Limitless Ascension:The System Chosen

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The afternoon sun dipped behind the ever-thickening pine canopy, casting long, silver shadows across the mountain trail. Ethan walked beside Anna, their footsteps crunching against the snow-packed path, while Kristoff and Sven led up front with Olaf trailing behind, still humming something about beach chairs and sunhats.

Despite the frigid air, Anna looked brighter than she had all day.

"You're sure you're okay?" Ethan asked quietly, his breath forming little puffs of mist.

Anna glanced up at him. "Why do you keep asking that?"

"You've barely spoken since Olaf told us about the ice palace. You've been in your own head."

She looked forward again, lips pressing into a line. "I guess I'm just… nervous. Scared, maybe. Elsa built an ice palace. That's not something you do when you're thinking clearly."

Ethan nodded slowly. "You think she's lost control?"

"I don't know. She ran away to protect everyone. But if she's hiding up there… maybe she thinks she can't come back."

Ethan looked up the slope in the distance. Through the thinning trees, they could make out shimmering peaks of ice far above, piercing the sky like a frozen crown. Even from here, he could feel something strange in the air — something unnaturally cold, laced with power.

"She might not listen to anyone," he said. "But she might listen to you."

Anna gave a weak laugh. "I'm not even sure I know how to talk to her anymore. We've been distant for so long."

Ethan paused. "You still love her, right?"

"Of course."

"Then that's all that matters."

She turned to him, touched by the sincerity in his tone. Her gaze lingered on him for a second longer than necessary. "You always know what to say."

He rubbed the back of his neck, slightly flustered. "Not really. I've just… been through a lot. It helps me see things differently."

Anna tilted her head. "You never talk about where you're from. You said it was far, but…"

Ethan's steps slowed. "Let's just say it's a place I don't think I can return to right now."

Anna didn't press further, sensing that his silence held stories he wasn't ready to share.

The group stopped at a small clearing just past a frozen creek. Kristoff signaled to set up camp for the night. Olaf gleefully rolled around in the snow while Sven began pawing at the ground for a soft place to lie.

Kristoff approached, brushing snow off his coat. "It'll take at least three more days to get to the palace, especially if the weather keeps getting worse."

Anna blinked. "Three days?"

"Unless we want to risk climbing straight up icy cliffs and dealing with sudden avalanches," Kristoff shrugged. "Yeah."

Ethan sat on a nearby log and looked at the sky. Snowflakes were already beginning to fall — soft and slow for now, but that could change by morning.

Anna dropped beside him. "Three days. That's a long time to worry about how Elsa's doing."

"Plenty of time to come up with the right words," he said, offering a small smile.

She returned it, more genuinely this time.

There was a moment of quiet between them, the soft wind and crackling firewood the only sounds. Then Anna looked down, fiddling with her gloves.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"I'm glad you're here. With me. I know you didn't have to come along."

He glanced at her, caught a softness in her expression, and felt a warmth that defied the cold around them.

"I'm glad I came too," he said. "You're… someone worth helping."

She blushed faintly. "That's really cheesy."

He chuckled. "Yeah. But it's true."

Their eyes met again, and for a heartbeat, the snowy forest seemed to pause.

Then Kristoff called out, "Camp's ready!"

Anna stood quickly, brushing off her skirt. "I'll go help Olaf with firewood."

Ethan watched her walk off, her red hair bouncing lightly under the snow-covered hood. He sighed and leaned back, letting the cold air hit his face.

Something about this place… it felt peaceful. Real. And Anna—

He shook the thought away. There were too many unknowns. Too many things he still didn't understand.

As the group gathered near the fire, Ethan stood on the edge of the clearing and looked toward the distant peak of the mountain. The ice palace shimmered faintly under the moonlight, like a beacon… or a warning.

Whatever was waiting for them up there — Elsa, fear, something else — it was powerful.

And the closer they got, the more Ethan felt something inside him stir. A strange weight in his chest. Not fear exactly — but a sense of… fate.

As if this wasn't just about helping a princess anymore.

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