The frozen lake stretched out beneath them like a sheet of cracked glass.
Snow had swept across it in uneven patterns, smoothing the surface until it looked deceptively calm.
The ice below was thick, but cold still bled through their boots, seeping upward like a countdown.
Ryn stood at the center.
Fritz and Amelia faced him from opposite sides, the distance between them deliberate. Not far enough to be completely safe, but not close enough to commit to something.
Amelia exhaled slowly, steadying herself. The Phoenix Feather had long since dissolved into her body.
And it showed.
A calm aura now radiated her entire being, almost like she was a small fire to which warmth spread in all directions.
She had advanced to Low-Knight Rank, stepping into the realms of the influential.
Fritz rolled his shoulders once, feeling the Wind Essence he'd absorb from the Wyvern's Scale, permeate through his body.
