CHAPTER 4: THE KING OF FROZEN BELLS
The roar of the Winter King rolled through Nightfall Ridge like an avalanche. Snow lifted from the ground and froze in midair, suspended as if time itself had stopped breathing.
Lara stood at the center of it all, the golden boot pressed against her chest. Its warmth clashed violently with the freezing air, creating a glowing halo around her body. Every heartbeat sent another wave of golden light through the snowstorm.
Jabril planted his feet firmly in the ground. Ice crept up his boots, but he did not move.
"So," he said grimly, "that is what a Christmas nightmare looks like."
Maya did not answer. Her eyes were locked on the mountains, where the massive shadow continued to rise. The shape grew clearer by the second. A towering crown of ice formed around the Winter King's head. Long robes of snow and darkness dragged across the peaks like living clouds.
Eli floated beside Lara, his glow flickering.
"He is not fully awake yet," Eli whispered urgently. "This is only his projection. His true body remains sealed in the Winter Realm."
The Winter King's eyes burned brighter.
"YOU CARRY WHAT IS MINE," the voice thundered again, shaking the ground. "THE BOOT WAS FORGED TO SERVE WINTER, NOT TO DEFY IT."
Lara swallowed hard, forcing herself to stand taller.
"Then why does it answer me," she shouted back.
The boot pulsed violently in her hands.
For a brief moment, the Winter King hesitated.
That hesitation did not go unnoticed.
Maya raised her head sharply.
"He cannot take it by force," she said. "Not yet. He needs you to surrender it."
Jabril smirked nervously. "Good. Because surrendering is not really our thing."
The sky darkened further. From the swirling clouds above, shapes began to descend. They were tall and thin, wrapped in torn red coats and broken scarves. Bells hung from their wrists and necks, ringing softly as they floated downward.
Eli gasped.
"The Carolers. He is summoning his heralds."
The Carolers opened their mouths in unison.
They sang.
The song was a twisted Christmas carol, slow and hollow, filled with grief and hunger. The sound clawed at the mind, dragging memories to the surface. Lara suddenly felt the weight of every winter she had ever endured. Cold nights. Loneliness. Loss.
She dropped to one knee.
The boot reacted instantly.
Golden light exploded outward, tearing through the sound. The Carolers screamed as cracks spread across their frozen bodies. Several shattered midair and fell like broken ornaments.
Jabril charged forward, swinging his crowbar beside Lara. Each strike sent sparks of gold and blue flying through the storm.
"Stay with us," he shouted. "Do not let him inside your head."
Maya traced glowing symbols in the air. Ancient words spilled from her lips, freezing the remaining Carolers in place.
"These spells are not meant for the living," she warned. "We cannot stay here long."
The Winter King roared in fury.
"YOU DEFY ME WITH MY OWN POWER."
The ground split open.
A massive spiral of ice rose from the earth, forming a bridge that stretched toward the mountains. At the end of it, a gate of black frost slowly began to open.
Eli stared in horror.
"He is opening the Throne Path. If it fully forms, his physical body will cross into your world."
Lara forced herself to stand again. Her hands shook, but the boot burned brighter than ever.
"Then we close it," she said.
Maya shook her head.
"Not from here. That gate can only be sealed from the Winter Realm."
Jabril let out a sharp breath.
"You are telling me we have to go back in."
Eli nodded.
"This time, you must go deeper. Beyond the forest. Beyond the sanctuary."
The snow around them began to move again. Snow Golems rose in waves, forming an army between them and the gate. The Winter King's laughter echoed across the valley, deep and cruel.
Lara looked at the boot.
It was no longer just calling her.
It was guiding her.
A path of golden light appeared beneath her feet, cutting straight through the battlefield and pointing directly at the glowing frost gate.
"I will go," she said firmly. "I am the bearer. This is my responsibility."
Jabril stepped beside her instantly.
"Not alone."
Maya joined them, magic crackling around her hands.
"If you fall, the world falls. We protect you."
Eli floated higher, his light shining like a star.
"And I will open the way."
Together, they ran.
Snow and magic collided around them as the final bells of the valley rang louder and louder. The frost gate pulsed, reacting to the presence of the boot.
As Lara crossed the threshold, she felt reality tear apart.
Cold deeper than death swallowed them whole.
Behind them, the Winter King smiled.
Because the game had truly begun.