Her heart grew alert, and she retreated into the cave, picking up her Pale Flame—a bright gleaming sword inch by inch, holding it in her hand.
Gripping the sword, she walked toward the cave entrance. The sound in the wind and snow seemed to grow more distinct, rustling as if a group was approaching this sheltered spot. Sophie hesitated a bit, not turning back to extinguish the campfire, as the temperature was so low, and the mountain village girl still had not recovered from her high fever...
And suddenly, the sound stopped a few meters away from the cave entrance, but amidst the grey blur of wind and snow, one couldn't see anything at all in that place.
Sophie suddenly felt a chilling sensation.
Because she clearly felt that something unknown was standing a few meters away from the entrance, watching her through the snow, yet she could see nothing—at that moment, it seemed as if everything around her had fallen into a complete silence.
