Frozen Mountain .6

Several hours had passed before Aria finally stirred. Her body ached as consciousness returned, her vision blurry at first as she took in the dimly lit tent around her. The crackling of a fire beside her provided warmth, its flickering glow casting long shadows across the tent walls. Slowly, she sat up, wincing slightly at the stiffness in her limbs.

"W-what the hell happened?" she muttered, her voice hoarse. Her emerald eyes swept over each of them—Dante, SteelArm, and Stiles—pausing briefly before landing on the fire. The warmth was oddly soothing, but something deep inside her felt... off.

SteelArm shifted uncomfortably before crossing his arms. "You passed out," he said flatly.

Aria frowned. "That's it?"

Dante, poking at the fire with a stray stick, nodded without looking at her. "Yeah. We took care of the beast pretty quickly after that. I managed to slash one of its eyes out, and it ran off. Nothing crazy."

Aria's gaze flickered between them. Her head was still foggy, with a sigh, she leaned back, staring at the flames. "Alright," she murmured, though she didn't believe them.

Morning arrived, painting the mountain in hues of orange and pink as the group prepared to move. The bitter cold bit at their skin, but they had long since grown accustomed to it. Without delay, they resumed their trek, winding through the treacherous terrain.

Dante and SteelArm continued to keep their silence, refusing to reveal what had truly happened that night. The lie remained firm—Aria had passed out from fear, and they had finished the battle swiftly. It was easier that way.

The days blended together, time stretching endlessly as they ascended higher. The sun rose and fell in a cycle that felt almost unnatural, casting long shadows across the icy slopes. Nights were spent in makeshift camps, their fires barely keeping the frost at bay.

Through the bitter winds and unyielding landscape, they pressed on. Five weeks passed in what felt like the blink of an eye. Surprisingly, they encountered no other creatures, no more beasts lurking in the darkness. It was an eerie, silent climb—one that only deepened Aria's suspicions.

Their training had been relentless for the past three weeks. The first two were spent scaling the unforgiving mountain, and the rest was nothing short of brutal. They carried massive boulders of ice and snow, endured endless push-ups with layers of frost pressing against their backs, and ran six grueling miles around the summit every day. With each passing day, the weight of their training gear increased, pushing their bodies to their absolute limits.

Another three weeks passed—one dedicated to extra conditioning, the last two spent descending the mountain. By the time they finally stepped onto solid pavement, where a cab was waiting, they looked as if they had just survived a battlefield. Their bodies were stiff with exhaustion, their muscles ached with every step, and the moment they removed their gear, the bitter cold was replaced with the suffocating heat of their sweat-soaked clothes.

Aria was the first to break the silence, groaning as she tugged at her damp shirt. "I swear, my clothes are drenched. I am never doing this again. With anyone."

SteelArm and Stiles immediately agreed, each grimacing at their own sticky discomfort. Dante, who had already endured this hellish training once before, exhaled sharply before giving in as well. "Yeah… this is the last time I'm ever setting foot on a mountain."

Without another word, they piled into the waiting cab, heading straight for the nearest hotel—where a long-awaited shower awaited them.

The cab pulled into the hotel, and all four of them got out, their exhaustion evident in every step. The past weeks of brutal training and climbing had taken a toll, leaving them sore and mentally drained. They each grabbed their keycards, which were handed to them as they entered the hotel. The lobby was quiet, and the soft hum of the fluorescent lights overhead seemed like a distant comfort compared to the brutal cold of the mountain. They made their way to the same floor, each heading toward their assigned rooms.

Stiles walked into his room, taking a deep breath as the familiar scent of the hotel's fresh linens and subtle air freshener filled the air. It was a smell that hit him in a way he didn't expect, like a strange comfort after the grueling days on the mountain. He exhaled, running a hand through his messy hair. "Never thought I'd say it, but I actually like the smell of a hotel. But holy shit, I need a shower."

He dropped his bag to the floor, scanning the room with tired eyes. Everything was simple but clean—perfect for what they needed right now. Opening the closet door, he was pleasantly surprised to find clothes waiting for him: two pairs of baggy jeans and two shirts. One was a white shirt with bold black stripes, while the other was a black shirt with the Dragon Bone logo on it, red stripes wrapping around the fabric.

"Well, look at this," he muttered to himself with a smirk, pulling the black shirt with the logo on it from the hanger. "Damn, alright then, Mr. President of Dragon Bone."

He grabbed a pair of baggy jeans, then stripped off his mountain-worn clothes, tossing them into the basket in the corner of the room. After a few moments of stretching his stiff limbs, Stiles stepped into the bathroom and into the warm embrace of the shower, letting the heat rush over his sore muscles. The cold, biting wind of the mountain seemed like a distant memory as the hot water pounded against his skin, washing away the grime and fatigue.

SteelArm entered his room next, his massive frame seeming out of place in the hotel's cozy setting. He grunted as he dropped his bag by the door, his body aching from the last few days of grueling training. His muscles were on fire, but he'd learned to ignore that pain. The real exhaustion came from the mental battle of pushing through each moment.

"Home sweet home," he murmured dryly, before walking over to the small closet. Inside, he found his set of clothes: a plain gray t-shirt and sturdy jeans, nothing flashy, just simple and practical.

SteelArm took a quick glance at the clothes before stripping off his training gear, the fabric clinging to his sweat-drenched skin. With his broad shoulders and thick arms, he made quick work of the shower, stepping in and turning the water to the hottest setting. The steam filled the small bathroom as he stood under the flow, his eyes closing as the tension began to melt away, the pain easing just a little. SteelArm ran a hand over his face, the warmth a relief from the harsh cold they'd endured for so long. He could feel his muscles start to relax, his body finally able to release the pent-up tension.

Dante entered his room, a quiet sigh escaping his lips as he closed the door behind him. His mind was still buzzing from the intensity of the mountain training, but the hotel room was a welcome change. The soft bed, the warmth—everything was so different from the brutal cold they'd fought through.

After tossing his bag on the floor, Dante took a moment to assess the clothes in his closet. A pair of fitted black jeans and a deep green shirt with a subtle snake design on the sleeve. He chuckled lightly to himself. "Well, looks like someone planned ahead."

He quickly stripped out of his gear, his body sore from the daily training regimen. Tossing his clothes into the basket, he stepped into the shower, feeling the cool air of the bathroom briefly before the heat of the water hit him. He closed his eyes, allowing the water to fall over him, soaking away the physical strain. The heat was comforting, but his mind wandered, thinking about everything they'd been through on the mountain—pushing each other, barely hanging on. The brief peace of the hotel was a welcome contrast, but it also reminded him how far they still had to go.

Aria stood outside her room, her gaze fixed on the door as if it held the answers she needed. The weight of the past weeks hung heavy on her shoulders, and her mind was still racing from everything that had happened on the mountain. Despite the physical exhaustion, her thoughts churned endlessly, replaying moments of the harsh training, the cold, the isolation. But through it all, she had endured. Just like always.

With a deep, steadying breath, she pushed open the door and stepped inside. The soft, familiar scent of the hotel room wrapped around her, a stark contrast to the biting air they'd left behind. As the door clicked shut behind her, a quiet sigh escaped her lips. The rush of the past few days seemed to fade as she dropped her bag onto the bed. She stood there for a moment, taking in the simplicity of the room, the warmth, the calm.

Moving toward the closet, she opened it to find a black turtleneck and a pair of dark, baggy sweatpants. The clothes were just what she needed—comfort, simplicity. Her eyes lingered on them for a second, her thoughts slowing as she undressed. The worn gear, stained and torn from their journey, was discarded into the basket in the corner.

After a few moments, Aria walked into the bathroom, the cool air inside a contrast to the warmth of the room. She stared at her reflection in the mirror, studying the exhaustion in her eyes. Her face was a little too pale, her body a little too thin from the days of constant exertion.

A soft exhale escaped her as she set her clothes down onto a small table in the bathroom. The weight of the world felt a little lighter in this moment, the silence of the room almost peaceful.

Stepping into the shower, the rush of warm water was almost overwhelming. She gasped softly, a relief she hadn't known she'd needed flooding over her. She closed her eyes, letting the steam envelop her, letting the warmth dissolve the tension in her muscles. Each drop of water seemed to wash away the strain of the mountain, the sleepless nights, the endless days of grueling training. For a few minutes, there was only the soothing sound of water and her steady breath.

The world outside of this small sanctuary seemed so far away. In the soft glow of the bathroom lights and the cascade of water, everything felt still. It was the first true moment of peace she had had in weeks. Her thoughts slowed as the warmth melted away the fatigue.

By the time she stepped out of the shower, feeling more like herself than she had in days, everyone had settled into their rooms. The night was quiet, and the exhaustion of the past weeks finally claimed them. One by one, they fell into a restful sleep, the world outside their windows fading away as they found comfort in the softness of their beds.