As Tess stepped through the vortex, she found herself treading upon slippery terrain and inhaling the crisp, chilly air. A sudden drop in temperature caused her to instinctively embrace herself, seeking warmth and comfort. The spikes beneath her boots provided a secure grip, ensuring stability amidst the frigid surroundings.
In every direction, vast expanses of frozen ground stretched for miles on end. The towering dark blue mountains adorned one side, while a circular smudge of white marked the sky where the sun hung, casting an ethereal glow over the desolate landscape.
Perplexed by their unfamiliar surroundings, Tess pulled her sleeves down to her elbows, attempting to shield herself from the biting cold. Sensing their disorientation, she voiced her question, "Where are we?"
"More importantly, are we even in the right place? There seems to be nothing here," Szedra voiced her concerns, only to be interrupted by the sudden appearance of several figures cloaked in black mantles, materializing out of thin air.
Startled, the group's gaze fixated upon these enigmatic individuals who formed a perfect circle around them, their synchronized movements sending shivers down Tess's spine. She pondered whether this was a test to identify the original among the copies.
Zack, unimpressed by the eerie greeting, muttered, "Not another boring introduction," just as a tremor rumbled beneath their feet.
Reacting swiftly, each member summoned their swords and assumed a defensive stance, forming a protective back-to-back formation. The intensity of the trembling increased, and a distinct rumbling reverberated through the air. Tess gritted her teeth, her anticipation mounting as they braced themselves for the impending unknown.
Then, with an explosive force, towering columns of rushing water erupted from the ground like bombs unleashed in a vast field. Soaring into the sky with awe-inspiring heights, the powerful water jets obscured the once-blue expanse and the gentle glow of the sun.
Darkness enveloped the surroundings, accompanied by a bone-chilling chill that sent shivers coursing through Tess's entire being. A haunting howl resonated from all corners, amplifying the primal sense of fear and exhilaration.
Every hair on Tess's body stood on end, and her senses heightened to an extraordinary degree. The world around her became hyper-real, as if she had been thrust into a heightened state of awareness, fully attuned to the impending dangers and mysteries that lay ahead.
"Look! There's the scroll!" Lanse's voice pierced through the chaos, his sword pointing in the direction of their objective. Without hesitation, he dashed forward, a blur of determination.
The rest of the group quickly followed in his wake, their adrenaline pumping. But just as they closed the distance, a colossal wave of icy water materialized before them, violently erasing Lanse from their sight.
Tess's muscles instinctively tightened as she planted her spiked boots firmly into the water-covered ground, desperately trying to come to a halt.
The frigid water rose, engulfing their legs, its icy tendrils crawling across their skin. And then, with a mysterious ebb and flow, the water receded, vanishing into a gaping hole, leaving no trace of Lanse's presence.
"Watch out!" Szedra's urgent cry came from behind, but before Tess could react, another wave crashed into her with bone-chilling force. The rising column of water, defying gravity's pull, mysteriously bent away from the sky to mercilessly collide with her. The relentless onslaught of freezing cold felt like being struck by solid steel.
Her body broke through an invisible barrier, plunging into the water with a jarring impact. A multitude of needles pricked at her flesh, eliciting sharp pain that cut through the numbing cold. Panic surged as the realization dawned upon her—she couldn't breathe. Her eyes snapped open, fighting against the stinging water, desperately seeking a way to escape the suffocating abyss.
Through the swirling chaos, she glimpsed the mesmerizing dance of water, rushing in and out of holes in the icy surface, creating intricate currents and semi-circular patterns on the vast expanse of white.
It dawned on her that she was upside down, her senses disoriented in the watery realm. With determined strokes of her arms and legs, she propelled herself, striving to right her orientation, finding solace as her mind slowly regained its composure.
Amidst the tumultuous aquatic environment, she spotted the dark blue void—the hole in the ice where she had burst through. Straining against the currents and the piercing cold, she fought her way towards it, each stroke a testament to her resilience.
The overwhelming sensory assault, the biting cold, only served to fuel her determination as she pushed forward, driven by the single-minded goal of reaching that escape route.
Her numb fingers broke through the water's surface, desperately reaching for the icy edge, yearning for a lifeline. But the slick ice betrayed her grasp, causing her to slip and plummet back into the frigid depths.
Dammit! Her frustration echoed through the watery expanse. Summoning every ounce of determination, she propelled herself upwards once more, gasping for precious air as her head emerged from the freezing water.
Shivers racked her body, and her trembling lips parted as she fought to regain her breath. Though her vision was blurred by heavy, wet lashes, she could discern the towering columns of water crisscrossing the air at dizzying heights. The sight defied all logical explanations.
Summoning a sword into her hand, she drove its blade slanted into the top of the ice, using it as an anchor to haul herself up. With her left knee making contact with the slippery surface, she released one hand, cautiously beginning to crawl forward.
It became abundantly clear that these colossal columns of water were being manipulated, their movements controlled by some unseen force. On her knees, she peered upwards, her mind racing to make sense of the bizarre phenomena unfolding around her.
Drawing upon her knowledge, she connected the dots, recalling a Physics experiment involving static conduction on a smaller scale. Mental recitation guided her through the steps—running a comb through her hair repeatedly, then bringing it close to a stream of water from a tap, observing how the charged comb would attract and manipulate the water's flow. It seemed this principle was being magnified on a grand scale in this icy realm.
Her thoughts were interrupted when her attention snapped back to the present moment. A column of water began its descent, hurtling towards her vulnerable position. Instinctively, she dug her spikes deep into the ice, building friction before she dashed from the spot.
With a thunderous crash, the colossal column struck the ground, sending water cascading in all directions. Casting a glance over her shoulder, she was taken aback to witness a black mantle suspended above the ground, concealing a mysterious lump.
It became apparent that the black mantled figures concealed people beneath them. Two more columns of water crashed down, and amidst the chaos, Tess caught sight of Lanse nearby before he swiftly darted away again, his intentions unclear.
Turning her attention back to the motionless figure beneath the black mantle, Tess realized that the prior individuals were the ones manipulating the columns of water. The controls must be hidden beneath their cloaks, just like their previous adversary with the spiked whip.
Anticipating another column of water hurtling in her direction, Tess's gaze scanned the area, searching for the person in black who must have spotted her presence. Determination fueled her new plan: to attack these cloaked figures and seize the coveted scroll.
With fierce resolve, she charged toward the approaching column, only to swiftly pivot and fall backward, smoothly sliding over the icy ground. Gracefully gliding through the narrow gap between the rushing water and the frozen terrain, she skillfully evaded its touch.
As she slid, she summoned a sword into her hand and swung it across the ice, aiming for the leg of the concealed opponent. In that split second, a vivid red spray confirmed her swords' formidable cutting ability.
Dammit!" she exclaimed, though the cacophony of crashing columns made it difficult to discern any cries of pain from her foe. She desperately hoped that her eyes had deceived her, and it wasn't blood she had witnessed. If anyone asked, she didn't remember. She silently admonished herself, swiftly flipping onto her feet and dashing away once more.
As an overwhelming number of columns descended, surpassing what a single person could control, Tess deduced that her companions were engaged in similar battles. Regretfully, she hadn't counted the number of opponents surrounding them upon their arrival, leaving her with no defined limit in her search for their black-clad figures amidst the chaos.
Tess's eyes widened as she witnessed yet another opponent being severed by a door-thick column of water. She quickly shifted to the side, concealing herself to avoid being detected, and released a misty sigh of relief.
A brilliant idea took shape in her mind as she observed the columns of water crashing and dispersing, leaving behind exposed pockets in the ice. Her mind went back to her short-lived dive in the icy abyss. She bet their opponent's dark mantles were visible from under the water.
Without fully formulating a plan, she instinctively darted towards one of the water-filled holes. Taking a deep breath, she dove through the opening, narrowly evading a swiftly passing column of water that grazed her back.
Submerged in the icy depths, Tess expertly swam herself upright, her senses heightened in the underwater realm. A dark blur caught her attention, peeking through the frozen surface, approximately in the same location as the opponent she had observed earlier. Fortuitously, the space between the semi-circular currents provided enough room for her to navigate without being struck.
Summoning a sword, she forcefully jammed it multiple times into the ice near the concealed opponent. The combined weight of their struggle caused the ice to give way beneath the water, and with a swift knuckle punch, bubbles erupted from their mouth.
As the hood slipped back, revealing bright pink hair cascading over their dark skin, a pang of sorrow pierced Tess's chest. She couldn't bear to witness another life slipping away before her eyes.
Recalling the bloodshed from her previous encounter, Tess resolved to prevent a tragic outcome. Despite her fingers growing numb from the frigid water, she grabbed hold of the lady and swam towards the surface with determined strength.
Emerging through another hole in the ice, both their heads broke the water's surface, and the lady gasped for air, gradually finding her breath again. With Tess's assistance, she crawled onto the icy terrain, while Tess herself remained in the water, her resolve unyielding.
"Thou hath defeateth me," the lady spoke, her voice faint, before succumbing to motionlessness upon the frozen surface.
Tess took a deep, lung-filled breath, her determination unwavering, as she prepared to reenter the watery depths to repeat her plan once more.