It was still dark when Jace’s eyes flickered open; the wind was still howling through the thick trees. Jace was ready to give in, to let sleep take him for the final time, but he couldn’t. There was something inside him that was forcing him to keep going. ‘Die later,’ it said. ‘You have a world to save and a score to settle. Death will have to wait.’ Groaning, Jace managed to pull himself up. He staggered a moment, pushing off against a tree to stay standing as his vision blurred and darkened, the world spinning around him.

When the dizziness cleared, he regained his sense of direction, and began a weary walk. The trees were definitely clearing, telling him he was headed toward town. That, at the very least, gave him the strength to take one more step.

As the trees thinned out, the snow on the ground piled up. Large flakes stuck to the ground, slowly rising in a layer of white, covering everything up in a blanket of white purity. It was a false purity though, an outer layer that masked horrors that lay in wait.

Jace couldn’t feel the snow building up around his ankles as he walked. He was already cold, and the numbness only continued to spread. Eventually, it would take him over, leaving him crippled and unable to move. Until then, he was going to keep moving.

Breathing was getting harder as well. The deep gashes in his side kept bleeding, and it felt like it was taking more of an effort to keep his heart beating.

‘Keep going, Jace,’ something inside him said. ‘You’re getting closer. As long as you’re breathing and your heart is beating, you can keep going.’

Jace listened to that voice, whatever it was, because it was right. He did have a score to settle, not to mention the fate of the world that rested on his shoulders.

‘That’s it; get up,’ the voice whispered in a chillingly calm manner. ‘If not for your own sake, then for hers.’

A new wave of adrenaline coursed through his veins, restoring warmth and pain in his limbs. Kaya was in danger. Was she even still alive? Jace shook his head. Now wasn’t the time for such dreary thoughts. Step by step, he made his was down the hillside toward the town that lay below. Faint lights could be seen in the distance. He only hoped they were from the town and not the eyes of foul creatures that ran rampant.

Despite the mind-numbing pain, Jace broke into the fastest run he could muster. He had a new reason for living now: to see Kaya live. He knew he could very well die without seeing the sun’s return, but that didn’t seem to matter anymore.

“Hang on, Kaya,” he whispered into the frigid air, “I’m coming.”