Before Nate could respond to Amara's probing, a sudden burst of air and sound startled both of them. Madison appeared out of thin air, her face pale and her voice trembling as she screamed, "Run back! An ice storm is coming! I've never seen anything like it before!"
Nate turned towards the direction she was pointing, and his heart sank. Massive waves of ice surged forward, rolling across the snowy landscape like a living entity. The ground trembled under its power, and the deafening roar of the storm was unlike anything Nate had ever heard.
"Move!" Nate shouted, his voice cutting through the chaos.
Without hesitation, the trio bolted towards the portal. They stumbled into it just as the storm's icy claws seemed close enough to engulf them.
They tumbled back into the dim cave, breathless and disoriented. For a brief moment, no one said anything, their ears still ringing from the storm's ferocity.
When the sound of their own breathing returned, Madison gasped, "It's gone… the red tendrils."
Nate glanced around, and she was right. The red, slimy growths that had once threatened them had completely vanished. It was as if their earlier battle had wiped them out entirely.
"We need to get out of here," Amara said firmly, her voice steady despite the lingering adrenaline.
No one argued. Together, they scrambled out of the cave into the open air. The stark contrast of the bright, sunny island landscape greeted them, a strange and almost disorienting reminder of how bizarre their reality had become.
Nate paused outside the cave, glancing back with a furrowed brow. Something about the situation didn't sit right with him.
"With the speed of that ice storm…" Nate began, pointing back at the portal, "it should have caught up to us by now. Unless…"
"Unless what?" Amara asked, though her tone suggested she wasn't entirely sure she wanted to know the answer.
"Unless the ice can't leave the portal," Nate finished, his voice quieter as he thought aloud.
"That's a big 'unless,'" Madison snapped, her arms crossed tightly under her ample bosom as she stared at the cave's dark entrance.
Even after Nate reassured them, it was clear neither of the women wanted to linger near the cave. Their unease was palpable, and Nate couldn't blame them.
He sighed, reluctantly letting the idea of returning go—for now. Something about that world intrigued him deeply. If he could explore it further, perhaps he could find answers about where they were and why they had ended up here. But Madison was clearly shaken, and without her teleportation, exploring was out of the question. He would wait.
After what felt like an hour of trekking through the forest, they finally reached the plane wreckage. The sight of it was a relief.
Claire was pacing anxiously near the plane, her movements frantic. Bella, on the other hand, was calm, leaning against the plane as she peeled the skin off a strange fruit she must have found in the woods.
"Amara!" Claire's face lit up when she spotted her friend. She sprinted towards her, throwing her arms around her in a tight embrace. "I thought you were gone for good!"
Amara hugged her back, a small smile breaking through her exhaustion. "Not yet," she said, her voice steady despite everything they had endured.
Nate nodded towards Claire briefly before turning his attention to Bella. She didn't seem to notice his approach, her focus entirely on the fruit in her hands.
"Where did you find that?" Nate asked, gesturing to the fruit.
"In the woods," Bella replied without looking up.
"How do you know it's safe to eat?"
Bella finally glanced at him, her expression flat. "I don't."
Her nonchalant reply left Nate momentarily speechless. He opened his mouth to say something but quickly realized there was no point.
Back in the cave, an ominous silence filled the air. Then, without warning, the ground began to tremble violently. The walls rippled as though reality itself was being stretched. The illusionary wall at the end of the cave flickered and warped, distorting like water under pressure.
A crack tore through the shimmering surface, and something began to force its way through.
A leg, crystalline and jagged, pierced the illusion. It was made entirely of ice, gleaming and cold. The rest of the figure followed, pushing through the barrier like it was breaking free from chains. The creature was humanoid, but its body was sculpted from pure ice, sharp and regal. Its face was angular and emotionless, yet its glowing blue eyes radiated power.
The being stepped into the cave, its presence exuding an otherworldly chill. It raised one hand, examining its icy fingers as if seeing them for the first time. Slowly, it clenched and unclenched its fist, testing its form.
"This… is… freedom," the being said, its voice a deep, echoing rumble. The words carried a sense of finality, like the release of something ancient and long-imprisoned.
The moment its foot touched the ground outside the portal, the entire island reacted.
The temperature plummeted instantly, the warm, humid air replaced by biting cold. A thick fog rolled in, cloaking the island in a ghostly white shroud. The wind died completely, leaving the forest in an eerie stillness.
The once-lively sounds of the island—the rustling leaves, the chirping insects, the distant rush of waterfalls—vanished as if silenced by an unseen force. The world stood frozen, a stark, unnatural pause in the rhythm of life.
The ice being paused at the mouth of the cave, taking in the unfamiliar world. Then, without warning, it vanished in a flash of light, disappearing as swiftly as it had arrived.
The instant it disappeared, the island seemed to breathe again. The fog lifted, the warmth returned, and the usual sounds of life resumed.
---
At the plane, Nate froze mid-step, a shiver running down his spine. He felt the sudden cold and the unnatural stillness even from miles away. His eyes darted toward Amara and Madison, who both looked just as unsettled.
"Did you feel that?" Madison asked, her voice shaky.
Amara nodded, her arms wrapped around herself as if trying to shake off the lingering chill. "It felt like… something shifted."
Nate glanced back in the direction of the cave. His mind raced, piecing together the events. He knew instinctively that whatever had just happened, it was connected to the cave—and the world they had just left behind.
"That wasn't natural," Nate said finally, his voice low but firm.
Madison's eyes widened as she met his gaze. "You think it's because of what we did in the cave?"
Amara added, her tone uncertain, "Or… because of what we let out?"
Nate didn't reply, but the weight of their collective silence spoke volumes.