Beyond The Ice Wall Novels & Stories

Chapter 21: The Frozen Isle and the Heart of the Mission The new floor of the Tower of Doom was a frozen isle, a realm of unrelenting cold that seemed poised to swallow us whole. The air pierced like needles against our skin, and the ground was blanketed in thick ice and snow, making every step treacherous. In the distance, mountains loomed like colossal stone giants shrouded in frosty clouds, while blizzards of ice raged without cease, obscuring our vision. The minions of the fourth general, creatures forged from ice and shadow, lurked in the darkness, their eyes glinting with a chilling light. This floor was a stark contrast to Ember Warden’s blazing desert, and every moment tested our res

Umungol ang halimaw, isang tunog na parang nagbibitak na bundok, at sumugod palabas ng kuweba. Sa isang malakas na pagsabog ng tubig, lumipad ang Ice Dragon mula sa lawa, umaakyat sa kalangitan na parang isang higanteng serpiyenteng yelo. Sa ibabaw, sina Jasmine at ang iba pa—na kanina pa umiiyak sa pag-aalala—ay agad na napatingin sa halimaw. At doon nila nakita ang nakakatakot na tanawin:

Ngunit nang pinaliwanag niya ang buong plano ay tumanggi ang lalake. Kahit sina Autumn at Nate ay nagulat dahil inayawan ni Ice ang problemang iyon. “It's possible because I’ve done it before,” Ice paused in hesitation. “But not in this untraceable way that you want. This is far too illegal and we both know what would happen if the authority finds out.”

The room doesn't look like it would belong to my Mom and Dad. Natigil ang paglibot ng mata ko nang may marinig sa likod ko. It sounds like the bathroom door opening. Pinihit ko ang katawan para humarap doon. Unti-unti akong nanlamig sa nadatnan. I literally got frozen on my stance. It was Sky fucking Edison with nothing but a white towel wrapped around his waist. Abs were sparkling with the drips of water and with a banging visible tent in the middle of his legs in this early in the morning.

Ang kaniyang paghikbi ay parang umaalingawngaw sa loob ng kuwadradong silid. Kinabukasan, pasado alas nuebe na nang umaga nang katokin ni Yaya Jona ang silid ni Adriana. Ilang minuto na siyang naghihintay na pagbuksan siya ng dalaga ngunit tila bakante ang silid kaya nagpasya na siyang pasukin ito at doon niya nakumpirma na wala ang alaga niya doon.

Hindi niya lubos aakalain na kinuha ito ng mga taong kaharap niya mula sa ospital at plano pang patayin sa harapan niya mismo. "I guess he won't say anything, let's begin cutting his mother's fingers. I'm sure it will be more fun than killing her in an instant" tamad na wika ni Ice at naglabas na ng isang napakatalas na kutsilyo. Kahit na anong pagpupumiglas ng ginang, wala itong laban nang hawakan ito ng kanyang mga tauhan. Agad na kinuha ni Ice ang kanan nitong kamay at hinawakan ang hinliliit nito.

Humarap siya sa akin, ang mukha niya ay seryoso sa ilalim ng liwanag ng buwan. "When I saw you crying back there, the first thing I thought wasn't about the merger or the optics. I just wanted to make sure you didn't have to carry that weight alone." Magsasalita pa sana ako nang biglang may dumaan na tricycle na may dalang malakas na music. "Speaking of weight," dagdag ni Waeren, sinusubukang ibalik ang kanyang pagiging Ice King. "Your 'castle' here... it has a lot of structural issues. The roof is sagging, and the electrical wiring is a fire hazard."