The groaning ice beneath Kieran's boots gave a final, bone-deep creak before falling silent. Each breath he took clawed at his lungs like fractured glass, the cold cutting deeper with every inhale. For a moment, he was still, caught between the instinct to move forward and the fear that even the lightest step might shatter the precarious surface entirely.
Resting a trembling hand on his injured shoulder, Kieran could feel the heat of the burn radiating against his frost-chilled skin. The claw wound on his side throbbed with relentless pain, like a slow, steady drumbeat echoing in his bones. He knew better than to stop; if he did, he might never find the strength to start again. But the weight of his injuries bore down on him like lead, each step heavier than the last.
The bridge stretched onward, narrowing into a treacherous path carved from frost and shadow. The once-brilliant green light of the monolith had dimmed to a faint glow that pulsed irregularly, casting fractured patterns across the icy expanse. The low hum of the monolith's energy was almost imperceptible but lingered in the back of his mind, like the restless echo of a pulse.
Step by step, Kieran edged forward, his boots crunching faintly against the frost-slicked surface. The air around him felt sharper now, as though the trial was honing itself, readying for the next strike. Ahead, the bridge's end gave way to a vast, arching cavern that swallowed the faint green glow into its depths. His breath hitched as he took in the twisted maze that lay before him.
The pathway became a jagged lattice of frost-glass, veined with cracks that shimmered faintly. Tall, spire-like columns jutted upward from the cavern floor, their edges sharp and unnatural. Massive stalactites, glistening with frost, loomed above like frozen swords waiting to fall. Between the spires, glassy walls twisted and refracted light at unnatural angles, forming a labyrinth that shimmered like ice-lined mirrors. The maze seemed both alive and ancient, a frozen relic that breathed cold into the space around it.
Kieran hesitated at the edge of the bridge, his frost flickering faintly at his fingertips. The maze felt wrong in a way he couldn't articulate. The air was thick with something beyond cold, an unseen force pressing against his skin like a phantom's grip. The frost in his veins coiled uneasily, pulsing faintly in warning.
A sound shattered the stillness, faint at first but growing louder. It was rhythmic, deliberate, like claws tapping against ice. Kieran stilled, straining to hear past his own shaky breaths. The sound echoed through the cavern, bouncing off the crystalline walls until it felt like it was coming from everywhere at once. He clenched his fists, forcing the frost in his blood to stabilize enough to coat his hands in jagged, uneven edges.
He took a cautious step into the maze. The frost-glass beneath his boots gave a faint creak under his weight, but it held. Shadows danced along the crystalline walls, twisting into shapes he couldn't quite focus on. Every turn seemed to tighten the space around him, the walls leaning inward just enough to unsettle but not enough to trap. Light refracted from the frost in strange, spiraling patterns that darted along the paths ahead, creating the illusion of movement where there was none.
The clicking sound grew louder, more insistent. Kieran's pulse quickened as he scanned the maze for its source. His frost shifted nervously, reacting to an enemy it couldn't yet see. He forced himself forward, rounding a corner that led deeper into the labyrinth.
The attack came without warning.
Something barreled into his side, striking the claw wound with bone-jarring force. Kieran slammed into the icy wall, his breath leaving him in a sharp gasp. He staggered but managed to stay upright, the frost anchoring his feet to the glassy floor. The creature darted back into the shadows, too fast for him to fully track, its skeletal shape melting into the maze's refracted patterns.
Kieran's frost flared instinctively, sending sharp tendrils outward in an arc, but they struck nothing but air. The rhythmic sound of claws scraping against the ice returned, now louder and closer. The creature was circling him, waiting for an opening to strike again.
It emerged moments later, slinking from the shadows into the faint light. Its body was skeletal and grotesque, its elongated limbs ending in sharp, jointed claws that clattered unnervingly as it moved. Frost coated its thin frame, forming jagged shards of armor that glinted like broken glass. Its eyes burned bright and cold in its elongated skull, void of life but full of predatory intent. The creature opened its mouth and hissed, the sound a guttural, bone-chilling depth that set Kieran's teeth on edge.
Before he could fully react, it lunged again.
Kieran swung his frost-covered arm upward, forming a spiked shield just in time to deflect the blow. The creature's claws scraped against the ice with a deafening screech, sending vibrations up Kieran's already trembling arm. He countered with a sharp thrust of frost, spearing through the creature's side. It recoiled with an enraged shriek, its form flickering unnaturally before it moved out of range.
Kieran's pulse thundered in his ears as he backed away, his frost coiling warily at his hands. The creature didn't retreat far. It crouched low, its bony frame twitching as it calculated his next move. But the sound of clicking claws echoed once more, this time from multiple directions.
Kieran's chest tightened as two more creatures appeared, one from a corridor to his left and another directly behind him. Their glowing eyes locked onto him, their movements slow but deliberate. His frost sparked, unstable but desperate to fight back. He clenched his fists to steady it, forming crude, crumbling blades across his scarred hands.
The creatures closed in, their claws scraping against the frost-glass with each deliberate step. Kieran's muscles screamed in protest as he pivoted, trying to keep all three in view. Every breath burned, every movement felt like dragging himself through shattered ice. The frost in his veins felt sluggish now, responding slower with each desperate command.
The first creature struck again, moving low and fast, forcing Kieran to sidestep and slash wildly with his frostblade. He managed to graze its shoulder, sending shards of frost scattering into the air, but the second creature lunged at the same moment. Its claws raked across his hastily-raised shield, nearly breaking through as he stumbled backward.
Kieran was forced closer to a narrow passageway, the maze twisting behind him into a corridor lined with unnervingly smooth walls. The clicking of claws grew louder still, a relentless rhythm that seemed to press against his thoughts.
He exhaled shakily, forcing his body to move, forcing his frost to rise to his defense. Panic threatened to consume him as the creatures advanced, but he locked onto his one truth: forward was the only option. He lashed out with a final burst of frost, driving the creatures back just long enough to pivot and sprint down the labyrinthine corridor.
The icy walls around him warped as he ran, their shimmering surfaces reflecting distorted versions of himself back at him. The maze seemed to twist with each step, its paths changing behind him as if deliberately cutting off any retreat. The air grew colder, heavier, pressing against him like an invisible weight.
The clicking sound began to fade, but Kieran didn't slow. He couldn't. Somewhere, deep within the twisting labyrinth, the trial's next challenge awaited.