Chapter 1 Betrayal

Joshua Frost and his rescue squad came to us, but instead of stopping for me, they went past me like I was nothing and made a beeline for Irene Shaw. She was as white as paper. "I'll only be deadweight. Save Sera first. She's not me. She's a metahuman. She's important to the base."

Irene coughed. "Oh, but it's freezing here, Joshua." She shivered violently. Joshua encased her in his Ability and held her in his arms. "We're going out," he said.

"What about Sera, Captain Frost?" Joshua's deputy asked. He disagreed about leaving me behind.

Without any hesitation, Joshua said, "The way back is dangerous. We only have enough manpower to save one person. Sera's a metahuman. She can fend for herself."

If Joshua would even look at me, he'd see the frozen blood around me. The injury and prolonged stay in this ice cave had exhausted my ability. I was no better than any regular human.

The rescue team gave me a look of pity. Anyone who wasn't blind could see that I was in a worse state than Irene, but Joshua's word was law. No one would defy him. When they went by me again, he tossed me his down jacket.

"Sorry, Sera. Irene can't handle the cold. Just hang on for a bit. There's another rescue team on its way."

'Oh, so you think I can tolerate the cold, then? I'm practically freezing to death here!' I thought.

The only thing that was moving was my heart—and it was bleeding from his sharp words, like blades stabbing and twisting inside me. The ache was spreading through my freezing body, I almost couldn't breathe.

The jacket was still warm, but it was useless for me. Another wave of frozen winds blew through the cave, and I was almost encased in a coffin of ice. I felt something inside me slipping away. With all the strength I could muster, I whimpered, "Help."

Irene, however, screamed, "It's freezing here! It's going to kill me!"

Joshua held her tighter. "It won't. I'm here."

A long, long time went by, or maybe it was just a moment. I did not know. My whole body felt limp. I couldn't summon even an ounce of energy, and just opening my eyes took everything I had.

…

The first thing I saw was the ceiling. White. Dull. Empty. And the first thing that assailed my nose was the sharp stench of antiseptic. This was the hospital on the base. I'm saved?

Someone asked softly, "You're awake. Do you feel fine?" Joshua put his hand on my forehead.

He was so different from the person who left me in the cold. I said nothing to him. Joshua explained, "You've been trapped there for far too long, and it's taken too much from you. You need to rest. Here's my ration. You need to eat something. I have to go now. The team's waiting for me, but I'll be back."

Joshua went away in a hurry. I looked at the plate. Hardtacks, water, and a couple of dried dates. The apocalypse’s freezing weather was hard to endure—even for metahumans. This was the best the team could manage, given the food shortage.

The food was cold, but my heart was warm. 'Maybe he still cares about me,' I thought. 'But what's going on with him and Irene? Is Joshua cheating on me?'

I was going to tear the hardtack's wrappings open when someone outside complained, "Can't believe she wants cream cake and warm milk. Cake prices are insane right now, and she wants Captain Frost to feed her himself!"

I was stunned. 'Oh, so that's what he meant when he said the team needs him. He's feeding Irene cake,' I thought.

I wanted to see what was happening, but the moment I got up, my strength failed me. I fell to the ground, knees first. Something was wrong. My power core… it was empty.

'Where'd my Ability go?' I wondered in shock.