p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="023e2f13f067a3ac8cf8128d087e585e"It was night when Lilian Learen was woken by a nervous, almost embarrassed knock on her door. She flung it open, marimba key at the ready to hit someone, and froze at the sight of her best friend, Nadia./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="59f0066cdb5a57d21ca8fd001988bda3""Nadia? What the-" she started at the same time Nadia asked in confusion, "Why are you threatening me with a marimba key?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c1f207efc08def84ca67b108033cf24e""Well, I think if you smashed this into the side of someone's head, it would take 'em out," Lilian said matter-of-factly. "Now, why are you here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d58954d19ab5193d130d328ce11797cd""I need your help," said Nadia. "It's...it's a really big deal."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cdfc3a8a2dd0df5744e6f2d9e4982a77""It's about the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SafeShield/span, isn't it?" Lilian asked quietly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c8796893b4d46c479cb6826cdc1742d5"Nadia was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Yeah. Yeah, it is."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /*br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"This is a horrible plan," muttered Lilian as she picked at the one-size-too-tight robes of an Ordinary Wizard Apprentice./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45800faa76fa8764c2a1b104ea259685""I think an even worse plan is sitting here waiting for the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SafeShield /spanto collapse and the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkenesse /spanto roll on in," Nadia said cheerily, unclasping her silver butterfly necklace and fastening it around Lilian's neck. Finally, she covered her friend's black hair, so different from her own dirty blond locks, with her robe's hood. "There," she said with satisfaction. "Just like me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="899552750b2cff429b31c234f44cb81f"Lilian raised her eyebrows and Nadia's face crumpled. "Just keep your head down," she said in a shaking voice./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a888690a8ffc04782d34bf6bd88cfa28""You better be fast about this whole find-the-Apprentice thing," demanded Lilian, hugging her friend, a waved finding its way into her voice, too. "Because I sure ain't cut out to be a waitress."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="882dd18a264eb09735864159cd5d1b3e"Nadia laughed, wiping her nose and kissing her friend's cheek. "Bye, Lilian."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8ab7f72340741318da0df3087d81a7b4""Have fun," her friend said sincerely./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="398738925eacc1dd8325caeaafc772a3""I will," Nadia said, although she didn't see how. The weight of 300 plus people's lives, futures, rested on her shoulders. She wouldn't have time to have fun, even if she wanted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="415792cc0523560664ee10b435973869"Her friend smiled. "So, when do I start?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d17fd0c6c76e8ab9dc784b7ea4a36032""In three hours. Get some sleep," suggested Nadia. "It's kinda tiring."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b107744597f5ce025bd884dfc028852f""Not as tiring as finding someone who's been lost for five years," said Lilian truthfully./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="26ed351c61d96efd190a0e6cdbc070fc""Goodbye, Lilian," said Nadia, clutching her backpack to her chest./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9641a0b47b345e4a36dc5577e7cd5cea""Goodbye," her friend said solemnly, and Nadia gently closed the door of her apartment behind her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0681fc7b3ace7609d09298f8959dfa4e"She felt a tendril of dread curve in her stomach, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. She knew where the IceTunnel entrance was exactly, thanks to quick, hushed words with Julius during his food breaks./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8dc7e50057bf79b1acec75553e23e7e8"Her breaths came in short, fast gasps. Everyone had been ordered into their rooms, with the assurance that everything would be quite all right. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Lies, /emthought Nadia. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Lies, all of it./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5310de2cb404a158000eb2aeeac23ac3"She ignored the floor of the main area of the first floor of the Wizard Tower, which asked questioningly, span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Where are you going, Apprentice? Please return to your room./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c91424742624d35e99b65f6251b7d9e"Nadia stood in front of the broom cupboard that Julius swore the Tunnel entrance was. She opened the door, gritting her teeth at the creaks and groans it gave out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0619a9a7c6fffe86e02f7236e94ec2ac"There it was. A round door with a strange handle, lined with lapis lazuli and otherwise plain grey, stared back at her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc465a4f017e3a0a8ff5b7ef093f2c6f"She pressed her ear to it. The metal was cold to the touch, and she drew back in surprise. Nadia knew nothing about the Tunnels. She had been told by Julius that technically, only very important people were supposed to know about the Ice Tunnels. Nadia, out of politeness, had refrained from asking how, then, Julius knew about them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="847ce6cef017bfb4e34256dc890fac70"She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to sense any span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span that may have laid in wait beyond the door./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d9440ee2c8507ef8b9e04da1f9f1a47f"A cold feeling trickled through her, moving faster and faster as she sensed the huge amount of span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darke/span power surging around the Wizard Tower, trying desperately to find a chink in the armor and squeeze its way through, poisoning and killing and staining the small amount of life left in the Castle with span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span. And now it was trying to find a way into her, to twist her mind and corrupt her soul, use her until she was no more, just a broken body on the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b300e062c2c5827dc55ee06cab373900"Nadia's eyes flew open and she struggled for breath as the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span left her. She had been so terrified at the hopelessness washing over her that she couldn't even remember if she had felt any span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span coming from the Ice Tunnels./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="73cc28a42ca989127782c3aefd54576e"She reached tentatively out toward the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span, but snatched her span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Magyk/span back when she realized that with so little training in matters of thespan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" Darke/span, she would never be able to distinguish which direction the evil forces were coming from before being span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Consumed/span./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="25b9751e37ed6302355b39cbb7f2c8ce"She had no choice. Everyone would die anyway if she left the Ice Tunnels alone, relived Lilian of her acting duties, and pretended like this had never happened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a8811c63e47f0d38588ad8b6f90cea37"Taking a deep breath, she grasped two of the handle spokes and wrenched them to the left. The door creaked open with a hissing noise, and a wave of extreme cold hit Nadia in the face. She pulled up the scarf fastened around her neck, zipped her coat, and forged onward into the darkness-but not span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span-that was the Ice Tunnels./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="59f0066cdb5a57d21ca8fd001988bda3""Nadia? What the-" she started at the same time Nadia asked in confusion, "Why are you threatening me with a marimba key?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c1f207efc08def84ca67b108033cf24e""Well, I think if you smashed this into the side of someone's head, it would take 'em out," Lilian said matter-of-factly. "Now, why are you here?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d58954d19ab5193d130d328ce11797cd""I need your help," said Nadia. "It's...it's a really big deal."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="cdfc3a8a2dd0df5744e6f2d9e4982a77""It's about the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SafeShield/span, isn't it?" Lilian asked quietly./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="c8796893b4d46c479cb6826cdc1742d5"Nadia was silent for a moment. Then she said, "Yeah. Yeah, it is."br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /*br style="box-sizing: border-box;" /"This is a horrible plan," muttered Lilian as she picked at the one-size-too-tight robes of an Ordinary Wizard Apprentice./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="45800faa76fa8764c2a1b104ea259685""I think an even worse plan is sitting here waiting for the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"SafeShield /spanto collapse and the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkenesse /spanto roll on in," Nadia said cheerily, unclasping her silver butterfly necklace and fastening it around Lilian's neck. Finally, she covered her friend's black hair, so different from her own dirty blond locks, with her robe's hood. "There," she said with satisfaction. "Just like me."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="899552750b2cff429b31c234f44cb81f"Lilian raised her eyebrows and Nadia's face crumpled. "Just keep your head down," she said in a shaking voice./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a888690a8ffc04782d34bf6bd88cfa28""You better be fast about this whole find-the-Apprentice thing," demanded Lilian, hugging her friend, a waved finding its way into her voice, too. "Because I sure ain't cut out to be a waitress."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="882dd18a264eb09735864159cd5d1b3e"Nadia laughed, wiping her nose and kissing her friend's cheek. "Bye, Lilian."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8ab7f72340741318da0df3087d81a7b4""Have fun," her friend said sincerely./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="398738925eacc1dd8325caeaafc772a3""I will," Nadia said, although she didn't see how. The weight of 300 plus people's lives, futures, rested on her shoulders. She wouldn't have time to have fun, even if she wanted./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="415792cc0523560664ee10b435973869"Her friend smiled. "So, when do I start?"/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d17fd0c6c76e8ab9dc784b7ea4a36032""In three hours. Get some sleep," suggested Nadia. "It's kinda tiring."/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b107744597f5ce025bd884dfc028852f""Not as tiring as finding someone who's been lost for five years," said Lilian truthfully./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="26ed351c61d96efd190a0e6cdbc070fc""Goodbye, Lilian," said Nadia, clutching her backpack to her chest./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="9641a0b47b345e4a36dc5577e7cd5cea""Goodbye," her friend said solemnly, and Nadia gently closed the door of her apartment behind her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0681fc7b3ace7609d09298f8959dfa4e"She felt a tendril of dread curve in her stomach, and she took a deep, shuddering breath. She knew where the IceTunnel entrance was exactly, thanks to quick, hushed words with Julius during his food breaks./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8dc7e50057bf79b1acec75553e23e7e8"Her breaths came in short, fast gasps. Everyone had been ordered into their rooms, with the assurance that everything would be quite all right. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Lies, /emthought Nadia. em style="box-sizing: border-box;"Lies, all of it./em/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="5310de2cb404a158000eb2aeeac23ac3"She ignored the floor of the main area of the first floor of the Wizard Tower, which asked questioningly, span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Where are you going, Apprentice? Please return to your room./span/p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="8c91424742624d35e99b65f6251b7d9e"Nadia stood in front of the broom cupboard that Julius swore the Tunnel entrance was. She opened the door, gritting her teeth at the creaks and groans it gave out./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="0619a9a7c6fffe86e02f7236e94ec2ac"There it was. A round door with a strange handle, lined with lapis lazuli and otherwise plain grey, stared back at her./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="bc465a4f017e3a0a8ff5b7ef093f2c6f"She pressed her ear to it. The metal was cold to the touch, and she drew back in surprise. Nadia knew nothing about the Tunnels. She had been told by Julius that technically, only very important people were supposed to know about the Ice Tunnels. Nadia, out of politeness, had refrained from asking how, then, Julius knew about them./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="847ce6cef017bfb4e34256dc890fac70"She drew in a deep breath, closing her eyes and trying to sense any span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span that may have laid in wait beyond the door./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="d9440ee2c8507ef8b9e04da1f9f1a47f"A cold feeling trickled through her, moving faster and faster as she sensed the huge amount of span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darke/span power surging around the Wizard Tower, trying desperately to find a chink in the armor and squeeze its way through, poisoning and killing and staining the small amount of life left in the Castle with span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span. And now it was trying to find a way into her, to twist her mind and corrupt her soul, use her until she was no more, just a broken body on the ground./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="b300e062c2c5827dc55ee06cab373900"Nadia's eyes flew open and she struggled for breath as the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span left her. She had been so terrified at the hopelessness washing over her that she couldn't even remember if she had felt any span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span coming from the Ice Tunnels./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="73cc28a42ca989127782c3aefd54576e"She reached tentatively out toward the span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span, but snatched her span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Magyk/span back when she realized that with so little training in matters of thespan style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;" Darke/span, she would never be able to distinguish which direction the evil forces were coming from before being span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Consumed/span./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="25b9751e37ed6302355b39cbb7f2c8ce"She had no choice. Everyone would die anyway if she left the Ice Tunnels alone, relived Lilian of her acting duties, and pretended like this had never happened./p
p style="box-sizing: border-box; margin: 0px 0px 24px; font-size: 18px; font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', 'Helvetica Neue', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px; color: #555555;" data-p-id="a8811c63e47f0d38588ad8b6f90cea37"Taking a deep breath, she grasped two of the handle spokes and wrenched them to the left. The door creaked open with a hissing noise, and a wave of extreme cold hit Nadia in the face. She pulled up the scarf fastened around her neck, zipped her coat, and forged onward into the darkness-but not span style="box-sizing: border-box; font-weight: bold;"Darkeness/span-that was the Ice Tunnels./p