The cold bites into my skin, sharp and unforgiving, as we trudge through the snow. The bitter wind whips across the frozen landscape, howling like a wild beast. Every breath I take feels like ice filling my lungs. My legs ache, struggling to carry both myself and Dragonir through the thick snow. His weight bears down on me, heavier with every step, but I can't stop. Not here. Not in this desolate, freezing wilderness.
The snow is thick, and the night is pitch black, save for the occasional glimmer of the moonlight reflecting off the icy ground. The Kingdom of Orphic, isolated and cold, feels more like a cage right now than the home it's meant to be.
Dragonir stumbles beside me, his feet dragging through the snow. He's barely conscious, his breath shallow and uneven. The bruises and cuts on his face are turning darker, his lips split from the torture Eleri put him through. I glance at him, heart pounding with both worry and fury. How could she do this to him?
My thoughts keep turning back to her—Eleri. The woman I thought I knew, the woman who I once considered my friend. No… more than a friend. The thought stings in ways I can't even begin to describe.
She's twisted. The way she tortured him, the way she looked at me, the way she touched me—it's all wrong. And yet, there's a sick part of me that still feels something for her. I hate it. I hate her. I hate how she makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself.
But I can't think about that right now. I need to get Dragonir back to the academy. He needs help. We both do.
"We're close," I mutter, more to myself than to Dragonir. The academy can't be more than a mile away, hidden within the frozen wasteland of Marie Byrd Land. A beacon of warmth and safety—if we can just make it.
Dragonir stirs beside me, his head lolling to the side. He groans softly, his voice weak and raspy. "Seraphina…"
"I'm here," I whisper, tightening my grip on him. "Just hold on a little longer."
The snow crunches beneath our feet, each step harder than the last. The cold seeps into my bones, and I shiver uncontrollably, but I push forward. I won't let him die out here. I won't let her win.
The wind picks up, howling louder now, and the temperature drops even further. My fingers are numb, barely able to hold onto Dragonir as we struggle through the blizzard. The academy lights are nowhere in sight yet, and doubt starts to creep into my mind. What if we don't make it?
But I refuse to give up. Not now. Not after everything.
I adjust Dragonir's weight again, pulling him closer to me, trying to shield him from the wind. His breathing is labored, each breath coming out in shallow gasps. He's in worse shape than I thought, and panic rises in my chest.
"Stay with me," I say, my voice trembling. "We're almost there."
The truth is, I don't know how close we are. The storm is getting worse, and I can barely see more than a few feet ahead of me. The cold is biting at every exposed inch of skin, and I can feel exhaustion creeping in.
"Seraphina…" Dragonir's voice is barely a whisper now, his head slumping against my shoulder.
"No," I say firmly, shaking him gently. "Stay awake. Stay with me."
We keep moving, each step feeling heavier than the last. The wind howls in my ears, and the cold wraps around me like a vice. But then, in the distance, I see it—the faint, glowing lights of the academy. Relief floods through me.
"There," I breathe out, almost sobbing in relief. "We made it."
With renewed strength, I push forward, dragging Dragonir with me through the snow. The academy is our salvation, and it's so close now. I just need to get him inside, and everything will be okay.
The thought makes me feel sick, but it's the truth. I can't deny it anymore. Some part of me... craved what she did. And that terrifies me.
I shake my head, trying to focus. Dragonir needs me now. I can't let my mind wander back to those twisted memories. We've escaped, but I know Eleri isn't far. I don't know where she is, but I feel her shadow looming over me, waiting.
"We're safe now," I whisper, as much to myself as to Dragonir. But even as I say it, I'm not sure I believe it.
With one final push, we stumble through the academy gates. I collapse to my knees, dragging Dragonir down with me, but we're here. We made it.
Now, we just have to figure out what comes next.