— Kosta… Sparky…. Damn it… damn it…
Arch desperately tried to reach out to her friends. But it was too late, they were already frozen in place, their faces locked in a mixture of shock and fear.
— I can’t move.
She was stuck. Her body was half-buried in the snow, and she was starting to freeze.
Her strength is already gone, all she could manage was a tiny wiggle of her finger.
— Move, darn it… Move… Move.
The scream for help stopped on her lips, her frozen throat refusing to produce even a whisper. She strained, her vocal cords aching with the effort, but only a faint, silent gasp escaped.
— No… I can’t die like this…
As she lay there, helpless and still, she began to feel a strange, creeping sensation. It was warmth, a heat that seemed to seep into her very bones, despite the freezing cold. The heat was intense, almost overwhelming, and it stirred a primal urge within her to shed her clothes.
— What is this… feeling?
Despite her numb body, spinning with fear and confusion.
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Her body seemed to respond with a desperate attempt to warm itself up. Every last bit of energy was being used to generate heat, to fight off the cold that was taking over.
As the heat intensified, she felt a strange tingling sensation. It was a fleeting respite from the cold, but she knew it wouldn't last.
Her heart had slowed to the point, its beat imperceptible to her numb senses. She had given up, accepting that she was trapped, with no escape from the icy grip of death.
“Well… it was a good run, was it?” a man's voice said, his tone dripping with sarcasm.
She tried to turn her head, to see who was speaking, but her vision was blurry and indistinct.
— This voice… it seem familiar
She could feel herself being lifted up, her face tilted back, and a pair of eyes staring down at her.
The air was silent for a moment, and then a low, husky voice spoke up. “Not that I wish to imply that you are going to meet your demise.”
“I know, who could deserve more than a fate like this. It is a real shame if your potential went to waste.”
“Just this one time, the rule shall be broken… I will give you another attempt.”
“I will take the liberty of choosing for you, whether you like it or not.”
She felt a tingling sensation on her face, a burning sensation that seemed to sear her skin. But it was distant, muffled, as her skin was already too numb because of the cold.
“Maybe you will survive, maybe you won’t… it is all up to you. Miss Archynne Martin.”
She forced her disappearing consciousness to come back. The pain and the heat, everything had faded away. It was a meaningless effort as her visions had already turned dark.