Chapter 89: Great Mountains
It’s the next morning, and we’ve finally reached the base of one of the mountain range’s deadly giants the kind of mountains that seem to scrape the sky and swallow the sun. The air here is colder than anything I’ve felt before, the snow dull and relentless, pressing into every inch of exposed skin. It’s the kind of cold that gnaws at your bones, makes your teeth ache, and leaves your skin numb. I stand there, staring up at the towering peaks that loom above us, feeling the weight of hopelessness settle deeper into my chest.
Part of me wants to just end it reach for my sword and cut my throat. I think about it darkly, a twisted thought that flickers through my mind like a dying ember. Why keep fighting, why keep breathing, when the cold will finish me off eventually? I feel that overwhelming despair crawling inside me, whispering that maybe it’s better to just let go and die now before slowly freezing to death.
And then, unexpectedly, I sense Lucian’s presence soft, insistent, probing just beyond the edge of my consciousness. It’s like a door opening, like a whisper in the dark. Without really thinking, I allow the connection, the silent telepathic link between us.
Lucian’s voice comes into my mind calm Are you good? You could do a better job of containing your emotions.
I reply simply, voice telepathic and flat, Same as last night. Peachy.
A faint mental nod from him and a tone of pure disbelief. Sure, sure let me know if there’s any issues.
He ends the connection. I roll my eyes, muttering inwardly, Yeah, sure. You’re like a fucking mother hen now.
Suddenly, Vihaan slips past me, his face set in a mask of cold detachment. His eyes are hard ice, really which is fitting for the climate and I catch the way he glances up at the mountains, like he’s already sizing up the danger. His expression is distant, almost like he’s already resigned to dying here, in this frozen wasteland. Or maybe he’s just pissed off about the weather.
Without warning, he snaps at Rye, voice sharp and biting. "Can you give us some heat? Or do I have to freeze to death before you bother?"
Rye’s eyes flash with irritation, and she sneers. "Watch how you speak to me, Vihaan."
His eyes gleam with murderous intent. The kind of look that makes my skin crawl. Yet, he doesn’t say anything right away. Instead, he settles back, his expression unreadable, and then, with a low, dangerous chuckle, he asks, "Or what?"