The group had moved so far from the island that only a faint shadow of the sun, hidden behind heavy black clouds was visible. The Icy Sea stretched beneath them like an endless graveyard, and the storm's howls pursued them like an enraged spirit. Rio now off Ayhan's back walked shakily behind Nadia. Nadia led with a cold determined face but even she couldn't fully hide her anxiety. Ayhan right behind Rio steadied him each time he slipped. Zelina at the rear gripped her woolen cloak's hood against the biting wind. The icy surface threatened to swallow them with every misstep. The faint cracks of ice underfoot echoed like sinister whispers in the storm's silence.
Ayhan his breath visible in the endless cold watched Rio. Something about him was strange—while the others, bundled in cloaks and layered clothes were near freezing Rio in just thin clothing seemed untouched by the cold. His eyes fixed on the horizon showed no discomfort. This puzzled Ayhan but in that hellish storm there was no time for questions. They had to keep moving keep going and survive.
Hours passed exhaustion chaining their legs like weights. But finally a massive rock appeared like a lone island in the Icy Sea. Nadia after a quick scan shouted,
"We'll camp here!"
She knew pitching a tent in this savage storm was futile. With a swift motion she hurled a powerful flame at the rock like an enraged dragon A deafening explosion scattered stone and ice. A deep hollow formed in the rock a shelter born from stone. The group rushed inside where the biting wind couldn't reach.
Within the hollow Nadia lit a small fire for warmth with her powerful flame. The orange glow illuminated the rough cold rock walls but couldn't break the deep darkness between them. Rio and Zelina leaned against the wall. Across from them sat Nadia and Ayhan. Silence hung heavy like a shadow. Only the storm's howls were heard. Nadia stared at Rio with lifeless, hollow eyes her gaze so prolonged and heavy it seemed to pierce his soul. Rio, crumbling under it lowered his head as if to escape.
Ayhan unable to bear the deadly silence cleared his throat and handed Nadia a leather water pouch. In a soft voice he said,
"Drink some."
Nadia as if snapped from a trance took the pouch and sipped. Her eyes fixed on Ayhan's calm smile softened for a moment Then in a sorrowful regretful voice she said,
"Thank you."
She paused as if a painful memory surfaced. The scene of Valdis's attack on Rio and the moment Kato, Ayhan's father rushed to help before her own father William stabbed her heart like a dagger. That memory didn't just torment her—it planted a deep question: Was Kato truly the man William described?
In a quiet voice rising from her core she said to Ayhan,
"Thank you for everything Ayhan."
Ayhan surprised shook his head and said,
"It's just water No need."
Nadia cut him off her voice a mix of anger and sorrow.
"I don't mean that. I mean what your father did. What you've done. My family owes you and your father."
Ayhan paused feeling the weight of her words. Then with a warm smile he said,
"My father did what I'm sure Lord William would've done. And I did what I know you'd do for me."
Nadia gave a bitter smile and looked away. She knew those words weren't true. For years, she and her family held dark judgments about Kato, Ayhan, and the Arashid tribe—judgments that now weighed on her heart like a shameful shadow in this cold dark hollow. Her eyes, fixed on the fire, trembled as if tears gathered but she quickly shook her head to hide that weakness.
On the other side, Rio and Zelina sat close. Zelina, shivering from the cold clung to Rio but noticed with surprise that he showed no signs of feeling it. His skin wasn't warm, yet the storm and ice seemed to have no effect. Zelina paused in thought but, before she could speak Rio whispered in a guilt-laden sorrowful voice,
"I'm sorry again. This is all because of me."
Zelina smiled balled her fists and gently tapped Rio's head.
"What are you saying? You got me out of that castle to have an adventure!"
Rio looked at her and Zelina with a mischievous wink pulled him close. She wrapped her arms around him tucking him under her woolen cloak. This embrace felt different from his sisters'—it carried a strange warmth and an unfamiliar feeling that quickened his heart. His cheeks flushed and for a moment the guilt and sorrow rooted in him faded.
The next morning the storm still reigned over the Icy Sea like a furious beast. The wind slammed snow like white blades into their faces and the sky's heavy black clouds seemed determined to never release the sun. The group exhausted and trembling from cold, pressed on. Nadia as always led with determined steps but even she couldn't hide the deep fatigue in her eyes. Rio, following her felt his heart pound with intertwined anxiety and hope with every step on the slippery ice. Ayhan close by grabbed his hand occasionally to keep him from slipping. Zelina at the rear struggled forward with her snow-soaked cloak.
This continued for days—grueling treks guided by Zelina and Nadia who carefully checked their direction and brief rests at night in rock hollows Nadia carved with her fire. Each night in those cold dark shelters silence fell like a heavy shadow. Rio, still burdened by guilt looked at Nadia but her cold lifeless eyes crushed his heart each time. Nadia, as if walled in ice stared at the fire, and the distance between them grew deeper and colder like the Icy Sea beneath their feet.
But on the sixth day, as absolute darkness cloaked the sky, a faint light caught Nadia's eye. Her tired blurred eyes sharpened. In a voice blending hope and caution she shouted,
"Look over there!"
The group their bodies barely moving from exhaustion and cold headed toward the light. Each step was a battle against the storm. The wind whipped their cloaks like tattered flags and the ice beneath gave threatening cracks. Slowly vague shapes emerged through the snow and darkness—a small port trapped in ice. Small and large ships, frozen like giant skeletons stood still with faint lantern lights trembling in the wind as the only signs of life in that eerie scene.
For Rio seeing the port sparked hope in his heart. With each step toward those flickering lights he felt closer to his family—a family he still didn't know was alive. The thought stabbed his mind like a cold dagger but the hope of returning to the Sun Tribe drove him forward like a small flame. Zelina beside him gave a tired but warm smile and said,
"See? We made it!"
Ayhan watching Rio placed a hand on his shoulder and said,
"One more step Rio. Just one more."
Nadia still ahead paused and stared at the port. Her face remained cold but her eyes briefly showed a hint of calm. In a voice barely audible over the wind's howls she said,
"We need to find shelter. We'll stay there tonight."
The group trudged toward the port. The port's lanterns danced in the wind like small spirits glowing in the dark. The frozen ships with cracked hulls and torn sails seemed to whisper tales of unfinished voyages. The wind's wail through the masts sounded like a mournful cry. Rio thought of his family—his mother's smile his sisters' laughter, the Sun Tribe. The thought cracked his heart like the ice beneath his feet.
As they neared the port vague human shapes appeared through the snow—perhaps fishermen or merchants trapped in this deadly cold. Their gazes peering from under woolen hoods brimmed with suspicion. Nadia with sharp eyes scanned them and whispered,
"Remember, trust no one."
The port's air was dark and tense. The smell of fish mingled with the scent of burning wood from small fires even in the storm. The group cautiously approached a wooden cabin where lantern light spilled from a window. But even this close to shelter the sense of danger followed like a sinister shadow. Rio, looking at Nadia, felt the distance between them deeper than ever. Her eyes fixed ahead seemed to see something he couldn't—perhaps a past that divided them or a future still dark and terrifying.
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