Kael and Lira moved through the frozen ruins with hurried steps, the echoes of the king's voice still clinging to the air like a fading nightmare. Though the eerie light from the altar had vanished, the ruins themselves felt alive, pulsing with a quiet malevolence. The oppressive silence was only broken by the crunch of ice beneath their boots and the low howl of the wind slipping through the jagged stone walls.
Kael glanced at Lira, her jaw clenched, her gaze sharp as it swept the shadows. His own thoughts were in chaos. The Black Frost had almost overwhelmed him, and even now, he could feel it lurking beneath his skin, simmering, waiting.
"Do you feel it?" Lira's voice was low but urgent, her hand gripping her sword's hilt.
Kael nodded, his breath visible in the frigid air. "Something's watching us."
The ruins twisted and stretched ahead of them, the passage narrowing into a jagged corridor of broken stone. Kael couldn't shake the sensation that the shadows were growing thicker, darker, as though they had weight and intent. The Black Frost stirred inside him, its cold touch crawling through his veins. It felt eager.
As they pressed on, the corridor opened into a vast chamber, its ceiling lost to darkness. Pillars of ice jutted from the ground, their surfaces warped and cracked, as though shaped by unnatural forces. At the far end of the chamber stood a massive gate, its surface engraved with intricate runes that glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat. The air around it hummed with power.
Kael's steps faltered. The Black Frost surged within him, stronger now, pulling him toward the gate. He clenched his fists, forcing the power down. "That gate… it's calling to me."
Lira moved closer, her eyes narrowing at the runes. "It's a seal," she murmured. "Whatever's behind it… it's tied to the Black Frost. Maybe even its true source."
Kael's heart sank. The thought of something more powerful than the curse already inside him was almost too much to bear. "If the gate opens—"
Lira cut him off, her voice firm. "We don't let it. Not until we're ready."
Before Kael could respond, a deep rumble shook the chamber. The ice pillars groaned and cracked, shards splintering across the floor. From the shadows, a figure emerged—a towering beast of ice and shadow, its body shifting and amorphous, its eyes glowing with an unholy light.
Lira drew her sword in one fluid motion, the blade catching the faint glow of the runes. "Looks like we've got company."
The creature let out a bone-chilling roar, its voice like the shattering of glass. It charged, its movements unnaturally fast for its size. Kael barely had time to react before it was upon them.
Lira met the beast head-on, her sword slicing through its icy form. Shards flew, but the creature reformed almost instantly, its body shifting and flowing like liquid. Kael stepped back, the Black Frost stirring violently within him, urging him to fight, to unleash its power.
"Kael!" Lira shouted, dodging a swipe of the creature's massive claws. "I could use some help here!"
Kael hesitated, his hand trembling as he reached for the Black Frost. The last time he had used it, he had almost lost himself. But now, with the beast bearing down on them, he had no choice.
He closed his eyes and let the Frost flow through him.
The cold surged like a storm, wrapping around him in jagged tendrils of ice. His vision sharpened, every detail of the beast's movements coming into focus. He raised his hand, and a spike of frost shot forward, impaling the creature through its chest. It roared, its form flickering, but it didn't fall. Instead, it turned its glowing eyes on Kael, as though recognizing him for the first time.
"It's reacting to you!" Lira yelled, slashing at the creature's legs to no avail. "The Black Frost—it knows you're its wielder!"
Kael gritted his teeth, the cold burning in his veins. The creature lunged at him, its claws outstretched, but he raised both hands, sending a wave of frost crashing into it. The beast shattered into a thousand shards, the sound like thunder, but even as the pieces hit the ground, they began to reform.
"It's not enough," Kael muttered, the Frost whispering in his mind. More. Use more.
But he hesitated. He couldn't risk losing control—not here, not now.
"Kael!" Lira's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "Focus! The runes on the gate—they're reacting!"
Kael turned to the gate, his eyes widening. The glowing runes had grown brighter, pulsing in time with the creature's movements. It wasn't just a beast—it was connected to the gate, tied to whatever power lay beyond it.
"Destroy the runes!" Lira shouted. "If the gate is feeding it, cutting it off might weaken it!"
Kael nodded, channeling the Black Frost into his hands. He aimed for the nearest rune, sending a jagged spike of ice toward it. The rune shattered, and the creature let out an ear-splitting scream, its form flickering violently.
"It's working!" Lira yelled, darting toward another rune. She slashed at it with her sword, the glowing symbol fracturing under her blade. The creature howled, collapsing momentarily before struggling to reform.
Kael focused on the remaining runes, his hands trembling as he unleashed the Frost. Each strike sent another pulse of cold through his body, the curse demanding more, always more. But he pushed on, shattering the runes one by one.
As the final rune broke, the creature let out a guttural roar, its body collapsing into a pool of dark, slithering shadow. The gate's glow faded, the power within it receding. The chamber fell silent once more, the air heavy with the aftermath of the battle.
Kael dropped to his knees, his breath ragged, the Frost retreating reluctantly. Lira stood over him, her sword still in hand, her expression a mix of relief and concern.
"You did it," she said softly. "But that was just the beginning."
Kael looked up at the gate, its surface now dull and lifeless. He could still feel the power behind it, waiting. Whatever lay beyond the gate wasn't just tied to the Black Frost—it was its heart.
And it was still calling to him.