Please! [Bonus]

Sylas gasped for breath, immediately turning his Wisdom back to fending off the cold. But…

He looked down at his hands that had already begun to turn an uncomfortable shade of grey and blue. Just moving his lips slightly caused them to crack.

He had known this would happen. Reflecting the cold winds took up too much of his mind, and if he was going to overwhelm an opponent with illusions and tricks, that was exactly the talent of his he needed to lean into.

This time, though… it was a necessary evil.

He could only hope that the ninth challenge would be easier.

Without time to waste, Sylas' jaw set and he pulled himself up. Gathering his things, he moved to the ninth stair and leapt up.

…

Sylas pulled himself up to see the same landscape as always: an icy plane with harsh snow falling from above.

As for what was across from him, it was yet another Clypsian and the second woman he had come across on this staircase.