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Chapter 24 - Buried Under The Snow

In less than a minute, Tristan observed Valeria swiftly making her way through the thick snow, occasionally leaping forward with a lightness that resembled a feather dancing in the wind.

"Tristan, you look alright. Any injuries or scratches?" Valeria inquired, her tone filled with genuine concern.

"Hey...ugh...I'm...I'm fine," Tristan replied, mustering a faint smile.

"Your landing was smooth, Valeria! You did it effortlessly. I tried to replicate it, but mine was a disaster. Thankfully, no bones were broken, and I escaped without any wounds. Still, I feel drained from using my energy to shield and roll," Tristan confessed with a deep sigh.

"Tristan, Valeria, bury yourselves in the snow and stay still until I give the signal. The drone I mentioned is closing in on our location," Uncle Alex instructed over the radio. "And maintain radio silence until further notice," he added before the radio fell silent.

Tristan and Valeria quickly buried themselves under the snow, using their hands to dig swiftly. They positioned their bodies close together while ensuring they could maintain visual contact. They channeled their power into every vein and capillary on their skin to stave off the cold.

"Are you warm enough, Valeria?" Tristan whispered, realizing his question sounded feeble, considering Valeria's immense power compared to his own.

"I'm fine. How about you, Tristan? Your face looks paler, and your lips are trembling," Valeria whispered back, her concerned gaze fixed on Tristan.

"What? No, I'm not freezing... Wait—" Tristan exclaimed, suddenly realizing that he had been channeling his power towards his lower body but neglecting his head, leaving it unprotected. He focused his efforts on increasing his power and directing it upwards, aiming to warm his freezing face.

However, after a while, there was no noticeable change. Tristan still felt the chill gnawing at his face, and his nose began to throb with pain.

"God damn it! I think I expended too much energy during the landing. Now I don't have enough to warm up my face," he muttered, his whisper tinged with a tremor.

"Here, hold my hand," whispered Valeria while reaching into Tristan's hands." Your hands don't feel cold, Tristan." She adds once she's squeezing Tristan's hands." But it won't be enough to prevent your face from freezing. Maybe I can channel my power to you?" Valeria wondered, beginning to close her eyes and concentrating her energy on assisting Tristan.

"Wait, Valeria. Don't drain your energy on me. You need to save it for yourself," Tristan insisted, his expression clearly indicating his resolve. "Perhaps there's another way you can help me... What if you warm your palms and then rub them against my cheeks and nose? That might help to keep my face warmer."

Valeria nodded in agreement, closing her eyes to focus her power on her palms. Within moments, her hands became noticeably warmer. She gently pressed her hands against Tristan's face, maintaining contact to share her warmth.

Tristan felt warmth spreading across his cheeks as Valeria's touch continued for a minute. Suddenly, he sensed a surge of energy coursing through his body.

"Wow, Valeria, I feel amazing now. Wait... You didn't secretly transfer your power to me, did you? I not only feel warm but also energized!" Tristan whispered, his eyes filled with excitement.

"Don't worry, I simply made my palms warmer. And I don't feel drained, either. It's actually quite nice to experience this. Feeling warm even when we were buried under a foot of snow," Valeria replied, finally offering a smile to Tristan.

"I'd love to return the smile, but your hands are on my cheeks. I don't want to scare you with how odd I look while smiling with my cheeks pressed," Tristan said jokingly.

Valeria chuckled at the comment. "What makes you think you don't look odd right now? Especially after all that rolling?" She burst into laughter at her own jest.

Tristan couldn't help but giggle, then retorted, "Ouch... Your jokes certainly hit hard, milady. Maybe you don't need to touch my cheeks to keep me warm. Just bombard me with your jokes. That should do the trick."

Upon hearing the word "milady," Valeria's expression suddenly changed.

"Don't call me that. Anyone can call me that, but not you," Valeria said, narrowing her eyes. Her tone turned serious as she continued, "Using such a title implies a formal distance. I don't want there to be any distance between us, Tristan!"

Tristan felt a lump in his throat upon hearing Valeria's words. Still, he managed to maintain a calm appearance even though his heart was filled with joy.

"Can you hear me, guys? If so, please respond and activate your radar," Lady Ayana's voice suddenly came through the AI radio system, which made Tristan and Valeria refocus on their surroundings.

"Loud and clear, Lady Ayana," Tristan quickly replied. Once again, Lady Ayana saved him from revealing his excitement over Valeria's open display of affection.

Tristan and Valeria turned on their AI radars. Within a second, they could hear the greetings from their AI companions.

"Tristan, Valeria, you can now walk towards my position. Proceed to where I am," Lady Ayana instructed.

"Um... Where is Uncle Alex... I mean, Prince Alex, Lady Ayana? I don't see his tag on my radar," Tristan asked, feeling perplexed by what he observed, or rather, didn't observe, on Daggo's radar.

"That's one of the matters we need to discuss once you're here," Lady Ayana replied flatly, conveying the importance and the assurance that it wasn't something to be overly concerned about.

Tristan is taken aback. He could feel that something was wrong.

They began to cautiously make their way out of the snow, crouching as they moved.

As they emerged from their snowy refuge, they were greeted by a dense fog that obscured their surroundings. Without the guidance of their AI, they wouldn't have been able to navigate toward Lady Ayana's position.

Walking slowly and remaining slightly crouched, they occasionally glanced at the white skies, their eyes scanning for any signs of the drone that Uncle Alex had mentioned.