Moon opened the journal, its pages stiff from the cold and slightly damp. The handwriting was hurried, desperate in places, whilst controlled in others. He began reading aloud so Selene could hear.

<Day 1: We've been pulled into what appears to be a hidden realm. There are seven of us—all from different summoning batches, different times. Some have been here for weeks already. The cold is unbearable. We found this spot and decided to make camp. Better to stay together than separate.>

<Day 3: The nights are worse than the days. Hopefully, I can make it out.>

<Day 5: We found others today. Or what was left of them. Bones picked clean, scattered around a cave entrance. The cave looked safe from the outside, warm even. But it was a trap. Something lives in these caves, something that lures people in. We're avoiding all cave systems now, no matter how cold it gets.>

Moon's eyes widened slightly at that entry. He glanced at Selene, who motioned for him to keep reading.

<Day 8: The exit conditions finally revealed themselves. A notification appeared saying we need to "claim the heart of winter." No explanation of what that means or where to find it. We've decided to head toward the mountain's peak. If there's something to claim, it's probably at the highest point.>

<Day 11: Lost Jennifer last night. She went to relieve herself just outside the camp perimeter. We heard her scream, then nothing. By the time we got there, only blood remained. We don't go anywhere alone anymore, not even ten meters from camp.>

<Day 14: We found a temple structure built into the mountainside, and we are contemplating checking it out.>

<Day 19: This will be my last entry. The others have decided to enter the temple. To whoever finds this: The temple is northeast of this camp, roughly half a day's climb up the mountain. Look for stone pillars carved with frost patterns. If you're reading this and I'm not here... I either made it out, or...I am dead.

Good luck. You'll need it.>

The journal ended there.

Moon closed it slowly, his mind racing through the words he had read. Selene stood frozen beside him, her face ashen.

"A temple, the heart of winter... this is troublesome."

Moon nodded grimly. "We definitely can't check out that temple any time soon. A group of awakeners that survived for so long were hesitant to attempt it. I think we should get stronger first, explore other options, and perhaps save the others if they're still alive."

"I agree." Selene folded her arms, thinking. "Do you want to check on the cave from afar? See if Derek and the others are still... there?"

"Yes."

Both made their way out of the abandoned camp, taking the journal with them. They caught no sight of the three-toed creature they'd followed, but that didn't matter anymore. They'd gained something far more valuable—information about the temple, and the heart of winter that was supposedly the objective they needed to complete to escape this cursed place.

The journey back took several hours, retracing their steps through the claustrophobic forest and across the mountainous terrain.

They positioned themselves behind a rocky outcropping, a good distance from the cave entrance, close enough to observe but far enough to avoid detection. Then they waited, watching.

Hours passed, but no movement came from the cave. No one entered or exited. The entrance remained dark and still, like the mouth of some dead thing.

"Something is wrong with Gareth," Selene whispered after the third hour of observation. "There are no hints that any of those awakeners he spoke about even exist. We've been watching for hours and seen nothing."

A thought appeared in Moon's mind, cold and unsettling. "Could he have been part of that group? The one from the journal?"

Selene didn't respond for a moment, her expression troubled. "Not sure, but this is really not good." She turned to look at Moon. "Gareth isn't weak. Ever since we met him from the beginning, the way he killed that level 12 arctic boar with ease."

Moon nodded slowly. That observation matched his own assessment. That was precisely the reason why he couldn't simply alert everyone to the danger. He felt instinctively that Gareth would be able to kill them all if he wanted to. The question was why he hadn't yet. What was he waiting for?

Moon's stomach turned as the pieces began connecting in his mind.

"We should head back," Selene said quietly, breaking his dark thoughts. "Before it gets dark. We can't risk being out here when that thing starts hunting."

"Agreed." Moon took one last look at the cave entrance, at the place where Derek, John, Elara, and the others were still trapped, unaware of the danger they were in If they were even still alive.

He and Selene retreated carefully, moving back toward their own small shelter, the journal's warnings echoing in Moon's mind.

And Gareth, who might be the key to understanding it all—or the most dangerous predator in this entire frozen hell.

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