The path had stopped pretending to be a trail.
Loose rock scattered under his boots, thin patches of snow clinging to the edge like regret. Wind slammed sideways, colder than it had any right to be. Not even dramatic, just mean.
Lindarion pulled his scarf higher over his mouth.
'Lovely. Freezing, blind, and upright only by stubbornness. A perfect hike.'
Lira walked ahead, silent as always. Her steps didn't slip. Didn't scrape. Just existed. Like the wind hadn't gotten around to noticing her yet.
Ren muttered something behind him about frostbite and poor life choices.
Meren had stopped talking completely. Which was probably a bad sign.
The clouds were closing fast. Not a gentle curtain. More like a ceiling dropping low, shoving the air down with it.
Snow turned sideways. Visibility cut in half.
Then halved again.
Lindarion blinked hard. He could barely see Lira now.
She raised one hand and pointed toward the cliff wall.
