It had been over two days since we entered the Snowy Mountains, and we still hadn’t seen the slightest trace of the Ice Elves.

Phoebe had been right. The relentless wind, combined with the near-constant snowfall, made it practically impossible to follow any particular path. Snow gusted around us like sharp needles, stinging our faces and forcing us to squint against the icy barrage. The landscape shifted endlessly, mounds of snow piling up and reshaping the terrain with each gust. Long story short, it was absolute hell to navigate this place.

Walking wasn’t the worst part, though; it was trying to rest. Sleeping in this weather was a whole new level of torture. I hadn’t closed my eyes for a real rest since we left the tribe’s village, and I was running on sheer determination at this point. I’d seen Phoebe sleep a bit here and there, but it didn’t look remotely restful because of the wind and the snow.

I silently longed to find the Ice Elves’ village—surely they had some kind of shelter. They couldn’t just live out here, exposed to the relentless elements. They had to have homes, something to protect them from this frozen wasteland.

“Are we still far from the Ice Elf village?” I asked, watching Phoebe as she consulted the worn map she’d been holding onto since we left.

But with the landscape constantly shifting, the map seemed almost useless. I was beginning to feel desperate for a real guide to this place.

“We should be able to reach it today, I think?”

I sighed, exasperated. “You said that on the first day… and yesterday too. Are you sure today’s the day?”

She blushed slightly. “I don’t know… it depends on how much the snow messes with my senses…”

With that, we resumed our silent trek, my footsteps trailing close behind hers as the wind howled around us.

At least we hadn’t faced many monsters. A few had appeared here and there, but all it took was one good glare from me, and they quickly scampered off. So, aside from the biting cold, our journey had been oddly peaceful.

But the cold… that was a pain I hadn’t anticipated. Even wrapped in a thick winter coat, I could feel it creeping into my bones, slowing my movements, numbing my face and hands. It hadn’t been this brutal within the tribe’s village, but out here, in the open, it felt like the cold was trying to claim me. Moving was difficult, but standing still felt worse, like the frost was seeping into my skin.

I’d noticed yesterday that my hair had started to freeze. When I touched it, it felt hard and brittle, as if it would snap off at the slightest pressure.

‘This place is a nightmare. Finding our way out won’t be easy.’

Despite everything, we kept walking through the blinding white landscape, each step feeling as futile as the last. Hours passed, and still, there was no sign of any kind of shelter or guidance.

“I think we should rest for the day,” Phoebe suggested, squinting through the swirling snow. “It looks like we’ve made decent progress.”

I let out another sigh. It was painfully clear that Phoebe didn’t have much of an idea where we were. After three days of wandering, it was becoming obvious we were either hopelessly lost, or the elves were deliberately avoiding us.

“Is there any way the Elves might find us, or are we stuck wandering around like this indefinitely?”

I wasn’t planning to spend weeks lost in this wasteland. Time was critical—I needed to find Zero before he realized I was here and slipped away. Every hour we wasted felt like another opportunity lost.

“The Ice Elves have probably already noticed us. This is their territory—they’d definitely sense someone as powerful as you wandering around. I’d bet they even saw you try to fly a few times.”

She was right. I had tried flying to get a better view, but the snowfall was so heavy that all I saw was a swirling sea of white. Flying was useless, so I’d resigned myself to trudging on foot.

“Then why aren’t they coming to greet us?!” I snapped, irritation seeping into my voice.

“They’re probably wary of us,” Phoebe replied, trying to keep me calm. Explore more stories at empire

“Well, if they’re watching, we might as well let them know we’re looking for them.”

Phoebe’s eyes widened as she realized what I was about to do.

“Wai—”

“HEY, YOU USELESS ELVES, COME OUT! I WANT TO ASK FOR YOUR HELP!”

Phoebe buried her face in her hands, groaning in disbelief. She’d warned me about their temperament, about how cautious and dangerous they could be, but I didn’t believe they’d actually harm us. If yelling like this was the quickest way to get their attention, then so be it.

I waited a few moments, straining to hear anything over the roaring wind. But there was nothing. Just silence, as if the Snowy Mountains themselves were holding their breath. If the elves were watching us, they clearly weren’t interested in making an appearance.

Just as I was about to give up and settle down for the night, I heard the crunch of footsteps echoing through the frozen landscape. It was odd how clearly I could hear them, cutting through the wind as if each step resonated against the icy ground. I turned toward the sound, and in the distance, I saw a tall figure emerge—a lone elf with ashen-gray skin, piercing blue eyes, and long, white hair whipping in the wind. His gaze held an unmistakable look of disdain.

“Human,” the elf said, his voice sharp and cold, carrying an unspoken threat. “Leave, before you are declared our enemy.”

“Enemy?” I shook my head, trying to bridge the gap. “No! I want to ask for help, H-E-L-P!”

The ice elf’s frown deepened. “If you continue threatening us, we will have no choice but to capture you and make you suffer.”

‘Threatening? What is this guy talking about?’

I noticed that his pronunciation was slightly off, his words stilted and foreign. Maybe he genuinely didn’t understand me.

I glanced at Phoebe, who was giving me a look that clearly said to keep quiet. But I just grinned, ignoring her silent warning, and turned back to the elf. If they captured us, wouldn’t they have to take us back to their village?

Sounded like a win-win to me.

“Alright, come capture us, mister Elf!” I called out, raising both my hands high above my head.

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