3. Into the Frozen Ruins

The wind howled fiercely as Alex and Elara trudged through the deepening snow, the last remnants of the Rust Quarter fading behind them. The cold seemed sharper here, the wind cutting through Alex's flimsy coat like a blade, turning his breath into short, ragged clouds of mist. His legs ached with each step, sinking into the icy slush that made every movement a struggle.

Elara moved ahead of him with a determined stride, her own tattered winter gear doing little to shield her from the biting cold. Her coat was patched in multiple places, the fabric fraying around the sleeves and hem, while a scarf, more a collection of mismatched cloth strips, was wrapped tightly around her neck and mouth. Her boots, caked in ice, were laced with a variety of cords—clearly salvaged from different pairs—yet she pushed forward without complaint, her breath visible in the freezing air.

Alex, on the other hand, felt every degree of the cold as it seeped into his bones. His coat hung loosely on his small frame, thin and worn, barely holding together in places where the fabric had torn. He had wrapped a piece of cloth around his face, though it did little to keep his cheeks from stinging in the icy wind. His boots were his biggest problem—already soaked through, with cracks in the soles that let the snow and slush in. The numbness in his toes had spread to his ankles, and each step sent a new wave of discomfort up his legs.

His teeth chattered uncontrollably, and he could feel his body slowing down. The cold was winning, and no amount of willpower could change that.

I can't keep going like this, Alex thought desperately, his body on the verge of giving up. Help me out here, he pleaded with the AI, hoping it had a way to make the journey bearable.

"Adjusting body temperature," the AI responded in its usual monotone. "Increasing blood flow to extremities."

Immediately, Alex felt a subtle warmth spread through his chest and limbs. His fingers, which had felt like blocks of ice, began to tingle with new warmth, and the ache in his toes receded just enough for him to keep walking. His breathing became more controlled, and the biting cold, while still present, was no longer overwhelming.

He shot a quick, silent thanks to the AI and pressed on, matching Elara's determined pace as best he could.

The landscape ahead was bleak and unforgiving. Snow stretched out in all directions, punctuated by the occasional jagged rock or broken tree branch sticking out from the frozen ground. The ruins loomed on the horizon, the skeletal remains of old buildings rising like dead giants from the snow-covered earth. They were distant at first, but as they walked, the towers and crumbled structures began to take shape, becoming more distinct. Alex's stomach twisted as the dark, crumbling city ahead seemed to grow more foreboding with every step.

The cold made everything harder. Every breath was sharp, every movement heavy and slow. The snow clung to their clothes, melting and then freezing again, turning their winter gear into stiff, icy shells. Alex's muscles screamed in protest, but he forced himself to keep going.

"What are we looking for, exactly?" Alex asked through chattering teeth, his voice barely audible over the wind.

"Anything valuable," Elara replied, her voice muffled behind her scarf. "Old-world tech, relics, tools—anything we can trade for supplies. But Tobin mentioned a specific cache. If we find it, we won't have to worry about food for a while."

Alex nodded, though the thought of scavenging through dangerous ruins in this weather made him uneasy. The rumors about people disappearing—vanishing without a trace—echoed in his mind, but he pushed them aside. There was no room for fear, not now.

As they drew closer to the ruins, the wind seemed to grow fiercer, whipping through the towering structures and creating an eerie howl. The ruins were massive, crumbling remnants of what must have once been a bustling city. Now, they stood like decaying monuments to a forgotten era. Some of the buildings leaned precariously, their metal frames rusted and twisted. Others had collapsed entirely, piles of rubble half-buried in snow. Windows were shattered, and walls had crumbled away, leaving behind the hollow shells of structures that had long since fallen to ruin.

They reached the outskirts of the city, where the first ruined buildings stood like silent sentinels. Elara stopped and scanned the area, her eyes sharp despite the wind stinging her face.

"There," she said, pointing toward a partially collapsed building nearby. "We'll start there. It looks stable enough, and we might find something useful."

Alex followed her as they made their way toward the building, carefully stepping over snow-covered debris. The structure was taller than it seemed from a distance, though half of it had collapsed inward. Rusted metal beams jutted out at odd angles, and the broken windows looked like hollow eyes watching them approach. Snow had piled up against the walls, and the entrance was partially blocked by fallen debris, but Elara managed to push open a half-broken door.

Inside, the cold was just as intense, though the wind wasn't as biting. The room was dark, filled with dust and the smell of rot. Old, broken machinery lay scattered across the floor, rusted and forgotten. The walls were lined with shelves, though most of them had collapsed under the weight of years of neglect. Pieces of metal and shattered glass littered the ground, making each step treacherous.

"Look around," Elara said quietly. "Careful where you step."

Alex nodded, moving cautiously through the debris-strewn room. His eyes scanned the floor, looking for anything that stood out, but all he saw were piles of rusted parts and broken tools. Nothing looked valuable, at least not to him.

Can you help me identify anything useful? Alex asked the AI, hoping it could provide some guidance.

"Scanning," the AI responded.

A faint hum filled Alex's mind, and for a moment, the world seemed to sharpen. His vision focused on the various objects around him, each one being analyzed in real-time.

"Objects are primarily broken machinery and scrap metal. Value: minimal. Function: unknown due to damage. Continue searching."

Alex sighed. So far, nothing. He continued searching, stepping carefully over a fallen beam as he moved toward a pile of rubble in the far corner of the room. There, he found more broken metal panels, tangled wires, and a collection of small, rusted tools that looked like they hadn't been touched in years. He held one up, the rust flaking off in his hand. It was worthless.

He glanced over at Elara, who was hunched over another pile of debris, rummaging through the remains of a fallen shelf. She was moving quickly, her hands brushing aside broken glass and wood splinters as she searched for anything useful. Her expression was focused, determined, but Alex could tell from the way she occasionally frowned that she wasn't finding much either.

Minutes passed, the cold gnawing at them as they worked in silence. Alex sifted through another pile of scrap, hoping to find something—anything—worth keeping. But all he found were more rusted cogs, broken pipes, and crumbling machinery. The building seemed to have been picked clean long ago.

Is there anything here worth taking? Alex asked the AI, growing frustrated with the lack of progress.

"Minimal-value items detected. Objects may have limited utility for scrap or repairs, but overall trade value is low."

Figures, Alex thought with a sigh.

Elara suddenly stood up, brushing the dust off her coat. "This place is a bust," she muttered, frustration clear in her voice. "We're not going to find anything worth trading here."

Alex nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that they had just wasted their time. The ruins had seemed promising, but now they felt like nothing more than a graveyard of forgotten technology. He kicked at a piece of broken metal at his feet, watching as it skittered across the floor and disappeared into a pile of rubble.

"What now?" Alex asked, glancing at Elara.

"We keep looking," she said, her voice firm. "There has to be something here, something worth finding. Tobin wouldn't have sent us out here if it wasn't worth the risk."

Alex swallowed his frustration and followed Elara as she made her way toward another section of the building. The wind howled outside, rattling the broken windows, and the cold pressed in on them, unrelenting.

They moved through the ruins for what felt like hours, searching one crumbling structure after another. Each building was the same—broken machinery, rusted tools, and the occasional piece of scrap metal that might be worth a few coins, but nothing valuable. The exhaustion was starting to weigh on Alex, his legs aching from climbing over debris, and the cold creeping back into his limbs despite the AI's help in keeping his body temperature regulated.

By the time they reached the far end of the ruins, the sky had darkened, and the snow was falling heavier. Alex could barely feel his feet anymore, and his hands were shaking from the cold. He glanced at Elara, who was still moving with the same determination, though he could see the fatigue in her eyes.

"Let's call it," she said finally, her voice heavy with frustration. "We'll head back and come out again tomorrow."

Alex nodded.