Chapter 8 The Truth Beneath The Ice

The air grew sharper as they ventured deeper into the mountains, the shadows lengthening as the sun began its slow descent beyond the jagged peaks. The silence of the land was suffocating, broken only by the crunch of their boots on the snow-covered path. Despite the looming presence of danger and the figure’s cryptic warning, a new determination settled in Ariella’s chest. She had no clear understanding of what the future held, but the pieces of the puzzle were starting to fall into place—albeit slowly. Kael’s mood remained guarded. He hadn’t spoken since the figure vanished into the mist, and Ariella respected his silence. She, too, was lost in thought, replaying the mysterious words of the Keeper in her mind. *The weapon is a fragment of what you truly need. The true weapon is not forged by hands, but by blood.*