming guilt that threatened to swallow him whole.

But even as he prayed, the guilt gnawed at him, twisting in his gut like a knife. Why did I have to go to the black building? Why didn't I just run home instead of heading to the outskirts when the king kicked me out?

He could see it all so clearly in his mind-how he'd made the wrong choice, how he'd strayed too far, how he'd failed to protect the ones he loved.

If only he had stayed home, none of this would have happened. The destruction, the death, the despair-it was all his fault and it was unintentional.

The more he thought about it, the deeper the guilt burrowed into him, like a parasite feeding on his despair. It's all my fault, he kept thinking, over and over again, the words pounding in his head like a drumbeat.

If I hadn't gone there, if I had just listened, if I had just been stronger, smarter... The weight of his own thoughts pressed down on him, suffocating him in his own mind.

He could hardly breathe, hardly think beyond the crushing realization that he was to blame for everything.

As he stood there, the sounds of destruction-the crackling of flames, the screams, the crumbling of buildings-began to fade. It was gradual at first, almost imperceptible, but soon, Yukio noticed that the world around him was growing eerily silent. The arguing voices, the crackling of the flames, the distant screams-all of it muffled, as if he were underwater.

He looked around, panic rising in his chest as he realized what was happening. The world around him seemed to blur, the edges of his vision warping and twisting as if reality itself were distorting.

And then, just at the edge of his sight, he saw them-cracks, appearing out of nowhere, jagged lines spreading across the air like the shattering of glass.

"No...no, no, no, no," Yukio muttered, his voice trembling with fear. His heart raced, pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. He stumbled backward, his eyes wide as he saw more and more cracks spreading across the fabric of reality. And through those cracks, he could see them-glowing blue eyes, cold and unblinking, staring back at him from the darkness.

His breath caught in his throat, terror gripping him as he realized what was happening. Not again, he thought, panic clawing at his mind. Not now...why now?! He recognized the signs. He had experienced this before-a vision, but why now? Why in the middle of this chaos? He wasn't ready for this; he didn't understand what it meant or why it was happening to him.

Suddenly, a blinding flash of white light exploded in front of him, and Yukio cried out in shock, throwing his hands up to shield his eyes. The light was so bright, so overwhelming, that it disoriented him completely. He staggered, feeling as though the ground beneath him had vanished, leaving him floating in a sea of light and noise.

And then, just as suddenly as it had appeared, the light was gone.

Yukio blinked, his vision swimming as he tried to make sense of his surroundings. But when he opened his eyes, he wasn't in Spadia anymore.

He was back in that place.

But this time, it was different.

A monstrous blizzard raged around him, the wind howling with a fury that seemed almost alive. The snow and ice swirled violently, obscuring everything, leaving Yukio disoriented and terrified.

He could barely see his own hands in front of him, let alone anything else. The cold was intense, biting into his skin, and yet it was the least of his concerns.

Panic set in, and Yukio's breaths came in short, frantic gasps. "Why is this happening? Why now?" he shouted into the storm, but his voice was swallowed by the wind. He spun around, trying to find some sense of direction, but it was no use. The blizzard was all-consuming, and it only seemed to grow stronger, more intense, as if it were feeding off his fear.

He tried to move, to navigate through the blizzard, but every step felt like wading through quicksand. The wind screamed louder, the snow lashed harder, and Yukio could feel the cold seeping into his bones, chilling him to the core. The blizzard was relentless, a monstrous force that seemed to grow more intense with every passing second, and he was trapped in the heart of it.

And then, through the swirling snow, the blue eyes appeared again, surrounding him, watching him. They hovered in the air, cold and unblinking, their gaze piercing through the chaos. Yukio's heart raced, and he backed away, his mind reeling with confusion and terror.

"Stop it!" Yukio screamed, his voice cracking with desperation and fear. "Whoever you are, whatever you're doing-stop it!"

He was hyperventilating now, his chest heaving as the terror threatened to consume him. He was just a boy-a fifteen-year-old boy who wanted to protect his family, to survive. Why was this happening to him? Why was he being cursed with these visions, these impossible, terrifying experiences?

"Please...make it stop..." he whispered, his voice breaking as tears welled up in his eyes. He felt so small, so powerless, like a leaf caught in a hurricane.

Suddenly, cutting through the howl of the blizzard, Yukio heard something-a voice, faint and distant, but unmistakable.

Yukio...

The sound of his name sent a jolt of shock through his body.

He whipped his head around, trying to locate the source of the voice, but it was impossible to see anything through the blizzard. The storm was too intense, too chaotic, and the voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at once.

"Who's there?!" Yukio shouted, his voice shaking with a mixture of fear and hope. "Who's calling me?!"

But there was no answer, only the relentless howl of the storm and the cold, unblinking gaze of those blue eyes.

Yukio's breath hitched as he strained to locate the source of the voice. A strange, unsettling energy crept up his spine, making the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end. Suddenly, a brilliant blue flash exploded in his vision, searing through his mind like a lightning strike.

Yukio blinked rapidly, his heart pounding as he prepared for the vision to end, convinced he would soon be back in that forsaken building with Kota and the others.

But when his eyes finally adjusted, the cold, harsh reality slammed into him like a physical blow.

He wasn't back.