The aftermath of the battle left the Moonlit Hollow eerily silent. The Frostscale Serpent's massive body lay crumpled in the snow, its shimmering scales dulled by blood and frost. The Abyssal Wolves were motionless, their dark forms frozen mid-snarl. The faint glow of the artifact pulsed irregularly, casting fleeting shadows across the jagged ice formations.
Aria crouched low near the edge of the hollow, her sharp blue eyes darting between the artifact and the horizon. The Frost Mink clung to her back, its tiny claws digging into her fur as it chirped nervously.
"Stop squirming," she muttered, her tail flicking sharply. "We've survived worse."
The words were hollow, even to her. Her body ached, her muscles screaming in protest from the relentless fights. Yet, despite the temporary stillness, her instincts screamed that something was wrong.
---
Xuan Hao stood near the artifact, his blade sheathed but his stance alert. His dark eyes lingered on the cracks spreading across the golden orb's surface, faint but unmistakable.
"That's new," he said, breaking the silence.
Aria growled softly, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "What is?"
He gestured toward the artifact. "The cracks. They weren't there before."
Her claws flexed against the frozen ground. "Great. Just what we need—more problems."
Xuan Hao smirked faintly, leaning against a jagged ice shard. "You're taking it better than I expected."
"I'm too tired to yell at you," she snapped, her tail swishing sharply. "For now."
---
The Frost Mink scurried toward the artifact, its tiny paws crunching softly against the snow.
"Hey!" Aria barked, darting forward to block the creature's path. "Do you have a death wish?"
The mink squeaked, tilting its head innocently.
Xuan Hao chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're really protective of them, aren't you?"
Her fur bristled as she turned to glare at him. "And you're really annoying, aren't you?"
"Not mutually exclusive," he said with a smirk.
---
The hollow's uneasy calm grew heavier with each passing minute. The faint hum of the artifact deepened, its vibrations resonating through the frozen ground.
"System," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing. "What's happening now?"
"Artifact resonance destabilizing. Probability of critical failure: 15%. Probability of hostile attraction: 25%."
Her fur bristled. "Critical failure? What does that even mean?"
"Energy instability may result in localized environmental disruption. Continued monitoring advised."
Aria growled softly, her claws scraping against the ground. "You're really great at being vague, you know that?"
---
Xuan Hao crouched near the artifact, his dark eyes narrowing as he examined the glowing threads of crimson energy encasing it.
"The barrier's holding," he said, his tone thoughtful. "But it's under strain."
Aria huffed, approaching cautiously. "Then fix it."
He glanced at her, his smirk faint. "It's not that simple."
Her sharp blue eyes glinted. "Then make it simple."
Xuan Hao chuckled softly, shaking his head. "You're demanding today."
"Today?" she growled, her claws flexing. "I'm always demanding."
---
The Frost Mink and its companions gathered near the stream, their chirps quiet and restless. Their tiny bodies huddled together, their wide eyes darting toward the artifact.
"They know something's wrong," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes softening briefly.
The smallest mink glanced back at her, chirping softly as if to say, We trust you.
She sighed, her tail swishing. "You're lucky you're cute."
---
The artifact's glow flickered suddenly, its hum rising into an unsettling whine that sent chills down Aria's spine.
"System," she thought, her claws digging into the snow. "Status update."
"Energy fluctuations escalating. Probability of localized disruption: 40%. Hostile detection probability: 30%."
Her fur bristled. "Localized disruption? What are we talking about here?"
"Potential environmental collapse. Current location may become unstable."
Aria's sharp blue eyes widened. "And you're just now telling me this?"
"Data only recently detected."
She growled softly, her claws flexing. "We need to move. Now."
---
Xuan Hao straightened, his dark eyes narrowing as he glanced at the artifact. "That doesn't sound good."
"It's not," Aria snapped, her tail lashing. "The system says this place might collapse."
He raised an eyebrow. "And we're just going to leave it?"
Her sharp blue eyes blazed. "Do you have a better idea?"
Xuan Hao smirked faintly, his tone light. "Not yet."
---
The Frost Mink scurried back to Aria, chirping frantically as it climbed onto her back.
"Stay close," she muttered, glancing toward its companions. "All of you."
The minks chirped in unison, bounding toward her with surprising speed.
"For once, you're listening," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes narrowing as she turned toward the artifact.
---
The ground beneath the hollow trembled, faint at first but growing stronger with each passing moment. Cracks began to spread across the icy surface, spidering outward from the artifact.
"System," Aria thought, her claws scraping against the ground. "How bad is this going to get?"
"Environmental disruption imminent. Probability of hostile attraction rising: 50%."
Her fur bristled. "Of course it is."
---
Xuan Hao unsheathed his blade, his dark eyes glinting with quiet determination. "Looks like we're not getting out of this quietly."
Aria growled softly, her claws flexing. "You don't say."
The first hostile appeared as a faint shadow moving through the cracks. Its form was indistinct, shifting and flickering as it emerged—a creature of pure ice and energy, its glowing blue eyes locked onto the artifact.
"What is that?" Xuan Hao asked, his tone sharp.
"Trouble," Aria growled, crouching low. "Big trouble."
---
The ice creature lunged, its crystalline claws slicing through the air with deadly precision.
Aria activated Spirit Step, phasing through its attack and reappearing behind it.
"System," she thought, her sharp blue eyes blazing. "What's the weak point?"
"Glacial Core identified within central mass. High durability detected."
Her claws raked against the creature's surface, but its icy body reformed instantly, its glowing blue eyes narrowing.
Xuan Hao moved in, his blade glowing crimson as he struck the creature's core with a powerful slash. The creature shrieked, its form flickering as cracks spread across its surface.
"Not bad," Aria muttered, darting in to deliver the finishing blow.
---
The artifact's glow intensified suddenly, its hum rising into a deafening roar that shook the hollow.
"System," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes darting toward the glowing orb. "What now?"
"Critical failure imminent. Evacuation recommended."
Her fur bristled. "Xuan Hao! We need to move!"
He glanced at her, his dark eyes narrowing. "What about the artifact?"
"Forget it!" she snapped, her tail lashing. "It's not worth dying for."
---
The Frost Mink and its companions huddled close as the ground beneath them began to crack and collapse.
"For now," Aria thought, her sharp blue eyes blazing as she led the charge out of the hollow, "surviving is all that matters."