Page 54 of Frostforge: Passage Two

The question hung in the air, feeding the whispers that were already spreading through the crowd.How indeed had she known?Had she somehow sabotaged his golem?Was this some Southern trick?

Thalia didn't bother answering.The truth — that she could sense the flaws in the metal — would only raise more questions she wasn't prepared to answer.Instead, she turned away, directing her golem to follow as she strode toward the exit.

The next bout would be called soon.Her second-round matchup with Brynn was scheduled for later that afternoon, but a growing sense of urgency gnawed at her.The traced weapon they'd crafted, the aluminum-threaded blade — she needed to know if Kaine had found it, if they were any closer to uncovering who was behind the thefts and the dangerous alloy substitutions.

She couldn't wait around for her next match.

Once clear of the arena, she deactivated her golem and turned back toward the academy, descending the stone steps back into the fortress.The corridors of Frostforge were nearly empty, everyone having gathered to watch the tournament.Her footsteps echoed against the stone walls as she descended deeper into the academy, toward the Howling Forge where she had last seen Kaine.

As she ran, she extended her senses, searching for the unique signature of the aluminum-threaded weapon they had crafted.It was faint at first, barely perceptible among the sea of metals in Frostforge — other weapons, the school’s iron reinforcements — but as she focused, it grew clearer.Not in the direction of the forge as she had expected, but deeper still, toward the foundations of the academy.

The path took her past the Howling Forge, through rarely used corridors lined with ancient tapestries depicting the founding of Frostforge.The magical residue grew stronger, pulling her toward a section of the academy she had never explored before.The stone here was older, rougher, lacking the refined finish of the upper levels.

She slowed to a walk, signaling her golem to move quietly beside her.The trail led to what appeared to be a dead end — a flat stone wall decorated with faded carvings of interlocking rings.But as she approached, her senses told her otherwise.The aluminum trace continued through the wall.

Running her fingers along the stone, she felt a nearly imperceptible seam — a perfect rectangle cut into the wall with such precision that it was invisible to the naked eye.Pressing her palm against it, she channeled a small pulse of magic into the metal components she could sense within the hidden mechanism.

The wall slid silently aside, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness.

Thalia hesitated only briefly before starting down, her golem following close behind.The air grew colder with each step, carrying the scent of damp stone and something else — the metallic tang of forge-work.The stairs seemed ancient, worn smooth by countless feet over centuries, yet they showed no signs of recent use.No footprints in the thin layer of dust, no disruption in the cobwebs that stretched across corners.

The aluminum signature grew stronger.She was close.

The staircase opened into a vast network of tunnels, some natural cave formations and others clearly carved by hand.Luminous lichen growing along the walls provided just enough light to navigate by, casting everything in an eerie blue glow.Thalia followed the pull of the metal, taking turns with confidence despite never having been here before.

The tunnels gradually widened, eventually opening into an enormous cavern that took her breath away.The ceiling soared at least thirty feet above, supported by massive stone columns that might have been natural formations or the work of ancient builders — it was impossible to tell.The walls were lined with shelves and racks, all filled with weapons — swords, axes, spears, daggers, and more exotic implements she couldn't name.

And standing in the center of it all, illuminated by braziers whose flames cast long shadows across the stone floor, were Kaine and Senna.

They stood facing each other.Behind them, on a weapon rack, Thalia spotted the aluminum-threaded blade they had crafted, its distinctive shape reflecting the firelight.

Thalia froze, her mind racing to make sense of the scene.Had Kaine caught Senna in the act of theft?Was he working with her?Or was Luna's evidence correct — was someone else entirely behind the thefts, and these two had independently tracked the culprits to this hidden cache?

The moment stretched, taut as wire, as Thalia struggled to determine if she was witnessing a confrontation, a conspiracy, or something else entirely.

CHAPTER TWENTY FOUR

Kaine stepped forward, his palms raised."It's not what it looks like, Thalia."

"It looks like you're both in a hidden chamber filled with stolen weapons," she replied, her voice brittle as poorly-tempered steel."So please, tell me what it actually is."

"Senna isn't behind the thefts," Kaine said, his blue eyes steady on hers."She's been hunting the real culprits."

Thalia's laugh was short and sharp."Right.I suppose that’s what she told you.”

Senna stepped forward, her silver-gray eyes flashing with cold fury."I already told you that I'd been tracking a smuggling ring.I decided to come down here and investigate during the Forge Gauntlet when the perpetrators were distracted."

"You'll forgive me if I find that difficult to believe," Thalia said, not lowering her blade."Every 'accident' at this academy seems to have your shadow behind it."

Kaine touched Senna's arm, a gesture that made something twist in Thalia's stomach."Senna has been investigating since the start of term."

"Why not report it?"Thalia asked, still skeptical.

Senna's laugh was colder than a Northern wind."To whom?The instructors, half of whom are barely keeping the academy functioning?None of them can even detect the impurities in the alloy."She shook her head."No.I needed evidence first.Proof."

“The alloy,” Thalia breathed, taken aback.“You can feel it?The impurities?”

Senna nodded.Her eyes narrowed."You thought you were the only one who could sense currents, slum dweller?"

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