Chapter Forty-Two

Ethan and Selene stood frozen, gazing at the threshold section covered up by the rubble. The fortress kept on collapsing around them, the ground trembling underneath their feet as stone and ice disintegrated from over. Time was running out, and the cold was tenacious, clawing at their skin like a living thing.

“We got to go,” Ethan encouraged, his voice tight with direness. He knew the dangers, but they had no other choice. The main door was blocked, and the passage was their only chance of escape.

Selene nodded, determination flashing in her eyes. “Right behind you.”

Ethan crushed through the contract opening, the unpleasant stone scratching against his shoulders. The section was tight, scarcely wide enough for him to move, and the obscurity was choking. He listened closely as the fortress kept collapsing behind them, the sound of stone pounding against stone as the antiquated structure at long last gave way.

Selene followed closely behind, her breath coming in brief, sharp bursts. “