In the now snow and ice-filled land on the outskirts of Anbord, silence and cold reigned like tyrants. Entire settlements that once bustled with life had been erased, swallowed by white desolation. No wind blew. No birds cried. Even death felt frozen.
Deep within this barren snowland loomed a colossal ice fortress, jagged, regal, and unnaturally pristine. If Ethan had looked closely earlier, he would have seen it instantly. The culprit never intended to hide. But rage had clouded Ethan's perception, blinding him to the obvious.
And even if he had noticed, what then? His current foe was no mere criminal or deranged Ascendant. He was a full-fledged Saint Realm being. Someone who could bend nature itself. Someone who could freeze cities without lifting a hand.
Someone, Ethan, in his weakened state, could not truly match.
