Chapter 58: Ashes in the Snow
Alex
I could not sleep at all last night.
The cold was like a living thing. It felt like it had claws that dug deep into my skin and wrapped around my bones. Every time I tried to take a breath, the air felt like broken glass moving through my lungs. It was sharp and it hurt to simply exist. The snow beneath my body did not stay soft for long. As the hours passed, it turned hard and icy. It felt like it was stealing every tiny bit of warmth I had left in my blood.
I tried to use my power. I felt my shadow power flickering weakly just beneath the surface of my skin. It felt like a small, unstable pulse of darkness, but it refused to rise up and help me. It felt useless.
The wind was merciless. It slipped through the cracks in the tall courtyard walls. It w
