The rock debris my right hand was clinging to fell, and only one grip was keeping me from falling. I was on the verge of falling when orange eyes looked down at me. He offered his hand, and I took it.

  "Elion." I said.

  His grip was hard, and he pulled me back up to the ground.

  "I've gotten rid of them." He said.

  I looked around and found that all of the racers had been electrocuted, currently paralyzed.

  "Go, catch up to your horse!" He yelled.

  "But you should be in first place." I replied. "You saved me."

  He didn't give a response and immediately mounted me on his horse. No questions. I just held on because time was ticking.

  We quickly caught up to Golde, and when we were aligned with him, I carefully leaped off and got back onto my horse, unbalanced, then steadied myself.

  "Elion from Greatspire saved our Polarman Skymint from falling off the cliff! What a generous young man!" The race caller cried.

  I let out a sigh. Good thing they dismissed my horse autopilot mode. Thought that Golde just continued running out of instinct. They weren't suspecting enough to point out that I could have used a Magical Item to cheat.

  We passed Pandust, the Sandman noble from Sunstar, who had been struck by Skadar's projectile. His horse was injured.

  I slowed for half a second, instincts kicking in for a fellow bear. "You alright?"

  He glanced up. Sand smeared his beige fur, his eyes sharp beneath a torn hood. "Don't you dare pity me, Polarion." He hissed. "This isn't your tundra. No one slows down here. Not for the weak."

  I opened my mouth, but he cut me off.

  "One day, they'll demand blood from you. You better not flinch when they do."

  His words lingered like smoke. I left him behind, but something about the way he said it sounded less like a warning and more like a promise.

  We veered onto a path that shifted into ordinary trees, drifting away from the Mystical Forest. We couldn't go any further, as ordered by the Plant King beforehand.

  "Why did you save me?" I asked Elion.

  The ground opened up out of nowhere, revealing tendrils of roots, moving like a feral octopus, elongating to pull me off the horse.

  I shot huge blades of ice to slice them off, but they were stubborn enough to grow more. Meanwhile, Elion stood a safe distance away from the roots. The realization hit me. His electric abilities wouldn't counter the plants.

  Just as I was about to build an ice stair to cross from above instead of fighting off the roots, Golde took a risky move. I quickly ducked, hugging my horse tight, as he went through a small opening. For a moment, I felt horrified, but we made it to the other side untouched.

  I continued to blast ice behind us to prevent the plants from following.

  I'm in first place now, aren't I? Why isn't the race caller declaring it yet?

  I nearly skipped a breath when the ground ahead exploded, and Luceran popped into view on his plant-decorated horse.

  It felt like a cheat. It didn't help that Skadar came out of the hole too, second to the Plant Prince.

  Rays of light trailed his back, directing toward me, and Golde abruptly turned to dodge. He leaped off the path so fast that I almost collided with the Magical Item absorbing the events, much like Arie's ice drone.

  He probably sensed danger everywhere on the racing track, so he did this.

  But we were midair. I saw the forest beneath me. A horse couldn't possibly jump that high. I realized we'd been hit by Skadar's light projectile, a trailing attack that followed its target.

  It was still brushing Golde's back legs. I brushed it off by freezing the area where it hit, and the glowing yellow dissolved. It reminded me of his eyes, those that deceived Arie.

  Everything was happening so fast that I lost track of where my opponents were positioned. I could hear the crowd noise now from the stadium. We were getting near the finish line.

  I gripped the reins tighter and caught up to Skadar.

  My hopes soared when suddenly, vines wrapped around the front legs of my horse and Skadar's gray horse. Luceran's doing again. He was getting on my nerves, but Skadar was the one I could attack.

  Just as I was disentangling the vines on my horse, I shot Skadar a fierce look.

  "If you wanted to defeat me, you'd have done it already. But you're too much of a show-off."

  "I held back because you're too weak." He sneered.

  He slammed my wrists to the ground. Ice bloomed from his fingers.

  Then, with venom in his voice, he said, "You should've fallen off that cliff when you had the chance. Would've saved me the race and the trouble of getting rid of you."

  I broke free. Polarmen are stronger than humans, and I poured every ounce of fury into that moment. My claws tore across his face, deep and sharp.

  "Never forget this." I spat.

  He gasped. "How dare you—"

  I didn't wait. I sliced the vines tethering our horses and leapt back into the race.

  "I'll freeze you! I'll shatter you like glass!" His voice bellowed behind me, echoing loud enough for the forest and the crowd to hear.

  A pang throbbed in my chest. My first act of vengeance. But he deserved it.

  He nearly killed me. He nearly killed Arie.

  "Luceran is being threatened by Elion, who was chill from the start!" The race caller announced.

  The trees thinned out, and a loud noise rang in my ears, coming from the hundreds of spectators. My ears flicked, and I crouched lower as Golde surged to catch the two.

  I can do this. Just one powerful surge of ice. It's what I owe Elion for.

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  My heart raced, adrenaline coursing through my veins. The finish line was just within reach. In one deep breath, I released a huge mass of ice and froze Luceran whole, including his horse. He was just one step from the finish line. He never thought he'd still be vulnerable.

  I passed him and acquired second place.

  Elion raised his hand, marking his victory.

  The crowd erupted in applause, cheering in triumph. I scanned the stadium to look for Arie, but it was hard to spot her with so many green-haired in the seats of Freshan.

  Elion gave a small, humble wave to the audience, while I merely nodded in acknowledgment. Luceran shot a glance at the crowd, clearly annoyed by his third-place finish, and Skadar simply scowled.

  But then, Elion's gaze softened as he turned to me. There was a pause, a moment of silence between the two of us, as the crowd's noise seemed to fade for just a brief moment.

  Then, finally, Elion spoke, his voice almost a whisper amidst the crowd's fading applause. "As for your question." He said, his eyes meeting mine with a strange intensity. "I always rooted for the Grizzly King's representative."

  ***

  Arie's POV

  I clapped happily when Skymint triumphed in second place. I had been so worried when he was on the verge of falling off the cliff. Luckily, the warrior from Greatspire saved him. Carrie had told me he'd run in races before and always won first place because of his electric speed and experience. I was upset that she didn't tell Skymint, and she told me she didn't want him to feel intimidated. Turns out he's a kind person.

  "See, Elion wasn't a threat." Carrie said in a lighthearted way. "And what's with that terrified look when Skadar got scratched?"

  I gazed at the racing track, feeling her curious eyes on me.

  "It's just... Skymint should have frozen him instead of leaving a mark." I lied.

  "I can agree. He had a handsome face." She replied.

  But that's not what I was thinking. The bounty hunters would be able to know that Skymint was there because he left a claw scratch on Skadar's face, one of the racers. Our plan was to exchange the leaf bills for ice bills, and then pay the Guardian back on the Polarmen Islands so the bounty would be cleared.

  The seats began to empty as people prepared to return to their kingdoms. Some frowning, others satisfied. Meanwhile, the gamblers exchanged bills, and those who lost made disappointed faces.

  "Should we go now?" Carrie asked.

  I nodded.

  We moved down the seats, the ground cluttered with people. Skymint could wait, and Carrie shouldn't be able to find me quickly. Even though she's my cousin, I can't trust her to defy her father's command. I walked on my own toward the spot where the Glacians had sat.

  Only the gamblers remained. The people I was looking for were gone. I ran to reach the edge of the grandstand, dodging those I passed while the sun burned through my masked eyes.

  I knew where the Glacians always went after the competition: to the Plant Palace. But now that they had no Windcore among the aristocrats, they would go for their carriage instead of the vineline.

  I reached the back of the grandstand, which was surrounded by trees. I hid behind one of them, scanning the area to spot any Glacians.

  I felt a tap on my shoulder. I shivered.

  "Hey, I could sense the plants within my range to detect where you are."

  I turned to her. "You scared me."

  "I'm not the scary one between us." She chuckled. "Plants fear ice."

  "Well, what are you doing here? Skymint's looking for you." She said.

  I looked around again and still didn't see Aice. He must be with Wade at the stadium.

  I let out a sigh. "Can you look for Claudius?"

  "Sure. You should've told me earlier." She closed her eyes and breathed.

  Then her eyes fluttered open. "At the fountain."

  We walked casually to the Glacian carriages, with royal guards posted nearby. They eyed us quietly. We turned into a shaded, plant-lined corner behind the carriages, where palace staff briefly rested before departure.

  I spotted his distinctive periwinkle hair. Claudius was sitting on a low stone bench behind the fountain, scribbling notes in a leather-bound journal. He looked up and immediately closed it.

  He stood up and bowed. "The leaves whisper your name, Plant Princess."

  Carrie nudged my arm. I locked my eyes onto him and removed the mask. "Claudius, make sure the guards don't hear."

  His pupils dilated behind his eyeglasses. He summoned a purple fog that surrounded us, keeping our voices contained within it.

  "Arie... how is this possible? Are you a phantom? Is my ability messing with me now?" He asked, recognizing me despite my light-green wig.

  "It's really me, Arie." I said, smiling at him. "The Polarman, Skymint, saved me. It's a long story, and I just wanted to let a Glacian I trust know that I'm still alive."

  "Will you come back to the palace?" He asked.

  "I want to, but I can't. Felipe would kill me." I said, my tone grim.

  "I'll be staying here in Fresha." I lied. If Carrie weren't here with me, I'd tell him everything. If only I could tell him without my cousin knowing.

  "Arie, they're coming." Carrie warned.

  "I promise I'll come back someday." I told Claudius before leaving.

  "Be careful." He said, his purple eyes deeply concerned.

  I put my half-mask back on and walked with Carrie toward the stadium, but we stopped just behind the grandstand. She summoned a flower to bounce us onto the seats, letting us reach the track more easily than going all the way to the edge. Then we slid down the seats with her vines.

  We found King Berard talking with Skymint, filled with joy at his triumph. Skymint approached as soon as he saw me.

  "Where have you been?" He asked.

  "I informed a Glacian noble that I'm still alive." I admitted.

  He raised his eyebrows. "Can they be trusted?"

  "As much as your sister." I answered.

  There's still the awkwardness between us ever since the Doppelganger Lake incident.

  I spotted King Berard clutching leaf bills from a satchel made of deer leather. I looked inside and found it filled to the brim.

  "That's plenty enough." I said, turning to Skymint.

  I noticed the flower in the center unfurl midair, the race caller poised at its core. A scrawny man was with him at the top. No, a Wolfman was with him, and I caught a glint of metal. I didn't have time to speak.

  "An important announcement, dear Freshans! One of our racers, Skymint Polarion, as of three days ago, has a bounty on his head! The Guardian of Polarmen offers a hundred thousand ice bills for whoever catches him—"

  The crowd erupted in chaos, drowning out the voice of the race caller, as I ran with Skymint without thinking. Carrie ran along with us, using plants to strangle anyone that went near us.

  "Wait, Skymint! My portion of leaf bills!" King Berard bellowed.

  I felt sorry for him. But with these hundreds of people reaching for Skymint, we weren't able to seek help from him.

  Wolfmen are so vile. I hate Felipe even more. Now I'm forced to freeze these people blinded by bills.

  "Carrie, be careful to not kill anyone." I said while freezing their arms and legs.

  "Of course! But our lives come first!" She yelled. "If anyone dies, it is unintentional."

  I can hardly attack humans compared to Wolfmen. I can feel their pain as I freeze them. I don't understand why someone like Felipe enjoys hurting others. I don't like wars either. Right now, this place is similar to a war: full of chaos.

  "Skymint, throw some leaf bills!" I shouted over the rising roar of the crowd.

  "Got it!" He yanked a handful from his satchel and flung them high.

  The reaction was instant, like vampires scenting blood. The crowd's frenzy shifted as they lunged for the fluttering leaf bills, trampling each other to snatch them midair. Shouts turned into scuffles. Greed overtook reason.

  But the distraction only dulled the edge of the storm. Many still chased after us, eyes wild and desperate.

  We ran and ran until the chasers lessened. Carrie almost dying from exhaustion while I retained my stamina. Meanwhile, Skymint endured; all of this running and defending was like all the years in his work experience combined. As we neared the river, the trees ahead of us pulsed with ancient magic. We entered the Mystical Forest, and they still trailed.

  Thick thorns blocked them, vanishing the forest from their view. To my surprise, I finally saw a fairy in person. She made a single clap, and all at once, their raging stopped. I heard their chatter as they wondered how they got there. They forgot.

  Then she scattered glowing powder outside the thorns where the confused people were, and they all walked back in unison.

  "May the wind safely lead them back to their homes." She gently said, still flying in the air.

  She hovered down to us and looked at each of us with curiosity. She wasn't a young fairy, but a woman. Then her gaze stopped on Skymint.

  "A Polarman. An evolutionary creature. What brought you here?" She asked, leaning closer to him.

  "I have a bounty on my head, from the Guardian of Polarmen." He admitted.

  Her luminescent wings sparkled like stars in the evening sky. She closed them and landed her feet on the earth.

  "The greedy guardian. Such a creature shall be punished. Currently, he is suffering from the Wolf King's wrath." She said in her melodic voice. "The Wolf King, he was here long ago, but took my guidance in a twisted way."

  I gasped. I tried to think of why Felipe would be here, but the fairy gazed at me, her height intimidating.

  "Be careful of your beliefs, young lady. A facade will never last eternally." She reached for my mask and gently removed it.

  I fluttered my sky-blue eyes. Her cryptic words somehow sank into my skin, touching something I'm unaware of.

  She turned to Carrie. "And Princess, turn back while you still can."

  "Are we—are we staying here?" She asked.

  "Only today." The fairy answered.

  And then, she vanished in a dust of powder.

  Skymint, Carrie, and I glanced at each other, chasing our breaths. The high wall of thorns remained, blocking us from going out of the forest, but this place felt like a safe haven out of a dream.

  We collapsed onto the mud before I could worry about the day ahead.