As the cloud of snowflakes was dissolving, Elsa found herself in a place full of ice figures embodying events of the past of her life. Fascinated by the nature of Ahtohallan and still a bit overwhelmed by the revelations her mother was the voice she had heard all along or that she was the fifth element, she moved through the shapes, trying to understand why she was here and yet sensing that the truth behind the anger of the elements was close.
As she moved through, seeing key moments of her life with different shades of reaction – nostalgic fondness for the child games with Anna, embarrassed shake of the head when seeing herself letting go, amusement to the sight of the Duke of Weaselton making his ridiculous moves during his dance with Anna, and somber glance when seeing the figure of Hans and making her crash his shape with a snap of her hand.
She then saw the memory version of her parents and emotion and intrigue crossed her mind as she remembered the discovery of their shipwreck. Moving through, she first saw a discussion between them where her mother seemed to reveal her true origins, then another one between younger versions of her parents discussing under a tree, and finally the young version of her mother putting her father to safety in the day everything went wrong between Arendelle and the Northuldra.
But a mysterious conversation attracted her attention, "King Runeard, I'm sorry, I don't understand."
Turning her head, she saw two memory people who were discussing while walking among the other past figures, one of them having the broad features of her grandfather, King Runeard.
"Grandfather?", she said in a surprised voice.
The ice shape of King Runeard spoke to what seemed to be a guard, "We're bringing Arendelle's full guard."
The memory shape of his interlocuter replied surprised, "But they have given us no reason not to trust them."
The two figures of the past stopped before Elsa and King Runeard turned to his advisor. "The Northuldra follow magic Which means we can never trust them."
"Grandfather?", said Elsa confused.
The icy figure of her grandfather continued in a dark voice, "Magic makes people feel too powerful. Too entitled, it makes them think they can defy the will of a king."
Elsa gasped stunned and horrified in hearing those words. It reminded her too much of what happened during her coronation day when she accidentally revealed her powers. Hearing her grandfather saying such words aroused a sense of betrayal in her.
As the figure of her grandfather concluded his words, she stepped forward as if she were speaking to him.
"That is not what magic does. That's just your fear. Fear is what can't be trusted," she retorted.
The king and his guard moved past her and Elsa observed them, full of unease. Seeing them disappearing through a wall, she followed them and opened it with her magic, finding a dark tunnel going down. She went on, determined to find out the truth and what happened. She heard with concern and worry her grandfather saying to his guard, "You see, the Dam will weaken their lands, so they will have to turn to me."
As she moved deeper, the voice of her mother singing her lullaby echoed in her mind, "...and a path for you, dive down deep into her sound..."
Elsa suddenly stopped as the path stopped at a narrow edge overhanging a deep dark well.
The lullaby of her mother ended echoing in her mind, "...but not too far or you'll be drowned." And Elsa hesitated, wary of the dark depths below her and feeling a sudden shiver and cold.
The voice of her grandfather echoed in the well, "They will come in celebrations, and then, we will know their size and strength."
As his words echoed, Elsa saw the picture of the well and coming from both sides of the path the guards and the Northuldra. She hesitated, but hearing another figure speaking out and greeting in welcome, she made her decision, sensing the truth was very close. Taking a leap of faith, she jumped off the path and dived deep down the well. After a moment, she landed in a peaceful and beautiful forest. As she started to move, she felt even more shivering while breathing mist escaped her lips. Looking at her hands, she saw with fear snowflakes forming on them. She looked back toward the top of the well, realizing she had gone too far. She suddenly heard voices and laughs. Turning around, she saw people interacting and reindeers running. As the pure white icy snowflakes spread across her body, she crossed her arms in a desperate move to shield it from this unexpected cold.
A new voice attracted her attention, "King Runeard, the Dam isn't strengthening our waters, it's hurting the forest! It's cutting off the North-!"
Turning around, she saw her grandfather interacting with an elder Northuldra who must be the old leader. Wariness crept over her as the shivering was growing.
The icy shape of her grandfather interrupted his speaker with a gesture of the hand before inviting him to move, "Let... Let's not discuss this here. Let's, meet on the fjord. Have tea, Find a solution."
As the memory halted as frozen in time, Elsa turned around trying to find something else among the shapes of the trees. Her hair changed from platinum blonde to pure white and the snowflakes start covering her face as she gets colder and colder. She suddenly saw the memory form of the Nothuldra leader kneeling and holding a cup. Elsa observed it intrigued, wondering what was going to happen. A shadow went past her on the right. Looking around, she saw her grandfather slowly approaching the Northuldra man from behind and unsheathing his sword. Shocked in horror and disbelief as she saw her grandfather making a move to strike the defenseless man, Elsa let out a horrified "No!" and tried to move forward as if to prevent the awful incident from occurring. But her legs were frozen in place by a rising dark blue ice that was covering her. Horror etched across her face, Elsa watched as her very being succumbed to the freezing power, her right arm locking in place, her lower torso turning into an ice statue. In a last and desperate effort, she managed to barely look up and to raise her left hand.
"Anna!" The cry echoed through the frozen air as a single stream of magic shot through her left hand, slicing through the air in a final desperate act to reach out to her sister for the truth. Just after, Elsa froze into an icy statue, condemned to a near-unreachable place.
No word, no breath, no thought was coming from Elsa as she stood frozen. Darkness ruled and time seemed suspended. Only a dark void remained.
And yet, in the boundless void of frozen time, a slow and growing glowing light began to pierce the darkness. The voice, distant and elusive, like an echo from a hidden realm, whispered to Elsa. "Queen Elsa of Arendelle, you've been chosen."
Elsa's consciousness stirred as the mysterious voice continued its elusive discourse. "You are the bridge between worlds. The fifth element that binds the spirits of air, water, fire, and earth. The Avatar needs your guidance. And you need his guidance."
The words were cryptic, tangled in the threads of destiny. As the voice slowly faded, so did the glowing light like a dying ember. And yet, Elsa's consciousness, though still trapped, began to awaken. The icy tendrils that bound her started to recede, releasing her from the frozen prison. Slowly, she descended to the ground as the final vestiges of ice relinquished their hold.
As her body made contact with the floor, Elsa's consciousness slipped away, surrendering to the cold embrace of unconsciousness. The darkness receded, leaving only a lingering sense of purpose and a fading memory of a mysterious voice calling her to a destiny beyond the frozen forest. She remained still for a while, even though the crushing cold she had felt in moving in the depths of the river of memories was now gone.
How long had she been unconscious? Elsa didn't know as her eyes fluttered open. While the place was plunged into darkness, her eyes familiarized slowly to the dark, allowing her to see where she was. To her surprise and confusion, she found herself in a vast, sealed room adorned with statues that were organized in a circular way or even a spiraled way. The architecture gleamed in shades of bluish towers against dazzling white walls. Confusion clouded the queen's features as she rose, taking in the ethereal surroundings.
Her breath caught as she took in the sight. "What is this place?" she whispered to herself, a mixture of wonder and unease in her voice. Her gaze roved across the statues, each frozen in unique clothing styles, even though some of them were wearing clothes that reminded her a bit of the Northuldra. They stood in solemn silence, their eyes seeming to hold centuries of wisdom.
Realization struck Elsa. "I'm not in Ahtohallan anymore."
This realization fortified the confusion and wariness she was feeling. Was she dead? In another place where the spirits sent her? A place where the Northuldra or people similar to them were living? Her thoughts danced between the disconcerting shift from Ahtohallan and the potential repercussions of her disappearance in Arendelle. She thought to Anna and her heart clenched at the idea that her little sister would be broken when she found out about her disappearance. Guilt and turmoil plagued her, but Elsa straightened herself, trying not to break down to the dark thoughts.
With a tentative step, she began to explore the room, her fingers brushing against the cold surface of the statues. Elsa noted the differences and patterns in their attire, whispering to herself, "Who are they?" Her fingers traced the contours of frozen faces, lost in contemplation.
With a cautious curiosity, Elsa explored the room. The statues' clothing styles varied and yet were already recurrent in a pattern of four. She traced her fingers over the intricate patterns of one of the sculptures, wondering about the lives and stories behind each frozen figure and the pattern's nature. The physical features were non-European, leading her to think she wasn't near Arendelle or its neighbors. For some reason, a distant voice echoed in her mind, but she couldn't understand why or what this voice was. It was to some extent similar to what she had experienced before awakening the spirits of the Enchanted forest. But this whisper wasn't like her mother's voice. It was something else that sounded more ethereal.
A sudden rush of wind outside the sealed door caught her attention. The door creaked open, and Elsa instinctively hid behind one of the towering statues, her eyes fixed on the entrance. The anticipation hung in the air as she observed the door revealing the unknown beyond.