Although the vehicles were severely damaged, there were no signs they had been looted. One van still had plenty of things inside, and several particularly large bundles were tied to its roof.

"Did no one fleeing the disasters pass through here? Or were they afraid to touch what was in the cars? That doesn’t make sense. This is the apocalypse; who would still be following a moral code?"

Everyone was puzzled.

"Could they have frozen to death? The flash freeze hit so suddenly. Maybe they planned to spend the night by the lake and died in their sleep."

"Or maybe they were poisoned. After all, many of the plants on the prairie are highly toxic. They might have picked some poisonous berries, eaten them, and died."

"It could also be that they died from acid rain corrosion. Look at how damaged the cars are—even the tires have rotted away. It must have been the acid rain."

Everyone chattered, voicing their theories, but Evelyn Ford was staring blankly at the surface of the lake.

"Evelyn, what are you looking at?"

"I think there’s something under the ice."

Hearing Evelyn say that, everyone quickly looked at the ice. Miles Vaughn and Quincy even walked out onto the frozen surface to get a closer look.

"There really are bodies down there—several of them. It’s so weird. They haven’t decomposed at all, they’re perfectly preserved. There are men, women, elderly, and children."

Evelyn Ford walked slowly toward the lake. As she looked at the bodies inside the ice, she saw that all of them had terrified expressions.

"There are fish next to them. They must have come down to catch fish, but the water froze suddenly, trapping them in the lake." This was Evelyn’s theory.

"It reminds me of those news stories about ancient people being buried in permafrost. After thousands of years, their bodies still hadn’t decomposed. So it’s true, a body in ice won’t rot."

Everyone crouched on the ice, studying the bodies below.

Quincy frowned. "So, were the people in the cars on the shore with them?"

"Who knows? Dead men tell no tales."

"Should we chip them out and take a look?" As soon as Miles Vaughn said it, everyone turned to stare at him.

He touched his nose awkwardly. "Just a thought."

"There could be viruses in the ice. It’s better to let them rest here forever."

With that, Evelyn Ford walked off the ice.

The others quickly followed. Just then, with a tremendous CRACK, the ice began to fracture. Seconds later, the entire surface plummeted downward. Peter Owens and Miles Vaughn were still on it. Everyone’s faces went white with terror, but Ronan Kendrick reacted in a flash. He leaped down, threw both of them back up onto solid ground, and then vaulted back to the shore himself.

In just five seconds, the entire lake surface had shattered and plunged hundreds of meters down. The Maiden’s Eye had become a massive chasm. The group collapsed to the ground, staring in disbelief at the abyss before them.

Evelyn Ford gripped Ronan Kendrick’s hand tightly. The moment he had jumped, her heart had skipped a beat.

"Don’t worry, I’m fine."

Ronan Kendrick felt a pang of guilt. He knew he’d been reckless, but if he hadn’t saved those two, the harmony of the group would have been shattered.

"What was that? Was that an earthquake? My legs are jelly. I can’t get up." Quincy was sprawled on the ground, his entire body shaking.

The most terrified were Miles Vaughn and Peter Owens. For them, it was like reliving the sudden earthquake in Aeridor. If Ronan Kendrick hadn’t acted, they would have plunged to their deaths.

"I... I can’t get up either."

Miles Vaughn’s jaw trembled as he spoke.

"It wasn’t an earthquake, the lake bed collapsed. Get back, now! Before the surrounding ground gives way and takes us with it." Having calmed down, Evelyn Ford quickly ordered everyone to fall back.

Wyatt Vaughn dragged Quincy and Miles Vaughn backward. Ronan Kendrick blew a whistle; the animals had already retreated far into the distance. Suddenly, the ground beneath them shuddered, and the area around the chasm began to crumble and fall away. Watching the cars on the shore get swallowed up, everyone ran for their lives. The collapse finally stopped after they had fled for about a kilometer.

Evelyn Ford felt no joy at having survived. She leaped onto the carriage and immediately steered the Mammoth to the right.

"Don’t stop! Keep moving!"

Evelyn drove the carriage while Ronan Kendrick directed the animals behind them to keep up. The others scrambled aboard. To the sound of whistles, the caravan moved far away from the Eye of Kaelan. Watching the compass, Evelyn steered the Mammoth continuously to the right.

Dark clouds filled the sky, and thunder rolled across the prairie. Evelyn Ford pursed her lips, her eyes fixed on the path ahead. Her fear of earthquakes was like a knife pressed to her throat. On countless nights, nightmares of them had jolted her awake.

She couldn’t stop until they reached a place that was absolutely safe.

"Evelyn, we can stop. We’ve gone more than twenty kilometers. We’re safe now."

Ronan Kendrick placed his hands on Evelyn’s shoulders and pulled her into the carriage. He ordered the Mammoth to halt, and the rest of the caravan slowly caught up.

"BLECH—"

As soon as they got out of the carriage, a combination of fear and the bumpy ride made several people throw up.

Evelyn Ford scanned their surroundings. She didn’t know why, but she felt like a spooked animal, constantly sensing that the ground beneath her feet could crack and collapse at any moment.

"My god, that was terrifying. We cheated death again."

"My legs still feel like jelly. I feel light-headed and can’t summon any strength at all."

Evelyn took some branches down to feed the exhausted sheep and horses. Ronan Kendrick brought over firewood, and the two of them started a fire to boil water.

The others slowly recovered, but judging by the looks on their faces, the collapse of the Eye of Kaelan had given them all a terrible fright.

"I can’t hold it. I need to use the bathroom."

"Me too! Wait for me, I’m scared to go alone."

Listening to their voices, Evelyn’s nerves gradually settled. Mina and Blackie hopped down from the carriage, and Wendy shuffled over to sit beside her, clutching a rabbit.

"It was probably just a freak accident. Next time we see a lake, we should keep our distance. Don’t get close, and definitely don’t walk on it." Taylor Vance still looked shaken.

"My head is starting to hurt again."

Quincy clutched his head and squatted down, giving Wyatt Vaughn a scare. Evelyn Ford hurried over to check on him.

"It must be the shock. I’ll give him a needle to help. Quincy, relax. Your body is completely tense right now, it’s constricting your blood flow."

Quincy’s hands were shaking violently. "I can’t relax."

Evelyn Ford took off his gloves and inserted two needles into his palm.

"Breathe in... breathe out... Do it with me. Inhale slowly... and now exhale slowly."

After a few minutes, Quincy’s body went limp, and he collapsed into Wyatt Vaughn’s arms.

"There. Now go warm up by the fire and drink some hot water."

Evelyn glanced at Wendy, noticing the girl was much braver than the adults. While the others still looked terrified, she, despite being a little scared herself, had quickly regained her composure.

"I’d rather live in this winter forever. I never want to go through another earthquake."

"You’re not the only one. I was scared out of my wits."