Frozen Flame of Dawn - Chapter 71

Chapter 71: Chapter 34: Inroute to Icelorn_2

Amira took a steady breath, narrowing her focus as Asher’s told direction echoed in her mind. She expanded her consciousness outward, her spiritual sense casting an invisible net around the landscape.

Trees swayed gently in the wind, jagged ridges stood tall like sentinels, and the uneven terrain appeared in her mind as a vivid 3D image. Every detail, down to the smallest stone, became clear within a one-kilometer radius.

She exhaled slowly and pushed further. Her vision contracted from all directions and surged forward like a tidal wave in a single direction.

The range extended to 2.5 kilometers, a focused beam of perception. The strain on her mind was palpable, a dull thrum building at the back of her head, but she ignored it.

Six figures came into sharp focus—three crouched behind the trees at the base of the left ridge, two hiding behind boulders slightly further down, and one perched higher up on the slope, watching the scene below like a hawk.

Their anxious faces, dirt-streaked clothes, and tense body language told her everything she needed to know.

Amira opened her eyes and grabbed the radio. “Six individuals in position. Three behind the trees on the left ridge. Two behind the rocks and last one on the upper slope. Everyone hold your positions. Do not engage.”

She thought for a moment and said again. “Everyone hold your positions and slow down but stay in formation. Keep weapons ready, but do not engage unless provoked.”

Inside the vehicles, her orders were met with calm precision. The soldiers shifted in their seats, rifles clutched tightly as they prepared for any possible ambush.

The convoy’s pace slowed to a crawl as they moved closer to the basin entrance. The river’s soft gurgle was drowned out by the steady hum of engines.

“Bella, I need you to send ten of our who awakened abilities related—shadow and speed. They’ll blend in and approach from the rear. We’ll slow down to give them time to slip out unseen and loop around the ridge. We need these people captured quietly and without raising suspicion.”

Bella’s voice crackled over the line, her usual lighthearted tone tinged with purpose.

“Got it. Fast, quiet, and discreet.”

The convoy slowed further, almost imperceptibly, but enough for ten figures to slip out like shadows. They moved with speed and precision, their forms blurring in the dim morning light. Anyone watching from a distance would’ve mistaken them for shifting shadows cast by the ridges.

The team split into pairs as they approached the ridge’s base. Their footsteps barely disturbed the dirt as they maneuvered toward their targets.

Soon when they arrived near the ridge starts and the welcome bridge road for the town. Amira told everyone to stop and got out of her car while staring in the direction of the individual hiding.

At the front, Bella brought her vehicle to a stop and stepped out, stretching her arms as though she had all the time in the world. She walked over to Amira, her sharp eyes flicking toward the ridges.

“You’re just standing here waiting for them to introduce themselves?” Bella’s smirk widened.

Amira’s expression didn’t waver. “That’s why I sent someone to greet them… with courtesy.”

Bella burst out laughing, the sound echoing across the plain. “You and your deadpan humor. Really, you’re something else.”

As the two women stood, the morning wind carrying the scent of dry earth, Bella’s laughter faded into a curious smile.

“You know,” she began, leaning slightly closer, “you’ve taught us how to circulate our energy, strengthen our bodies, and increase our power. But you’ve never taught us how you see things so clearly, even with your eyes closed. It’s like watching a surveillance feed. How do you do it?”

Amira’s silver hair caught the morning light as she tilted her head.

“I told you—I sense it,” she said.

Bella shook her head, grinning. “No way. ‘Sensing’ doesn’t look that precise. It’s like you’re painting a picture in your mind.”

Amira sighed, running a hand through her hair. “It’s not that I don’t want to teach you. To extend your spiritual sense like this, your soul and consciousness need to be exceptionally strong. It’s not something that can be forced.”

Bella’s smile faltered, replaced by confusion. “But… how is your soul so strong?”

Amira’s gaze grew distant. She didn’t answer immediately. Who would believe her if she said her current power wasn’t entirely her own? That her future consciousness, that had merged with her present self when she came back from future due to Alex abilities? That this merging had bolstered her soul and mental energy far beyond the normal limits?

She thought of Alex—his calm voice guiding her during her time after that released her from frozen state and walked her through about every things that is needed, in which his lessons about the importance of spiritual strength.

Bella’s voice pulled her back. “Amira?”

Amira blinked and smiled softly, brushing away her lingering thoughts. “Let’s just say… it’s a long story. One I’ll tell you someday.”

Bella crossed her arms. “Someday? That sounds suspiciously like ‘never.'”

Amira chuckled and turned toward the ridges. “Focus, Bella. Our guests are arriving.”

Moments later, the team returned, escorting six disheveled men down the slope. Their hands were bound behind their backs with makeshift restraints. One of them—a wiry man with a scar running across his cheek—was struggling, fury written across his face.

Amira stepped forward, her expression unreadable as she stopped in front of the scarred man.

“Why were you hiding?” she asked, her tone deceptively calm.

The man averted his eyes, trying to maintain some semblance of defiance.

Amira’s team member twisted the man’s arm sharply, making him hiss in pain.

“I won’t ask twice,” Amira said while her voice dangerously calm. “Next time it won’t be just a twist—it’ll break.”

Eventually, the man gave up and said. “We were ordered to watch the entrance to see if anyone leaves… or if anyone comes in.”

“Ordered by who?” Bella’s voice was sharp as she stepped forward.

The man’s lips curled into a bitter sneer. “By Cale—the one who runs things now.”

Amira’s eyes narrowed. “Cale?”

“He’s a local gang leader. He got some… powers when this whole awakening thing happened.” The man spat at the ground. “Now he controls the town. We’re his eyes. If anyone tries to leave, we catch them. If anyone comes in… well, if they’re small in number, we handle them. If not, we alert him.”

Bella exchanged a glance with Amira. “Did you alert him?”

The man’s gaze flickered—just for a second—but it was enough.

Amira’s voice dropped into a dangerous calm. “Who did you send?”

The man swallowed hard but didn’t answer.

Amira shifted her gaze to the squad member holding him. “Take the fastest vehicle and see if you can intercept whoever he sent. If you can’t, wait at the edge of the town and keep watch.”