Chapter 510 – Hellish frost [16]

(POV - Emily Parker)

Emily felt like she had a terrible headache. Unfortunately, it wasn't an actual headache. It was more the kind of accumulated stress that manifested as a constant pressure behind her eyes, an irritating sensation that made her patience wear thinner with every passing second.

And to make matters worse, she wasn't even the one to blame for being this worked up. Emily hadn't been the one who authorized these agents to go out there under these conditions. She had made it clear from the very beginning that none of the equipment currently available would hold up for long in such a deadly, hostile environment.

No matter how well-trained they were or how many safety precautions they took, there was simply a limit to what conventional equipment could withstand in an environment like that. Unfortunately, the High Council didn't seem to see things the same way. That was why Emily was practically shouting, letting out everything that had been running through her mind at that moment.

Her voice echoed through the room as she gestured, every word carrying the irritation that had been building ever since she received the report. And as if the whole situation weren't already bad enough, the agents they had sent out had just reported that every single one of them was effectively incapacitated. That certainly hadn't helped.

In fact, Emily felt like her supposed headache was on the verge of becoming a very real one: “I told you!” she snapped, slamming one hand against the desk: “I literally told you this would happen!”

“Bunch of incompetent suits... Don't tell me how to do my damn job when you don't even know how to do yours” Emily muttered through clenched teeth, keeping her voice low enough that only she could hear. Even so, there was enough irritation in her tone to make it clear just how hard she was holding herself back.

She closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath: “This is why I hate politicians...” She inhaled again, counting silently for a few seconds before slowly letting the air out. It helped... a little.

If it were up to her, she'd keep cursing the High Council for another few minutes. She might even run through her entire vocabulary of insults. Unfortunately, feeding her growing anger wouldn't accomplish anything, especially when the very people she was forced to answer to were the source of it. And worst of all, their decisions had nearly cost several men their lives.

Innocent men. People who, despite everything, had some sense of duty. Some of them had probably lost someone to an anomaly and genuinely believed they were doing what needed to be done. It was a common story in this world. Emily couldn't say she didn't understand the reasoning behind their decisions.

But understanding didn't mean she had to like it. Much less agree with how everything had played out. Emily clenched her teeth slightly as she remembered the situation. If the [Angel of Death] hadn't appeared... She didn't even want to imagine what the outcome would have been. Most likely, they would all be dead. And in the end, they would probably have become nothing more than a few more numbers in some bureaucratic Council report.

Emily let out another sigh, this one heavier than the last: “Unbelievable...” she muttered, running a hand over her face: “They almost get their own men killed, and they still think they know better than the people who were actually there”

She remained silent for a few seconds before shaking her head, trying to push those thoughts aside before her irritation started building again: “Calm down, Emily...” she whispered to herself: “You still have to deal with them. You don't need to give them another reason to say you're difficult to work with” A brief pause: “Although, honestly... they wouldn't exactly be wrong”

In the end, Emily pushed those thoughts out of her mind. She could think about it later, assuming there was any point in dwelling on the situation at all. For now, she needed to focus on what was still within her control. She couldn't change the decisions made by the High Council, nor could she undo what had already happened. What she could do was make sure those agents got out of there alive.

Taking a deep breath, Emily pulled herself together before touching the console and reestablishing communication with the team of agents sent to the area. More specifically, with the team's leader. The connection crackled for a few seconds before finally stabilizing: “I received your extraction request” Emily said, keeping her voice steady despite the tension: “I'm sending another rescue team to get you out of the anomaly's operational zone. Until then, stay ready and keep an eye out for further attacks. Do not let your guard down for any reason”

She quickly checked the console, reviewing the available information before continuing: “I'll also have someone update you on the transport's location every few minutes. You'll be notified as soon as it's close enough. Understood?”

A short response came from the other end, confirming that they understood. Emily remained silent for a moment, her fingers still resting on the console: “Right... then, good luck”

The communication ended. And that was that. Emily slowly exhaled, leaning back into her chair for a moment. There wasn't much more she could do to help them right now. At least, not directly. Even so, she'd do whatever was within her power. These agents weren't to blame for the situation they'd been placed in.

They had been sent into a completely unknown area without adequate information about the anomaly's potential effects, following a decision made by the High Council that, at this point, was becoming increasingly difficult to justify. And now, the consequences were right in front of them.

The anomaly's effects had proven far more severe than anticipated, to the point that they had become unsustainable even in the face of all the technology the Organization currently possessed. Emily ran a hand over her face and turned her eyes back toward the monitor.

“At least I’ll make sure you all come back alive...” she murmured to herself. It was the least she could do to make up for, even if only a little, the shit the High Council had pulled.

Emily received the confirmation through the console, but she barely managed to register it. The information went in one ear and out the other almost immediately. Right now, there were far more concerning things occupying her mind. And the feedback coming from the [Angel of Death] certainly wasn’t helping.

A tower. With a castle on top. Emily remained silent for a few seconds, staring up at the ceiling as if, at some point, doing so would somehow make the situation make more sense. How, exactly, had they gone from a setting straight out of a horror movie to something that looked like it belonged in a princess movie?

A crystal castle perched on top of a gigantic tower. It didn’t even fit with the rest of the situation. Whoever was responsible for designing these anomalies apparently had questionable taste in architecture. Maybe even downright terrible taste.

Emily honestly couldn’t decide what was more concerning: the fact that there was a crystal castle in the middle of the city, or the possibility that someone had actually thought this was a good idea. But the worst problem was still coming.

The connection with the [Angel of Death] wouldn’t last. Not for much longer, and certainly not once it got too close to the tower. Emily pressed her lips together, holding back a sigh. She couldn’t simply order the [Angel of Death] to return, either. If something was happening inside that tower, cutting its investigation short could be even more dangerous than letting it continue.

In other words, they were about to lose communication. No information. No idea what was happening on the other side. At least until the [Angel of Death] figured things out and managed to return. Emily slowly rubbed a hand over her face.

This was starting to drive her crazy. She could deal with dangerous anomalies, unpredictable situations, and even decisions that could put dozens of people at risk. What was really starting to eat away at her nerves was having absolutely no idea what was going on.

***

(POV – Protagonist)

I didn’t have much trouble reaching the top of the tower. Actually, I didn’t even need to climb the tower. I simply floated upward. It was much faster and more convenient than looking for stairs, hallways, or any other conventional route.

Fortunately, the tower didn’t seem to have any kind of automatic defense system, either. No turrets suddenly rose from the ground. No hidden mechanism fired ice projectiles at me. And, much to my surprise, not even a particularly creative trap tried to kill me.

Lucky me. Considering the jacked-up snowmen and flying snowmen I had encountered earlier, I honestly wouldn’t have been surprised if the castle itself had decided to attack me. The snow, by the way, was much more intense up here than it had been in the city center.

Down below, there had been a powerful snowstorm, but up at the top of the tower, where the castle stood, things were on a completely different level. This was practically a hurricane. Snowflakes were hurled in every direction, swirling violently around the tower and making it difficult to see even a few yards ahead.

The wind howled constantly, making the entire place feel like it was caught in an endless storm. As soon as I reached the castle gardens, though, I stepped into an entirely different world. And believe it or not... This thing had a garden. With plants. Ice and snow plants, but plants nonetheless.

I stopped for a few seconds just to take in the scenery. Even knowing that, sooner or later, I would probably have to destroy this anomaly, I had to admit the view was incredible. Crystal trees rose from the ground, their leaves looking like they had been carved from thin sheets of ice, while small snow-covered flowers glowed softly amidst the storm.

It was as if someone had taken the most over-the-top idea possible for a winter castle and decided to turn it into reality. Fantastic. My few seconds of admiration lasted until my eyes settled on the enormous gate in front of me.

It looked like the main entrance to the castle, tall enough to make anyone feel tiny standing before it. There was a symbol carved into its surface, made up of shapes I didn’t recognize. I stared at it for a few moments, trying to figure out whether it actually represented something or was simply some peculiar decoration.

Honestly, I had no idea. Besides, I had already completely lost contact with Emily. The moment I made contact with the anomaly, Emily had simply given me the green light to handle the situation however I saw fit. No further instructions. No specific recommendations.

Basically, I was on my own. I stood there for a few seconds, staring at the gate as a faint sense of curiosity began to creep in. Then, finally, I took the first step. Then the second.

I continued walking toward the enormous gate, hearing nothing but the sound of my own footsteps as I approached the castle entrance. Well... Let’s find out if the owner of the castle is home.