Chapter 14: Frostborne
A thin mist still clung to the ground, even though the midday sun blazed fiercely in a cloudless sky. The air was bitterly cold—unnaturally so—as if even the sunlight refused to pierce the sinister aura that smothered the area.
In the distance, a dimensional rift tore open the sky—a massive, crimson gash that pulsed slowly, like the heart of a slumbering beast. Its chilling aura and magical pressure made the air around it shimmer and distort.
Far ahead of the rift, six figures stood in a half-circle formation. They wore distinctive silver-white uniforms, elegant yet sturdy in design—a perfect balance of grace and strength.
Emblazoned on each of their chests was a crest: a winged shield and a twin-headed dragon, accompanied by an ancient Latin inscription: Aegis Lux et Draconic—Shield of Light and Dragon—the official emblem of the British Empire, and of their elite unit, the Aegis Order.
Four men. Two women. One of them radiated an aura that stood out above the rest—silver hair catching the light like silk, and piercing dark-blue eyes that stared ahead without a shred of hesitation.
Helen Celestina.
Their attention was locked onto a single point: the blood-red rift that gaped open, releasing gusts of icy wind and whispering voices that clearly did not belong to this world.
A blond-haired man with sharp eyes looked at the rift, his expression tense. His name was Lex Mordane, their leader.
"Silent Will, those bastards..." he muttered bitterly. "You're sure you saw them go in?"
A younger man, Ren, gave a firm nod. "No mistake. They entered when the rift was still green. Nine of them, just before it turned red."
Lex narrowed his eyes. "Nine? Didn't you say there were ten?"