The cavern opened into a massive chamber filled with towering crystal clusters that glowed faintly in the dark. They jutted out from every angle, sharp and uneven, turning the space into a frozen obstacle course.

  "Wooooow…" I admire the view. I leaned closer to one crystal and caught my beautiful reflection. I cupped my face and swayed slightly with my eyes closed. "No wonder beautiful is my middle name."

  A thought nudged at the back of my head. The image of Rona giggling at nothing. Ah. Right. Rona.

  I straightened my back and raised a hand forward. "Onward we go!"

  I stepped onto the first crystal carefully, arms stretched out to the sides, flapping slightly in case I fell. It wouldn’t help, but effort mattered. The crystal held my weight.

  Cold punched straight through my shoe. It wasn’t a mild chill. It was a sharp, aggressive frost, like needles stabbing through the soles of my feet. The cold surged up my legs, numbing my ankles, then my knees. My bones felt brittle, like they might crack if I sneeze.

  "Cold. Cold. Cold. Super cold. How is this getting through my shoe?" I rubbed my legs, eyes drifting downwards. Below was a welcome I did not want.

  Stalagmites rose from a dark abyss, their tips sharp and gleaming in the faint blue glow of the crystals. They looked like polished daggers aimed straight up. They shone brighter than my future. Looking closer, I spotted something mixed into the stone.

  Cracked calcium.

  Bones.

  A lot of bones.

  This wasn’t just a drop. It was a graveyard. A warning carved into the cave floor. One slip and I would become a human kebab.

  I swallowed, my throat clicking in the silence. Oui... One wrong step and... Nope. Not going to happen. Shoo!

  I slapped my left cheek hard. It stung. The negative thoughts flew out. "No negative thoughts. Think only the positive."

  I closed my eyes and tried. Really tried. A voice answered.

  "When you die, you'll leave this place. Forever."

  Ah... yes. I can leave this sicko place. Maybe the next life would be better. Who knows.

  My mind drifted. I took a step forward. My feet found nothing. I froze, balance tipping, when another thought slapped me again. "Wait. Leave? Die? And let those wackos have the last laugh?" I hissed. "Never."

  I pulled my foot back onto solid crystal and pointed into the air. "Begone, evil thoughts! Next time you come in uninvited, I'll sue you! If you don't want that, pay rent. No squatters allowed!"

  And so, my adventure continued. One careful step at a time. Each footfall echoed, like the cave itself was holding its breath.

  When I reached the other side, I collapsed flat on the crystal floor. "I did it!" I cheered. "I've defeated evil thoughts and whatever those things are. Give me a title!"

  The system remained silent.

  I glared into the air. "Cheapskate."

  I got up and continued down the tunnel. The path sloped downward, leaving the glow of the crystals behind. For a moment, the air felt neutral.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  Then everything flipped.

  The warmth from my Heat Resistance didn’t fade. It was ripped away. My damp clothes stiffened instantly, freezing against my skin. Fabric turned rigid. My fingers went pale and numb, clicking when I tried to curl them.

  "What now?"

  [You have entered the Frost-Vein Labyrinth]

  The air was brutally cold. Every breath burned, like I was inhaling broken glass. Moisture clung to my lashes and froze almost instantly.

  Not again! What's wrong with this place?

  I felt my pulse slowing, danger creeping in. I started hopping in place, hugging my arms tight and forcing whatever energy I had left to circulate. I focused on my core, imagining warmth gathering there, refusing to let the cold sink into my joints.

  [Conditions met: Survival in sub-zero temperatures through metabolic regulation.]

  [You have acquired a new skill: Cold Resistance.]

  The cold released its grip.

  Warmth spread through me in a steady wave. My muscles loosened. Feeling returned to my fingers. The ice crusting my clothes softened, and the blue tint in my nails faded back to pink.

  It felt like stepping indoors after a snowstorm, even though the tunnel walls were still coated in frost.

  "Nice… That's better."

  I stretched, rolling my shoulders. Being flattened into a wall or thrown around like debris was bad enough. Freezing solid was definitely not on my bucket list. Then I heard it.

  Crunch. Crunch.

  I froze.

  Chewing? Don’t tell me…

  My heart slammed against my ribs.

  “LM’s eating Rona?!”

  I broke into a sprint. “RONA!”

  From a distance, I spotted a small figure squatting on the ground, doing something suspicious. Familiar. Very familiar. I skidded to a stop, my shoe kicking up a cloud of frost.

  That weird red stain. It got to be Rona. Thank goodness, she's safe.

  My gaze slid sideways. Beside my cute, little Rona was the massive body of LM.

  Munch. Munch. Chomp.

  They were eating together. LM’s enormous mandibles crushed glowing crystals into sparkling dust, while Rona cracked smaller clusters with a rock like she was opening nuts.

  "YUM! Rona never tasted something like this before!" Rona shoved another crystal into her mouth.

  I stared. What am I looking at…?

  I walked over and crouched beside her, picked up a crystal shard, and inspected it. Same shape. Same weight. It matched the one sitting in my inventory.

  I turned to Rona, who was still happily chewing. "Rona. That's not edible."

  "Lil! Want some?" Her cheeks puffed out, both hands full.

  I looked at the crystal again. Who wants to eat...? My thoughts derailed. If these are valuable, Rona is literally eating our retirement fund. Every crunch sounded like money vanishing.

  "Sure," I said, quietly slipping the crystal into my inventory. I wasn’t about to refuse free cash.

  I scooped up more shards when something finally clicked. "Rona, stop eating the cave!"

  "Rona likey~"

  "You'll get constipation."

  The word barely left my mouth before realization hit.

  I looked at LM. Then the crystals. Then back at LM.

  "…No. It can't be… right?"

  A low laugh slipped out, shaky and disbelieving. "No... It can't be." I looked at Rona, then at LM. But why hadn't LM attacked Rona? Why were they just...eating? This... That...Ehh?!

  "Gwargh…" LM shuddered and released a deep groan.

  "Was that… a burp?"

  "Rona didn't know worms could burp," she giggled.

  LM suddenly twisted away and slammed its head into the cavern wall. The impact tore open a massive hole two meters from us. The ground bucked violently. Crystals rained down from above.

  CLANG! KRAK!

  One spear-like shard embedded itself inches from my foot. Another missed Rona by centimeters.

  The ceiling groaned. Vibrations rattled my teeth. Cracks raced along the walls as lights flickered and died. Stone dust filled the air, choking and blinding.

  I grabbed Rona’s hand. “Move!”

  We crawled into the tunnel LM had drilled, fingers clawing at loose earth, knees scraping stone. My lungs burned, but I kept going. Just a few more climbs…

  Behind us, pressure built.

  Boom.

  Dust blasted upward, pelting our backs as we burst out of the tunnel.

  "WAAAAHHH!"

  Rona flipped through the air and landed cleanly on her feet.

  I did not. I rolled. Then rolled again. Then, slammed into a tree that decided I’d had enough.

  I landed flat on my back, legs stuck straight up, forming a perfect L. Probably meant loser. But I had a different idea. I raised my hands above my head and cheered, "Victory!" Tilted sideways, it looked like a 'V.' Genius, right? I know.

  I inhaled deeply. Ah… Pine. Dirt. Fresh air. No sulfur. No damp cave rot. How I've missed you.

  "YES! AIR!" I punched the sky.

  "Rona found tracks!" she pointed at the massive trench LM had carved through the ground.

  I sat up and groaned. "How can something that huge move that fast?"

  Especially after eating all our money.

  And then we ran. Again.