The moment the airship left the academy behind, the reality of the expedition finally settled over everyone.
For years, the floating city had been the center of their world. No matter how dangerous an examination became or how difficult a challenge seemed, the academy had always been there. Its silver towers filled the horizon. Its bridges connected every part of their lives. Even when they couldn't see it, they knew it was nearby.
Now it wasn't.
Kael stood near one of the observation decks built into the side of the vessel and watched as the academy gradually disappeared into the clouds behind them. The floating city seemed smaller with every passing minute. Its countless towers became distant silhouettes before eventually fading into the morning mist altogether.
The academy was gone.
Ahead of them stretched an endless horizon.
A cold wind swept across the deck.
Below the airship, vast oceans of clouds rolled across the sky like white waves frozen in motion. Occasionally a mountain peak emerged from the sea of mist, rising toward the heavens before disappearing once more beneath drifting clouds.
The view was breathtaking.
Aren hated it.
The boy was currently gripping a nearby railing with both hands while staring at absolutely nothing.
Kael glanced toward him.
"You've been standing there for ten minutes."
Aren didn't move.
"I am fighting for my life."
Lyra looked up from the book she was reading.
"You aren't doing anything."
"Exactly."
Nobody understood.
The boy pointed downward.
"There is nothing beneath us."
"There are clouds."
"Clouds aren't land."
Draven sighed.
"We know."
Aren shook his head.
"No, you don't."
The others exchanged glances.
The conversation was becoming familiar.
Apparently Aren had discovered that he disliked heights.
This revelation would have been more convincing if they weren't currently traveling on a floating airship thousands of feet above the ground.
The boy seemed determined to suffer anyway.
A crew member passed by carrying several crates.
Aren immediately pointed at him.
"Look at him."
Nobody knew what that meant.
The sailor continued walking.
"He isn't panicking."
"Why would he panic?" Lyra asked.
"We're in the sky."
The sailor disappeared into the lower deck.
Aren looked genuinely confused.
"How are people okay with this?"
Draven folded his arms.
"Most people don't spend their entire journey imagining ways to fall."
The boy looked betrayed.
"That's called awareness."
The conversation ended when another voice joined them.
"You're the student everyone keeps talking about."
The group turned.
A young woman stood near the entrance leading into the main cabin. She wore the uniform of the military academy attached to the eastern kingdoms, and unlike most students they had encountered so far, she looked completely unimpressed by the expedition.
Or perhaps by life in general.
Her dark hair was tied behind her head, and a longsword rested against one shoulder.
Aren immediately pointed at himself.
"Me?"
"No."
His confidence vanished.
The woman looked toward Kael.
"You."
The observation deck suddenly became very interesting.
Several nearby students pretended not to listen.
Poorly.
Kael frowned slightly.
"Why?"
The woman shrugged.
"The gate."
That answered absolutely nothing.
Apparently she realized it too.
"The story has spread."
"Of course it has," Lyra muttered.
The military student nodded.
"Most people think it's exaggerated."
Aren brightened.
"See? Finally, someone reasonable."
The woman glanced toward him.
"Most people also think you're exaggerated."
His confidence vanished again.
Draven looked away.
Possibly to hide amusement.
The woman extended a hand.
"Serena."
Kael shook it.
"Kael."
"I know."
That somehow wasn't reassuring.
Serena leaned against the nearby wall.
For a few moments, she simply watched the passing clouds.
Then she asked,
"Do you actually know anything about what's waiting for us?"
The question immediately captured everyone's attention.
Because everyone wanted the answer.
Kael unfortunately didn't have one.
"No."
Serena nodded.
"Good."
Aren blinked.
"Good?"
"If you said yes, I'd be worried."
The boy thought about it.
"Fair."
A loud bell suddenly echoed throughout the vessel.
The sound rolled across the deck before disappearing into the wind.
Several crew members immediately changed direction.
Others began securing equipment.
The atmosphere shifted.
Subtly.
Yet noticeably.
Draven frowned.
"Something happened."
Before anyone could speculate further, an officer emerged from the main cabin.
"All expedition members report to the central hall."
The command immediately spread throughout the vessel.
Students began moving toward the interior.
Conversations stopped.
Questions appeared.
The relaxed atmosphere vanished.
Aren looked nervous.
Nobody mentioned it.
The group followed the flow of people through a series of corridors lined with enchanted lamps. The inside of the airship resembled a military fortress more than a means of transportation. Reinforced walls covered in runes stretched throughout the vessel, while soldiers occupied nearly every hallway.
The central hall was already crowded by the time they arrived.
Dozens of students filled the chamber.
Military officers stood near a large tactical projection occupying the center of the room.
General Caelan was already there.
That alone suggested the situation wasn't routine.
The military commander waited until everyone arrived.
Then he activated the projection.
A map appeared.
The continent materialized above the chamber.
Several locations illuminated immediately.
One of them flashed red.
Aren raised a hand.
Nobody knew why.
General Caelan ignored him.
The boy lowered it.
The military commander pointed toward the glowing marker.
"An outpost lost contact six hours ago."
The atmosphere instantly changed.
The room became silent.
The location rested far north of the academy.
Not near the monument.
Not near the frontier itself.
But still within northern territory.
Several officers exchanged glances.
General Caelan continued.
"Two reconnaissance teams were dispatched."
The projection shifted.
Additional markers appeared.
Both were flashing.
Neither had reported back.
Nobody looked comfortable anymore.
The military commander remained calm.
Almost too calm.
"We are adjusting our route."
That wasn't surprising.
What came next was.
"The expedition will investigate the outpost before proceeding north."
Murmurs spread throughout the hall.
Aren immediately leaned toward Kael.
"That's bad, right?"
Kael nodded.
"Very."
The boy sighed.
"I knew it."
"You know nothing."
"Exactly."
That was somehow his entire point.
The discussion continued for nearly half an hour. Students asked questions. Officers provided limited answers. Unfortunately, there weren't many answers available.
Nobody knew what happened.
Nobody knew whether the outpost had been attacked.
Nobody knew if the disappearance was connected to the monument.
All they knew was that people had vanished.
Again.
When the briefing finally ended, the mood throughout the airship had changed completely.
The expedition had officially encountered its first problem.
And they hadn't even reached the frontier yet.
As students gradually left the hall, Kael found himself staring at the flashing marker still hovering above the projection.
An isolated outpost.
Two missing reconnaissance teams.
No communication.
No answers.
The pattern felt familiar.
Far too familiar.
Aren eventually appeared beside him.
The boy looked considerably less cheerful than before.
"Tell me something."
"What?"
Aren stared at the projection.
"When was the last time mysterious disappearances led to something positive?"
Kael considered the question.
For several seconds.
Then shook his head.
"I didn't think so."
The boy sighed.
Together, they followed the others back toward the observation deck while the airship continued its journey north.
Far ahead, beyond the horizon, beyond the mountains hidden beneath endless clouds, the frozen frontier waited.
And somehow, the feeling that something was already moving toward them continued to grow stronger.