Max's feet slowed as he approached the crystalline wall of ice, his eyes narrowing sharply. At first glance, it seemed like another section of frosted cavern. But as he looked closely, he noticed something strange—inside the ice was an entirely different space, like a hidden world encased in frozen time.
It was an enormous cave with jagged stalagmites rising from the floor like teeth, and massive stone pillars holding up the ceiling like the remains of an ancient temple.
Dragon-shaped coils were etched into the icy rock, and phoenix-like carvings adorned the sides of the walls—artifacts or statues, he couldn't tell. Their presence was grand, almost sacred, but they weren't what caught Max's attention.
