As the cold wind howled around them, Eleo turned to the old man with a questioning look. "Wait, old man—what's your name?"
The man paused, as if deciding whether to answer, then finally said, "It's Tom. And listen, once we go down there, there's going to be trouble."
Eleo clenched his fists, determination in his eyes. "We're ready."
Tom studied him for a moment before nodding. "Alright. Follow me. I can lead you to where we kept the slaves."
The group stepped out into the icy wasteland, the frozen ground crunching beneath their feet. The air was sharp and biting, but they pressed forward. Just as they started to make their way down a narrow path, a sudden crack echoed through the landscape.
Before anyone could react, Tony, Timmy, and Chiyo all plunged through the ice, disappearing into darkness.
Olorun's eyes widened in shock. "Tony! Timmy! Chiyo!?"
The rest of the group rushed to the jagged hole in the ice, peering down into the abyss. Kenji squinted into the darkness. "You guys okay!?"
Tom stroked his chin, his expression unreadable. "Hmmm… they might have died."
Eleo's ears perked up, and his heart pounded. "What!? No—no way! That can't be!"
Tom casually pointed down. "Well, it's a pretty deep hole. Like, super deep."
Eleo shook his head, refusing to accept it. "No. No way they died! Can you lead us down there?"
Tom sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Quickly now. We don't have time to waste."
Meanwhile…
A deep splash echoed in the cavern below as Tony, Chiyo, and Timmy crashed into an underground lake, the freezing water swallowing them whole.
Tony was the first to resurface, gasping for air. He shook his head, water streaming off him, and immediately looked around. "Ugh… what the hell just happened?"
Chiyo surfaced right after, her hair slicked back as she took a deep breath. Timmy clung to the top of her head, shivering uncontrollably. "W-WHAT JUST HAPPENED!? Why is everything wet!? I hate wet!!"
Chiyo sighed, adjusting her soaked coat. "Seems like we fell."
Tony looked up at the jagged ceiling far above them. "No kidding. But how did the ice break? It didn't do that before."
Timmy squeezed water out of his tiny clothes, teeth chattering. "I-It's like the floor just gave up on life! One second, we're walking, the next—BOOM! Ice betrayal!"
Chiyo wiped some water off her face. "Something's different about this place. It's not natural."
Tony glanced around the cavern, eyes narrowing. The air was thick with mist, and strange formations of ice jutted out from the walls like frozen fangs. The water around them was eerily still, save for the ripples they had caused.
Timmy clung onto Chiyo's head like a wet cat. "I-I don't like this… Can we not be in the scary underground water?"
Tony exhaled sharply, already starting to swim toward the shore. "Come on. Let's get to land before we freeze to death."
Chiyo followed, effortlessly gliding through the water. As they reached the rocky shoreline, she stood up and wrung out her sleeves. "We need to figure out where we are. And if we're alone."
Timmy gulped. "Alone? Y-You think something else is down here?"
Tony didn't answer right away. He looked around the cavern, his instincts on high alert. "…I don't know. But I don't like how quiet it is."
The three of them stood at the edge of the underground lake, dripping wet and surrounded by unknown darkness. And somewhere, deep in the tunnels beyond, a faint noise echoed—a slow, rhythmic thump... thump... thump.
As they stepped cautiously through the eerie, frozen corridors, the flickering glow of the magical ice crystals cast long, shifting shadows. Timmy clung tightly to Chiyo's head, his tiny body trembling. "O-okay, I'm scared."
Tony glanced down at him, chuckling. "Don't worry, kid. Lucky for us, these magical ice crystals give off light, so we're fine. No spooky monsters jumping at us in the dark."
Chiyo smirked, giving Timmy a playful pat. "Yeah, Timmy. Momma Chiyo will protect you."
Timmy sniffled and clung tighter to her. "Thank you, Chiyo."
The three continued forward, their footsteps echoing in the silence. The deeper they went, the more the ice-covered walls revealed a chilling truth—rusted prison bars, shattered chains, and walls stained with dark, frozen streaks. Blood.
Tony exhaled slowly, his eye sockets narrowing as he surveyed the scene. Scattered across the floor were skeletal remains—humans and rock people alike. Some were huddled together in corners, as if they had died holding each other. Others were slumped against the walls, their final moments frozen in time.
"Wow," Tony muttered, his voice unusually quiet.
Timmy swallowed hard. "S-So… all those guys were slave owners?"
Tony nudged a shattered skull with his foot. "Looks like it. Guess they didn't get a happy ending."
Timmy shifted uncomfortably. "Good."
Just then, a low, guttural growl rumbled through the cavern. Tony immediately straightened, his bones rattling slightly. "Do you guys hear that?"
Timmy nodded quickly. "Y-yeah, Grandpa Tony."
Tony burst out laughing, slapping his knee. "Grandpa Tony!"
Chiyo, however, wasn't laughing. Her crimson eyes flickered toward a shadowed corridor. Her playful smirk vanished. "Shh."
She turned her head slowly, and that's when she saw them—lurking just beyond the reach of the crystal's glow.
Predators.
Their sleek, cat-like bodies moved with deadly grace, each step near silent against the frozen ground. Their bodies were made of translucent ice, their forms barely distinguishable from the surrounding walls. But their eyes—those eerie, glowing eyes—pierced through the darkness like hungry stars.
Then she counted them.
One… five… ten… twenty.
Her mouth curled into a nervous grin. "Okay. So. Tiny problem."
Timmy peeked from behind her hair. "Wh-what kind of problem?"
Tony sighed. "Let me guess… it's either a bunch of angry ghosts or a bunch of things that want to eat us."
Chiyo nodded. "Option B."
The creatures remained still, their glowing eyes locked onto them. Then, in one synchronized motion, they lowered their bodies into a stalking position. Their razor-sharp claws scraped against the ice.
Timmy's grip on Chiyo's hair tightened. "Okay! New plan! RUN."
Tony cracked his knuckles. "Ahhh, I was hoping you'd say that."
And then, all at once, the ice creatures charged.
Meanwhile...
Eleo and the others rode atop the golem's massive back, the icy wind howled around them, making their journey through the frozen wasteland feel even more surreal. The golem's heavy footsteps sent deep tremors through the ground, cracking the ice with each thunderous step.
Kenji crossed his arms, staring off into the distance. "So, Tom… once we fix this island, what are you planning to do?"
Tom, sitting near the front, let out a thoughtful hum. "I'll rebuild it. Make this place better than it was before. Lala Island will go back to normal—no more slaves, no more cruelty. A real home for the people who deserve it."
Eleo smirked. "That's a lot of work for one guy."
Tom let out a dry chuckle. "I figure I owe it to this place."
Olorun stretched his arms behind his head. "Just don't turn it into another dump. I hate wasting my time fixing things only for people to mess them up again."
Tom smiled, shaking his head. "I'll make sure it lasts."
As they continued their trek, the golem suddenly stopped in front of an enormous ice wall with a single frozen door in the center. Its surface was jagged, almost crystalline, with strange patterns carved into it.
Eleo hopped off the golem first, staring up at the massive structure. "Whoa… This thing is huge."
Kenji landed beside him, gripping the hilt of his sword. "Is this the entrance?"
Tom nodded. "Yes. Beyond this wall is where the slaves were kept."
Olorun stepped forward and, without hesitation, grabbed the door handle and pulled. With a loud CRACK, the frozen hinges gave way, and the heavy door groaned open. A gust of stale, icy air rushed past them.
Inside, an old metal elevator stood waiting. It looked ancient, its frame covered in frost, yet surprisingly intact. The doors were slightly open, revealing a cramped interior with dimly glowing buttons on the panel.
Eleo raised an eyebrow. "Man, what the—what is this?"
Tom stepped inside. "It's an elevator. We used it to transport workers and supplies to the lower levels."
Eleo squinted at the tiny, rusted interior. "This elevator is small."
Kenji grumbled, stepping in as well. "It's fine, let's just—"
Olorun squeezed in next to him, immediately bumping shoulders.
Kenji's eye twitched. "Olorun, get the hell out of my space."
Olorun shot him a glare. "Your space? YOU'RE in MY space!"
Eleo wiggled between them, pressing against the cold metal wall. "Man, we're packed in here like frozen fish."
Tom, being the last to step in, barely managed to fit before the doors groaned shut behind them.
Kenji exhaled sharply. "I swear, if this thing drops, I'm blaming you, Olorun."
Olorun scoffed. "Oh, please. If it drops, you're the one getting crushed first."
Eleo snickered. "I like how we're just ignoring the fact that this thing hasn't moved in years. Should we maybe worry about that?"
Tom pressed the button, and with a loud clunk, the elevator jolted downward.
Eleo's ears perked up. "Oh, that's not a good sound."
Kenji sighed. "Too late now."
As the elevator rattled and descended into the depths of the ice prison, an eerie silence filled the air. The deeper they went, the colder it became.