Aria and Maria materialized atop a mountain city, the crisp air swirling around them, carrying wisps of clouds through the streets. Jagged peaks loomed in the distance, their snow-capped summits piercing the sky.
"My lady, what exactly are we searching for?" Maria asked, her gaze sweeping over the misty landscape.
Aria's eyes remained steady as she spoke. "An ancient book. It's said to be hidden within a cave at the peak of a mountain—marked by a sign so obvious that only the blind could miss it." She paused, inhaling the cold air. "We have the mountain. Now we need to find the cave."
Maria gave a sharp nod before weaving a summoning circle into existence. A pulse of magic rippled outward, and in a flash of light, a sturdy mountain goat materialized before them, its keen eyes scanning the rocky terrain. She placed a hand on the goat's head and issued a simple command. "Find a cave within the peak of the mountain."
The creature snorted before bounding forward, navigating the treacherous slopes with effortless grace.
Aria tilted her head slightly, an approving glint in her gray eyes. "Smart choice. A mountain goat is perfectly suited for the terrain."
A faint smile played on her lips as ice coiled around her, shaping itself into a sleek, crystalline chair. She sat down with effortless poise, watching Maria with quiet amusement.
Maria hesitated for a moment before nodding, unsure how to respond. Instead, she turned her attention back to the goat, waiting for it to lead them to their destination.
Nearly an hour passed before the mountain goat finally returned. Maria crouched down, resting a hand on its head. "Did you find the cave?" she asked, hope flickering in her voice.
The goat shook its head. Signaling a no.
Aria absorbed the news without surprise, the icy chair beneath her dissolving into mist. She stepped toward Maria, her expression calm yet decisive. "Then we move to the next mountain."
Before Maria could respond, Aria pulled her close. Ice crystallized around them in an instant, enveloping them—and the goat—in a shimmering frost.
Moments later, they reappeared atop another peak. The air here was different—hot, dry, laced with the faint scent of sulfur. Beneath their feet, the ground pulsed with latent heat, and molten rivers carved through the distant crags.
Maria blinked. "A volcano?"
Aria let out a dry chuckle, glancing around. "Of course. Because obviously an ancient book of ice would be hidden near a volcano." Her voice dripped with sarcasm, but a glint of intrigue lingered in her gray eyes.
The mountain goat huffed, seemingly unimpressed with her commentary, before bounding off to resume its search. Hours passed—three in total—before it returned, eyes alight with urgency. This time, it nodded.
Aria's lips curled into a pleased smile. "So there is a cave."
Without hesitation, they followed the goat's lead. The journey was slow, the terrain unforgiving, but after an hour of trekking across jagged rock and loose ash, they arrived.
A dark maw yawned before them, the entrance to an uncharted cavern.
Aria exhaled, scanning the surrounding landscape. "This might actually be it."
With a quiet sense of purpose, she stepped inside first, Maria close behind. The goat followed last, its hooves clicking against the stone as they disappeared into the shadows.
As they ventured deeper into the mountain, the passageways narrowed, forcing them to squeeze through jagged rock formations. The air grew dense, laced with the faint scent of minerals and damp stone.
"Maria, cancel your summon," Aria instructed, her gaze flicking toward the tightening gaps ahead. "No need to waste mana—you might need it later."
Maria gave a quick nod before dismissing the mountain goat. With a flicker of light, it vanished.
Aria exhaled, assessing the cramped descent before them. Without hesitation, mana flared around her, a controlled surge of energy keeping her hair tightly bound to her clothes to prevent it from snagging against the rough walls, she began her descent.
Maria hesitated, swallowing hard as she glanced down the perilous drop. A moment later, her dress shimmered, morphing into a pair of form-fitting blue sweatpants, better suited for the climb ahead.
Hours passed—three grueling, sweat-drenched hours of crawling, sliding, and maneuvering through impossibly tight crevices. By the time they reached the cavern floor, Maria slumped against the nearest rock, dirt smeared across her face, her sweatpants torn in a few places.
"That…" she panted, wiping a smudge from her cheek, "was the worst experience I've ever been through."
Aria, seemingly unbothered, merely dusted off her sleeves, her expression unreadable as she took in their new surroundings.
A red dungeon appeared in front of them in the opening of the volcano. Aria looked towards it for a few seconds. "There's where we need to go."
"Just us?.. in a dungeon?" Maria said unsure about this.
"It should be fine... after all you're with me." Aria said before walking towards it.
Area stepped into the gate. As Maria was following about to enter, the dungeon vanished.
Aria stepped through the gate, the rush of mana tingling against her skin. Just as Maria was about to follow, the dungeon vanished without warning—severing their connection.
Inside the dungeon, Aria's breath hitched as she stared at her hands.
As she surveyed her surroundings, she stood atop a grand staircase, its steps carved from ancient stone now encased in a thick layer of ice. The walls, once majestic, were now frozen solid; time had chipped away at their surfaces, but the relentless grip of the frost held them steadfast.
"This must be it," Aria whispered to herself, her breath visible in the frigid air. Suddenly, green flames ignited along the walls, casting an eerie glow that illuminated the path descending into the abyss.
As she cautiously made her way down the staircase, the temperature plummeted further. The oppressive cold began to bypass her cold immunity, and the silence was so profound that even her own footsteps seemed muffled. The green flames flickered, casting dancing shadows that played tricks on her eyes.
Reaching the bottom, Aria found herself in a vast chamber. The ceiling stretched high above, disappearing into darkness. Stalactites of ice hung precariously, and the walls were adorned with ancient, frost-covered tapestries depicting battles long forgotten.
The chamber stretched endlessly into the darkness, its vastness swallowing any sense of boundary. A sudden pulse of mana surged through the air, striking Aria with an almost tangible force. The oppressive silence was shattered by the resonant echo of a greatsword being unsheathed, the metallic whisper reverberating off the icy walls. Heavy footsteps followed, each one deliberate and echoing, growing louder as they approached.
From the shadows emerged the Forgotten and Icebound Wraith. A towering and formidable knight in appearance, it was clad in jagged, frost-covered armor that seemed to absorb the ambient light. Its helmet revealed nothing but darkness, save for an eerie blue glow where eyes should have been. In its grasp, a massive, rune-engraved greatsword, coated in permafrost, dragged across the icy floor, leaving a trail of frost in its wake. The temperature plummeted further as the Wraith's [Icebound Aura] enveloped the chamber, causing Aria's breath to crystallize in the frigid air.
The Wraith halted its advance, the air between them thick with tension. Without warning, it raised its greatsword, and the runes along its blade ignited with a cold, blue flame. With a swift motion, it swung the weapon, releasing a crescent of icy energy that hurtled toward Aria.
Reacting on instinct, Aria summoned her inner mana, forming a barrier just in time to deflect the attack. The impact sent shockwaves through her body, but she remained standing perfectly.
Aria took a second before drawing a katana of pure ice and got in a stance.
As they circled each other, the chamber seemed to shrink, the vastness replaced by the immediacy of combat. The green flames along the walls flickered wildly, casting erratic shadows that danced around them.