The atmosphere aboard the airship remained tense long after the briefing ended.
Students still gathered in small groups throughout the vessel, discussing theories and rumors in lowered voices. Some believed the missing outpost had been attacked by monsters. Others thought the disappearances were connected to the monument. A few insisted there had to be a simpler explanation.
Aren dismissed those people immediately.
"Nothing has been simple for months."
The group occupied a section of the observation deck overlooking the endless sea of clouds below. The sun was slowly descending toward the western horizon, painting the sky with shades of orange and gold while the fleet continued its journey north.
For a while, nobody argued with Aren.
That alone proved how unusual the situation had become.
Draven leaned against the railing and looked toward the front of the vessel.
"We'll arrive tomorrow."
Aren frowned.
"At the outpost?"
Draven nodded.
The boy sighed dramatically.
"Wonderful."
"You don't sound excited."
"I'm not."
Nobody was surprised.
A cold wind swept across the deck, causing several students nearby to retreat inside. The farther north they traveled, the colder the air became. Even now, snow-covered mountains occasionally emerged from the clouds below before disappearing once again beneath drifting mist.
The frontier was getting closer.
Kael could feel it.
Not physically.
Mentally.
The journey no longer felt theoretical.
They were heading toward something real.
Something dangerous.
Something waiting.
His thoughts were interrupted when a familiar voice called out from behind them.
"Found you."
The group turned.
Serena approached carrying several rolled maps beneath one arm. The military student looked mildly annoyed, though that seemed to be her natural expression.
Aren immediately pointed.
"See?"
Nobody knew what he meant.
The boy continued anyway.
"People keep finding us."
Serena stared at him.
"You're standing in the middle of the observation deck."
Aren paused.
Then nodded.
"That's fair."
The military student looked toward Kael.
"General Caelan wants all expedition team leaders in the strategy chamber."
Draven frowned.
"Team leaders?"
Serena nodded.
"The final assignments are being announced."
That immediately captured everyone's attention.
Until now, most students knew their broad objectives but not the exact organization of the expedition.
Apparently that was about to change.
Aren looked suspicious.
"Why do I suddenly feel like something bad is about to happen?"
"Because you're you," Lyra replied.
The boy looked wounded.
The group eventually followed Serena through the interior sections of the vessel. Unlike the observation decks, the hallways were crowded. Soldiers moved constantly between compartments while crew members handled navigation and logistics.
The airship felt alive.
Like a floating fortress carrying hundreds of people toward uncertainty.
The strategy chamber occupied one of the upper levels near the command deck.
By the time they arrived, dozens of students and officers had already gathered inside.
A large projection hovered above the center of the room.
The missing outpost was displayed prominently.
Kael immediately noticed something different.
The projection had expanded.
Several new markers surrounded the outpost.
Most of them glowed red.
General Caelan stood near the center of the chamber studying the map.
The military commander waited until everyone arrived before speaking.
"The reconnaissance teams are still missing."
Nobody looked surprised.
The situation was becoming disturbingly predictable.
General Caelan gestured toward the projection.
"The outpost is designated Frostwatch."
The image shifted.
A fortress appeared.
Massive stone walls surrounded a cluster of buildings perched atop a snowy ridge overlooking an endless frozen valley. Defensive towers stood at each corner while magical barriers protected the settlement from the harsh northern environment.
The place looked capable of surviving a siege.
Which made its disappearance even stranger.
Aren raised his hand.
Again.
General Caelan somehow noticed despite clearly wishing he hadn't.
"Yes."
The boy straightened.
"How many people lived there?"
Several students glanced toward him.
It was actually a reasonable question.
The military commander answered immediately.
"Approximately four hundred."
The chamber became silent.
Four hundred.
That wasn't a small outpost.
That was practically a town.
Aren lowered his hand slowly.
Even he looked unsettled.
General Caelan continued.
"Frostwatch has served as a military and research station for over seventy years."
The projection zoomed outward.
Additional locations appeared.
Several roads connected the outpost to nearby settlements.
Most ended there.
Frostwatch sat at the edge of civilization.
Beyond it stretched nothing but wilderness.
The military commander pointed toward the northern region.
"Our fleet will arrive tomorrow morning."
The map shifted again.
Three symbols appeared around the outpost.
"Upon arrival, the expedition will divide into teams."
Aren immediately looked nervous.
Kael didn't blame him.
Team assignments usually led to trouble.
Sure enough, moments later, the names began appearing.
One after another.
Students studied the projection carefully.
Some looked relieved.
Others less so.
Eventually, Kael spotted his own team.
Kael.
Lyra.
Draven.
Aren.
Selene.
Serena.
The group exchanged glances.
Aren blinked.
Then blinked again.
"Wait."
Nobody liked that tone.
The boy pointed toward the projection.
"Why are all the dangerous people together?"
Selene crossed her arms.
"Dangerous?"
Aren pointed at her first.
"You."
Then Serena.
"You."
Then Draven.
"You."
He pointed at Kael.
"You attract problems."
Finally he pointed at Lyra.
"And she willingly follows all of you."
The chamber remained silent for several seconds.
Serena looked genuinely curious.
"Is he always like this?"
"Unfortunately," Lyra replied.
The military student nodded slowly.
"That explains a lot."
General Caelan ignored the conversation.
A skill he had clearly mastered.
The briefing continued for another hour. Team objectives were distributed. Operational procedures were reviewed. Emergency contingencies were discussed.
Most students paid attention.
Aren tried.
That was probably the best anyone could reasonably expect.
Eventually the meeting ended.
The students gradually left the strategy chamber while officers remained behind to discuss final preparations.
As the group walked back toward the observation deck, the conversation immediately shifted toward their assignment.
Selene looked pleased.
That alone was concerning.
"We'll probably reach the outpost first."
Aren groaned.
"Why do you sound happy about that?"
The golden-eyed girl smiled.
"Because it means something interesting is happening."
"Normal people don't think that."
"Normal people are boring."
The boy looked toward Draven.
"Help."
Draven shrugged.
"She's not wrong."
Aren stared at him.
"You're all insane."
Nobody denied it.
The evening passed slowly.
The fleet continued northward while darkness gradually spread across the sky. One by one, stars appeared above the clouds.
The air grew colder.
The conversations grew quieter.
And somewhere around midnight, Kael found himself standing alone near the bow of the vessel.
Most students had already gone to sleep.
Only a handful of crew members remained visible.
The sky above the airship was clear.
The stars seemed brighter than usual.
Countless points of light stretched across the heavens.
For a while, he simply stood there.
Watching.
Thinking.
The frontier was close now.
Closer than ever before.
The monument.
The gate.
The strange warnings.
The missing expeditions.
Everything seemed connected.
The problem was that nobody understood how.
A sudden sound interrupted his thoughts.
Footsteps.
Kael turned.
Lyra approached from the darkness of the deck.
Unlike earlier, she looked serious.
Very serious.
Something immediately felt wrong.
"What happened?"
She hesitated.
That alone was unusual.
Then she handed him a folded piece of paper.
Kael frowned.
"What is this?"
"I found it outside my cabin."
The answer only created more questions.
Slowly, he unfolded the paper.
There was only a single sentence written across it.
Five words.
Kael stared at them.
His expression darkened immediately.
Because the handwriting was unfamiliar.
And the message was impossible to misunderstand.
Turn back before it wakes.
The wind howled across the deck.
Far ahead, hidden somewhere beyond the darkness and endless snow, the Northern Frontier waited.
And suddenly, it felt much closer than before.