FROST
Chapter 36: Mist Elves

Chapter 36: Mist Elves

Silvermist’s breath hitched as her head snapped back, eyes scanning the trees behind them. The sudden shift in the air still lingered — a powerful pulse that sent a shiver down her spine before vanishing as quickly as it came.

It wasn’t just her. West stiffened beside her, his sharp gaze locked in the same direction. Sebastian, pale and looks like he’s about to pass out, struggled to stand on his own.

Mila suddenly felt her fingers cold. "What’s wrong?" she asked, her voice cracking as she hold her bag of snacks closer.

"You didn’t feel that?" Sebastian muttered, wincing.

"Feel what?" Adeline asked, glancing between them.

Silvermist’s silver eyes flicked toward the horizon, her brows knitting. "Magic... strong magic. It came and disappeared—like someone had opened a door... and slammed it shut."

Ezekiel’s heart picked up, but his face remained blank. He hadn’t felt anything — none of them had — except the Season Apprentices.

"Where do you think it came from?" Silvermist asked, her voice sharper now, turning to Sebastian.

The almost-limping Sebastian wiped sweat from his brow, leaning heavier on Ezekiel’s arm. His breath was shallow, but his mind was still working... Luckily.

"I don’t know... but if I had to guess," he looked over his shoulder, eyes narrowing, "it came from where we first arrived."

The group fell silent, the realization settling in like a cold stone in their chests.

West’s gaze lingered in that direction, his face impassive — but there was a flicker of unease in his eyes.

"I don’t know what that was," he said lowly, "but if we could feel it from here... it’s not something we should ignore."

Another hush followed, the only sound was the rustling leaves and Sebastian’s ragged breaths.

"We don’t have much time," West added, casting a glance at the dimming sky. "Sebastian’s spell is fading... and we haven’t even found a single clue about the Elixir’s exact whereabouts."

"Aww!"

Everyone gasped and turned to Silvermist when she suddenly flinched, her slender fingers trembling around the orb she now held. Its once cool surface flared with an intense heat, as though a sudden pulse of energy surged from within.

A faint crimson glow flickered beneath its crystalline surface far more radiating than Sebastian did earlierz making the artifact feel like molten glass against her skin — hot enough that she nearly let it slip from her grasp.

Her knuckles whitened as she forced herself to hold on, biting down the urge to cry out again.

"What is it?" Mila asked, worry lacing her voice.

Silvermist winced, the heat prickling through her gloves. "I... I don’t know... It just—" she paused, glancing at the orb with narrowed eyes. "It feels... alive."

Sebastian’s sharp gaze locked on the artifact, his brows furrowing. "Magic reaction... but from what?"

"Can you still hold it, though?" Adeline strode closer, her sharp eyes flicking toward the shimmering orb in Silvermist’s hands.

She unfastened the small leather pouch at her hip, its worn edges betraying years of use. "You can place it here for the meantime... It’s not leading us to the Elixir anyway."

Silvermist hesitated, the faint glow of the orb casting fractured light across her face. She nodded and was about to slip it into the pouch—

A hand shot out, gripping her wrist.

"Wait!" Mila gasped.

"Why?" Adeline asked, frowning.

"Look! Look! Something’s showing!" Mila’s pink eyes sparkled with excitement, her finger trembling as she pointed at the orb.

Everyone instinctively leaned in, their breaths shallow. The heat radiating from the crystal gradually softened, replaced by a subtle shimmer that danced beneath its translucent surface. Slowly, the swirling mists within the orb began to twist and coil—like liquid moonlight trapped inside glass.

Then, faint outlines began to take shape. First, only shadows flickering in the depths—blurred and uncertain—until the image sharpened with each slow turn of the sphere.

A towering mountain ridge emerged, blanketed in thick mist. Below it stretched a dense forest, dark and breathing, with rivers like veins of liquid sapphire. At the heart of the vision lay a ruined temple, half-swallowed by time and overgrown with ivy—its marble pillars fractured, yet still standing defiantly beneath a dusky sky.

"That’s..." Ezekiel whispered, brows furrowed.

"The Temple of Solace..." West finished, voice low.

Sebastian’s breath caught. "But... that’s supposed to be lost for centuries."

Mila blinked, her excitement faltering. "What’s a Temple of Solace?"

West’s ebony eyes flicked toward her, his face cast in shadow. For a moment, he simply stared at the orb, as though weighing how much he should reveal.

"It’s an ancient sanctuary built by the Founding Gods," he finally answered, voice steady but distant. "East said it was a place where the Seasons once gathered—where life and death were bound together beneath a single roof."

Silvermist’s brows knitted. "Life and death?"

West’s gaze darkened, flicking briefly to Sebastian before returning to the orb.

"Solace isn’t just a name. The temple was where dying souls were offered peace—and where those who sought forbidden knowledge would trade years of their life for power."

A heavy silence fell over them, broken only by the distant rustle of the jungle. The orb flickered, the golden lines shifting ever so slightly—like veins of molten light running through the ruins.

Silvermist swallowed hard, her fingers tightening around the crystal.

"If the Elixir is hidden there..." she muttered, voice barely above a whisper.

"Then we’re not the only ones looking for it," West finished grimly.

Suddenly, the image flickered, threatening to dissolve—until faint, golden lines etched themselves into the temple’s ruins—like an unseen hand tracing a hidden map.

"Coordinates..." Adeline realized, eyes wide.

"No..." Ezekiel shook his head. "A guide."

"Oh, finally!" Sebastian groaned, throwing his hands in the air. "Let’s go so we can get this over with."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Mila gasped dramatically, holding up a hand like she’d just discovered the meaning of life. "Something else is showing!"

Sebastian’s groan turned into a tortured whimper as they all shuffled back to the orb like moths to a very confusing flame.

The mist swirled again, revealing yet another extremely blurry image.

They squinted. They leaned in. They squinted harder. At this point, their faces were practically fused together, forming one collective confused human blob.

"Are those... rabbits?" Mila muttered, tilting her head.

The image shifted slightly.

"No... I think they’re Jerboas," Adeline said with way too much confidence.

"What the hell are Jerboas?" Mila blinked.

"Desert rodents," Adeline replied matter-of-factly.

Mila slowly turned to her like she’d just spoken in ancient alien tongue.

Ezekiel tapped his chin. "Nah, the ears are too long. They’re probably Bat-eared Foxes."

Everyone stopped and stared at him.

Sebastian blinked. "I’m sorry—what kind of National Geographic documentary have you been watching in your spare time?"

Ezekiel shrugged. "I like animals."

They all squinted back at the orb.

A long beat of silence.

"What if it’s just a really blurry cat?" Mila suggested.

"Oh wait!" Silvermist gasped, squinting at the orb. "Something’s written on it!"

Everyone shuffled closer again, their noses practically smudging the glass at this point.

A faint inscription shimmered through the mist.

"They’re... Mist ...Elves... you..

pieces... of... shits..." they all read in unison, squinting as each word disappears before they could even follow.

A long, awkward silence followed — only broken by the sound of Sebastian blinking.

"Well, no shit," he winced.

Suddenly, the faint golden light Sebastian had casted earlier flickered violently—like a candle about to die—before being devoured by the creeping black mists slithering from the shadows.

A brittle crackle echoed through the air, sharp as splintering glass. The sound scraped against their ears, making the hairs on their necks stand on end. It was neither near nor far—just everywhere.

The forest seemed to hold its breath.

Mila clutched Silvermist’s cloak uniform, her fingers digging into the fabric. "Tell me that was just a branch... snapping in the wind?"

"No wind would make that sound," West muttered, unsheathing the dagger from his belt, but he immediately put it back.

It’s too dark. At this point, if he acts recklessly, he might ende up stabbing one of his companions.

Their backs pressed together instinctively, forming a circle. The only things piercing the suffocating dark were the faint glimmers of scattered fireflies and the ghostly glow from the orb—now flickering with hazy, shifting images as if it too sensed the approaching danger.

Sebastian tried creating a flame on his palm but it only tremble before sputtering out completely.

"Great," he muttered, voice strained. "Now we’re officially blind."

"Shh!" Silvermist hissed, eyes locked into the blackness. Her fingers twitched at her side, ready to summon whatever she can if needed. "Stay alert. There might be a lot of them."

Another crackle sounded—closer this time. The shadows felt like they were pressing against them, breathing.

A low, guttural snarl rumbled through the silence—slow, deliberate... watching.

"Stay down!" West barked, pressing Silvermist further against the damp earth. His breath was ragged, his eyes scanning the darkness like a hawk.

Silvermist’s heart hammered in her chest. The arrowhead still trembled where it had buried itself deep into the bark, inches away from where her skull would have been. Her palms dug into the cold mud, but she barely felt it.

Adeline was already crouched low, clutching her short blade, eyes wide as saucers. Mila stood frozen, her hands trembling in front of her mouth—too shocked to even scream. Beside her, Ezekiel cursed under his breath, flicking his fingers desperately—trying and failing to summon even the smallest spark of flame.

"The mist..." Silvermist’s voice came out barely above a whisper. "It’s choking the air."

"Exactly." West’s voice was low, tense. His body remained half-crouched, shielding her. "It’s not just fog. This is cursed magic—someone doesn’t want us breathing, let alone fighting back."

Another arrow whistled from the shadows—this time aimed at Sebastian. He barely ducked in time, his knees hitting the ground with a thud.

"Alright—I’m officially hating this island!" Sebastian growled, clutching his bruised ribs.

"Welcome to the club," West muttered.

Suddenly, the orb flickered in Silvermist’s hand—its glow pulsing like a heartbeat. It began to twist and spin on its own, casting faint runes into the air before them.

Silvermist’s breath caught. It was trying to tell them something.

"Look—!" she gasped, but another arrow whizzed past her ear, forcing her to duck again.

"Oh, for the love of—what now?!" Sebastian snapped, wiping sweat from his brow.

Ezekiel’s fingers still flicked in vain. "I would set everything on fire if I could—believe me!"

"Don’t!" Adeline hissed. "You’ll burn us all along with whatever’s out there!"

"Then what do we do?" Mila’s voice cracked. "Wait here to be turned into porcupines?!"

West’s eyes narrowed. His hand twitched back to his dagger. "We need to move. They’re trying to keep us pinned. If we stay here... they’ll pick us off one by one."

Silvermist swallowed hard, clutching the orb tighter. The runes swirling above it were clearer now—forming symbols she vaguely recognized.

"This is... a map." Her voice wavered. "The Temple... it’s now showing us the wa—"

"Move! Behind the trees—now!" West growled, dragging Silvermist to her feet before she could even finish what she was saying.

They scrambled into the shadows, hearts pounding in unison. The moment their backs hit the rough bark, another arrow whistled through the air—striking exactly where they had been crouching a second ago.

One by one, they pressed against the nearby trunks—gasping, chests heaving—eyes darting through the swirling black mist. Yet no matter where they hid, the arrows kept coming.

Left. Right. Behind. They don’t even know where they came from. The only thing that serves them light is the orb’s faint glow.

There was no pattern—no direction—just death lurking from all angles.

Silvermist’s hands trembled as she hugged the orb close to her chest.

"They’re playing with us," Sebastian muttered, wincing as he pressed against a tree. "They’re not trying to kill us outright—they’re herding us."

West’s eyes narrowed. "Into what?"

"Probably something worse," Mila croaked.

An arrow thudded into the tree inches above her head, making her yelp and clamp both hands over her mouth.

Silvermist’s breath hitched. The runes were glowing brighter now—spinning faster—forming a trail like floating breadcrumbs.

"They’re driving us toward the Temple," she whispered. "And the orb... it’s showing us the path."

"Brilliant." Sebastian’s voice was dripping with sarcasm. "So, we follow the glowing ball straight into a death trap? Sounds like a plan."

"You got a better one?" West shot back.

Sebastian opened his mouth—then closed it, grumbling something under his breath.

Mila glanced, eyes wide. "But what if they’re leading us there on purpose?"

Silvermist’s heart hammered. Theyprobablywere. Perhaps, they’re also into the Elixir.

But there was no time to think—another arrow sliced through the air, splintering the bark beside West’s head.

"We have no choice," West muttered. "They could easily kill us if they wanted to. Whatever they are planning, I think it’s better to follow it, otherwise we’d all be dead."

"N-No," Silvermis argued. "We can’t take them to where the Elixir is. If they happen to be also into it as well, we’d fail our mission right here and then."

He glanced at Silvermist, his eyes catching the faint glow from the orb. "And I’m not letting that happen. For now, follow the map. The rest will keep their eyes on us."

Silvermist’s stomach twisted.

They wanted her to lead?

"Wait—why me?"

West’s sharp gaze locked onto hers. "Because you’re holding the damn thing."

"Don’t worry, Sil," Mila muttered, flicking her hair over her shoulder like she was on a shampoo commercial. "I’m basically the most useful apprentice here."

Silvermist blinked at her, half-expecting someone—anyone—to object.

No one did.

With a proud grin, Mila clasped her hands together. The moment she pulled them apart, a shimmering ball of water began to form between her palms, glowing faintly in the dim light.

Everyone’s jaws dropped, literally forgetting Mila is the Water Guardian Apprentice. While others can only bend waters, she can summon bodies of waters. Stretching out her hand, the ball of water expanded into a glistening dome, hovering perfectly above their heads. When the arrows came whizzing out of the shadows again, they struck the water barrier—and to everyone’s shock, bounced harmlessly off, leaving only faint ripples behind.

Mila puffed out her chest, absolutely glowing.

"See? Told you I’m the most reliable appren—"

With a loud POP, the entire water dome exploded—drenching every single one of them from head to toe like they just walked into a monsoon.

No one moved.

No one spoke.

Even the MistElfarchers seemed to pause, probably out of confusion or second-hand embarrassment, or simply both.

Mila’s triumphant grin froze on her face, her soaked bangs plastered against her forehead.

"O-Oh... let me do it again."

West, his hair dripping down his face like a wet cat, slowly turned to her.

"Please don’t."

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