Ch - 4 (The Frozen Bloom)

The next morning, the group rose early, the frost on the windows of Count Ackerman’s villa glinting like shards of glass in the pale northern sunlight. The air had turned sharper—biting cold, the kind that seeped through wool if not layered right.

They dressed for the mountains. Cain wore a fur-lined navy cloak clasped with the royal insignia over a high-neck black tunic, thick gloves, and reinforced boots. Blair had a forest-green coat embroidered in golden thread, a leather utility belt slung across his waist with potion flasks clinking faintly as he moved. Yuki chose a practical but elegant winter hanfu-style coat in ash gray, with silver cloud embroidery around the cuffs. Lana, ever stylish, wore a white velvet cloak lined with rabbit fur, her hair pinned with enchanted snowflake clips that repelled frost.

Only Iris, seemingly unaffected by the cold, wore a pale blue overcoat with a fur hood, her fingers wrapped in rune-stitched gloves. Her vibrant energy made her seem part of the landscape, like a snow spirit come to life.

Each of the nobles had one servant—Blair’s was Garrick, a tall man with a stern face and a bag filled with survival tools; Cain’s was Elric, well-dressed and always silent, carrying backup enchanted gear; Yuki’s maid, Mino, small and agile, walked with a keen eye and a protective spell bracelet on her wrist; Lana’s servant, Mila, fussed endlessly about her mistress’s hair, cloak length, and temperature.

Iris had none. She insisted she preferred doing things herself. Before departing, Lana slipped on a slender pendant—an antique silver locket pulsing faintly with protective magic. Cain’s eyes narrowed at once. “Where did you get that?”

“A family heirloom,” Lana said casually, but there was a flicker of hesitation.

They left the servants behind at the Count’s villa. It had been advised the mountain trail was safe, and nobles rarely allowed their attendants to accompany them on “adventures”—especially ones declared safe by local lords.

A carriage took them as far as the trail allowed. Beyond that, they walked. Snow clung to their boots, the crunch of each step muffled under pine trees heavy with white. Their breaths misted in front of them, and their cheeks turned pink.

The forest wound up the mountainside, ancient and untouched. For a while, they wandered without trouble, admiring the quiet beauty. Birds chirped distantly, snowflakes glittered like powdered glass falling from heaven. Then they reached it—a frozen waterfall.

Its top glistened under the sun like sculpted crystal, water still flowing behind thick ice sheets, catching glimmers of blue and silver.

“Cool,” Blair said, craning his neck to admire it.

“Hey! Look up!” Iris cried, pointing near the top edge of the waterfall.

There, partially buried in snow, grew a flower—delicate, glowing faintly even in daylight. Blue petals peeked out from frost, as if blooming through ice.

“The Midnash Bloom,” whispered Cain.

“We need a way up,” Yuki murmured, scanning the ridges.

“There,” Iris said excitedly, pointing toward a narrow trail that curved alongside the waterfall’s edge.

They climbed with care. Boots dug into icy stone. Cain and Blair took the lead, cutting through snowdrifts with enchanted daggers when needed. Eventually, they reached the frozen plateau where the flower bloomed in silence.

“Wait—this is in the middle of the waterfall,” Lana said, worry tightening her voice. “What if the ice breaks?”

“It’s solid,” Iris called over her shoulder, already stepping forward with glowing eyes. “Come on!”

Cain frowned. “This is reckless…”

But they followed. Slowly, one by one, boots crunching over the thick, glassy sheet. Iris, the most botanically knowledgeable among them, bent and carefully unearthed the flower by its roots. She placed it inside a preservation pouch sewn with time-lock runes, then held it up triumphantly. “We’ve got it!”

“We should head back,” Yuki said quietly. Her tone was strained. “I keep feeling like… someone’s watching us.”

“Don’t jinx it, Lady Yuki,” Iris laughed, brushing snow off her gloves.

“…Jinx?” Yuki tilted her head. “What’s that?”

Lana suddenly looked at her, eyes sharp, voice unusually serious. “How do you even know that word?”

Cain cut in, equally suspicious. “She knows a lot of things she shouldn't. We should—”

A low growl cut through the air. They turned in unison. From the trees beyond the clearing emerged a pack of demonic wolves—large, fur bristling with shadows, eyes glowing red. Their breath fogged the air like smoke. No warning. No time.

“Uh… no one told us those were still around,” Blair said with dry panic.

“What do we do now?!” Lana stepped back.

Blair gave the obvious answer: “Run!”

He bolted first. The others stared blankly for a second—then sprinted after him.

Iris tossed the preservation pouch to Blair mid-run. “Put it in your sub-space! It’ll be safe!”

They ran down the icy path, boots slipping, snow flying in every direction. Behind them, claws tore at the ice. The wolves pursued with terrifying speed. But ice was treacherous. The wolves’ weight cracked the surface beneath. Suddenly, Lana, turning to check behind her, bumped into Iris. Both lost their balance. There was a shattering crack.

“IRIS!” Cain shouted as the ice gave way. Water surged up in a roar.

The frozen surface shattered. Iris and Lana plunged into the freezing waterfall along with two wolves. Their screams echoed as the rushing current pulled them down and away.

Cain didn’t think—he sprinted toward the broken edge.

“Cain!” Blair tackled him back.

“What are you doing?! She fell!”

“You can’t just jump after her!”

“She planned this! I saw it!” Cain snarled, eyes wild. “Lana knew the wolves would come! She had the pendant—she knew she’d be safe! This is all a setup! She wants to harm Iris!”

Blair held his prince by the shoulders, breathing hard. “You don’t know that. She could’ve fallen by accident.”

“She brought that pendant! Who brings a mana shield to a safe expedition?! Ask Yuki—she knows!” Yuki stood apart, silent, her eyes unreadable.

“Even if you’re right,” Blair said firmly, “you can’t just throw yourself off a cliff. We don’t know where that river leads. It’s dangerous.”

Cain’s fists clenched. “You are the future king,” Blair said quietly. “Start thinking like it.”

Cain looked at the broken ice, then turned away with a hiss of frustration.They contacted Count Ackerman immediately. Rescue teams were dispatched to search downstream. Cain argued, begged to join, but the Count firmly refused—it was too dangerous and too dark.

So, with the sun dipping low and their hearts heavy, they returned to the mansion. But Cain didn’t sleep. He stood by the window all night, eyes fixed on the direction of the mountains—waiting for a sign of Iris.

...——To Be Continued——...

***Download NovelToon to enjoy a better reading experience!***