For more chapters, up to 10 chapters ahead, go to patreon.com/Josden
****
The clash between Pitch and me was instantaneous. The moment he unleashed his wave of Nightmares, I shot into the air, dodging shadowy claws that lashed out to grab me. My staff glowed with icy light as I swung it, sending a razor-sharp blast of cold that split the darkness and scattered his creatures.
Pitch wasted no time. He lunged, his body gliding across shadows like living mist. A black whip snapped from his hand, coiling through the air before striking toward me with blinding speed. I blocked it with my staff, the impact sending a shockwave of frost rippling outward. But Pitch yanked the whip, twisting it around my weapon to pull me off balance.
I was thrown forward, forced to release my grip momentarily, but I spun midair, using the icy wind to steady myself. Without pause, I charged at him, swinging my staff with full force. He barely parried with a shadow blade conjured at the last second. We locked in a standoff, faces inches apart, eyes blazing.
"Not bad, Jack," Pitch hissed with a mocking grin. "But can you keep up?"
Without warning, he dissolved into black sand, reappearing behind me. His whip cracked, grazing my shoulder before I could fully dodge. Burning pain seared my arm, but I ignored it. I spun and struck back, conjuring a thick ice wall that forced him to retreat.
I caught my breath. The air crackled with tension. My frost clashed with his shadows, and where our powers collided, something new emerged—translucent black pillars of dark ice now littered the battlefield.
Pitch noticed too, smirking. "Interesting… Our powers resonate. Perhaps we're more alike than you'd care to admit."
I gritted my teeth and lunged, switching to close combat. My staff whirled as I aimed a strike at his torso. Pitch dodged nimbly, but I feinted a second blow and kicked his ribs, sending him skidding back.
He growled but recovered instantly, sweeping shadows through the snow. His whip lashed again, but this time, I caught its tip with my staff and flash-froze the dark matter. Pitch let go just as the ice crawled toward his arm.
The fight reignited, each clash warping the air. Frost and shadow arced around us, carving twisted shapes that loomed like ruins of a forgotten world.
We soared through the sky, slamming into buildings, shattering streetlights, and cracking concrete. Chaos reigned, but neither of us faltered.
Blow after blow, we fought for dominance. Pitch teleported like a phantom, while I rode icy gusts to dodge and counter. Our powers collided, fracturing the air with ice shards and waves of darkness.
Then, during a brutal exchange, Pitch hurled me against a rooftop antenna. I crumpled it on impact and rolled across the snow. Before I could rise, he pinned me, knee on my chest, whip coiled around my staff.
"You fight well, I'll grant you that," he whispered, voice dripping menace. "But you can't win. You're strong… but not enough."
I spat blood into the snow and grinned defiantly. "Oh, Pitch… You haven't seen anything yet."
With an elbow strike, I created enough space to summon an icy burst beneath me. Snow exploded, and Pitch stumbled—just long enough for me to break free and slam my staff into his jaw.
He staggered back, dazed, and I pressed the advantage. Channeling golden snowflakes into my palms, I hurled them at the dark ice pillars around us. Energy surged, and the hybrid structures *moved*.
Creatures of frost and shadow tore free—half-ice golems, half-nightmarish incarnations—and swarmed Pitch. He repelled some with shadow waves, but surprise flickered in his eyes.
"You…" He retreated, watching the battlefield shift. "The *real* Jack Frost… could never do this."
I wiped blood from my lips, confidence blazing. "I might not be the Jack Frost you knew… but here's something you should understand."
I raised my staff, and my army rose behind me, poised to strike.
"I'm *more* than him."
Pitch clenched his jaw, frustration raw. Then, slowly, his expression shifted. A wicked smile spread.
"Very well, Jack. Let's play."
***
**The Battle at the Gordon House**
Through my connection to the golems, I glimpsed the fight below. Pitch's Nightmares clawed at the Gordons' house, but the spiritual barrier held. The black horses neighed furiously, stamping the snow and spewing dark sand. A fatal mistake.
The golems struck relentlessly. Their massive fists froze the Nightmares' essence on contact. One golem lifted a charging horse and smashed it into the ground, reducing it to dissipating dust.
Liam watched in awe. "They… they're winning!"
Melinda kept a hand on the barrier, vigilant. "They have the upper hand as long as the barrier holds. Jack planned this well."
The snowman hopped onto Liam's shoulder, chiming in.
Liam managed a shaky smile. "I hope so…"
***
**Back in the Skies**
Pitch noticed my split focus.
"Oh? You're watching the battle below, aren't you?" He sneered. "Fascinating. You're more tethered to this world than I thought."
I answered with an icy blast. Pitch deflected it with a shadow wall, then charged. I backflipped, diving toward the snow-covered city below—forcing the fight onto my turf.
Buildings blurred as we weaved through ice and shadow. The cold intensified, magic crackling wildly.
Pitch halted midair, grinning madly. "You think you can defeat me, Jack Frost?"
I raised my staff, resolve blazing. "I'll do more than that, Pitch. I'll end you. For good."
The night sky ignited anew as we collided, ready to fight until the end.