The preparations began immediately.
The moment General Caelan gave the order, Frostwatch transformed from an investigation site into a forward operating base. Soldiers moved through the fortress gathering supplies while officers reorganized expedition teams. Communication crystals flashed constantly as reports traveled between different sections of the outpost.
For the first time since arriving, everyone had a direction.
Unfortunately, that direction led deeper into the frontier.
Aren hated it.
"This is exactly how people disappear."
The group stood near one of the supply stations while military personnel distributed additional cold-weather equipment.
Nobody looked surprised by his complaint.
The boy pointed toward the northern wilderness visible beyond the fortress walls.
"Think about it."
Nobody wanted to.
Aren continued anyway.
"Four hundred people vanish."
He raised one finger.
"We arrive."
A second finger.
"We find creepy tracks."
A third finger.
"Now we're following the creepy tracks."
The boy folded his arms.
"This is the part where sensible people go home."
Selene accepted a bundle of supplies from a soldier.
"Then it's fortunate you aren't sensible."
Aren sighed.
"Why does everyone keep saying that like it's a bad thing?"
The golden-eyed girl smirked.
Nobody answered.
Because the answer was obvious.
The afternoon passed quickly.
By sunset, the expedition was ready.
Frostwatch remained silent behind them.
The fortress looked even more unsettling now that they were leaving. Its empty towers stood against the darkening sky like monuments to a mystery nobody understood.
Kael found himself staring at the main gate.
The same gate that had stood open when they arrived.
The same gate that four hundred people had apparently walked through.
The question refused to leave his mind.
Why?
Not how.
Not when.
Why?
What could possibly convince an entire fortress to abandon safety and march into the frozen wilderness?
A horn echoed across the courtyard.
The signal to move.
General Caelan stepped forward.
The military commander looked toward the distant mountains before addressing the expedition.
"We follow the trail."
His voice carried easily across the gathered soldiers and students.
"We remain together."
A brief pause followed.
"No unnecessary risks."
Aren looked toward Lyra.
"He says that now."
Lyra sighed.
The expedition began moving.
One by one, groups exited Frostwatch through the northern gate and entered the frontier beyond.
The transition felt strangely significant.
The fortress walls disappeared behind them.
Civilization disappeared with them.
Soon, only wilderness remained.
The snow was deeper than expected.
In some places it reached their knees.
In others, it rose even higher.
Progress became slow almost immediately.
The frozen tracks, however, remained visible.
Hundreds of footprints stretched across the snow-covered landscape.
All heading north.
All following the same path.
The sight made Kael uneasy.
It wasn't simply the number of tracks.
It was their organization.
There was no chaos.
No sign of panic.
No evidence that people had been fleeing.
The inhabitants of Frostwatch had walked away calmly.
Orderly.
Together.
Almost as if they had been answering a summons.
The thought sent a chill down his spine.
And not because of the cold.
The sun slowly descended toward the western horizon.
Golden light spilled across endless fields of snow while distant mountains cast long shadows over frozen valleys.
The frontier was beautiful.
Terrifyingly beautiful.
Ancient forests covered entire mountain ranges.
Frozen rivers cut through valleys hidden beneath ice.
Massive cliffs rose from the earth like the remains of forgotten giants.
The landscape felt untouched by time.
Aren looked around nervously.
"I don't trust beautiful places."
Draven glanced toward him.
"What?"
The boy gestured toward the scenery.
"Look at it."
Nobody understood.
Aren pointed at the mountains.
"Whenever something looks this impressive, it means there's definitely a monster nearby."
Selene considered it.
Then nodded.
"Fair."
The boy froze.
"You agreed with me again."
"Stop talking."
The conversation died quickly as the terrain became steeper.
The expedition entered a narrow valley surrounded by towering cliffs. Snow-covered trees lined both sides of the path while shadows deepened beneath their branches.
The atmosphere changed.
Subtly.
But noticeably.
The wilderness no longer felt empty.
Kael couldn't explain why.
There were no sounds.
No movement.
No visible danger.
Yet a strange sensation had settled over the expedition.
The feeling of being watched.
Apparently he wasn't the only one.
Lyra frowned.
"You feel it too."
Kael nodded.
Several nearby soldiers exchanged uneasy glances.
Even General Caelan appeared more alert than before.
The feeling persisted.
Minute after minute.
Step after step.
Aren eventually moved closer to the group.
Nobody commented on it.
The boy wasn't exactly subtle.
If he was nervous, everyone knew.
The valley continued for several kilometers.
Then suddenly widened.
The expedition emerged onto a frozen plateau overlooking a vast expanse of snow-covered wilderness.
And immediately stopped.
A collective murmur spread through the formation.
Because something stood in the distance.
At first, it appeared to be a forest.
Then the sunlight shifted.
The illusion vanished.
The shapes were too organized.
Too symmetrical.
Too deliberate.
Ruins.
Ancient ruins.
Hundreds of stone structures rose from the frozen earth.
Broken towers.
Collapsed walls.
Weathered monuments.
The remains of an entire city.
Silence spread through the expedition.
Nobody had expected this.
The ruins stretched across the horizon.
Partially buried beneath snow and ice.
Ancient.
Forgotten.
Impossible.
Aren stared.
Then stared some more.
Then pointed.
"That wasn't on the map."
Several officers immediately checked their documents.
The boy was right.
The city wasn't marked anywhere.
General Caelan's expression darkened.
That alone was concerning.
If the military didn't know about the ruins, then who did?
The tracks continued directly toward the ancient city.
Of course they did.
At this point, nobody expected anything else.
The expedition descended toward the ruins cautiously.
As they approached, more details became visible.
The architecture looked unfamiliar.
None of the students recognized it.
Neither did the soldiers.
Massive stone pillars lined ancient streets buried beneath centuries of snow. Strange symbols covered surviving structures while enormous statues overlooked the city from elevated platforms.
Most had been damaged.
Some had been shattered completely.
Yet enough remained to create an unsettling picture.
This place had once been important.
Very important.
The question was why nobody remembered it.
The expedition entered the ruins shortly before nightfall.
The atmosphere immediately became oppressive.
The city felt dead.
Not abandoned.
Dead.
The difference was difficult to explain.
Aren apparently understood it too.
The boy lowered his voice instinctively.
"This place feels wrong."
Nobody laughed.
Because it did.
The streets were empty.
The buildings were silent.
Even the wind seemed quieter here.
The expedition eventually established a temporary camp near the center of the ruins. Defensive positions were organized. Watch rotations were assigned. Perimeter patrols were established.
Nobody wanted surprises.
Not tonight.
The sun finally disappeared beyond the horizon.
Darkness descended rapidly.
Campfires illuminated sections of the ancient city while shadows gathered between ruined structures.
The atmosphere remained tense.
The discovery of the city had raised more questions than answers.
As night deepened, Kael found himself sitting near one of the outer watch positions alongside Aren and Lyra.
The camp remained visible behind them.
Soldiers moved between tents.
Officers discussed plans for tomorrow.
Everything appeared normal.
As normal as possible.
Aren stared into the darkness.
"You know what's bothering me now?"
Kael already regretted asking.
"What?"
The boy pointed toward the ruins surrounding them.
"Nobody built a city here by accident."
That was true.
Aren continued.
"Which means people lived here."
Another pause.
"A lot of people."
Lyra frowned.
The implication was obvious.
A city didn't simply disappear.
Especially not one this large.
The conversation ended when a distant sound echoed through the darkness.
Everyone froze.
The noise was faint.
Almost impossible to hear.
A single bell.
Ringing somewhere deep within the ruins.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Then silence returned.
The camp immediately became alert.
Soldiers rose.
Weapons appeared.
Voices spread through the darkness.
Nobody looked comfortable.
Because the sound had come from inside the city.
And unless ancient ruins had somehow learned how to ring bells—
Something else was out there.
Listening.
Watching.
Waiting.
And for the first time since leaving Frostwatch, the expedition realized they might not be following the missing inhabitants anymore.
They might have finally caught up to them.