The Abyss Stares Back

The spear struck her square in the chest, driving the air from her lungs and sending her hurtling backward. She hit the ground with a bone-jarring thud, her body sprawling against the now motionless ice. 

Her vision swam as the cold spread through her limbs, and the frost that had consumed the hallway began to retreat, fading as her strength ebbed.

Florian stood over her, his silhouette framed by the jagged remnants of her ice. He tilted his head, his grin widening as he watched her struggle to breathe.

"Pathetic," he muttered, his voice dripping with disdain.

Lisbeth's fingers twitched weakly against the cold floor, but her strength was slipping away like water through cracks. She could only watch, helpless, as Florian strode towards the nearest window without so much as a backward glance.