The heavy tread of footsteps echoed on the crystal ice surface in an oppressive silence. The sound came from the humanoid ice monsters striding with arrogant movements, as if defying the frozen chill around them.
At that moment, the thunderous boom of an explosion rang out, reverberating from behind the thick walls of the underground prison.
Without hesitation, the ice creatures paused briefly, surveying the situation with their icy blue eyes.
A second later, they rushed off in hurried strides, running toward the source of the blast.
At the now wide-open entrance, a thinly-clad man stumbled out, his blue-tinged fingers clutching his own body, trying to fend off the bone-chilling cold air.
He glanced in horror at the approaching ice monsters and wasted no time, his steps breaking into a desperate run despite his labored breaths appearing like tiny pants in the frozen air.
The wretched man kept running until finally his foot caught on something, and his body collapsed onto a pile of bitingly cold snow.
"Damn it! Damn it! Damn it!!!" His curses echoed into the air, accompanied by a painful, racking cough.
With trembling hands, he tried to crawl forward in a prone position, leaving grooves etched in the snow.
The heavy footsteps returned, growing closer and closer until finally a towering giant shadow loomed before him.
The humanoid ice monster had arrived, blocking out the sliver of sunlight peeking through the overcast sky.
The man looked up, squinting at the blinding glare. A bitter smile etched across his blue-tinged lips.
At that moment, the cold, heavy ice foot stomped down on the man's face, crushing bone and flesh to splatter across the pure white snow now reddening with the copious flow of fresh blood.
The wretched man was dead.
...
A meaningful smirk curved Charles's lips as he faced the imprisoned Treasure Hoarders trapped with him.
"Do you want out?" His tone was laced with hidden intent.
The Treasure Hoarders, who had initially regarded him with puzzled looks, now all nodded eagerly. Freedom from this icy cage was the dream lingering in their minds!
"I will set you free," Charles continued calmly.
"After that, I take no responsibility for your lives." He paused before adding, "Whether you live or not. It's not my concern."
"No problem! Just let us out!" A thinly-clad man cried out in a quavering voice, his exposed skin shivering from the cold.
A slight frown creased Charles's brow. In one swift motion, he drew a revolver from oblivion and pressed the cold muzzle squarely against the scantily-dressed man's forehead.
The man's eyes bulged in horror, his body instantly freezing rigid. Cold sweat beaded on his temples, forming a stark contrast against the frozen air around them.
"Speak again. And I'll pull this trigger," Charles threatened in a calm yet menacing tone.
The man shrank back, trembling hands raised in a pleading gesture. His lips clamped shut, fear radiating from his rigid body language. Such pressure was clearly not something he had experienced before.
"Good. An obedient dog." A satisfied smirk graced Charles's features as he re-holstered his revolver.
He turned his back on the prisoners, his gaze shifting to the icy bars caging them in.
"I can blow these bars apart," he muttered, glancing towards the trapped Treasure Hoarders.
His statement was met with stunned looks radiating from those pale faces. Mouths agape and eyes widening in shock.
...
Footsteps echoed down the cold iron corridor as Charles ran in urgent haste, his head swiveling left and right, searching for Charlotte among the rows of icy prison cells.
His breath came in ragged pants, billowing like white mist in the biting air.
In one cell, a scrawny child slumped lifelessly, her frail body looking as if starvation could claim her at any moment.
Other cells revealed equally heartbreaking scenes - a deceased mother with her terrified children huddled beside her seeking warmth, a father tightly embracing his family as if trying to fend off the cold ravaging their frail bodies.
The captives' eyes conveyed sorrow and bewilderment at seeing Charles free from confinement.
Their pale lips seemed poised to call out, yet faltered in their inability to plead for help.
Charles scanned the area with blazing eyes. His fists clenched tightly. He felt frustrated and angry at his own powerlessness to rescue them right now.
He could easily blow apart every icy iron bar imprisoning them. But after that? What could they do?
He continued down the cold, silent corridor.
"Charles?"
Charles paused, turning slowly as his reflected gaze fell upon the freezing form of Charlotte. She was clutching unknown small children tightly, struggling to smile despite her pale, trembling lips.
"What are you doing out here?" she asked between painful coughs. "Do you have a key to leave this place?"
Charles shook his head slowly. "I blew it up."
"So that explosion was your doing?" Charlotte regarded him curiously.
"Stand back. Let me blow this cage apart too."
Charlotte complied, guiding the little ones a few safe steps into the corner. Her eyes fixed on Charles in a questioning gaze.
But before Charlotte could inquire further, the sharp snap of fingers rang out, followed immediately by the thunderous boom of an explosion that shook the prison cell.
A plume of dust erupted, momentarily obscuring vision. When it cleared, the revealed scene was one of utter devastation - the once towering iron bars now reduced to twisted rubble strewn about haphazardly.
With his newly gained skill, Charles could easily create explosions with just a snap of his fingers, directing the blast simply by snapping and pointing towards his target. What he visualized also influenced the distance range.
Charlotte squeezed her eyes tightly shut, shielding the children's faces from the swirling dust and shrapnel. When her eyelids opened, she could only gape at how thoroughly their cage had been obliterated.
Prisoners in other cells peeked through their icy bars. Horror radiated from those pallid faces, stunned to witness the second explosion now occurring so perilously close to them.
Those eyes fixed on Charles with a mixed gaze of desperate hope and fear.
"Help blow my cage too!"
"Free us!"
"Release us!"
The pleading cries echoed down the corridor.
Charles exhaled a long sigh. This is bad...I should have done this quietly.
His gaze swept from cell to cell, taking in the captives' faces with a pitying gleam.
But when his eyes met Charlotte's, his expression turned grave.
"Do you want to escape with me and leave them? Or do you want to stay and I'll go alone?" he asked firmly. "Make your choice. We don't have much time."
Charlotte bowed her head deeply, clutching the little ones tighter. Slowly, her lips parted and the words spilled forth...