CHAPTER 42
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The eerie silence of Frostholm lingered even after the Ice Revenant had been defeated. The snow settled once more over the ruined village, covering the cracks in the earth where we had severed the Revenant’s connection to the Frozen Wastes. The cold magic that had twisted through the Aetheric Flow was finally dissipating, though I could still feel the faint remnants of its presence beneath the surface.
Leira sheathed her sword and let out a long breath, her body visibly relaxing after the battle. Sari and the others were still shaken, but the relief on their faces was clear. For now, the danger had passed.
"We should keep moving," I said, my voice steady but low. "We don’t know how many more of these things are out here."
Leira nodded, though she was still catching her breath. “You really think there’s more?”
I glanced around the ruined village, the quiet emptiness unnerving. “Maybe. The Frozen Wastes are full of surprises.”
As we gathered our things and prepared to leave, I reflected on the battle. The Ice Revenant was unlike anything I had faced before—its connection to the land, its manipulation of the Aetheric Flow, made it more dangerous than the Frost Wraith. But it wasn’t just about power; it was about understanding the land itself. The Frozen Wastes had their own unique magic, and that magic wasn’t something I could simply overpower. I had to learn from it, adapt to it.
The journey continued, the wind biting at our skin as we pushed further north. The Frozen Wastes seemed even more desolate now, the horizon stretching endlessly in every direction, broken only by the distant peaks of ice-covered mountains.
Sari walked beside me, her face still pale from the encounter with the Revenant, but her curiosity hadn’t faded. “You’ve fought two of those things now,” she said quietly, her voice barely audible over the wind. “The Wraith and the Revenant. But you don’t seem... rattled.”
I kept my eyes forward, scanning the landscape as I spoke. “I can’t afford to be. The moment I let my guard down, that’s when mistakes happen.”
Sari studied me, her brow furrowed. “You’ve got a strange way of looking at things. Aren’t you exhausted after a fight like that?”
I glanced at her, careful not to reveal too much. I never show weakness. “It takes more than that to wear me down,” I said simply, keeping my voice neutral.
She didn’t press further, though her expression remained thoughtful. “Well, whatever it is, you seem to have a way of keeping it together better than most.”
I didn’t respond, turning my attention back to the snow-covered landscape ahead. I had my secrets. My auto-heal kept me in peak condition—my body replenished, my mind sharp—but that wasn’t something I could afford to share. The less people knew about my abilities, the safer I would be.
As we traveled, I continued to let my senses attune to the Aetheric Flow. The deeper we ventured into the Frozen Wastes, the more I noticed the subtle changes in the magic around us. The land here wasn’t just cold—it was ancient. The magic that flowed through it was different from the more straightforward elements I had mastered. It moved slower, more deliberately, as if it had been shaped over centuries by the ice and snow.
And as we moved further, I started to understand why.
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The Frozen Wastes weren’t just a region of harsh weather and dangerous creatures. They were tied to a deeper magic—a magic that I was only beginning to grasp. The Aetheric Flow here was more than just a source of power. It was a living, breathing thing, shaped by the cold and the ice, woven into the very fabric of the land.
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Leira, who had been walking ahead, suddenly stopped and raised a hand, signaling us to halt. She crouched down, examining the snow. “Tracks,” she said, her voice low but alert.
I moved closer, studying the marks in the snow. They were large, far larger than any creature we had encountered so far. The shape of the prints was unfamiliar, but the weight behind them was clear—whatever had made these tracks was massive.
“What could’ve made these?” Sari asked, her voice trembling slightly.
I narrowed my eyes, focusing on the Aetheric Flow. There was a disturbance nearby, but it was different from the ones I had felt before. This wasn’t the sharp, cold magic of the Revenant or the ethereal presence of the Wraith. This was something deeper, something that resonated with the land itself.
“It’s not a demon,” I muttered. “At least, not like the ones we’ve faced so far.”
Leira stood, her hand instinctively moving to her sword. “Then what is it?”
I didn’t have an answer, but my instincts told me that whatever it was, it was tied to the deeper magic of the Frozen Wastes—the same magic that had given birth to the Revenant.
“We need to keep moving,” I said, my voice firm. “But stay alert. Whatever made these tracks is still close.”
As the day wore on, the tension in the air grew thicker. The tracks continued, leading us deeper into the Wastes, where the wind howled louder and the cold seemed to bite harder. My senses were on high alert, every pulse of the Aetheric Flow telling me that we were heading toward something dangerous.
By the time the sun began to dip below the horizon, casting the sky in shades of pink and orange, we reached a narrow valley between two towering ice cliffs. The tracks led into the valley, disappearing into the shadows.
Leira stopped at the entrance, her face pale. “This doesn’t feel right,” she said, her voice low.
I agreed. There was something about this place—something in the way the magic pulsed through the valley—that set my teeth on edge. The Aetheric Flow here was different, twisted and sharp, as if the very land was on edge.
“We’ll make camp here,” I said, scanning the cliffs for any signs of movement. “It’s too dangerous to go in without knowing what we’re up against.”
The others didn’t argue. They were exhausted, and the weight of the day’s journey was starting to show in their faces. For them, at least. I felt nothing but the cold bite of the air. My auto-heal kept me at full strength, despite the brutal conditions and lack of rest. Still, I knew rushing in blindly was foolish, even if my body could handle it.
As they began setting up camp, I moved toward the edge of the valley, my senses still locked onto the Aetheric Flow. The magic here was dark, older than anything I had felt before. It wasn’t just cold—it was hostile. This place wasn’t just another battleground. It was alive with magic, and whatever lay in this valley wasn’t just a creature. It was something more.
Sari approached me as I stood at the edge of the valley, her face pale but determined. “You think we’ll be safe here?” she asked, her voice quiet.
“No,” I replied honestly. “But we’ll be prepared.”
She nodded, though her expression remained tense. “Do you think it’s another Revenant?”
I shook my head. “No. This is something else. Something bigger.”
Sari swallowed hard, glancing toward the valley. “Then what do we do?”
I met her gaze, my expression steady. “We wait. We watch. And when the time comes... we fight.”
That night, as the others rested, I sat by the fire, staring into the flames as the cold wind howled through the camp. My mind was racing, trying to piece together the clues we had gathered so far. The Frozen Wastes were more than just a hostile landscape. They were a place where the magic of the land itself had taken on a life of its own, and whatever we were facing now was tied to that magic.
I had faced demons, creatures, and beasts before. But this... this was different. The magic here wasn’t just a tool—it was a force. And if I wanted to survive, I would have to understand it.
As the fire crackled, I closed my eyes and reached out with my senses, letting the Aetheric Flow guide me. The magic pulsed through the valley, sharp and cold, but there was something else beneath it—something deeper, older. It was as if the land itself was watching, waiting.
I would be ready.