The wind howled through the crags like a wounded animal, scattering flurries of snow across the uneven mountain trail. The group was silent now, trudging forward with heavy steps, blood and dirt crusted on their clothes from the last battle. No one said it aloud, but the fight with the creature,the gorgon that turned a hare to stone before their eyes,had shaken something loose in each of them.
Kaelyn was the first to spot it: a cleft in the rock face, dark and narrow, partially hidden behind a thicket of frost-covered bushes. She pushed past them, ignoring the scratches on her arms, and stepped inside.
"It's a cave," she called over her shoulder. "Deep, dry. Safe enough for now."
The others followed wordlessly. Sierra's shoulders sagged as she collapsed against the wall, pulling her knees to her chest. Xavier slumped to the ground with a dramatic sigh, dusting snow off his cloak like it had personally offended him.
Audric paced near the entrance, running a hand through his tangled hair. Astrid quietly removed her satchel and began tending to the few scratches Kaelyn had ignored. Kaden stood near the back, arms crossed, face hard as stone.
It was Xavier who broke the silence, of course.
"Well, that was an absolute disaster," he said, rubbing his temples. "We nearly got turned into a souvenir collection for a snake-witch, and for what? A lovely hike?"
Astrid looked up, weary. "We helped someone. That should count for something."
"Helped someone?" Xavier snapped. "You mean the shapeshifting demon you nursed back to health? The one who nearly cursed us with whatever 'mark' he mentioned before vanishing?"
Astrid flinched. "I didn't know—"
"You never do," Audric said sharply, stopping mid-step. "You just act."
Kaelyn's head snapped up. "Oh, so we're blaming Astrid now?"
"Don't act like you weren't thinking it," Audric muttered.
"I wasn't," Kaelyn snapped. "Because unlike you, I don't lash out the second something goes wrong."
Audric's jaw tightened. "I'm not lashing out. I'm pointing out that maybe,just maybe,we shouldn't blindly trust every wounded stranger we find in the snow!"
Astrid's eyes began to sting, but she turned her face away. "I didn't mean to..."
"We know," Kaelyn said, her voice softer now. "But this isn't just about mistakes. We're unraveling."
There was silence. Thick, cold, tense.
Then Xavier let out a mocking laugh. "Unraveling? Please. We were never raveled to begin with."
Kaelyn's head whipped toward him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
He smirked, but there was bitterness behind it. "We're not a team. We're a bunch of kids from different Houses pretending to be a group so we can get what we want at the end of the day."
Kaelyn took a step forward. "You've done nothing since we left Glacier but complain and make jokes. What exactly are you contributing, Xavier?"
His grin faltered. "Comic relief."
"More like dead weight," Audric muttered.
Xavier's face darkened. "Say that again."
"Oh, don't tempt me."
"Guys," Sierra tried intervening, stepping between them. "Please, stop—"
But sparks were already flying. Kaelyn's voice rose. Audric's hands clenched. Astrid stood frozen, caught between shrinking back and stepping in. Kaden remained still, eyes scanning each of them in silence. Watching. Calculating.
And beneath it all, something strange began to stir,subtle, invisible threads of power, trembling in the air like a coming storm.
Kaelyn's breath came faster, words sharp as the dagger she carried. "You think just because you're the loudest, you get to control the narrative? Audric, back off. This isn't some arena for your ego."
Audric shot back, voice low and dangerous. "And you think scolding everyone makes you a leader? You're fiery, but reckless. We're barely holding together."
Xavier snorted. "Reckless? Coming from the guy who just stood there and did nothing when that 'shapeshifter' got close?"
Kaelyn's eyes narrowed. "I didn't know he'd turn like that. And I wasn't the one who handed him the healing salve."
"That's because you don't think before you act," Audric said, stepping closer, fists clenched.
Astrid's hands trembled as she took a step forward, her voice pleading, "Please,this isn't helping."
"Help? You want to help? Then stop letting your emotions cloud every decision," Kaelyn snapped, turning sharply to face Astrid. "We're not children anymore."
Astrid's face flushed, but she held her ground. "I'm trying to keep us together."
Before Kaelyn could respond, Audric's gaze flickered toward Xavier, who was watching them with an amused smirk.
"You," Audric said, pointing, "why don't you say something? Or is mocking the only skill you have?"
Xavier's eyes gleamed. "Don't drag me into your fight. I'm done playing babysitter."
Kaelyn took a step forward, voice low and hard. "This isn't a game, Xavier. We're fighting for our lives."
Suddenly, the tension snapped.
A surge of heat pulsed around Kaelyn's hands. She barely caught herself before flames flickered at her fingertips, then died as she clenched her fists.
Audric's eyes darkened. He tried controlling himself at the stone he stood on got crushed under his feet.
Xavier's smirk faltered. His coin flipped in his hand, glowing faintly with an unnatural light.
The air crackled. The powers they had kept hidden,untouched until now,were stirring. Hungry. Frightening.
Sierra reached out, voice shaking, "Stop it,please. This isn't what we need."
But they didn't listen. They continued arguing and pushing each other.
Kaelyn throwing insults at Xavier and Audric, Audric blaming Astrid, Xavier trying to put his hands on Audric. Astrid, standing in the middle of it all, trying to stop them.It was a commotion, as the once peaceful group had turned into chaos.
Enough!" Sierra stood suddenly, surprising everyone, including herself.
Everyone stopped at the voice and turned to Sierra.
"We're all alive. We fought those creature together. Isn't that what matters?"
But the tension still lingered, thick as the cold night air.
"Please stop, I am sorry Audric. I won't take decions like that again." Astrid said to Audric.
Kaelyn and Xavier however didn't say anything to themselves and turned away.
Well,no one was expecting them to apologize either way.
" Instead of fighting, let's save that energy for later." Kaden finally spoke, breaking the tension.
Everyone turned away and took various positions of rest.
Outside, the wind moaned against the cave entrance, whispering promises of the dangers still waiting.
The cave was quiet now, the earlier storm of words settled into uneasy silence. Shadows flickered along the rough stone walls as the fire sputtered low, casting long, trembling shapes.
Sierra sat near the fire's edge, rubbing her hands together, trying to chase away the chill that wasn't just from the cold. She looked up at Kaelyn, who stood with arms crossed, eyes still sharp but less fiery.
"I'm sorry," Astrid said quietly, voice almost a whisper. "For letting it get this far."
Kaelyn's expression softened just a fraction. "It's not your fault."
Audric sat a little apart, his jaw clenched, fingers twitching like he wanted to say something but held back. Xavier leaned against the wall, coin rolling between his fingers, watching them all with a mix of irritation and something unreadable.
Sierra knelt near the fire, her hands folded in her lap, eyes downcast. The weight of silence pressed on her shoulders.
Kaden stood closer to the cave entrance, eyes scanning the dark beyond, his breath steady and controlled. "We can't keep doing this," he said finally.
Kaelyn nodded. "He's right. We need a plan."
"Maybe," Sierra added, "if we learned to trust, even a little—"
Kaelyn cut in, "Trust is earned. Not given lightly."
A quiet murmur of agreement spread through the group.
Sierra caught Kaden's eye, a flicker of understanding passing between them.
The fire popped, sending a shower of sparks into the air. Outside, the wind whispered secrets they weren't ready to hear.
But inside the cave, in the flickering firelight, the group sat ,fractured, wary, but not broken.
And that was enough… for now.