Chapter 123: Lost in Snow
Matteo squinted his eyes, trying to catch a glimpse of color in the sea of white. His feet sunk into the deep snow, making the climb harder than it needed to be.
"Amelia!" Matteo screamed out, cupping his mouth with his hands so that his desperate call would travel further. He strained his ears, hoping to hear her reply. However, it was futile. His voice was swallowed by the flurry of snow, and he could hear nothing but the howling wind.
"Amelia!" He called out again, but just like before, there was no answer. His fingers protested, now a bright red at being exposed to the harsh winds, and he reluctantly tucked them into the pockets of his jacket, allowing them to rest in the meager warmth provided.
It had been excessively foolish to rush out without ensuring he was properly geared up. But with Amelia’s life hanging by a thread that steadily frayed with every single second that passed, his own well-being had taken a back seat.
So what if he lost his fingers to frostbite? He had ten in total, and he didn’t need all of them. Amelia’s life was more important.
He blinked quickly, trying to get the wind out of his eyes so he could spot a sign of life.
If Amelia was stuck at the mountain, knowing her resourcefulness, she would have left some sort of marker for a rescuer to find. But with the way the snow was falling, even a mark left in the snow would have been covered in no time at all.
Matteo cursed under his breath, and continued his climb, while screaming Amelia’s name at periodic intervals. He wanted to rush to where Amelia was, but he also dared not rush through his search, for fear of missing Amelia on the way.
Fifteen minutes had passed. Matteo’s fingers were numb from the cold, but all he could think about was how bad a state Amelia would be left in.