The closer the fleet moved toward Frostwatch, the heavier the atmosphere became.
At first, nobody wanted to admit it.
The fortress was enormous. Even from a distance, its walls looked capable of withstanding armies, and the defensive enchantments woven into the stone remained visible despite decades of exposure to snow and ice. There should have been soldiers on the battlements. Watchfires should have been burning. Signal beacons should have been active.
Instead, there was nothing.
No movement.
No sound.
No sign of life.
The silence surrounding the fortress felt unnatural.
Aren stood beside the railing and stared downward.
"I don't like this."
Nobody laughed.
That alone was unusual.
The boy glanced around.
Then frowned.
"See? That's how I know it's bad."
Lyra looked toward him.
"What?"
"Nobody made fun of me."
Draven sighed.
"We're approaching an abandoned fortress."
"Exactly."
Aren pointed dramatically.
"Normally somebody would insult me."
Selene rolled her eyes.
"You're impossible."
The boy looked relieved.
"There it is."
The fleet continued descending.
As the airships approached the fortress, more details became visible. Snow covered portions of the walls, forming thick layers around towers and battlements. Several watchtowers overlooked the frozen valley below, their windows dark and empty.
Nothing moved.
Not even birds.
Not even wildlife.
The entire region appeared deserted.
Kael frowned.
That bothered him.
A place abandoned by humans should still contain life.
Animals.
Creatures.
Something.
Yet the valley surrounding Frostwatch seemed completely empty.
The realization settled heavily in his mind.
Whatever had happened here had affected more than just the garrison.
A loud horn echoed across the sky.
The lead airship was signaling its descent.
Moments later, the fleet changed formation.
Several vessels remained overhead while the rest slowly moved toward the fortress itself.
General Caelan appeared on the observation deck accompanied by a group of officers.
The conversations immediately stopped.
The military commander studied Frostwatch for several moments.
Then he spoke.
"We land outside the walls."
That decision surprised nobody.
The fortress looked abandoned.
Possibly hostile.
Landing inside would have been foolish.
Aren looked nervous.
Again.
The boy had spent most of the journey alternating between jokes and anxiety.
This time, however, nobody blamed him.
The giant gates standing open beneath the fortress walls looked disturbingly ominous.
The airships eventually touched down in the frozen valley several hundred meters from the main entrance.
Massive landing anchors descended into the snow.
Runes flashed.
The engines slowly powered down.
For the first time since leaving the academy, complete silence settled over the expedition.
No engine noise.
No conversations.
Only the wind.
Cold air immediately swept across the landing platforms.
The difference in temperature was shocking.
Even Kael felt it.
The frontier's cold seemed different from ordinary winter.
Sharper.
Older.
The kind of cold that could kill people.
Aren stepped onto the snow and immediately regretted it.
The boy looked horrified.
"It's trying to murder me."
"It's snow."
"It's evil snow."
Draven walked past him.
"You're from the south."
"I was raised correctly."
Several nearby students laughed.
The sound felt strangely welcome.
Anything was better than the silence surrounding Frostwatch.
Soldiers began forming organized groups while officers coordinated deployment procedures. Defensive positions were established around the landing zone almost immediately.
Nobody intended to take unnecessary risks.
Especially not here.
General Caelan eventually gathered the expedition leaders near the front of the formation.
A projection appeared above the snow.
The fortress materialized in glowing light.
"Primary objective remains information."
His gaze moved across the assembled students.
"We determine what happened to Frostwatch."
Nobody argued.
That was the obvious priority.
The military commander pointed toward several locations inside the fortress.
"Secondary objectives include locating survivors, securing important records, and identifying potential threats."
Aren quietly raised his hand.
Selene groaned immediately.
General Caelan somehow noticed.
"Yes."
The boy hesitated.
Then asked:
"What if we find whatever caused this?"
The question lingered in the cold air.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then General Caelan answered.
"We adapt."
Aren stared.
"That's the military version of 'good luck,' isn't it?"
Nobody responded.
Which was answer enough.
Several teams were assigned specific objectives.
As expected, Kael's group received one of the more dangerous assignments.
Their destination was Frostwatch's central command district.
Apparently that was where most communication records would be stored.
Aren was deeply suspicious.
"Why do we always get the dangerous jobs?"
Selene looked toward him.
"Because we're competent."
The boy pointed at himself.
"That explanation doesn't include me."
"It doesn't need to."
The argument continued all the way to the fortress.
The main gate towered above them.
Massive iron-reinforced doors stood partially open, buried beneath layers of snow. Ancient symbols covered the surrounding stone, glowing faintly despite decades of exposure to the elements.
The fortress had been built to last.
And somehow, that made its silence even more unsettling.
Kael stepped through the gate first.
Immediately, something felt wrong.
The courtyard beyond was perfectly preserved.
Too perfectly preserved.
Rows of buildings surrounded a central plaza. Barracks occupied one side of the fortress while storage facilities stood opposite them. Training grounds stretched across the eastern district.
Everything remained intact.
Nothing appeared damaged.
No signs of battle.
No signs of destruction.
No signs of panic.
Just emptiness.
A cold breeze moved through the courtyard.
Snow drifted across abandoned pathways.
The fortress looked as though its inhabitants had simply vanished.
Aren looked around nervously.
"Okay."
Nobody liked that tone.
The boy continued.
"This is significantly worse."
Lyra nodded slowly.
"I know."
The absence of evidence was becoming evidence itself.
If four hundred people disappeared, there should have been signs.
Broken doors.
Blood.
Weapons.
Something.
Instead, Frostwatch looked untouched.
As though its inhabitants had walked away voluntarily.
The possibility felt absurd.
Yet every passing minute made it harder to dismiss.
The group continued deeper into the fortress.
Other expedition teams split off toward their assigned locations while soldiers secured the surrounding districts.
The silence followed them everywhere.
Even their footsteps sounded strangely loud.
Aren eventually stopped talking.
That was perhaps the most concerning development so far.
The boy only became quiet when he was genuinely worried.
They eventually reached the command district near the center of the fortress.
The building itself resembled a small castle.
Its walls were thicker than most defensive towers, and numerous magical barriers remained active around the structure.
Draven pushed open the entrance.
The heavy doors creaked loudly.
The sound echoed through the empty fortress.
Nobody liked that.
Inside, the command center looked exactly like the rest of Frostwatch.
Abandoned.
Maps covered nearby walls.
Reports remained stacked upon desks.
Books filled shelves.
Several chairs surrounded a tactical table occupying the center of the room.
Everything remained exactly where it should have been.
Except the people.
Aren approached one of the desks.
Then froze.
His expression changed immediately.
"What?"
The boy pointed.
Everyone moved closer.
A journal rested upon the wooden surface.
Open.
The final page had been left unfinished.
Kael picked it up carefully.
The handwriting looked rushed.
Several lines were crossed out.
The final entry contained only a few sentences.
The room became silent as he read them.
"Unknown activity observed beyond northern ridge."
A pause.
"The patrol has not returned."
Another line.
"We are hearing sounds outside the walls at—"
The sentence ended abruptly.
Nothing followed.
No signature.
No conclusion.
The writing simply stopped.
As though the author had been interrupted.
A chill ran down Kael's spine.
Aren looked pale.
"I really don't like that."
Nobody disagreed.
Before anyone could say more, a loud sound suddenly echoed through the fortress.
The entire building froze.
It wasn't an explosion.
Nor a scream.
Nor a battle horn.
It sounded almost like metal being dragged across stone.
The noise echoed through the fortress once.
Then again.
Long.
Slow.
Distant.
Everyone exchanged glances.
The sound came from somewhere deeper inside Frostwatch.
And based on the expressions appearing throughout the room, they all realized the same thing at once.
For the first time since arriving—
They were no longer alone.