There were quite a few things Severine had expected to happen that day.
She had anticipated meeting a few unfamiliar students on their way up the snowy mountain, or perhaps a sudden downpour that might ruin the entire outdoor excursion altogether.
But absolutely nothing could have prepared her for the nightmare called Emily that was quietly waiting for them.
Following the path laid out by the map, the trio had ended up traveling deep into a secluded gorge.
They moved toward a specific ice cave where the checkpoint flag was supposed to have been planted.
According to the rules, they simply needed to retrieve the flag, log their coordinates, and return safely to the base camp.
They found the mouth of the cave soon. The heavy icicles hung from the rocky overhang.
"Let's hurry up," Alina muttered, grabbing Severine's arm to keep her in the safe lane where there were fewer icicles.
Even if they fall down, they could handle it. But who would want to go through extra trouble?
