The road ended at the tree line.

Mason killed the engine. The van sat at the edge of a gravel track that had been swallowed by snow and time. Beyond, the forest rose in layers—pines and bare oaks, their branches heavy with frost. The sky was pale, the sun too low to warm anything.

Cora pulled her collar higher. "You said north. You didn’t say the North Pole."

"Malachar’s camp was the southern edge of his territory." Lucian stepped out of the van. His boots sank into the snow. "His supply lines run deeper. We need to see how far."

Derek followed, his staff leaving a trail behind him. His ghosts drifted close, their cold presence blending with the winter air. Dr. Blackwood materialized beside him, scanning the trees.

"This region has old wounds," the ghost said. "Spiritual residue. Something died here. Many things."

Sera climbed out last, her crossbow slung across her back. She closed her eyes, stretched her life sense into the forest.

"Beastkin," she said. "Ahead. Faint. Scared."

Lucian walked toward the trees. "Let’s move."

---

The village was a ruin.

Huts had been burned, their frames black against the snow. The ground was churned with boot prints and claw marks. Bodies lay scattered—beastkin, their fur matted with blood, their eyes frozen open. Some had weapons in their hands. Most had nothing.

Cora stopped at the edge of the village. Her hand rested on her sword.

"This wasn’t a raid. This was a slaughter."

Mason knelt beside a body. A wolf beastkin, his throat torn. "Demons. Low-rank. But organized."

Lucian walked deeper into the village. The snow crunched under his boots. He scanned the huts, the shadows, the quiet.

A sound came from one of the huts. A whimper.

He moved toward it.

---

A beastkin child huddled behind an overturned table.

She was small, grey fur, ears flat against her head. Her eyes were wide, wet. Blood stained her shoulder.

Lucian crouched. Didn’t reach for her.

"You’re safe now."

She stared at him. Shivered.

Cora appeared behind him. "Lucian—"

"Stay back."

Cora stopped.

Lucian lowered his voice. "What’s your name?"

The child’s lips trembled. "Mira."

"Mira. I’m Lucian. We’re here to help. Can you tell us what happened?"

She shook her head. Then nodded. Then shook her head again.

Lucian waited.

"They came at night," she whispered. "Demons. One of them was different. Cold. He didn’t touch anything. He just pointed, and things froze."

Cora’s jaw tightened. "A demon with ice powers."

"Malachar’s lieutenant," Mason said. "The one Alistair warned us about."

Lucian looked at the child. "Where did they go?"

Mira pointed north. "Into the mountains. They took the others."

---

Sera knelt in the snow outside the village.

Her eyes were closed. Her fingers pressed against the frozen ground. The cold bit at her skin, but she didn’t move. She was tracking.

Derek stood nearby, his ghosts spread wide. "Anything?"

"Demons. A lot of them. Heading north." She opened her eyes. "And something else. Colder. Older. The ice demon."

Mason frowned. "You can feel it?"

"I can feel the absence of heat. It doesn’t bleed. Doesn’t breathe. But it leaves a trail."

Lucian walked to her. "Can you follow it?"

"I can try."

"Then do it."

---

The trail led into the mountains.

The forest thickened, then thinned. The trees became sparse, their branches twisted by wind and ice. The snow deepened. The air grew sharp, biting at exposed skin.

Derek’s ghosts shrank closer to him. Dr. Blackwood’s voice was low. "The spiritual residue is stronger here. Death magic. Recent."

Cora drew her sword. "How close?"

"Close enough."

The path opened into a clearing.

A figure stood in the center.

He was tall, lean, his skin pale as the snow. His eyes were blue—not the blue of sky, but the blue of deep ice. Frost crept along his arms, his shoulders, the tips of his fingers. He wore no armor, no coat. Just dark clothes and a smile that didn’t reach his eyes.

Malachar’s lieutenant.

"I wondered when you’d come," he said. His voice was soft, almost friendly. "The boy who spoke to Malachar. The hunters who think they can stop what’s coming."

Lucian drew his blades. "Where are the prisoners?"

"Gone. Deeper into the mountains. You’ll never find them."

"I’ll find them."

The demon tilted his head. "You’re confident."

"I’m thorough."

He moved.

The demon raised his hand. Ice erupted from the ground, forming a wall between them. Lucian cut through it, his blade shattering the frozen barrier. The demon stepped back, surprised.

"You’re faster than you look."

"You’re slower than you should be."

Cora phased around the ice wall, her sword aimed at the demon’s throat. He caught the blade with his bare hand. Frost spread across the metal.

"Phasing doesn’t help if I freeze your weapon."

Cora pulled back. The sword was coated in ice, too heavy to swing.

Mason stepped forward. His gauntlets glowed. Heat burst from his palms, melting the frost on Cora’s blade. She shook it free.

The demon’s smile faded.

"You have tricks."

"We have teamwork."

Sera fired her crossbow. The bolt struck the demon’s shoulder. Ice spread from the wound, freezing the bolt in place. He pulled it out, ignoring the blood.

"Annoying."

He raised both hands. The temperature dropped. Snow swirled around them, blinding, cutting.

Lucian closed his eyes.

He didn’t need to see. He could feel the demon’s presence—the cold, the hunger, the arrogance. He stepped forward, blades low, and struck.

The demon blocked with his forearm. Ice cracked. Lucian’s blade drew blood.

"You—"

Lucian struck again. The demon staggered. Again. Again. The ice cracked. The demon’s form flickered.

"Fall back," Lucian said.

The demon snarled. He raised his hand, summoned a wall of ice between them, and disappeared into the snow.

Cora wiped frost from her face. "He’s gone."

"For now."

Sera pointed north. "The trail continues. The prisoners are still alive."

Lucian sheathed his blades. "Then we keep moving."

A/N

Thanks for reading this far, I know it’s mid, but this is the best I can do with the little time I have.

I Will try in the future to do more better when I have free time.