The sky was beginning to fade into twilight by the time they reached the mouth of the cave. It loomed before them like a dark maw. Its entrance was half-covered by a curtain of icicles that shimmered with trapped light.
Xion's breath puffed out in soft clouds as he peered inside, his eyes wide with curiosity.
"It's bigger than I imagined," he mumbled as his gloved fingers gripped at Darius' hand tighter.
"It has its secrets." The Archduke gently nudged Xion forward. "Come. It'll be warmer inside."
Xion hesitated for a moment, glancing back. But the path they'd left behind was already beginning to be covered in snow.
The chill had begun to seep through his cloak, nipping at his cheeks and fingertips. With a small nod, he silently followed Darius inside.
The air within the cave, though insulated from the cutting winds outside, was still chilly. It smelled of earth and old stone, the quiet drip of melting icicles echoing faintly around them.
