The ruins were older than any of them expected. Covered in a thick coat of hoarfrost, with vines frozen mid-tangle, the remnants of a forgotten research hub stood quietly by the edge of the frozen lake. Pale blue icicles hung from every surface like crystal teeth, and below them, shards of solar panels glittered weakly in the failing daylight.
Aria stepped cautiously through the fractured glass doors. Her boots crunched against the brittle layer of snow inside. It was eerily beautiful—too beautiful.
"This place is untouched," Rhea murmured. "Like no one's been here since... ever."
"That's what worries me," Kael replied, checking the corners with his weapon drawn. "Places like this aren't forgotten without a reason."
They explored in silence, the walls lined with empty cryo-chambers. One still flickered faintly with residual power, displaying scrambled numbers and a blinking red error message: Subject Incomplete.
A data terminal stood half-buried in ice near the back. Aria wiped it clean and inserted the backup chip.
The system hummed.
Kael stood guard while Rhea leaned over Aria's shoulder. "What is this place?"
The screen flickered to life, showing a series of entries labeled ICEGARDEN PROJECT.
"They weren't just preserving people here," Aria whispered. "They were experimenting."
Kael narrowed his eyes. "On what?"
Aria hesitated. "Not what. Who."