Irina took a step forward, and frost instantly spread across the floor beneath her feet.
A thin layer of ice crept outward, covering the stone with a pale white sheen. The moment the cold touched the small tentacles writhing near her feet, they recoiled and disappeared into the ground as though something had frightened them. Irina's eyes narrowed, and she took another step.
The temperature dropped further.
Cold air swept through the chamber, spreading from Irina's body in waves. The heat that had made the tunnel almost unbearable began to retreat beneath the overwhelming chill of her ice powers. Wherever she stepped, frost covered the ground, and the small tentacles that had been waiting to seize them vanished before they could even reach the surface.
Irina did not stop.
