Chapter 151: dive in

Chapter 151: Chapter 151: dive in

"Welcome to the Fortress of Doom."

Caleb followed her, his shoulders already hunched against the biting cold. The wind swept across the courtyard, slipping through his clothes and making him grit his teeth. He rubbed his hands together, then tucked them beneath his arms, but the movement did little to help. A shiver ran through him, and he drew his coat closer around his body.

"These outfits weren’t made for a place like this," he complained, glancing down at his mission clothes. "How do you even—"

He stopped when he noticed the two wooden racks standing beside the massive ice doors. Several thick coats hung from them, their heavy fabric offering a welcome contrast to the clothing they wore.

Caleb stared at the racks, then at Amelia, who was already reaching for one.

"How are these here?"

"This place welcomes people, so obviously they won’t want the people to freeze to death."

He shot her a sour look, but when she pulled a coat free and held it out to him, he accepted it without further argument. The thing was thick and heavy, lined with soft material that looked considerably warmer than anything. He slipped it on and immediately pulled the collar closer around his neck, allowing himself a small breath of relief.

Amelia selected another coat and put it on herself. "If you think it’s cold out here, wait until we get inside."

The moment they approached the enormous double doors, a deep rumble echoed through the courtyard. Caleb stiffened, his head snapping toward the sound as the doors began to swing open on their own.

The change in scenery made him forget his irritation almost immediately.

He slowed to a stop just beyond the entrance, his eyes travelling across the vast hall. Everything around them seemed to have been carved from a single, flawless expanse of ice. The walls gleamed in shades of white and pale blue, illuminated by a soft light that appeared to come from deep within the frozen surfaces themselves.

Towering pillars rose toward a high, vaulted ceiling, their intricate patterns catching the light whenever he shifted his head. The floor beneath his footwear was smooth and polished, reflecting the architecture above them like a frozen mirror.

He’d grown up surrounded by powerful people, grand estates, and buildings designed to impress anyone who entered them. Moonfist Territory had its own imposing halls, with expensive decorations and carefully constructed displays of authority. Yet standing inside this fortress made those places seem almost ordinary.

This wasn’t simply a building made to look impressive. There was something otherworldly about it, something that made him feel as though he’d stepped into a place that existed beyond the reach of the world he knew.

He slowly turned his head, taking in the long corridors branching away from the main hall.

"How is this even possible?"

Amelia had already continued walking. When she realized he wasn’t beside her, she looked over her shoulder.

"Are you coming?"

He caught up with her, though his eyes kept wandering toward the pillars and the glowing walls.

"You keep surprising me more and more," he said. His voice had lost some of its usual sharpness, replaced by genuine bewilderment.

Amelia smiled to herself and continued down the corridor.

Caleb fell into step beside her. He glanced at her again, curiosity slowly overtaking his suspicion.

"Have you been here before?"

She kept her gaze ahead. "Yes."

He waited for more, but when nothing came, his brows drew together.

"how? You aren’t even up to thirty, you have lived most of your life in the blacksmith territory? how were u able to come here?"

Amelia finally turned her head to look at him. "That’s a lot of questions."

They passed several towering pillars and turned into another wide hallway, where the walls were decorated with delicate patterns frozen beneath the surface. The deeper they went, the quieter the fortress became. Their footsteps echoed faintly around them, and the air carried a strange, clean scent that reminded Caleb of snow just before it fell.

At last, Amelia stopped in front of a pair of tall double doors.

Caleb nearly walked into her before catching himself.

"Is this it?" he asked, looking at the doors.

She pushed the doors open and stepped inside.

The room was spacious and remarkably quiet. A floor-to-ceiling window made of clear ice occupied the far wall, offering an unobstructed view of the snow-covered landscape outside. Pale light spilled through it, washing over the smooth floor and the walls in soft shades of blue and silver.

Directly ahead of them, set into the floor beneath the enormous window, was a pool of steaming water.

It wasn’t particularly large, but its still surface shimmered gently as wisps of steam rose into the cool air. The contrast between the freezing fortress and the warm water was so unexpected that Caleb stopped just inside the doorway, staring at it with renewed confusion.

"What is this place?"

Amelia walked farther into the room.

"It looks soothing. The procedure itself is definitely torture."

Caleb’s brow furrowed.

"What are you talking about?"

"This is where you’ll do it. Look into the future." She stopped at the edge of the pool and gestured toward the water. "You just need to slowly dive in and stay under for a couple of minutes."

Caleb let out a short, incredulous scoff.

"If I didn’t know any better, I’d say you want me to die."

"What would killing you favor me? I literally need you alive for my plans. Now come on and do this. You’re wasting my time."

Without waiting for further argument, she stepped closer and pulled the thick coat off his shoulders. Caleb walked to the pool’s edge and looked at her one last time before testing the water with one foot.

It was warm.

Warmth in the middle of a fortress made entirely of ice. The contradiction made no sense.

Amelia’s voice drifted over as if she had read the thought the moment it formed.

"You should know by now that logic doesn’t work in this place."

Caleb exhaled once, then lowered himself fully into the pool. The water closed around him, surprisingly gentle against the cold still clinging to his skin.

Amelia remained at the edge, arms crossed.

"I shouldn’t see your head. I’ll pull you out when I think you’re on the verge of death."

Caleb shot her a final look—half warning, half resignation—then submerged himself completely.