Chapter 3: Nightfall in the Icebound Manor

The stillness of the manor crept beneath Eva's skin as the night wore on. The echoes of her footsteps were swallowed by the cold stone floors as she paced the unfamiliar room. Sleep refused to come, her mind too tangled with the threads of her mission and the unsettling presence of Ryder Coldclaw just beyond her door.

She had already memorized every corner of the room, every possible route of escape, and every detail of the guards posted outside. But tonight, she needed to do more than simply survive. Tonight, she needed information.

The air in the manor was heavy, the walls thick with secrets. Ryder Coldclaw was no ordinary general, and his manor was no mere estate. Eva could feel it—the weight of something ancient and hidden beneath the palace. The cold, clinical perfection of the place wasn't just for show; it was a cage meant to trap something or someone. And she had a feeling that the answers she sought were buried deep within these walls.

Stepping lightly, Eva crossed the room to the large oak wardrobe, her fingers brushing over the hidden latch she had found earlier. She knew better than to trust the obvious. She had learned long ago that in places like this, everything had a purpose, even the smallest detail.

With a soft click, the wardrobe door swung open to reveal a narrow passage leading down into the bowels of the manor. Her heart skipped a beat. She had expected this, but seeing it in person felt different.

This was her chance.

Without a second thought, Eva grabbed the small pouch of supplies she had stashed under the bed—a few tools, a datapad, a scanner—and slipped into the darkness. The cold stone walls pressed in around her as she moved, her breathing steady, her senses alert. Every creak of the old wood seemed to speak in a language of its own, warning her of the dangers that lay ahead. But Eva wasn’t afraid. She wasn’t here to play by the rules. She was here to uncover the truth, no matter what it took.

The passage ended at a set of heavy doors, their ancient iron hinges rusted with age. Eva pressed her ear to the door, listening for any signs of life. When she heard nothing, she carefully slid the door open, wincing as it creaked on its hinges.

Inside, the room was unlike any she had seen before. It was vast, a cavernous space lit only by the faint glow of crystals embedded in the walls. The floor was covered in a fine layer of dust, untouched by time. But it wasn’t the stillness of the room that caught her attention—it was what lay within.

War trophies. Dozens of them.

The weapons were displayed with an obsessive symmetry, each one carefully polished and positioned. Blades, axes, swords—each seemed to tell the story of a battle, a victory, a conquest. But there was something more to it. Eva could feel it. These were more than trophies. They were symbols, signs of control.

Ryder Coldclaw wasn’t just a soldier. He was a man who craved order, precision. Control over everything—and everyone.

Eva’s fingers brushed over the hilt of one of the swords, feeling the cold metal beneath her fingertips. A sense of unease crept over her, as if the weapons themselves were watching her. She quickly moved on, scanning the room for anything of interest.

Near the far wall, she found it—a row of carefully arranged datapads, each one labeled with cryptic symbols and numbers. Her heart skipped as she approached, the familiar weight of her curiosity driving her forward. She was trained for this—gathering information, decoding secrets, finding the hidden threads.

Eva plugged her datapad into one of the terminals, her fingers dancing over the screen as she accessed the files. The names and dates flickered before her eyes—prisoners, subjects, research projects.

And then, she saw it.

A name. Her sister’s name.

Lyra Blackthorn.

Eva’s breath caught in her throat. The file was incomplete, but it confirmed everything. Her sister had been here, involved in something far more sinister than she had ever imagined. The project notes were heavily redacted, but there was enough to make her blood run cold. Experimental subjects. Test cases. Something twisted, something that had been happening beneath the manor—and now, she understood.

Her sister hadn’t just been lost. She had been part of a horrific experiment. And Ryder Coldclaw, whether he knew it or not, was involved.

Footsteps suddenly echoed from the hallway, shattering the silence. Eva’s heart pounded in her chest as she quickly unplugged the datapad and stashed it in her pouch. She had to move, and fast.

As she turned to leave, her eyes met something that made her freeze. From the far corner of the room, Ryder Coldclaw stood, his amber eyes locked onto hers. His face was unreadable, but the air between them crackled with tension.

"You’re not supposed to be here," he said, his voice low, controlled.

Eva’s pulse raced, but she didn’t flinch. "And yet, here I am," she replied coolly, her hand inching toward the hidden door.

For a long moment, they just stared at each other, the weight of unspoken words hanging between them. Ryder didn’t move, but his gaze never wavered.

Eva took a step back, carefully retreating toward the door. "I’m not your prisoner, Coldclaw. Not yet."

With that, she slipped into the shadows, leaving Ryder standing in the center of the room. The hunt had only just begun.