The forest's icy breath whispered tales of victory as the invader emerged, clutching the warrior tiger's heart like a stolen sun. No longer a trophy, it thrummed in his grasp, a caged heartbeat promising power unknown. He'd walked this path before, seen hearts plucked and discarded, but this one pulsed with a radiant magic, unlike any other. It called to the north, where destiny awaited in a meeting veiled by starlight.
The Northern Lights waltzed above, swirling emerald and amethyst curtains across the frozen realm. Never had the invader, seasoned in wonder, witnessed such a celestial tapestry. The wind, a frigid caress, played a haunting melody on the snowdrifts, his footsteps echoing a counterpoint. Every step of crunching snow echoed in the silence, broken only by the wind's mournful howl. His icy eyes, shielded by a mask of resolve, concealed the storm within.
Fog draped the landscape, cloaking every detail in whispered secrets. The heart, his burden and compass, pulsed coldly in its sack, yet his face remained a mask of glacial resolve.
The Northern Lights, a majestic spectacle, painted the sky with their kaleidoscopic hues. Despite the invader's hardened heart, a flicker of awe touched him. The bag, heavy with the heart's cold power, felt like a ticking clock. He pressed on, his eyes scanning the landscape for any sign of the enigmatic man.
Reaching a desolate clearing bathed in the aurora's ethereal glow, the invader found him. A silent figure, devoid of emotion, awaited. With a steeled hand, the invader extended the bag. The man took the heart, his eyes widening in shock and wonder. "How?" he breathed, mesmerized.
"We can't waste time on explanations." the invader replied, his voice a blade honed on ice. "Open the door."
The man nodded and began to unveil the invisible passage that materialized around him. The invader witnessed this magical gateway, crafted by the power of the heart, for the first time. He grasped that this journey would lead him to a mysterious realm within the depths of the north.
As the enigmatic man expanded the passage, the atmosphere surrounding him underwent a transformation. The sound of the wind served as a herald, marking the transition to the enigmatic land of the north. The invader, poised to take his step, felt a curiosity stir beneath his cool expression in response to the call of the unknown.
Using the power of the heart, the man had successfully created the opening they desired.
"We can go in now," the man calmly replied.
The warrior, stepping into the passage, suddenly found himself in another dimension. A world cloaked in snow, adorned with giant ice crystals, and a region where the coldness was even more pronounced. Yet somehow, the time zone remained consistent.
"Where is this?" the warrior queried.
"Well, although the area we traversed feels different, we are still in the same time zone and location. Only this part is concealed by the northern lights."
Aware of the man's actions and words, the warrior sought more information.
"You seem to know a lot about these matters."
"The truth is, I was once the wizard's assistant, but when I realized that what he was doing was not good, I left him."
Wizard's assistant, the man had said, the statement hanging heavy in the air. It was a simple phrase, yet it triggered a tremor in the warrior's carefully constructed composure. A worm of doubt slithered into his gut, gnawing at the edges of his trust.
But regardless of this being a revelation, a betrayal, or tricking him insidiously, the warrior stood there calmly. He only wanted to exchange information about the wizard and was only after his goal, not purposely helping this man. So without questioning any further, he focused on the work itself,
"It doesn't make sense for someone powerful to hide like this."
"Because he doesn't want to be stopped or killed until he achieves his goal."
"What is his goal?"
"He wants to revive the best generals in history, soullessly, and make an army out of them. In short, he wants to create a dead legion."