Snowflakes danced in the wind like shards of glass, stinging exposed skin and painting the landscape in blinding white. The Icebound Highlands were as cruel as they were beautiful—an endless stretch of jagged cliffs, frozen rivers, and storms that seemed to whisper secrets of those who had perished within.
Liam adjusted his cloak tighter, shivering violently. "I—I changed my mind. Let's go back to the creepy underground temple. At least it was warm."
Aeris walked ahead, her steps confident despite the terrain. "You said that about the swamp, the ruins, and the cursed forest. You're developing a pattern."
Behind them, Kael trudged through the snow, holding a frost-covered map upside down. "Are we sure this isn't upside down? Everything looks the same—white, cold, and depressing."
Nyra huddled beside a summoned furred beast that looked suspiciously like a sleepy walrus with antlers. "I'm not even sure this thing is useful. I summoned it because it looked warm."
"Valid," Liam said through chattering teeth.
The group had followed the compass rune from the pedestal, which continued to pulse softly in Liam's satchel, guiding them north. If the third fragment truly lay hidden here, it wasn't going to be handed to them with cocoa and scarves.
As they crested a slope, a massive shape rose in the distance—an ancient fortress carved directly into a cliffside, half-buried in ice. Its towers leaned slightly, like they were bowing under the weight of time and snow.
Aeris stopped. "There. That's it."
"Great," Kael muttered. "What's the catch? Ice zombies? Exploding snowmen?"
Nyra glanced around. "Weird... there's no guards, no footprints. It's like no one's stepped foot near it in centuries."
Liam looked down at the compass. It pulsed rapidly now, reacting violently.
"Okay, that's either a good sign or a 'turn back before something eats your face' sign," Liam said.
"Only one way to find out," Aeris replied, stepping forward.
They entered through a massive archway. The cold was somehow worse inside—an unnatural chill that clung to their bones. The walls were carved with murals of ancient battles, winged figures wielding light, and frozen demons crumbling beneath their feet.
In the heart of the fortress was a spiral staircase leading down into a grand hall. And at the center of that hall—hovering just above a dais—was the third fragment.
Nyra gasped. "That was... too easy."
Liam frowned. "Don't say that. Don't ever say that."
Because, of course, the moment she did, the air thickened.
A massive howl echoed through the fortress, low and hollow. Frost crept along the walls, forming a thick shell of ice.
Then it came.
From the ceiling descended a beast of ancient design—eight legs, body like a panther made of black ice, and antlers glowing with runes. Its eyes were pure white, and its roar cracked the stone beneath their feet.
"The Warden of Winter," Aeris whispered, stepping in front of the group. "It was said to be one of the book's guardians… a creature loyal to the Protectors, but lost to madness when the realms split."
Kael unsheathed his wind-forged sword. "We fighting it or trying to hug it?"
"It just froze the floor with its breath. What do you think?" Liam yelled as the beast lunged.
They scattered.
Kael dashed in a wide arc, launching slicing wind bursts to distract it. The creature barely flinched, leaping through them with terrifying agility.
Liam blasted a wave of fire—which sputtered and fizzled. "No! Come on, not now!" His magic surged again, out of control. The flames burst too wide, nearly catching Nyra.
"Watch it!" she shouted, leaping back. She summoned a wolf-like creature of ice-resistant fur, which howled and slammed into the beast's side—buying a moment of time.
Aeris sprinted across the wall—literally—using small embedded blades to hook herself along. She launched off with a spinning strike that struck the beast's side, drawing a thick ichor that steamed in the air.
Kael hit the creature with a cyclone uppercut, flipping it briefly into the air.
"Liam! Now!" Aeris yelled.
Liam focused, heart pounding. He aimed with both hands, gathering his magic slowly—not recklessly, but with intent. A focused surge.
He fired.
The blast struck true, lighting the creature in fire that burned through the frost. It screeched, slamming into a pillar.
Then silence.
The Warden rose one last time—wounded, limping—and instead of attacking... it bowed.
The ice around the fragment cracked and shattered. The shard floated down gently and hovered before them.
Kael blinked. "Wait... did we just tame it?"
The creature turned, limping away into the shadows, leaving only silence in its wake.
Liam picked up the fragment, holding it with awe. "Three down…"
"And the path forward grows darker," Aeris added, eyeing the runes on the walls.
Nyra sat on the cold steps, shivering. "We need answers. We need to find Elira. And we need jackets that come with dragon breath warmers."
As the team began to make camp in the fortress's old war room, the runes on the walls glowed faintly—marking a map.
Half of it was destroyed.
But the other half pointed to a tower… in the human world.
Aeris narrowed her eyes. "That's where the next fragment must be."
Suddenly, from far behind them, back up the spiral staircase, a single whisper echoed through the silence.
A familiar voice.
Elira.
"Don't trust her…"
Liam turned sharply.
But there was no one there.
Only shadows, and a trail of frost melting on the floor.