The Moonlit Hollow was quiet again, but it was the kind of silence that pressed heavily on Aria's chest. The battle had left the jagged ice formations scarred, streaks of blood frozen against their fractured surfaces. The artifact still pulsed with its soft golden light, a constant reminder of the chaos it brought.
Aria lay sprawled on the snow near the hollow's edge, her sharp blue eyes half-closed. Her body ached, her muscles screaming in protest after the intense battle. The Frost Mink curled against her side, its tiny body trembling.
"We made it," Aria muttered, her voice hoarse. "Again."
The mink squeaked softly, nuzzling her fur as if to say, But for how long?
---
Xuan Hao sat nearby, his blade resting on the snow beside him. His dark robes were torn and streaked with blood, but his expression was calm as he leaned back against a jagged shard of ice.
"You don't look like you've got another fight in you," he said, his tone light.
Aria growled softly, her tail flicking. "And you don't look like you've got enough sense to shut up."
He smirked faintly, tilting his head. "Just making an observation."
Her sharp blue eyes glinted as she glared at him. "Next time, keep it to yourself."
---
The Frost Mink stirred, letting out a series of soft chirps as it scurried toward the artifact.
"Don't even think about it," Aria barked, dragging herself upright with visible effort.
The mink froze, its wide eyes darting between her and the glowing orb.
Xuan Hao chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're going to scare them at this rate."
"They should be scared," Aria snapped, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "That thing attracts death."
He raised an eyebrow, his faint smile returning. "And yet, we're still alive."
"Barely," she growled, her claws scraping against the frozen ground.
---
The hollow seemed colder than usual, the icy wind biting into Aria's fur as she paced near the perimeter. The faint hum of the artifact reverberated through the frozen ground, a constant pulse that kept her on edge.
"System," she thought, her sharp blue eyes scanning the horizon. "Status update."
"Artifact resonance stabilizing. Energy fluctuations minimal. Hostile detection probability: 10%."
Her ears twitched. "Only ten percent?"
"Current conditions suggest temporary reprieve. Continued vigilance recommended."
She growled softly, her tail swishing. "It always is."
---
Xuan Hao approached her, his blade resting on his shoulder. His dark eyes glinted with quiet amusement as he leaned casually against an ice formation.
"You're pacing again," he said, his tone calm.
Aria glared at him, her sharp blue eyes blazing. "And you're still standing there like a useless lump. What's your point?"
He smirked faintly. "You're predictable."
Her fur bristled, her claws flexing against the ground. "Keep talking, and you'll find out how predictable I can be."
Xuan Hao chuckled softly, shaking his head. "Fair enough."
---
The Frost Mink and its companions gathered near the stream, their tiny chirps breaking the heavy silence. They darted between patches of snow, oblivious to the tension that lingered in the air.
Aria watched them from a distance, her sharp blue eyes softening briefly.
"They don't even realize how close we came to losing everything," she thought, her claws scraping against the ground.
The smallest mink glanced back at her, chirping softly as if to say, You kept us safe.
She sighed, shaking her head. "Don't count on it happening again."
---
By the time the sun began to set, the hollow had settled into an uneasy calm. The jagged ice formations cast long shadows over the ground, their sharp edges glinting faintly in the fading light.
"System," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "How stable is the artifact now?"
"Artifact resonance stable. Current energy levels suggest limited interference. Hostile detection probability remains at 10%."
Her fur bristled. "It's quiet. Too quiet."
---
Xuan Hao crouched near the artifact, inspecting the barrier he had woven around it. The crimson threads of energy shimmered faintly as he reinforced their structure.
"You don't let up, do you?" Aria asked, her tone sharp as she approached him.
He glanced at her, his faint smile returning. "Neither does the artifact."
Her sharp blue eyes narrowed. "Do you even know what you're doing?"
"Not entirely," he admitted, his smirk widening. "But I'm not the type to leave things to chance."
Her claws flexed. "Then stop pretending like you've got it all under control."
---
The Frost Mink scurried toward Aria, chirping nervously as it climbed onto her back.
"System," she thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "Are we really safe, or is this thing just lulling us into a false sense of security?"
"Energy fluctuations minimal. No immediate anomalies detected. Current conditions suggest temporary stability."
She growled softly, her tail swishing sharply. "Temporary. It's always temporary."
---
The first sign of trouble came as a faint tremor that rippled through the frozen ground. The jagged ice formations shuddered, cracks spidering across their surfaces.
Aria crouched low, her sharp blue eyes blazing. "System, report!"
"Energy fluctuations detected. Probability of environmental disturbance: 40%. Potential source: Artifact resonance destabilizing."
Her fur bristled. "Destabilizing? Why now?"
"Cause unidentified. Monitoring advised."
---
Xuan Hao straightened, his dark eyes narrowing as he glanced at the artifact. "It's starting again, isn't it?"
Aria growled softly, her claws scraping against the ground. "Looks like it."
He smirked faintly, his tone light. "Good. I was starting to get bored."
Her sharp blue eyes glinted. "Keep joking, and I'll let them come straight for you."
Xuan Hao chuckled, his blade gleaming faintly in the fading light. "Wouldn't expect anything less."
---
The Frost Mink pressed against Aria's neck, its tiny body trembling as it let out a series of frantic chirps.
"For once," Aria muttered, her claws digging into the ground, "you're not overreacting."
The ground trembled again, the vibrations stronger this time. A low, rumbling growl echoed through the hollow, sending shivers down her spine.
"System," she thought, her sharp blue eyes darting toward the horizon. "What's coming?"
"Hostile detection confirmed. Estimated arrival: 1–2 hours. Classification: Severe."
---
As the last light of day faded, the hollow was bathed in the eerie glow of the artifact. The Frost Mink and its companions huddled together near the stream, their chirps quiet and filled with unease.
"For now," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing, "we wait. But it's only a matter of time before this peace shatters again."
Xuan Hao stood beside her, his dark eyes fixed on the horizon.
"Whatever it is," he said, his tone calm, "we'll handle it."
Aria growled softly, her claws flexing against the ground. "We'd better."