The air was still cold, but it wasn't lifeless anymore. The cold carried movement now — voices, smoke, the faint scent of stew.
Kairis looked around, a small smile tugging at her lips. "It's nice… seeing people outside again."
Lyra nodded, rubbing her hands together. "Yeah. It actually feels like a village now, not a graveyard."
Kael let out a yawn that turned into a cloud of mist. "Still feels cold enough to freeze my soul."
Kairis glanced at him "You don't have one."
"That's harsh," he muttered, pretending to clutch his chest.
Before their argument could go on, an old man waved from a nearby hut. "Come on, travelers! You'll catch your deaths out there."
They nodded back at the old man and followed him inside.
Inside, warmth wrapped around them like a blanket. The fire crackled, bowls of steaming stew passed from hand to hand.
Kael tasted it first and sighed dramatically. "If heaven's real, this is what they serve there."
The woman who'd cooked it laughed. "Eat up then. Maybe heaven will wait a bit longer for you."
Kairis grinned. "That's a blessing if I've ever heard one."
"The frost's easing up these past days," the woman added. "Feels like the world's remembering how to breathe again."
Lyra looked around the room — at the laughter, the tired but kind faces, the warmth shared so freely.
Even in struggle, they still find time to smile. Maybe that's what keeps the world from breaking completely.
When they stepped back out, the air was lighter. The snow still crunched beneath their boots, but the sky had softened — pale, with the hint of sunlight peeking through.
"Hard to believe this place looked dead just days ago," Kairis said quietly.
"Guess even winter gets tired eventually," Kael replied, kicking at the snow.
Azel adjusted his cloak, already walking ahead. "Don't get too comfortable. The Frontland's waiting."
"Can't you at least pretend to enjoy a peaceful moment?" Kael called after him.
Azel didn't turn. "Peace doesn't last."
Kairis sighed. "He's right, though."
"Doesn't mean he has to sound like death itself."kael replied with a smug
Lyra smiled faintly, listening to them banter. The coin in her hand pulsed with a faint glow, soft and golden.
One seal undone… four remain.
The wind picked up. Her white hairs lifted with it, strands catching the faint light — a shimmer of red and gold against the pale sky.
They kept walking east. The morning light caught on the melting frost, scattering faint flickers across the road.
Kairis stretched her arms above her head. "I swear, I'm never climbing another mountain again."
Kael gave a lazy snort. "You say that every time."
She shot him a glare. "Because every time you say 'it's just a short hike and we always end up half-dead."
Lyra chuckled softly, walking between them. Her gaze shifted toward Azel, who was a few steps ahead, quiet as always. "He's changed a lot lately, hasn't he?"
Kairis blinked, then followed her eyes. "Azel?"
"Yeah," Lyra said. "He's been… colder. More focused. Like he's forcing himself to be the commander again."
Kairis's smile dimmed a little. "That's just how he deals with things. Time changes people, but…" She looked ahead, thoughtful. "He still cares. He just doesn't show it the way he used to."
"I can hear you both," Azel's voice came from up front — calm, low, but unmistakably aware.
Kairis grinned. "Oh really? Then tell me, commander — since when did you start pretending you don't care about us?"
Lyra hit her on her shoulder as if telling her to stop
But that made him slow just a little. He glanced back, his expression steady, though a flicker of something — faint irritation, faint amusement — crossed his eyes.
"Careful," he said evenly. "You sound like you're trying to start trouble."
Kairis crossed her arms. "Maybe I am. Someone has to make sure you still have emotions left."
A brief silence. Then Azel exhaled — not quite a sigh, not quite a laugh. "You talk too much."
Kael snorted. "You mean finally he talks back."
Lyra only shot kairis a glare but she ignored her
Kairis shrugged, feigning innocence. "Worth it."
Lyra thought to herself
Maybe he didn't really change but the way he cared has changed
The sound of their laughter carried through the cold air — light, fleeting, but warm enough to chase away the morning chill.
For a moment, it didn't feel like a march toward danger. Just a group of people walking together again.
Lyra's smile lingered as she reached into her cloak and drew out the coin the deity had given her.
It shimmered faintly in her palm, light bending over its surface like rippling water.
Two swords crossed at its center — the edges carved with runes so small they looked almost alive.
The metal pulsed once, slow and steady, as if something within it breathed.
Kairis leaned closer, curious. "Still thinking about that thing?"
"Yeah," Lyra murmured, eyes tracing the symbol. "I keep wondering what it means… or what it's waiting for."
Kael tilted his head, the faint red of his eyes catching the light. "Whatever it is, let's hope it's not another ancient thing trying to kill us."
Kairis rolled her eyes. "Speaking of which…" She glanced around, scanning the empty slopes. "Isn't it weird? Since we got here, we've only seen one monster."
Kael's jaw tightened "You should be thankful for that."
"Maybe," she said, ignoring him. "But it's strange. This place feels too still. Like something's holding everything back."
Azel didn't slow his pace, but his voice carried back, calm and clipped. "Better still than wasting time fighting."
Kairis made a face but didn't argue.
Lyra only glanced at Kael, who smirked faintly — like he'd been waiting for that.
The road stretched on beneath a pale morning sun, the cold wind tugging at their cloaks.
Kairis sighed dramatically. "You know, I don't remember signing up for this much walking."
Kael raised a brow. "You didn't sign up at all. You just followed us."
"Excuse me? I was invited."
"By who?" Kael said.
She blinked. "...By fate?"
Azel, walking ahead, didn't turn but said dryly, "Fate would've chosen someone quieter."
Kairis put a hand to her chest, feigning offense. "Wow. From the man who once said I had potential."
"I meant potential for trouble," Azel said.
Kael snorted. "He's not wrong."
"Traitor," Kairis muttered.
Lyra covered her laugh, trying to stay composed. "You three really can't stop, can you?"
"We're just keeping the silence from killing us," Kael replied.
Kairis nodded. "Exactly. Someone has to fill the air while commander broods."
"I can still hear you," Azel said evenly.
"Good," she shot back. "Means the cold hasn't frozen your ears yet."
That made Kael laugh outright. Even Lyra couldn't help it this time.
Azel slowed just enough to glance back, his expression unreadable — but the slight twitch at the corner of his mouth gave him away.
Kairis grinned triumphantly. "There it is! A smile! Mark the date, people."
"Careful," Azel said, voice calm but amused. "Keep talking and I'll make you scout the next mile alone."
She blinked. "You wouldn't."
He raised a brow.
Kairis turned to Lyra. "He would, wouldn't he?"
Lyra laughed softly. "He definitely would."
Kael leaned closer, smirking. "I'll draw you a map."
Kairis groaned. "Unbelievable. Surrounded by heartless people."
"You'll live," Azel said, walking on.
"Barely," she muttered, earning another quiet laugh from Lyra.
The group fell back into rhythm again — lighter this time, their steps matching in unspoken sync.
After a moment, Azel said, almost offhandedly, "We'll stop when we reach the edge of Frontland. There should be shelter nearby."
Kael nodded. "Ruins?"
"Most likely."azel answered
"Great," Kairis said dryly. "Nothing says comfort like sleeping in ancient rubble."
Lyra smiled faintly. "You'd complain even if it were a palace."
"That's not true. I'd complain less."
Kael shook his head. "You'd just find better words for it."
"See?" she said. "This is what I deal with, Azel — constant bullying."
He didn't respond immediately, then said, "You make it too easy."
Kairis gasped. "You did not just say that!"
Lyra observed them with a small grin on her face even kael was grinning
Azel finally looked over his shoulder — calm, but unmistakably smug. "I did."
Kairis threw her hands up. "I take it back. I miss when you were cold and silent."
Kael smirked. "No, you don't."
Lyra's smile lingered as she reached into her cloak, fingers brushing against the coin the deity had given her. She pulled it out slowly — its metal catching what little light broke through the clouds.
Two crossed swords were carved into its surface, faint but sharp. The lines shimmered faintly, like a heartbeat under her thumb.
She didn't say anything, but for a moment, everyone went quiet — even Kairis.
Whatever waited in Frontland, it was closer than any of them wanted to admit.
The wind sharpened as they moved east. By evening, the sky had darkened again — clouds rolling thick and heavy, swallowing the faint light that tried to break through.
Azel slowed his pace. "We'll stay here for the night."
Kairis looked around at the crumbling walls and frost-bitten ground. "Ruins again. Wonderful."
Kael gave a small shrug. "Could be worse. At least there's a roof… half of one."
Lyra traced her fingers along a fallen stone, its surface cold and damp. The air felt heavier here — quiet in a way that wasn't peace, only waiting. The coin in her palm caught a dim glint from the dying light, the crossed swords etched into it seeming deeper now, sharper.
"Feels like the sky's watching," she murmured.
Kael glanced up at the clouds. "If it is, it's got terrible taste."
That earned a faint smile from her — brief, but real.
Azel motioned toward what remained of a house ahead. "We'll set up there. Dawn, we move."
They followed without a word. Behind them, the north was fading into shadow; ahead, the wind carried only the promise of the unknown.
The clouds above pressed low and dark, rumbling softly — as if the world itself was holding its breath.
The north was behind them now.