The flames flickered wildly as Kael's screamed faded into the cold night air. The Red Knights swallowed their fear, but the weight of his mad grin still pressed down on them like an invisible force.
Baret was the first to regain his composure. His voice was hoarse but steady. "Reiner… tell us everything. We need to know what we're up against."
Reiner inhaled deeply before speaking. "It started with the storms." His fingers dug into the dirt as if reliving the nightmare. "A blizzard, unnatural and relentless, covered the North. At first, we thought it was just an extreme winter, but then... we saw them."
Handel frowned. "Them?"
Reiner's voice dropped lower. "The Ice Men. Towering figures made of frozen znow, their eyes glowing a deep, deathly blue. They weren't just monsters. They were sentient." He exhaled sharply.
"They moved like soldiers. Their bodies, immune to blades, reformed when cut. They shattered only when exposed to fire—but in that storm, we had none."
