The helicopter blades thumped rhythmically against the air as we soared over the vast, white expanse of Hokkaido. Below us, the Daisetsuzan mountain range stretched endlessly, peaks piercing through thick blankets of snow like sleeping giants. It had been two weeks since the incident in Shinjuku, and after the chaos of the City of Shifting Light, the Collective had decided we needed a change of scenery. Somewhere remote. Somewhere quiet.
According to Dr. Sato's readings, we were heading toward one of the oldest and most stable rifts ever documented. It was located deep within a glacier, hidden away from civilization. The realm on the other side was known as Zeryphilia, the Domain of Eternal Frost.
"It's unlike any realm we've visited before," Aiko said, handing me a pair of specialized goggles as the helicopter began its descent into a clearing. "The energy there is dense and slow-moving. Time behaves differently, and the temperature can drop to absolute zero in certain areas. Normal matter freezes instantly, but because you are a Pathfinder, the realm's energy will shield you."
I nodded, adjusting my streaming rig. My backpack was loaded with high-end cameras, batteries, and equipment designed to withstand extreme conditions. Hana was safely tucked inside a heated carrier strapped to my chest, her ears twitching as she listened to the wind howling outside.
My stream was already live. The viewer count had stabilized at around 3.2 million, and the chat was scrolling faster than ever.
[IceKing12301]: RIZU-KUN! ARE WE GONNA SEE ICE DRAGONS???
[TechSakura]: Sensor readings show massive energy signatures ahead. Be extremely cautious.
[tungtungsahursigman111]: The scenery looks so prettyyyy!! 😍
"Minna-san," I spoke into my microphone, my breath visible in the cold air even inside the craft. "We're about to land. They say this realm preserves everything perfectly. Things that have been frozen for thousands of years might still look like they were left yesterday. Let's hope they're just statues and not… well, you know."
The helicopter touched down, kicking up clouds of snow. We stepped out into the biting wind. The cold here was intense, sharp enough to make my lungs ache just breathing it. But as I stepped forward, I felt the familiar sensation—the mark on my shoulder glowing warmly beneath my jacket, spreading heat throughout my body. The freezing temperature instantly became manageable, turning into a comfortable chill.
"The rift is this way," Dr. Sato called out, leading the path with her scanner.
We trekked for about twenty minutes, moving up a steep slope covered in deep snow. Finally, we saw it. It wasn't just a shimmer in the air or a crack in a wall. It was a massive, natural archway carved out of blue ice, standing tall against the mountain face. The ice was so clear and pure it looked like sapphire, and inside it, veins of golden light pulsed slowly, like a heartbeat.
"This is the gateway," I said, setting up my main camera on a reinforced tripod. "Zeryphilia… here we go."
I stepped forward and passed through the arch.
The moment my foot crossed the threshold, the world changed. The white snow of our world vanished, replaced by a landscape that defied logic. We were standing on a plain of glass-like ice that stretched to the horizon, so smooth and reflective it looked like walking on water. Above us, the sky was a swirling mix of pale violet and silver, with two frozen moons hanging low and large.
But what caught my breath was the silence. It wasn't empty silence; it was heavy, ancient, and absolute. The wind didn't blow here. The air was still.
"Wow…" I whispered, panning the camera around. "Look at this, minna. It's like… the whole world is made of crystal."
In the distance, massive structures rose from the ice. They weren't natural formations; they were buildings. Palaces. Towers that spiraled up toward the sky, all made of ice that glowed with an internal luminescence. It was a city, perfectly preserved, untouched by time.
[Viewer]: IS THAT A CASTLE??? IT LOOKS LIKE DISNEY BUT 1000X COOLER
[Rizu]: It does, doesn't it? Let's get closer.
We began walking across the glass plain. With every step I took, the ice beneath my feet glowed with a soft, rippling blue light that faded after a few seconds. Hana jumped out of her carrier, landing lightly on the surface. She didn't shiver; instead, her fur seemed to shimmer, adapting to the environment just like mine. She trotted ahead, her tail held high.
As we approached the city gates, I saw them. Statues. Hundreds of them, lining the main road. They depicted warriors in armor, scholars holding books, beasts with wings. They were carved with such incredible detail that they looked alive, frozen mid-motion.
"Are these… statues?" I asked, reaching out to touch one of the warrior's hands.
"Don't!" Aiko grabbed my arm quickly. "Dr. Sato said this realm preserves life. Those might not be carvings, Rizu. They might be the actual inhabitants, frozen in time."
I pulled my hand back quickly, my eyes widening. "You mean… they're just… sleeping?"
"Or waiting," Dr. Sato said solemnly, scanning the area with her device. "The energy here is high. Very high. Something is keeping this place stable."
We walked through the silent streets. It was eerie but beautiful. Flowers made of ice bloomed on the sides of the road, their petals sharp and clear. Fountains held water that was frozen in mid-spray, capturing every droplet perfectly. It was a masterpiece of nature and magic combined.
We reached the center of the city, where a massive staircase led up to a grand throne room built into the side of a mountain of ice. At the very top, sitting on two thrones made of solid diamond, were two figures.
They were humanoid, but taller than normal people, wearing robes that flowed like water frozen in time. Their skin had a slight blue tint, and their eyes were closed. They looked like a king and queen, ruling over their frozen kingdom for eternity.
"Those are the Sovereigns," Aiko whispered. "Legends say they chose to freeze themselves to keep the realm from collapsing. They are the heart of Zeryphilia."
I slowly climbed the steps, the camera rolling the whole time. My viewers were going wild, messages pouring in by the thousands. When I reached the top, I stood before the two thrones. They were incredibly lifelike. I could see the intricate patterns on their crowns, the expression of peace on their faces.
"They're beautiful," I said softly. "It's sad that they had to freeze themselves like this."
Suddenly, Hana let out a sharp meow and arched her back, fur standing on end. She was staring at the foot of the throne.
I followed her gaze. There, lying half-buried in the ice, was something that definitely didn't belong there. It was metallic, sleek, and black.
A weapon.
And next to it, footprints. Not the glowing kind I made, but deep, heavy boot prints that had melted the ice and refrozen.
"Someone else has been here," I said, my voice dropping. "Recently."
Before Aiko could respond, the ground shook. Not an earthquake, but a vibration. The golden veins running through the ice turned red. The silence was broken by a low, grinding sound, like the world itself was shifting.
From the shadows of the throne room, figures emerged. Dressed in black tactical gear, their masks hiding their faces. Leading them was a man I recognized instantly.
Kaito.
He stepped out into the light, clapping his hands slowly. Clap. Clap. Clap. The sound echoed harshly in the silent hall.
"Bravo, Rizu," he said, his voice cold and mocking. "You really do have a talent for finding the best toys. The Sovereigns of Zeryphilia… do you have any idea how much their energy is worth? We could power the entire Syndicate's operations for a century with just one of them."
"You're not taking them," I stepped forward, standing in front of the thrones. "They're protecting this realm. If you wake them or move them, the whole place could collapse."
Kaito laughed, a short, sharp sound. "Collapse? Or evolve? We don't want to destroy them, boy. We want to control them. And thanks to you leading us right to the doorstep… our job just got easier."
He raised his hand, and his men aimed their weapons. But this time, they weren't firing dark energy. They were firing specialized harpoons attached to thick, energy cables.
"Seize them!" Kaito ordered.
"Run!" Aiko shouted, pushing me aside.
Harpoons shot through the air, embedding themselves into the ice walls with loud CRACKS. The cables hummed with power, draining energy from the environment. The Sovereigns on the thrones began to glow brighter, their skin shifting from blue to white.
The realm was reacting.
"No!" I yelled, feeling a surge of anger and power rush through me. I held out my hand, and instead of just feeling the energy, I pulled on it.
Ice spikes erupted from the floor, blocking the path of the Syndicate soldiers. The temperature in the room plummeted instantly, so fast that the air itself turned into mist. The Syndicate's equipment started to frost over, their weapons jamming.
"What is this?" Kaito yelled, looking shocked. "The energy is rejecting us!"
"Because you don't belong here," I said, my voice steady. I felt connected to everything—the floor, the walls, the thrones. I could feel the sleep of the Sovereigns, deep and ancient. "This place is protected. And so am I."
Hana let out a roar that sounded way too big for her small body, and a wave of cold air blasted outward, knocking several men off their feet.
"Retreat! Fall back!" Kaito shouted, realizing things weren't going his way. "We'll get what we need another way!"
The Syndicate members scrambled back toward the entrance, but the way they came from was already closing. The ice was shifting, walls sealing up like doors locking shut.
"You can't leave," I said, walking forward. "Not until you understand that these worlds aren't yours to take."
I raised my hand, and the ice around Kaito's feet froze solid, trapping him in place. He struggled, glaring at me with hatred.
"You think you've won, Pathfinder?" he spat. "This is just one realm. There are hundreds more. We will find them all."
"Then we'll be waiting," I replied.
I focused my energy, and the ground beneath them opened up—not into a pit, but sliding them back toward the gateway they came from, pushing them out with a force of wind and ice. They disappeared into the portal, and with a final surge of power, I forced the connection to waver, making it unstable for them to follow easily.
Silence returned to the hall.
I panted, dropping to my knees. The power I had just wielded was immense, and it left me feeling exhausted but exhilarated. Aiko ran over to me, helping me up.
"Are you alright?" she asked, checking me over. "That was… incredible, Rizu. You controlled the realm's energy directly."
"I'm okay," I breathed, looking back at the thrones.
As if responding to my touch, the King's hand moved. Just slightly. His fingers twitched, and for a split second, his eyes opened. They were pure, glowing white. He looked at me, and a sound echoed in my mind—not with ears, but directly in my thoughts.
'Guardian…'
Then, his eyes closed again, and the light faded, returning to its peaceful slumber. The red veins in the ice turned back to gold. The danger was over.
"They… they acknowledged you," Dr. Sato said, awe in her voice. "No one has ever made contact with them before."
I stood up, brushing ice from my clothes. I walked back to the camera, which was still rolling, capturing everything.
"Minna-san," I said, looking into the lens. "You saw that. The Syndicate will never stop trying to take what isn't theirs. But neither will we. These realms… they have their own life, their own history, their own guardians. And we are here to protect that."
I looked around the beautiful, frozen city one last time.
"We have to go now. But Zeryphilia… we'll be back. Thank you for letting us visit."
We walked back through the archway, returning to the snowy mountains of Hokkaido. The helicopter waited for us, and as we lifted off, I looked down at the glacier below. Somewhere down there, a kingdom of ice and time was sleeping soundly, safe for another day.