The explosion sounds from the missiles had finally died down, but the avalanche continued its destructive path, sweeping through the valley with relentless fury.
In Snow Valley, the once tranquil, ice-covered landscape that had withstood the test of time was swiftly transformed into a vast, unending abyss of despair.
Elliott, Brendon, and Maverick hurried to pull the stunned Catherine toward the valley's entrance, their faces filled with fear and dread.
Anthony struggled to drag Jane along, desperately trying to escape the ever-encroaching avalanche.
Half of the World of Darkness' elite warriors, too slow to react, had been buried beneath the thick blanket of snow.
The survivors from the mountain range ran for miles, gasping for air and barely holding on, until they finally reached the edge of the valley.
The roar of the avalanche, mixed with the cries of despair from Catherine and the others, along with the merciless, biting winds, combined to create an overwhelming atmosphere of hopelessness and anguish.
Catherine, Jane, and the rest, utterly crushed by grief, collapsed on the frozen ground.
Amid the violent storm, Maverick and the others stood motionless, gazing toward the Snow Dragon Pool, their hearts numb and their expressions empty.
Their tears had long since ceased, leaving only confusion and a suffocating sense of helplessness.
They stood there, rooted to the spot at the valley's entrance.
Nothing made sense. Nothing felt real.
They could only think that everything that had happened before was a bad dream.
That man—the one who had been so powerful, so unstoppable.
He had walked among them in all his glory.
They had fought by his side, honored to stand with him in battle.
He had been the hero they admired, a figure whose greatness could not be surpassed.
Everyone believed that he was still out there, that he hadn't truly been lost.
Suddenly, Maverick's voice broke through the silence, thick with pain. He let out a desperate, heart-wrenching cry.
It was as if the faith he once held had shattered before him.
"No! I refuse to believe it! You're still alive!"
They say tears are not easily shed by a man—only when grief cuts deep.
At that moment, Maverick felt as if the leader who had awakened his own spirit of heroism was gone.
But it wasn't just that.
The proud, unbreakable figure—the symbol of their strength—had fallen.
If he was gone, who would help them rise again?
Through tear-filled eyes, Maverick stared at the destroyed Snow Dragon Pool, where wreckage and bodies lay scattered.
That god-like man was truly gone.
Just like that, gone with the falling snow—beautiful yet fleeting.
So decisive. So final. Without a trace of regret.
They had stayed at the valley's entrance through the night, caught in their grief.
It wasn't until morning, when a deep silence settled over the valley, that they slowly began to stir from their despair.
Shivering from the cold, Catherine shakily rose to her feet, her bloodshot eyes burning with a fury that could consume the world.
"Now we go back! We go back to avenge Master Ramsey!" she hissed through clenched teeth.
"Whoever launched those missiles, we'll turn them into rubble!"
Maverick nodded, his resolve hardening. "Exactly! Vengeance! We'll take revenge on the people who attacked him!
"Since we've already sent our warning, anyone who keeps going is directly challenging us!"
Elliott, matching their intensity, spoke with grim determination, "Let's go. We need to bring this message to Dragon Palace, to the Seven Great Royal Houses, and to the Twelve Great Warriors of Dragon Soul—let them know we're coming!
"Any group or organization behind those missiles is now our enemy. We'll destroy them without mercy!
"We won't rest until every single one of these enemies is wiped off the map!"
Brendon paused for a moment, his expression thoughtful. "Catherine, Maverick, Elliott, are we possibly misjudging our situation here?
"Before all of this, Quintana Residence made a public declaration—anyone attempting live-fire drills in Snow Valley would face a severe response from Draconia.
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