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Chapter 23
publish date:
2026-08-23 23:31:13
Latest chapter
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 24
"Vengeance is a luxury for the dead, Aiden," Vane replied, his voice raspy as he recapped the dented flask with a sharp, metallic click. He tossed it aside, the vessel skittering across the warped, grime-caked floorboards. "I’m here for the survival of my own skin. You have something the Council wants, and that makes you the single most dangerous person to be standing next to in this province."Aiden felt the frost-bite deepening, a dull, throbbing ache settling into his marrow. He leaned his back against the shivering wooden wall of the shack, trying to ground himself. "And you think keeping me alive buys you some kind of ticket back into their good graces? Or are you just looking for a better offer from the opposition?"Vane leaned in, his shadow stretching long and jagged across the floor, distorted by the flickering, dying light of the hearth. "I don’t want their grace. I want their destruction. But I’m not an idiot, and I’m not a martyr. If I’m going to tear the Silver Moon’s thr
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 23
Vane looked down at Ignis, the hard, jagged lines of his face softening for a fleeting, uncomfortable second before the mask of the cynical veteran slammed back into place. He pulled a battered, dented flask from his coat, unscrewed the cap, and offered it toward Aiden."Refused? I didn't just refuse, kid. I burned their logistics ledger in front of the commanding officer," Vane said, his eyes darkening as he stared into the swirling grey mist outside the shack. "They didn't execute me, though. That would have made a martyr out of me, and the Council hates martyrs more than they hate incompetence. They stripped my rank, burned my records, and left me in the mud to rot."Aiden ignored the flask. His fingers were stiff, white as bleached bone, and the frost began to bloom across his knuckles like invasive lichen. He could feel the ambient heat being sucked out of the room, drawn toward his core like a moth to a dying flame. "So, you aren't here for the bounty. You're here for vengeance.
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 22
"A puppet, no," Vane said, stepping closer, his boots making no sound on the decaying floorboards of the abandoned shack. "But you’re a catalyst, Aiden. And the Silver Moon Council loves a good catalyst to burn. It gives them an excuse to tighten the leash on every province from here to the Oakhaven gates."Aiden felt the frost-bite stinging his fingertips, a sharp, white-hot agony that defied the cold creeping over his skin. He grit his teeth, forcing his breath to stay rhythmic. "You talk like a man who was once holding that leash. What happened, Vane? Did you get too tired of the biting, or did they find a new lapdog?"Vane stopped three paces away. He didn't reach for his sword, but the way his fingers twitched suggested he was measuring the distance to Aiden’s jugular. "They wanted me to execute a village of 'non-compliant' miners. Women, children, the lot. Said they were harboring 'Obsidian' sympathizers.""And you refused?" Ignis asked, his voice thin and trembling.Vane looked
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 21
Vane spat a glob of thick, dark phlegm into the slush at his feet, his gaze flickering from Aiden’s glowing, ice-rimmed eyes to the boy hiding behind the heavy wool of Aiden’s coat. "An example, a trophy, a warning—it’s all the same to the Silver Moon council," Vane said, his voice dropping to a gravelly, conspiratorial whisper. "They don't care if you live or die, Aiden. They care about the narrative. They want to show the frontier provinces that even a man who can turn his own life-force into an icy executioner’s blade is just another piece of meat for the grinder."Aiden felt the frost crawling further across his cheek, a sensation like thousands of microscopic spiders spinning glass webs over his skin. He tightened his grip on his own forearm, trying to stifle the tremors. "I’m not a piece of meat. And I’m certainly not a puppet for their propaganda machine."Vane laughed, though it lacked any genuine mirth. It was the sound of a man who had seen too many good soldiers buried in
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 20
"A dangerous stance for a man with such a high price on his head," Vane said, his voice dropping an octave, losing its playful, drunken edge. The air between them seemed to thicken, heavy with the scent of pine needles and the metallic tang of impending violence. Aiden adjusted his stance, his boots crunching into the frozen mud. "Your stance is one of a veteran, not a scavenger. You aren't here for the bounty, are you?"Vane rolled his shoulders, the leather of his surcoat creaking in the silence. "Bounties are for amateurs who like to chase ghosts. I’m here because the Silver Moon is cleaning house, and you, my frosty friend, are currently at the top of their list for structural renovations.""Structural renovations?" Ignis muttered, peering around Aiden’s hip. "Does he mean they want to kill us, Papa?""That’s exactly what he means, Ignis," Aiden replied, his eyes never leaving the ex-Captain’s hands. "But they don't want to kill us in the dark. They want to make an example."Vane
Rise of the Frozen Sovereign Chapter 19
Vane chuckled, a dry, raspy sound that seemed to rattle in his chest like loose pebbles. He lowered the flask, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Scavenger? A bit harsh, little one. I prefer the term 'opportunity manager.' And for the record, the sulfur is from the mines down in the basin. You can't spend a week in the Lowlands without picking up the stench of the pits."Aiden felt the frost tighten around his throat, a cold, constricting band that made breathing a conscious, painful effort. He didn't drop his hand. "You’re stalling. If you were with the scouts, you’d have called for backup already. If you were a bounty hunter, you’d have swung that blade by now. Speak, Vane, or I start by removing your ability to hold that bottle."Vane sighed, pushing off the rotting pillar. He didn't reach for his sword, but his posture shifted, losing the casual slouch and tightening into something far more dangerous. It was the stance of a man who had fought in a hundred skirmishes and lived to
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