Jax's starship sat in the clearing like a metal bird, its hull glinting in the morning sun—already half-dismantled, with Mo Ying kneeling beside it, a wrench in one hand and a pile of new parts beside her. Li Wei stood nearby, holding a blueprint, his brow furrowed as he pointed to a section of the engine.
"Told you the coolant line was too thin," Li Wei said, grinning. "It'll freeze solid in the mountain ice storms. We need to replace it with titanium."
Mo Ying rolled her eyes, but she was smiling. "Fine, fine—you win. But if we can't find titanium scrap, you're the one who gets to melt down old starship hulls."
Lin Che, Su Qing, and Xiao Ya walked over, their bags slung over their shoulders. Xiao Ya ran to the starship, pressing her hand to the hull—her fingers glowing green as she whispered to the small plants growing in the cracks.
"The ship's happy," she said, looking up. "It wants to fly to the mountains. The plants say the air there is cold, but clear."
Jax appeared from behind a stack of crates, carrying a large metal box. "Got the parts you asked for," he said, setting the box down. "Titanium coolant line, reinforced hull plates, a new heater for the cabin. Should keep you warm up there—mountains get below freezing at night."
Su Qing flipped open Elder Gao's map, tracing the path to the Northern Mountains with her finger. "The Ice Temple is in the heart of the mountains—past the Frost Pass. Elder Gao's notes say the pass is guarded by ice golems—creatures made of stone and ice, powered by dark energy. The Mountain Core is inside the temple, but we'll need to get through the golems first."
Lin Che nodded, glancing at the light shard in his pocket. It glowed faintly, as if already sensing the Mountain Core's energy. "We'll take the light shard. It stopped the shadow in the mine and the sea shadow—maybe it can help with the golems."
Over the next two days, they worked to upgrade the starship. Mo Ying and Li Wei replaced the coolant line and bolted on reinforced hull plates, while Jax installed the new heater and fixed a faulty navigation system. Su Qing added Arcane runes to the hull—glowing green symbols that would repel ice and dark energy, based on her grandmother's notes. Xiao Ya helped by gathering moss from the forest; when pressed into the hull's cracks, it helped insulate the ship against the cold.
On the third morning, the starship was ready. Its hull now sported shiny new plates, its engine hummed smoothly, and the cabin was warm enough to melt ice. Jax and Li Wei stood beside it, watching as Lin Che, Su Qing, Mo Ying, and Xiao Ya climbed aboard.
"Be careful up there," Jax said, his voice serious. "Ice golems aren't like Shadow Shards—they're solid. Hit 'em with something heavy, or use Arcane magic to melt the ice."
Li Wei tossed a bag of tools to Mo Ying. "Spare wrench, extra coolant, a fire starter. If you get stuck, send a signal—starship has a radio. I'll come find you with Jax."
Xiao Ya waved from the window, her metal flower tucked behind her ear. "We'll be back!" she called.
The starship's engine roared to life, and it lifted off—slowly at first, then faster, soaring over the forest toward the Northern Mountains. Below them, the trees shrank to tiny green dots, and the sky grew paler as they climbed higher.
Inside the cabin, Xiao Ya pressed her face to the window, gasping as the first snow-capped peaks came into view. They were towering, majestic, their tops hidden in clouds. The air outside grew colder—frost began to form on the window, but the heater kept the cabin warm.
"The plants in the mountains are quiet," Xiao Ya said, turning to them. "They're scared of the golems. The golems hurt them—step on their roots, freeze their leaves."
Su Qing nodded, flipping through her Arcane Manual. "Ice golems hate heat and light," she said. "The light shard's glow, or fire—either will weaken them. We should land at the base of the Frost Pass, then hike up—starship can't fly through the pass's narrow canyons."
Lin Che agreed. He guided the starship toward a small clearing at the foot of the mountains, landing gently on a patch of snow. The engine cut off, and silence fell—broken only by the wind howling through the peaks.
They bundled up in thick cloaks, grabbed their bags, and stepped outside. The cold hit them like a wave—sharp, biting, making their breath fog in the air. Snow crunched under their boots as they walked toward the Frost Pass: a narrow gap between two mountains, its walls covered in ice, its path blocked by large boulders.
"Stay close," Lin Che said, pulling the light shard from his pocket. Its silver glow cut through the cold air, casting a warm light on the path ahead. "Xiao Ya, keep an eye out for the golems. Su Qing, ready your Arcane magic. Mo Ying—your wrench might come in handy."
They walked into the pass, the wind growing stronger. Ice hung from the walls like sharp claws, and the path grew steeper. Xiao Ya's hands glowed green as she scanned the area—talking to the small, frozen plants in the cracks of the rocks.
"They're here," she whispered, stopping. "Three of them. Up ahead, around the bend."
Lin Che held up his hand, signaling them to stop. He crept forward, peering around the bend—and froze. Three ice golems stood in the middle of the path, their bodies made of dark stone covered in thick ice, their eyes glowing blue with dark energy. They were tall—taller than Lin Che—with massive fists that could crush stone.
One of the golems turned, its head swiveling toward him. It roared—a low, rumbling sound that shook the ice on the walls—and charged.
"Now!" Lin Che shouted.
Su Qing raised her hands, chanting an Arcane spell. Flames burst from her palms, hitting the golem's chest. The ice on its body melted, steam rising into the air, but the stone beneath remained—unscathed.
Mo Ying ran forward, swinging her wrench at the golem's legs. It stumbled, but didn't fall—swinging its fist at her. Mo Ying dodged, rolling out of the way as the fist hit the ground, sending cracks spiderwebbing through the ice.
Xiao Ya closed her eyes, her hands glowing bright green. Vines burst from the ground, wrapping around the golem's legs—freezing as soon as they touched the ice. But they slowed the golem down, giving Lin Che a chance to act.
He held up the light shard, its glow flaring. He ran toward the golem, pressing the shard to its chest. The golem screamed—a high-pitched sound that made the ice shake—and began to melt. Its stone body crumbled, its blue eyes fading, until nothing was left but a puddle of water and a pile of dust.
The other two golems charged, roaring. Su Qing sent more flames at them, while Mo Ying grabbed a large boulder and rolled it into one's path. It tripped, falling to the ground, and Lin Che ran over—pressing the light shard to its head. It melted, just like the first.
The third golem turned to run, but Xiao Ya's vines wrapped around its arms, pulling it back. Su Qing sent a final burst of flames at its chest, and Lin Che pressed the light shard to its back. It melted, leaving only water and dust.
They stood there, breathing heavily, the cold air stinging their lungs. The path ahead was clear—leading straight to the Ice Temple, its spires visible through the mist at the top of the pass.
"We did it," Mo Ying said, leaning on her wrench.
Lin Che nodded, but his jaw was tight. The golems had been strong—stronger than any Shadow Shard. And they'd been powered by dark energy—the Ancient Dark's energy.
"The Mountain Core is close," Su Qing said, looking at the map. "The temple is just ahead. We should rest for a minute, then keep going."
They sat on a large rock, sharing a piece of dried bread and a sip of warm tea from their thermos. Xiao Ya held the light shard, its glow warming her hands.
"The plants say the temple is safe—for now," she said. "But the Ancient Dark is watching. It knows we're here."
Lin Che stood, tucking the light shard back into his pocket. "Then we don't waste time. Let's get the Mountain Core."
They walked up the path, the Ice Temple growing closer. Its walls were made of white stone, covered in ice, its windows glowing with a faint blue light. At the entrance, two large stone doors stood closed—carved with runes, just like the Forest Seal.
Su Qing stepped forward, placing her hand on the door. Her hands glowed green, and the runes lit up—matching her magic. The doors creaked open, revealing a dark hallway inside.
"The Mountain Core is in there," she said, her voice steady.
They stepped into the temple, the doors closing behind them. The hallway was dark, but the light shard's glow illuminated the way. Ahead, they could hear the faint hum of energy—the Mountain Core's energy.
The Ancient Dark was watching. But they were ready.
Together, they walked forward—toward the Mountain Core, toward the next battle, toward the next step in their journey.