Chapter 22: Hunt (2)

Eden's voice cut through the tense air, firm but laced with urgency. "Stacy, hurry! The ice won't hold that thing much longer!" His gaze darted toward the frozen beast, cracks beginning to spiderweb through the ice encasing it. Its sheer size and strength made it clear that its escape was only a matter of time.

Stacy, perched on Kelpie's back, nodded without a word. Her jaw was set in determination, her wind-blown hair catching the faint green glow from Kelpie's ethereal mane. "Let's move," she whispered, gripping Kelpie's reins lightly.

Kelpie responded immediately, galloping across the ice with an unnatural grace, its hooves barely making a sound against the frozen surface. The ice monster twitched, struggling against its icy bonds, and for a moment, Eden thought the beast might shatter its prison early. But Kelpie moved too fast, carrying Stacy right to the edge of danger.