Chapter 114

The hike up the mountain is more strenuous than Victor remembers. Maybe it’s because the last time he was here, he’d done it alone, at the bloom of his age. But now, he’s old, and his bones ache from old battle scars that he doesn’t even recall.

Ariadne’s miserable, wrapped up in a thick blue parka, with only her eyes exposed to the elements. She’s not as graceful on her feet now, the snow making it hard for her to move. The Omega waddles through, nearly tripping four times.

“Why did I come?” the Omega laments. “This sucks.”

Victor smiles despite himself, standing right behind Ariadne in case the Omega falls again, needing a brace. “It’ll get warm soon. The heat from the top of the volcano will cancel out the winter.”

An hour later, they hit the midpoint in their travels, shedding their jackets as they go. But a new problem presents itself. The melt has created a thick layer of mud on the slope, which is so easy to fall into.

Anna’s leading the charge, amazingly lithe, and Nathan is a