Chapter 20: Ice Mark

"He's died over a thousand times," Evania shook her head. "He keeps making the same decision over and over again. Look, there goes his head."

Boom!

Howard's head spun circles in the air, landing against the blood covered grass as pillars of flames shot up into the sky. Smiling at the woman he loved running off to safety, Howard felt a warmth on the inside disappearing before he suddenly reappeared on his feet.

For the 1001st time, Howard saw a skeleton's head inches from his face stabbing forward with a sword. To his right, two zombies wearing armor brandished axes towards his head while a woman rushed towards his arms.

An archer pulling a bow string, smiled before pulling the string back and shooting out a stream of light that went through a nearby soldier's head. Blood shot onto Howard's head before he saw a single opening above the girl who he loved most dearly.

A beautiful girl with green hair, looked up with tears on her eyes, seeing the man she loved fighting for his life as a spear neared her. Turning back and seeing the choice between his life and her own, she immediately shook her head and screamed "No" before Howard jumped forward.

A spear stabbed into Howard's neck, sending his head tilting to the side before a skeleton's hand flashed and escaped his vision. His head began to tilt to the side and fall to the floor, rolling on the ground as the girl he loved escaped with tears coming down her eyes.

"Howard, you idiot! What are you doing!" Monica screamed at the top of her lungs. Sitting in front of three beautiful woman, Monica watched on in horror from the third pathway Howard's current predicament.

Grinding her ball into a fist, Monica slammed her hands into the table, looking at the black haired woman floating in the air, inches from her face, with a stare that could freeze even the hottest fires. "Damn it! Why are you showing me this? So what if my boyfriend is an idiot."

"He's at least trying. You haven't even started the third challenge." The black haired woman waved her hand, causing dozens of doorways to appear. She pointed to the one at the end of the haul, appearing with hundreds of strange, distorted shadows, and carefully drank her tea. "Monica, Zack would want you to pick a doorway."

"Hmph, you mean so I can forget him?" Monica stuck out her tongue and watched Howard make the same decision one more time. "You want me to try that technique again right?! Well, Zack told me he'd teach me it when he got back! I'm just waiting for him, okay!"

"Monica, he's dead." The lady shook her head. "He's dead except in your nightmares. You can't have dreams if your nightmares constantly destroy them. I'm not telling you to forget him. I'm merely asking you to see what he'd want."

"You-you think I'll-I'll be able to help Howard," Monica crossed her arms and watched Howard die for the 1005th time. "That idiot is so stupid. It���s like he sees a girl, and he loses all reason!"

"At least he tries," The woman named Jarcey said, smiling as Howard fell into the darkness one more time. "You-you don't understand how important it is to close the door Zack left open. Once you do that, even Howard won't pass you in strength for a long time."

"You-you promise I can leave if I don't like what I see?" Monica stood up and slowly and carefully walked towards the room at the end of the hall. The further she got, the more Zack's laugh appeared in her head, causing her to cry as she walked deeper into the darkness. "You'll help me Jarcey? Promise?"

"You're so beautiful, Monica. That boy died a 1005 times for someone that reminded him of you. At this point, you're practically cheating on your future with a dead man! Go in there and show him you're worth the relationship!"

"Fine! I'm doing it, but I'm not going to like it!" Monica opened the door at the end of the hallway, and slammed it, causing Una and Zack to appear before her eyes.

In a field with thousands of pikes littered around, some full of corpses, a signal magician floated above everything, casting down a feeling of contempt at the two travelers wandering below.

"Zack, so nice to see you." Monica ran forward, and jumped into the man's arms, causing Una to stop and pause on her path.

Zack's blue hair and freckled features appeared in front of her eyes. A warm smile instantly spread across his face, before he opened his arms and caught all th feelings Monica had to offer. Spinning her in the air, holding her close, Zack laughed and flicked back his hair. He immediately pushed his hair into Monica's forehead, and rubbed it before a bright smile appeared on his face.

"Little sister! I missed you," Zack hoisted her up into the air. "What are you doing so deep in the Furnace?"

"I-I don't want you to leave me. Please don't!" Monica grabbed him with all her might. "Please! Please just come back to the camp. We, we can drink orange soda together, and tell stories all night long! Just like when we used to be in school."

"I'm sorry, Monica. I have to go in the Furnace. Sometimes, you can't escape your fate," Zack smiled and brushed her on the head. "However, oh wait! I just remembered, I wanted to teach you something."

"Please, please stop," Monica began hitting his chest like a drum. "Please! Don't teach me anything."

"Una's waiting for me," Zack rubbed her on the head. "However, since we're both ice users I have to teach you this. Can you open your hand?" Zack took out a small little trinket, and rubbed it gently between his hands. "I spent all night making this trinket for you.I promise you'll like it."

"No, please no!" Monica wiped the snot from her face, hitting him one last time. "Why-why did you do this? What made you risk your life for a dream?"

"It's because of you," Zack gently brushed aside her hair and put his head against her one more time. "I did it because I know in the future you'll be a thousand times better than me. I just wanted to be a lighthouse that guided the way. Now, look here. We love each other right?"

"Yes, of course I love you brother," Monica wiped the tears from her eyes. "I-I never once told anyone we were related! Just like you said!"

"Good girl," Zack rubbed her hair one last time and put in all his warmth. "This technique is called the Ice Mark. When I mastered it, I immediately jumped to the C rank. You're going to be so cool when you use it!"

"Ice-Ice mark?" Monica wiped her tears. "What is that?"

"It's all in the trinket I left you at home," Zack said with a smile. "When you activate it, a mark will appear on your body that will make you so strong! However, the design of the mark is up to you."

"What-what does yours do idiot." Monica couldn't help it and hugged Zack one more time. "Why! Why did you have to leave?! I hate you so much!"

"I love you too," Zack laughed and caused a blue cross to appear on his arms, suddenly causing the air around him to chill. Slamming his hand down, a gigantic glacier formed that soared 30 meters into the air. "Anyways, this is my mark. It lets me channel energy ten times faster for a minute. I bet yours will be even cooler!"

"The only thing cool is you," Monica stepped back and looked up at the magician in the sky, laughing and waiting for Una and Zack to advance a few feet further. Grinding her fist into a ball, she slammed it into Zack's arm, wiping the tears from her eyes. "You're so cool that you… you should know I got a boyfriend! He's mine!"

"Oh, well I'm glad to hear that." Zack smiled and turned to face Una, "Anyways, pipsqueak, I got to go be that lighthouse okay? See you in a few years."

"Zack, no! ZACK!" Monica reached forward only to find herself sitting back at the table.

Looking down, Howard's head once again spun in the air, landing on the ground and gushing out in all directions

"He'll be proud of you." Jersey said, brushing back all the sadness welling out of the small girl in front of her. "Zack will be so proud of you. However, now, shall we begin the real training?"