The tunnel swallowed them whole.
Cyrus had been in caves before—tourist ones, with handrails and bored tour guides—but this wasn't that. This tunnel felt… designed. Every few steps, he spotted those same ancient symbols carved into the walls, glowing faintly like veins of chilled starlight. Ditto pressed close, its jelly form dimming its color to blend in. Smart move.
The deeper they went, the colder it became. Not "I should've worn a jacket" cold—more like the air itself was remembering winter.
Cyrus exhaled, and his breath frosted.
"Okay," he murmured, rubbing his hands together. "I'm gonna take a wild guess and say we're heading toward the 'Frostveil' part of the tour."
The corridor finally opened into a massive chamber—so big Cyrus wasn't sure the island physically should be able to contain it. The ceiling disappeared into darkness, supported by colossal pillars of glimmering blue ice woven with stone. At the center of the chamber lay a shape.
At first, Cyrus mistook it for a mountain of ice.
Then the "mountain" breathed.
A low, seismic groan rolled through the air, deep enough to vibrate in his bones. The ground trembled under his boots, sending shards of frost dancing across the floor.
Cyrus whispered, "Oh. That's… not a mountain."
Ditto let out a squeaky, terrified sound and immediately flattened itself behind Cyrus's leg like a living, pink shield.
The creature—no, the colossus—shifted again, and Cyrus finally saw its form.
A massive humanoid shape carved of ice, stone, and something older. Chains thicker than tree trunks wrapped around its limbs, connected to monolithic anchors embedded in the chamber floor. Its eyes were closed, but each time it exhaled, mist spiraled upward in slow, freezing plumes.
Over its chest, Cyrus recognized a faded symbol carved into its icy armor:
Three circles.Arranged like a crown.The Crest of Kings.
His family crest.
Except ancient. Primitive. The original version.
Cyrus felt his heart drop into his stomach.
"No way… Regigigas was part of our history?"
A voice—deep as a glacier shifting—rolled through the chamber.
Not a spoken voice.Not out loud.
More like a pressure in the mind.
—AT LAST… A HEIR RETURNS.
Cyrus stumbled backward, clutching the nearest pillar. "Nope. Nope. Not doing telepathic giant today."
The ground shook again. Dust fell from the ceiling. The colossal being's arms strained against the chains, ice cracking like thunder.
—THE LAND CALLS FOR REUNION.THE GREAT SEVERING… ENDS.
"Re—reunion?" Cyrus breathed. "You mean the island… reconnecting?"
Ditto translated his fear into a little "blrrrp" that basically meant: We should definitely leave.
But it was too late.
A CRACK like the world splitting rang out. Light surged along the glowing lines carved in the chamber floor, racing outward like lightning veins. Up, up, up—through the walls—toward the surface.
Cyrus could feel it happening above them.
The island was shifting.
Not enough to break anything yet… just enough to whisper the first warning tremor.
THE FIRST STIRRING.THE LAND REMEMBERS ITS SHAPE.
Regigigas pulled harder. Chains snapped—one, then two—sending shockwaves that knocked Cyrus off his feet.
The giant didn't rise fully. Not yet. But its eyes cracked open, revealing a cold, ancient blue so bright it felt like staring into winter itself.
It focused on Cyrus.
HEIR OF KING.THE WORLD AWAITS YOUR CHOICE.
Cyrus tried to speak, but all he managed was: "Uh—what choice?!"
A sound echoed overhead—distant, muffled, unmistakable.
Another tremor.
The surface of the island was moving.
Not fast.But noticeably.
Like two puzzle pieces that had been separated for centuries were now… drifting closer.
Cyrus's breath hitched.
"Oh my god… it's actually happening."
The colossus exhaled frost across the chamber and settled back, its chains glowing faintly, like energy slowly recharging.
THIS IS ONLY THE BEGINNING.
Cyrus stared up at it—tiny, overwhelmed, absolutely freezing—and knew deep down: