Transmigrated as the Villainess Princess - Chapter 112

Chapter 112: Desolate
I should send some news to Richard…

Ahcehera’s fingers moved swiftly across the interface inside Syverian, her mecha’s control panel lighting up in response to her commands.

She had piloted many mechas before, but Syverian was special.

Built with advanced technology and imbued with her unique energy signature, it responded to her thoughts and emotions, making it an extension of herself.

The thrusters activated with a low hum, and the mecha soared through the darkened skies of Agartha.

The devastation of the planet was clear even from above, twisted metal structures, frozen lakes that should have been flowing rivers, and the eerie silence that settled over what was once a bustling hub of power and knowledge.

Ahcehera clenched her fists. Something unnatural had happened here. The academy was her next destination.

As she neared the academy’s perimeter, the sight before her sent a chill down her spine. The entire structure was encased in ice, not natural ice, but something far more sinister.

The barrier surrounding it was glowing, pulsating with dark blue energy, and was impenetrable to anyone who lacked the power to break through such forbidden magic.

She activated her communication link and dialed Richard. After a few moments, his voice came through, calm yet heavy with unspoken thoughts.

“Ahce, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but Agartha is in a worse state than I imagined. The academy is completely frozen, there’s a magical barrier sealing it whole.”

There was a brief pause on Richard’s end before he responded, “Agartha is already in a dire state, but for the academy to be affected means the incident wasn’t just limited to the base. The entire planet is suffering.”

Ahcehera tightened her grip on the controls. “Richard, you said the Nether Fire is now part of your soul, but what does that mean for you? Will it change you? I fought with someone… earlier.”

Richard let out a deep breath before replying.

“The Nether Fire isn’t something that exists to be controlled, Ahce. It has its own will, its own existence. It was always assumed to be an ancient force, something passed from one wielder to another, but…”

He hesitated. “No one ever mentioned a Guardian.”

Ahcehera frowned. “A Guardian?”

“Yes. The Nether Fire wasn’t supposed to have one, but something, or someone, awakened in Agartha. And you…” He paused again, his voice dropping lower, “You said you faced it directly?”

She thought about the shadowy entity, its distorted voice, and the way it had reacted to her presence.

“It knew about the Nether Fire, Richard. It was drawn to it, almost as if it was searching for something.”

Richard was silent for a moment before finally speaking.

“If what you’re saying is true, then the Nether Fire was never just a power. It was part of something much greater, something we don’t understand yet. And now that it’s inside me, I don’t know if that means I inherited more than just its power.”

Ahcehera’s heart clenched at his words.

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, Ahce, that I don’t know what this makes me now.”

His voice was steady, but she could sense the weight of uncertainty behind it.

Ahcehera took a deep breath and steadied herself.

“Then we’ll find out together.”

Richard chuckled softly. “You always say that.”

“Because it’s true.”

She exhaled, trying to clear her mind.

“For now, I need to focus on breaking this barrier.”

“Be careful, Ahce. We don’t know what’s waiting inside.”

“I know.”

She disconnected the call and focused on the academy before her.

Ahcehera activated Syverian’s scanning system, searching for weak points in the magical barrier.

The readings came back unstable, indicating the barrier was constantly shifting, adapting, and evolving. Breaking it with brute force wouldn’t work.

She needed a different approach.

She summoned a small flame in her palm, a remnant of the Nether Fire’s energy that had brushed against her when Richard first awakened it. It’s good to be mates!

“If the barrier is made of ancient ice magic… then fire should be able to counter it.”

She pressed her palm against the barrier. The moment her flames touched the surface, the entire barrier trembled, sending ripples outward like water disturbed by a single drop.

The ice began to crack.

A voice suddenly echoed through the air, cold and commanding.

“Who dares disrupt the eternal slumber?”

Ahcehera turned swiftly, scanning the area. The temperature dropped even further, frost creeping along Syverian’s limbs as a figure materialized from the frozen mist.

A woman, clad in robes woven from ice and darkness, stepped forward. Her hair, long and silver, trailed behind her like flowing frost, and her eyes gleamed with an unnatural glow.

Ahcehera stiffened. “Another Guardian?”

The woman smiled. “Not just any Guardian. I am the Keeper of the Frozen Realm, the warden of this cursed place. And you, child of fire, have trespassed upon sacred ground.”

Child of fire? Ahcehera stood her ground. “I need to enter the academy. There are people trapped inside.”

The Keeper tilted her head, amusement flickering across her features. “And what makes you think they still live?”

Ahcehera’s eyes widened, her stomach twisting. “You’re lying.”

The Keeper stepped closer, her presence sending icy tendrils crawling up Ahcehera’s limbs. “Am I?”

Ahcehera clenched her fists, summoning her flames once more. “Then let me see for myself.”

Without hesitation, she thrust her fire forward. The Nether Fire within her surged, merging with her will, and engulfed the frozen barrier.

The Keeper narrowed her eyes but did not move to stop her. Instead, she whispered, “Then face the truth, child of fire.”

The barrier shattered. Ahcehera rushed forward, stepping into the academy’s frozen halls. The sight before her took her breath away. Bodies encased in ice.

Students, teachers, warriors, all frozen in place, their expressions locked in moments of terror. She staggered back, her heart pounding violently.

This wasn’t just a simple lockdown. This was a massacre. And whatever had done this…

Was still inside.

Ahcehera’s breath came in short, uneven gasps as she took in the horrifying sight.

The frozen bodies stretched endlessly through the academy halls, each face twisted in silent screams, their fear forever preserved in ice.

The once-vibrant academy now felt like a tomb, an eerie graveyard where time had stopped. A sudden crackling sound echoed through the corridors.

Ahcehera’s pulse spiked as she spun around, her instincts screaming at her to prepare for battle. From the depths of the frozen halls, something stirred.

The ice wasn’t just preserving the dead. It was waiting for something to awaken.