The sun had yet to rise when we began moving again.

  The sky above was still a deep violet, streaked faintly with hints of silver and ash-blue. The forest, once alive with chirping birds and buzzing insects, had grown silent the higher we climbed. Only the soft crunch of boots against frostbitten soil and the rhythmic creak of our cart’s wheels accompanied us now.

  We were close to the peak—Constantine had said so—and while that should’ve brought relief, it didn’t ease the burn in our lungs. The path narrowed and twisted beneath our feet, now lined with frozen roots and jagged stone. Despite the enchantments that lightened the cart’s weight, dragging it along this uneven slope felt like a trial in itself.

  Every breath came thinner now.

  I could feel the chill biting through my cloak, settling deep in my bones. The air was so thin it left my lungs burning with every inhale. My fingers, even under gloves, felt stiff and numb. We moved slower, each step deliberate, every word exchanged in low murmurs to preserve what little breath we had.

  Even Trevon—usually the most talkative among us—had gone quiet, his breath fogging in short huffs as he kept both hands on the cart’s handle.

  Then I saw it.

  Through the mist, just beyond the rise of the hill, a squat cabin made of thick pine logs. A wisp of smoke curled zily from the chimney, rising into the pale morning sky like a signal of warmth in an otherwise unforgiving ndscape.

  Master Ba’s hut.

  Despite our exhaustion, we quickened our pace, eager to reach shelter. Our boots slipped slightly on the frost-covered ground, but none of us stopped. The cold was sharpening now, biting into the exposed skin beneath our scarves. Our breaths came out in sharp, staggered puffs.

  As we neared the wooden gate, they appeared.

  Two massive shapes lumbered out from behind the cabin—one with sleek bck fur like polished obsidian, the other snowy white with a faint bluish shimmer. Their forms were unmistakable: bears. Enormous, magical beasts.

  And yet, we weren’t afraid.

  Theoden had warned us in advance—Master Ba was known to keep magical creatures as companions. These two, he had told us, were both guardians and family.

  “Bao Bao! Chong!” Constantine called out, suddenly sounding far more awake. He broke into a jog as the bears bounded toward us—each step causing a small quake in the snow-dusted earth.

  “You’ve gotten huge again,” he ughed, arms outstretched as the bck bear—Bao Bao—nuzzled into him with a deep, affectionate growl.

  Theoden followed after, chuckling softly as he patted the thick fur behind Chong’s ear. “You happy to see us huh?” he murmured, scratching with the ease of someone well-practiced.

  The bears huffed, clearly pleased by the familiar faces.

  Then Theoden turned back to Trevon and me. “Come. Greet them properly.”

  We approached, cautious but not fearful.

  I bowed slightly, and Trevon followed my lead. The two bears lowered their heads, eyes locked onto ours.

  Then, without warning, they lunged.

  “Whoa—!”

  I barely had time to tense before a wall of fur crashed into me. It wasn’t an attack—it was a tackle. A hug, if one could call it that. Bao Bao knocked me ft on my back with a pyful grunt, while Chong rolled Trevon into a pile of snow, growling low and content like a cat with a favorite toy.

  Despite their enormous size, their strength was somehow... controlled. Gentle, even.

  Trevon coughed out a ugh from under a mound of fur. “I think... they like us.”

  “Either that, or we smell like something they’re not supposed to eat.” I muttered, trying not to grin as Bao Bao nosed my face.

  Theoden and Constantine ughed from the side, not bothering to hide their amusement.

  “If they didn’t like you,” Constantine said as he reached down to help me up, “you’d be a fttened snowfke by now.”

  Warmth was beginning to return—not just in the air, but in our hearts. And for the first time since we left the base of the mountain, I felt the weight of the journey lift, just a little.

  Once the two bears finally finished greeting us—sniffing, nudging, and circling like overgrown puppies—we resumed our short walk toward the cabin. Constantine took the lead, pushing open the creaking wooden door with familiarity. Theoden followed closely behind.

  Trevon and I stepped inside after them.

  To my surprise, the cabin was more spacious than it appeared from the outside. Its wooden interiors were polished and warmly lit by nterns hung neatly along the beams. Though we were nearly at the peak of the freezing Skyridge Mountain, the cabin felt like a safe haven—cozy, clean, and filled with the faint scent of old wood and herbs.

  What caught my attention most was its structure. The yout followed the imperial architectural style, not the curved eaves or silk-draped interiors I expected from Louyang. Strange… I thought Master Ba would model it after his homend, I mused silently.

  While I was still surveying the space, a figure stepped out from one of the side rooms.

  Finally—Master Ba.

  But he was not at all what I imagined.

  Trevon had once spoken of him in my previous life—an old, wise recluse who lived atop the mountain like a sage from legends. I’d pictured a frail man with a white beard, leaning on a cane. Instead, standing before us was a tall man with long gray hair tied loosely behind his back. His posture was straight, his movements brisk. He looked like he was barely in his thirties, and yet his eyes carried a weight far older than his appearance suggested—piercing, unreadable, ancient.

  Constantine and Theoden both stepped forward in unison, their movements fluid as they raised their hands in a traditional salute—closed fist pressed to open palm.

  “We greet the Master,” they said together with firm reverence.

  Trevon and I quickly followed, mimicking the gesture Theoden had taught us days before.

  Master Ba gave a small nod, his gaze quietly assessing us. “Mmh,” he hummed, before his eyes zeroed in on Trevon. “The other bck-haired boy—your younger brother, Theoden?”

  “Yes, Master. This is my younger brother,” Theoden replied, stepping aside to gesture at Trevon.

  Trevon straightened his posture as if preparing for a school recital. “I greet the Master. My name is Trevon Voschell, son of Therdeo Voschell and younger brother to—”

  “Enough with the long-winded greetings,” Master Ba cut him off, waving his hand dismissively. “Just your name, kid.”

  “Uhh—Trevon. I greet the Master,” he corrected hastily, cheeks flushing.

  “Alright, alright. I heard you the first time,” the old man grumbled, swatting the air as if waving away a fly.

  Then, his sharp gaze flicked to me. “Constantine, I remember you only had a younger sister,” he said slowly, brows furrowing. “Don’t tell me your father had an affair while married? Tch. I knew he was soft in the head. Tell him to climb this mountain himself so I can knock some sense back into him.”

  My lips parted slightly in shock, but Constantine was quicker.

  “No, Master! Father didn’t cheat on Mother,” Constantine said hurriedly, lifting his hands in protest. “I still have only one sister, who’s at home. This is not my brother—this is First Prince Cassius Astravell.”

  The air went still.

  Master Ba's eyes slowly turned back to me, scrutinizing every inch of my face. “A prince?” he repeated, incredulous. “What is a prince doing here?”

  I stepped forward, straightening my back.

  “I greet Master. My name is Cassius Astravell. If you recall, I was the one who wrote to you—begging for the chance to become your student. You agreed to take me in.”

  For a beat, silence.

  Then Master Ba snorted. “This rascal... Of course I remember accepting a student. But I don’t recall signing up for royalty.”

  He turned away, muttering under his breath about troublesome nobles and high-maintenance brats.

  “Too te now,” he sighed, running a hand down his face. “Fine, since you're already here and your bones aren’t made of gss, I’ll train you. But I don’t care if you’re a prince or a pace puppy. If you sck off, I’ll throw you down the mountain myself.”

  Trevon’s eyes widened. I caught him inching subtly away from the door.

  Master Ba turned back to us with a smirk tugging at his lips. “Well then. Welcome to the mountain.”

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