Soul Chains

Chapter 53: The Frigid Heart

"Are you sure this is the right place?" Ciana asks and raises her right arm over her eyes to shield against the blinding light of the rising dawn as we walk through an abandoned city full of tall steel buildings, our feet crunching in the snow.

"That's what the map says," Reine says as she walks alongside Ciana.

"I'm glad we left our luggage back at the camp," Shitau sighs, "it's a pretty far walk."

"You mean the luggage we have left," Ayette says pointedly and Shitau laughs sheepishly.

"Quiet," Aislinn says and stops walking, holding up a hand as her other hand goes to her blade and she looks around cautiously.

A shard of ice flies at Aislinn and she draws her longsword, cutting it in half as she swipes up diagonally right before it reaches her, splitting it in half. The rest of us get on guard in defensive stances, our gazes hardened as we look around.

"You were wrong to come here," Coralyinn says as she appears out of a vortex of swirling snow that opens in the middle of the street, her arms spread open wide as she walks.

"Give us the relic, Coralyinn," Ciana says, her eyes narrowing as she clenches her fists while she stands in a boxer's position.

"You think you can simply ask me and I'll hand it over to you? Who do you take me for, Ember? Always the forceful one, weren't you?" Coralyinn muses as she stops walking and whisks her right hand upward, revealing a chamber made of ice and darkness floating in the air that holds Vivian, who bangs on the inside and yells to be let out, "since you asked nicely, I suppose I'll answer you, and the answer is no. How many times do I have to tell you? I only destroy what gets in my way."

Coralyinn swings her right arm out forcefully and spikes of ice rush towards us, shooting up from the ground and rising at least twenty feet tall. Ciana runs forwards and winds her fist back as she leaps up before she punches against the wall of ice shards, shattering it to pieces as she flies through it. The rest of us follow after her as Coralyinn draws her daggers and swirls around, driving one of them upwards as Ciana lands in front of her. Ciana strikes back against the blow by crossing her gauntlets together and a fire rune forms in front of her in the shape of a shield. Reine slides up to the left side of Coralyinn and helps Ciana as Ayette flies over to Vivian and attempts to free her from the icy chamber.

Mikasa turns her lasso back into a bow and takes aim at Vivian's chamber as Ayette backs off in an attempt to break through the ice as Dimitri and Tien rush up to help Reine and Ciana. Aislinn closes her eyes and holds her blade directly in front of her, her hands pressed on either side before her yellow eyes fly open and she rapidly lunges forward in one strike, silver energy glowing around her as she slashes through the air. Coralyinn's eyes meet Aislinn miraculously and she turns sideways, her dress whirling around as she catches Aislinn's longsword between her hands and Aislinn goes flying due to the sheer force of her stopping all at once. Coralyinn throws Aislinn's weapon aside and manages to reach out and grab Ciana by the throat, who kicks and thrashes at her. Ice begins to spread up Ciana's neck and her eyes widen before she places her hand around Coralyinn's wrist and her hand bursts into flames, making Coralyinn drop her to the ground with a yelp. Ciana coughs and splutters as the ice that was climbing up her neck recedes and she looks up as Reine runs forward with a yell and tackles Coralyinn.

As Coralyinn and Reine roll through the snow, I run over to Mikasa and Ayette with Kaltrina.

"Nothing's working!" Ayette shouts down at us and Mikasa shakes her head vigorously in irritation.

"We have to keep trying!" Mikasa shouts as she pulls back and releases another arrow of light.

The arrow chips at the ice's dark energy exterior, but the field immediately reforms and Vivian's eyes sadden. I swallow thickly as I attempt to remind myself that she isn't real, but she seems so...she seems like she's always seemed to me. She seems like the sister I grew up with, and that's exactly what she is. Immediately, an extreme blast of snow and wind shoots through the area, sending Reine, Dimitri, Tien, Aislinn, and Ciana flying away from Coralyinn. Mikasa, me, and the others look over at the source of the blast to see Coralyinn standing angrily in the street, chunks of ice and rock swirling around her in snow and wind.