Chapter 14 : Shadows Beneath The Ice

The campfire flickered between them, casting long shadows against the gnarled trees that surrounded the clearing. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth, charred wood, and something else—something ancient and unspoken.

Lorien sat across from Rainer and Veyna, his fingers absently tracing patterns into the dirt. Myra sat beside him, her blue dress catching the firelight, her large black eyes reflecting the flames like distant stars.

They had traveled far, and yet, Lorien couldn't shake the feeling that they were still at the very beginning.

"Tomorrow, we cross into the Northern Territories," Rainer said, arms folded. "Ice elf lands. Dangerous if you don't know what you're doing."

Veyna leaned forward, a playful glint in her mismatched eyes. "But you do know what you're doing, don't you, Sovereign?"

Lorien met her gaze, unamused. "Enough to keep you alive."

She laughed, a short, sharp sound. "That's all I needed to hear."

The Northern Territories. Home to the ice elves and dark elves. A land of perpetual frost, where ancient grudges ran as deep as the frozen rivers. It was said that the elves did not take kindly to outsiders, especially those who carried the scent of Chaos.

And yet, Lorien had no choice. The world was unraveling, piece by piece, and if he wanted to understand the true depths of his power, he needed to face what lay ahead.

The fire crackled, embers drifting into the night sky. Myra shifted beside him, her voice barely above a whisper. "Do you think… they'll accept us?"

Lorien exhaled slowly. "I don't know."

But he did know one thing—nothing worth having was ever given freely.

By midday, the warm soil beneath their feet had hardened into permafrost. The air grew thin, cold biting at their exposed skin despite the layers of clothing they wore.

Towering ice formations jutted from the ground like crystalline monoliths, reflecting the sun's light in a dazzling display of blues and silvers. The trees here were ancient, their gnarled roots frozen solid, their branches draped in frost that never melted.

Lorien kept his hand close to his sword. Something was watching them.

"Stay sharp," Rainer murmured, his eyes scanning the treeline. "Elves don't welcome uninvited guests."

And then—

A blur of movement.

Lorien reacted instantly, drawing his sword just as a volley of ice-laced arrows rained down from the trees.

"Scatter!" Rainer barked.

Veyna flipped backward, narrowly avoiding an arrow that embedded itself where she'd just stood. Myra yelped, darting behind Lorien, who deflected two arrows mid-flight with a precise swing of his blade.

A dozen figures emerged from the shadows of the ice forest. Their skin was pale, almost translucent under the light, their silver hair braided intricately. Their eyes—cold, calculating, filled with suspicion—gleamed like sapphires.

Ice elves.

One stepped forward, taller than the rest, draped in flowing white robes with a fur-lined cloak. His gaze locked onto Lorien, and for a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then, in a voice like wind over frozen lakes, the elf said—

"You should not be here."

Lorien tightened his grip on his sword. "We mean no harm."

The elf's gaze flickered to the embers of Chaos still lingering around Lorien's presence. "And yet, the abyss walks with you."

Veyna sighed. "Always with the dramatic entrances."

Lorien ignored her. "We need safe passage. That's all."

The ice elf did not move. "You trespass on sacred ground."

"Then let us leave it," Rainer interjected. "We're not looking for a fight."

The elf studied them, then slowly lowered his hand. The tension in the air lessened—slightly.

"My name is Vaelis," he said finally. "And if you truly wish to leave these lands unharmed… you will come with us."

Lorien exchanged glances with his companions. There was no other choice.

And so, they followed the elves into the heart of the Frostlands.

The real journey had just begun.

The path ahead was treacherous. Lorien's boots crunched against the frozen ground, each step sinking slightly into the permafrost. The towering glaciers around them pulsed with an eerie blue glow, their jagged edges resembling fangs of a sleeping beast.

The ice elves moved with ghostly silence, their forms barely disturbing the snowfall. Vaelis led the group, his cloak billowing in the wind. He had said little since they had begun their journey deeper into the Frostlands.

Lorien remained on edge. Every instinct screamed at him to be cautious.

"You sure about this?" Rainer murmured beside him.

"No," Lorien admitted. "But we don't have another choice."

"Charming." Veyna smirked, her breath curling in the frigid air. "I do love a good mystery."

Myra, who had been unusually quiet, pulled her cloak tighter around herself. "They're watching us."

Lorien glanced at her. "Who?"

She nodded toward the towering ice formations flanking the path. "Not just them. Something else."

Lorien felt it too—an unseen presence, something lingering in the frozen depths. He tightened his grip on his sword, Sovereign's Grasp. The abyss within him stirred, whispering secrets in a voice he could not yet understand.

Then, the ice groaned.

A deep, unnatural sound.

The ground trembled beneath them.

Vaelis and his kin froze in place. The lead elf raised a hand, signaling the others to halt. His expression darkened.

"We are not alone," he murmured.

Lorien turned sharply, scanning the surroundings. The ice itself seemed to shift, unnatural cracks forming along the crystalline walls. The air turned heavier, laced with something foreign.

Then, from the depths of the glaciers, a shape emerged.

It was massive—an amalgamation of ice and shadow, its form twisting and shifting, as if the elements themselves refused to settle. Shards of frozen mist clung to its body, and when it opened its maw, a guttural roar sent shockwaves through the ground.

A Frost Revenant.

A monster born of ice and lingering souls, a creature that fed on the life force of those who wandered too far into the Frostlands.

The elves immediately formed a defensive line, their hands glowing with cold magic. Vaelis raised his staff, ice forming into wicked spears along its length.

Lorien's heartbeat slowed. This was no ordinary battle.

System Notification: Trial Detected.

His breath hitched. The world around him dimmed for an instant, the abyss within stirring violently.

Warning: This trial is beyond your current level. Proceed at your own risk.

Lorien exhaled. He had no choice.

With a flick of his wrist, he drew Sovereign's Grasp, its dark edge humming with unseen energy.

The battle had begun.

The monster moved first.

A wall of ice erupted beneath it, launching its massive form forward with terrifying speed. Lorien barely had time to react before claws raked through the air where he had stood moments before.

He twisted, dodging the strike, but the sheer force of its presence sent shards of ice cutting into his cloak.

Rainer and Veyna split to opposite sides, weapons drawn. Myra muttered an incantation, golden energy crackling around her fingertips.

The ice elves unleashed their magic. Spear-like formations of frost shot forward, piercing into the Revenant's form. But the creature barely faltered—its wounds sealed almost instantly, as if the very ice around it was part of its being.

"This thing regenerates," Rainer growled. "Great."

Lorien's mind raced. If it could heal itself using the ice… then the only way to defeat it was to sever its connection to the Frostlands.

He narrowed his gaze.

The abyss stirred.

"Sovereign's Grasp—Disrupt Reality."

A ripple of energy spread outward from his blade. The world itself seemed to shudder as the abyss reached beyond the natural laws.

The Revenant roared, its form flickering, the ice no longer responding to its will.

Now.

Lorien surged forward, blade flashing. He carved through the creature's limb, black mist trailing behind the strike. The severed ice cracked, unable to reform.

The elves seized the opportunity, launching a coordinated assault. Vaelis conjured a frozen lance the size of a tree trunk and drove it through the Revenant's core.

The beast let out a deafening wail.

The ground beneath it fractured.

And then—silence.

The Revenant collapsed, its body crumbling into mist, vanishing into the wind.

Lorien stood still, blade lowered, the echoes of the abyss still murmuring in his mind.

Then—

System Notification: Trial Completed.

Reward: Fragment of Forgotten Knowledge Acquired.

His vision swam. For a brief moment, images flashed through his mind—a ruined temple, a name lost to time, a Sovereign who came before him.

And then it was gone.

Vaelis exhaled, lowering his staff. "You wield a power that should not exist."

Lorien met his gaze. "I know."

The ice elf studied him for a long moment before turning away. "Come. There is someone you must meet."

Lorien sheathed his sword, following as the group resumed their journey.

The path ahead had only grown darker.

---End Of Chapter 14---