Page 36 of Frostforge: Passage Two

Maven's expression hardened further."You know what they say about poor craftsmen, Greenspire?"

Thalia remained silent, recognizing the rhetorical trap.

"They blame their tools."Maven's voice dripped with condescension."Instead of making wild accusations about sabotage, perhaps you should focus on improving your own skills.The Forge Gauntlet doesn't allow excuses."

With that, she turned away, dismissing Thalia as effectively as if she'd disappeared entirely.The conversation was over.

Thalia stood frozen for a moment, anger and disbelief warring within her.She'd expected skepticism, even resistance, but not this flat denial.

Without another word, she turned and strode toward the path leading back to the academy.The crystal surface beneath her boots reflected her rigid posture, her clenched fists, the storm of determination building in her expression.Maven's dismissal burned like a brand, adding fuel to a fire already burning hot.

If the instructors wouldn't listen, she would find another way.She would gather evidence too compelling to ignore, expose whoever was behind the sabotage, and ensure they faced consequences.

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Thalia leaned across the rough-hewn table, her voice dropping to a whisper that barely carried over the clatter of dining in the great hall."Show me," she said, eyes fixed on Luna.Around them, students shoveled down their evening rations, oblivious to the urgency tightening Thalia's shoulders."The hidden chamber where you saw Senna.I need to see it now."She pushed her half-finished plate away, the bland Northern stew suddenly tasting like ashes in her mouth.

Luna glanced around with practiced casualness, her seemingly distracted gaze methodically scanning the dining hall."Now?"she asked, though her hands were already gathering her things."It's risky during regular hours."

"Maven won't listen.Another golem could malfunction tomorrow."Thalia pressed her palms flat against the table to stop them from trembling — whether from anger or anticipation, she wasn't sure."We need to find proof before someone gets killed."

Luna nodded once, decisively.She scooped up a final spoonful of stew and stuffed it into her mouth, then drained her cup in one swift motion.Thalia followed suit, forcing down lukewarm food without tasting it.

"Follow me," Luna murmured, standing with the careful movements of someone trying not to draw attention."But not too closely until we're out of sight."

They left separately, Luna first, then Thalia thirty seconds later.In the stone corridor outside, the ambient temperature dropped ten degrees, and Thalia pulled her academy-issued cloak tighter around her shoulders.The sounds of dining faded behind them as Luna led her toward the Howling Forge, then down a series of increasingly narrow passages, the torchlight growing sparser as they descended.

"How did you find this place?"Thalia asked, her breath fogging in the chill air.

Luna's footsteps were nearly silent against the stone floor."I followed Senna three times before I was certain of the pattern.She's careful — checks behind her double back and takes different routes.But she always ends up here eventually."

The passage narrowed further, forcing them to walk single file.The walls were rough-hewn, not polished like the main corridors of Frostforge.These tunnels felt older, forgotten.

Thalia brushed her fingertips against the wall.The stone pulsed with a faint, familiar energy — the residual magic of countless generations of metalwork seeping into the very foundation of the mountain.It felt like a heartbeat, ancient and steady.

Luna stopped so abruptly that Thalia nearly collided with her."Here," she said, pointing to what appeared to be a solid stone wall."Watch."She pressed her palm against a specific spot and slid it downward in a precise motion.The stone shifted with a barely audible grinding sound, revealing a narrow opening.

"How did you figure that out?"Thalia whispered, impressed.

Luna's lips quirked in a small smile."I didn't.I saw Senna do it."

They squeezed through the gap one at a time.The passage beyond was darker still, illuminated only by the faintest blue glow emanating from crystalline formations embedded in the ceiling.The air here tasted different — metallic and sharp, with lingering traces of smoke.

After twenty paces, the passage widened into a small chamber.Thalia stopped on the threshold, eyes adjusting to the dim light.It was a forge room, but unlike any she'd seen at the academy.The space was cramped yet efficiently arranged, with a small forge built into the rock wall, workbenches crowded with tools, and shelves laden with crucibles and molds.

"It's cold," Thalia noted, approaching the forge.The coals were gray and lifeless, covered with a fine layer of ash."No one's been here for days."

Luna moved to one of the workbenches, examining a collection of small metal ingots arranged in neat rows."Senna was here five nights ago.She stayed for almost three hours."

Thalia circled the space slowly, taking in the details.Half-finished projects littered the surfaces — a partially formed golem hand, sketches of internal mechanisms, a collection of small gears with peculiar teeth.This wasn't student-level work.Whoever used this space had advanced knowledge of metallurgy and golem construction.

Her attention caught on a pile of slag near the forge — the discarded byproducts of metal refinement.She picked up a piece, feeling its weight, its texture.Without thinking, she closed her eyes and reached out with that strange sense, the ability to feel the magical currents flowing through metal.

The sensation hit her like a physical blow.Her stomach lurched, and she dropped the slag with a gasp.

"Thalia?"Luna was at her side instantly."What is it?"

"It's wrong," Thalia whispered, wiping her palm against her cloak as if to clean away a stain."The metal — it's been altered."She picked up another piece, forcing herself to hold it despite the revulsion it triggered."Someone's been experimenting with disruptive alloys.Creating metals that look right, feel right, but will fail catastrophically when channeling magic."

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