The tunnel's darkness swallowed the group like a living beast. Nadia conjured a small flame in her palm casting a faint orange glow that half-revealed the damp moss-covered stone walls. The tunnel's end vanished into absolute blackness. The smell of earth and decay scraped their throats with every breath and the dripping of water from the ceiling echoed like a sinister heartbeat in the silence. Nadia marched ahead with a cold determined expression but even she couldn't fully hide her anxiety. The heavy silence between them grew heavier with each moment as if words might enrage the darkness.
The tunnel's endless twists and turns wore their bones with exhaustion. Zelina walking beside Ayhan occasionally glanced at the walls her eyes full of doubt—she too didn't know what awaited them. All they knew was they had to trust Valentina. They moved in silence for hours only the sound of their footsteps and ragged breaths echoing in the dark. Rio his head resting on Ayhan's shoulder suddenly whispered in a guilt-laden voice,
"I'm sorry. This is all because of me."
Zelina trying to lighten the mood ruffled Rio's hair and said with a soft smile
"What are you talking about? How could this be the fault of a cute kid like you?"
Ayhan shook his head and said in a quiet but firm voice,
"Zelina's right Rio. This isn't your fault. We still don't know why they're after you."
Rio staring into the tunnel's darkness fell silent. Their kind words couldn't ease the guilt weighing on his shoulders. Zelina and Ayhan exchanged a glance but when Rio didn't respond they continued onward. Hours passed the tunnel's twists mocking them until the howling of the storm like a sinister wail caught their attention. They had reached the tunnel's end. A rickety decayed wooden staircase untouched for years led upward.
Nadia at the front extinguished her flame and cautiously climbed the steps. The wood groaned under her weight. She pushed aside the wooden hatch and a blizzard roared in like an enraged beast. Her hair whipped in the wind and the cold scratched her skin like blades. She stepped out and found herself on the island's shore. Before her stretched the Icy Sea—a cracked white expanse ruled by storm and snow. Black heavy clouds swallowed the sun and the scene was a terrifying apocalyptic tableau. The wind howled and snow swirled like furious spirits.
Nadia returned to the tunnel after a moment and said in a cold but confident voice,
"The sea's completely frozen as it should be. I think it's safe to cross."
Hearing this Zelina dropped the heavy bag from her shoulder and handed out woolen cloaks from within. But when it was Rio's turn Nadia said sharply,
"He doesn't need one. Keep it as a spare."
Zelina shocked said with wide eyes,
"What are you saying? It's freezing out there! He'll freeze!"
Ayhan equally stunned added,
"Zelina's right. With his wound we should keep him even warmer."
Rio with an empty gaze placed his hand on the bag and said,
"My sister's right. I don't need it. I don't feel the cold."
Zelina and Ayhan exchanged surprised looks as if they'd heard a strange secret. But Nadia unwilling to let the discussion continue said loudly,
"Alright, we need to move."
She donned her cloak and climbed the steps again. Ayhan carrying Rio followed with Zelina close behind. As they emerged the wild wind assaulted them like a living creature and snow blurred their vision. They stepped onto the icy sea's surface with heavy cautious strides. The ice cracked ominously under their feet as if it might shatter and swallow them into the dark depths at any moment. They moved in a tight line the biting cold clawing at their skin like death's talons.
In the distance Valentina hovered in the sky a specter defying the storm. The wind whipped her long hair and cloak and her turquoise eyes like cold flames fixed on the black dots fading into the horizon.
She stood alone until a white owl with icy blue eyes emerged from the storm and perched on her shoulder. It was Frohel transformed into an owl. He paused then said in a quiet mysterious voice
"I searched the whole island. No trace of him."
Valentina sighed deeply as if feeling the weight of a bitter truth. In a voice trembling with rage and doubt she said,
"I think they've gotten a bit cautious."
The owl tilted his head and after a moment of silence said,
"What do you think that boy really is?"
Valentina slowly raised her head staring at the dark sky where black clouds roared. In a voice rising from her core she whispered,
"I don't know. But I know this storm is just beginning."
The wind howled attacking Valentina but she stood unmoved like a sentinel facing a grim fate. Frohel, with his icy eyes gazed at the horizon as if seeing something even Valentina couldn't.
Elsewhere, the Icy Sea stretched beneath the group like a silent graveyard and the merciless storm screamed that this was not the end—only the start of a greater nightmare.