The next day…
Missio and Dante awoke before sunrise. They groaned, standing up. They stretched for a few moments. Then, they put on their clothes. They grabbed their backpacks, pulling them out into the snow. After exiting, Dante drew the remote from his bag. He pressed a button on it. Instantly, the tent released air, shrinking. After it shrank, Dante rolled it up and stuffed it into his backpack. He zipped the bag, gripping its straps.
Then, he spun it around his body, landing it on his shoulders. He adjusted the straps as Missio put on his backpack as well. He glanced at his little brother, exhaling heavily.
"Let's go." He waved, stepping forward.
Missio walked beside his big brother. The duo exited the camp, stepping onto the grey beach. They made a sharp to the left, continuing their trek. Their feet pressed against the grey sand., leaving behind footprints. They moved for an hour through the silence before dawn. Eventually, the sun began to rise above the horizon. As an ambient light began covering the earth, the trail climbed onto high, rocky ridges.
"Oh Pangea…" Missio blurted.
He stepped onto the ridge, grunting. Dante followed behind him. They climbed higher and higher as the sun fully exposed itself in the sky. Missio paused for a moment, turning around. His eyes caught the grey glacier at the end of the river. A massive block of ice with countless smaller glaciers drifting off it. Dante stopped beside Missio and spun around as well. He opened his mouth, climbing a bit higher. He snapped a photo of the glacier, saving it to his gallery.
Then, he gazed at Missio, his lips curling. The two observed the view for a few minutes, the silence forcing them to embrace the beauty of nature. In the silence, Missio's mind clamed down a bit, letting his body loosen. He spun around, swinging his hand up.
"Let's continue."
Dante tilted his head, nodding. He turned around as well. The two continued to climb the ridge very carefully for some time. Suddenly, a strong wind howled at them. Missio almost lost his balance, catching himself at the last moment.
"Oh!"
He leaned on a rock, pushing his body up. He firmly held his ground, refusing to surrender to the wind. Dante, who remained unaffected by the strong wind, shrugged it off. He stepped forward, his hair dancing in the wind. Missio exhaled, trailing his big brother. The two held their ground against the strong winds. It chilled their bodies too much, making their bodies tremble. Eventually, though, the strong winds settled down. Then, they arrived at a small lake near the descent. The two took a moment to admire the small lake. Missio crouched, touching the surface of the water. He reeled back, a freezing sensation washing over his fingers.
"That's cold." He commented.
"Really?" Dante bent down, touching the water. "Oh…"
He rapidly moved his fingers, taking them out of the water.
"That's cold – cold."
"Told ya." Missio smiled. "It's such small lake, dude and… it's so beautiful."
Dante smirked, nodding. After taking a moment, he turned towards the steep descent. He gulped, gazing the climb down. He snapped his fingers, making Missio raise a brow.
"Come one, let's go."
Missio frowned, lighting punching his big brother.
"Don't snap your fingers at me!"
Dante recoiled slightly from the impact – grinning.
"Alright! Sorry…"
After a moment, the siblings began their descent. They leaned back slightly while descending, making sure they didn't fall. They moved between the rocks. Nothing really happened on their way down – It was peaceful. Then, they finally touched down at the foot of the ridge. Missio adjusted his straps, taking a breather. He looked forward, noticing something… strange. He raised a brow.
'Is that birch…?'
He didn't know really. He wasn't into this type of such, neither was Dante. However, he could tell that they trees in front of them were definitely not normal. After resting for a bit, they headed forward. Strolling beside the lake, a cold breeze swept past. The clouds rumbled above the heavens. They entered a ghostly, bleached-white forest. They caught the smell of old incense as if something had burned in this very place.
The bark of the trees were colorless, the palest they could be. It truly felt surreal.
"What the hell is this…?" Missio mumbled.
"I dunno." Dante blurted.
"I wasn't asking you, bro."
Dante shrugged. "It is what it is."
Missio rolled his eyes, peering at the trees. The ghostly forest contrasted with the bright lake that was right beside, creating a scene that felt straight out of a movie. Birds chirped from the forest, their voices sounding through the forest. Missio's and Dante's feet dug into the snow. They passed the ghostly forest. The lake dissolved into the grey beach, ending with the forest. A massive flat plain stood before at the end of the forest.
The lightly covered grassland provided a sense of comfort and freedom that could be matched by the mountains. Missio and Dante ambled through the plain. Eventually, they arrived at the entrance to a massive lodge. Missio glanced within. A massive campsite with a lodge, bustling campgrounds and a dock where a man brought in a ferry for the tourists were all stationed inside.
"We're not staying here, are we?" Missio inquired.
"Yep." Dante answered. "Our destination is Camp Rifugio Cereda."
"Say less." Missio turned forward.
Their journey continued through the open meadow. The camp they had just been at slowly faded into the distance. After a few minutes, they reached the top of a small hill. Dante halted in his tracks. Missio did as well, glancing at his elder brother. Dante raised his hand, pointing at something.
"Look."
Missio's head snapped in that direction. He elevated his head. His eyes widened, his lips parting slightly.
"Woah…"
Far away, there stood three massive peaks made of granite. His eyes swept downwards. The foot of the mountains covered in snow. He looked closer. Then, came the snowy flora which completed the view. He raised his eyes again, observing the mountains with great interest. A minute later, he tugged at his brother's jacket.
"The view's nice." Missio passed him.
"Same." Dante trailed him.
They descended the small hill, treading forward. The smell of the snow filled their noses. The sound of the brisk wind and crickets. Missio heaved a breath, watching it fly away. He wiped his face and looked towards the shoreline. He shook his head and locked his eyes forward. The meadows transitioned muddy wetlands. They passed over them via rustic wooden boardwalk – something that was new to Missio. As they marched on the boardwalks, he scanned the snowy wetlands.
'Guess nothing is safe from the snow…'
He smirked as they passed the boardwalk. Then, they had an encounter with a small stream, filled with crystal-clear water. Missio peered the side, noticing a small footbridge. He ambled towards it with Dante. He stepped on it, the footbridge creaking under his weight. Dante stepped on as well and they both passed little stream. Finally, after a while of trekking, they arrived a small wooden suspension bridge hanging on steel cables.
Missio gazed towards the other side – a forest in which Camp Rifugio Cereda was hidden. He smirked as Dante stepped onto the suspension bridge.