Kaelyn stumbled backward, eyes wide in disbelief, mouth agape.
She spun toward her friends, who mirrored her stunned expression.
"It's not letting us in," Kaelyn said, her brows furrowed together.
"But the other gate let us through!" Sierra cried, shrinking behind Kaelyn.
"Because the other house was abandoned," Kaden replied coolly. "This one is occupied. And those who live here have likely sealed their gates for protection."
"But why is the gate reacting like this?" Kaelyn pressed.
"Because it's guarded," Audric said, his tone thoughtful. "If their ruler enacted lockdown protocols, the wards around the entrance would be active."
"So… what now?" she asked.
Silence fell over the group. No one had an answer.
"We're just going to stand here?" Kaelyn asked again, more impatiently.
Xav reached for the gate, but Kaden caught his wrist just in time.
"Don't touch it carelessly," Kaden warned.
"Why not?" Xav scoffed. "It's just a gate."
"So you don't die," Kaden said bluntly.
Everyone turned to him, confused and slightly unnerved.
"It's enchanted," Kaden continued. "If you try to force entry, it might interpret you as a threat. And in that case… it will defend itself."
"But it's just a gate—" Xav began.
"Not here, it isn't," Kaden cut in sharply. "You break its law, and you'll be dead before you hit the ground."
The group devolved into nervous murmurs and a soft argument. Then, without warning, the glowing beams embedded in the gate shimmered violently—and the great barrier creaked open.
Everyone fell silent, eyes wide.
"Did you touch it?" Audric asked sharply.
"No. I didn't," Xav replied.
"Then let's move before it closes again," Kaelyn urged.
One by one, they stepped through the threshold only to be immediately surrounded. Warriors emerged from the fog within, clad in armor of glistening ice, their faces hidden beneath frost-rimmed helms. But their eyes—cold, intense—cut through the air like daggers.
Before anyone could speak, a spear was raised, aimed directly at the group. Kaelyn instinctively threw her arms up.
"Please, don't hurt us!" she shouted.
One warrior paused, lowering his spear slightly as he scrutinized them. He exchanged a glance with another soldier and then signaled to stand down.
"Where are you from?" one of them asked, voice sharp and measured.
The group exchanged panicked glances, their bodies tensing.
"We're… we're not from the same house," Sierra blurted out. She clutched Kaelyn's arm tightly. "We're from different ones."
The warriors narrowed their eyes.
Without a word, each of them stepped forward, forming what looked like crystalline shackles from the ice around them. Before the group could protest, they were bound and lined up in single file, flanked by soldiers at the front and rear.
"This… was a mistake," Xav muttered.
"Should've stayed at the bridge," Kaelyn replied under her breath.
The group was marched through a breathtaking icy city. Shimmering crystal towers rose high into the clouds, carved entirely from enchanted frost. Snowflakes glided through the air like living sparks of magic. It seemed they were not in the main city but the military base.
They were led into a towering citadel, where even more warriors stood waiting. These new sentinels glanced between the prisoners and the escorts.
"We saw them through the beam," one explained. "They tried to enter. We assumed they were spies, but they seem like… refugees."
"They look young," another added.
The group exchanged uneasy glances as they stood silently, listening to the conversation unfolding around them.
"What if they're sending youngsters as spies now?" one of the warriors murmured.
"They already do," another replied. "But these ones… they seem aimless."
Kaelyn and Xavier scoffed under their breath.
"How dare they," Kaelyn muttered.
Although, if they were being honest with themselves, the warriors weren't entirely wrong they had been wandering without a clear purpose.
They didn't even know their final destination.
A taller warrior stepped forward, addressing them directly.
"You kids… you're not from the same house, are you?"
The group shook their heads.
"How did you all end up together?"
Astrid stepped up, her voice steady as she recounted their journey.
"I was alone at first," she began. "Then I met the one with pink hair (Kaelyn). We were both escaping an attack when we ran into the one with long blue hair(Kaden). He helped us survive. But we were starving. That's when someone shared their food with us(Audric), the one with jet-black hair.
"We traveled together for a while, and came across the one with a strong jaw and brown hair(Xavier). We joined forces, all searching for a place to stay. Eventually, I found and rescued the silver-haired girl(Sierra). That's how we came together."
The warriors listened in thoughtful silence.
Then, one of them stepped forward and spoke solemnly.
"Our kingdom is under siege," he said. "A rebellious faction known as ISIS has infiltrated the realm. Each house once had a representative who governed alongside the royal family. But over time, many were corrupted… and sided with the enemy.
"Our second-in-command seized control and imposed a strict lockdown. No one comes in. No one goes out. It's the only reason we've remained safe while the rest of the kingdom burns. We have no word from the other houses."
Realization dawned on the group, the pieces of chaos they had seen along their journey now clicking into place.
No wonder everything was under attack, Sierra thought.
The warrior continued. "Since you are refugees, we will offer you shelter. However, because you are not of our house, you may leave if you choose. That decision is yours. But if you stay, understand this,our rules must be followed. We do not tolerate carelessness."
The group nodded, grateful for the offer, though the weight of their situation still lingered heavily in the air.
What were they going to do?