The dark puddle of water completely evaporated. It turned into cold, dry steam and vanished. The terrifying, ancient voice of the Emperor of Rot was gone. The threat hung in the freezing air of the underground bunker. The Emperor was waking up in the True North. He was spreading the ultimate plague across the world. Rick stared at the empty, dry metal floor. He gripped his wooden staff. His knuckles were white. His jaw was locked tight. He was the Ghost Doctor. He had to be strong. He had to lead these thousands of scared refugees into the most dangerous war in history. "We need to pack," Rick said. His voice was hard, flat, and completely empty. "We need to gather all the clean water. We leave for the North immediately."Luna stepped forward. She looked at Rick's face. His eyes were dull. His shoulders were incredibly stiff. He was standing perfectly straight, like a soldier made of stone. "Rick," Luna said softly. "You just broke out of a terrible mental prison. You almost died.

Auditor Isaac stood up. He looked at the refugees. Isaac expected the crowd to panic. He expected them to lose faith. If their god was broken, the people should be terrified. But the people did not panic. Brin, the tough mechanic, dropped her iron pipe. Tears filled her eyes. She covered her mouth with her dirty hands. Jace, the teenage boy, began to cry softly. An old man in the front row slowly sank to his knees. He lowered his head. He thought of his own son, who had died in the factories years ago. The old man began to weep. A mother sitting on a crate began to sob, remembering her daughter who had died of the Ash Fever. The emotion was incredibly contagious. The Ghost Doctor was not acting like a distant, perfect, emotionless god. He was sharing his ultimate vulnerability. He was showing them his bleeding, broken heart. And because he was brave enough to show his pain, he gave the entire crowd permission to feel theirs. One by one, the refugees sank to the floor. They di

The heavy titanium door at the top of the bunker shook violently. The sound was terrifying. The frozen army of the Emperor of Rot was beating against the metal. A thick layer of bright, glowing white ice was slowly creeping through the cracks in the heavy door. The cold air rushed down the stairs, freezing the moisture in the bunker into tiny, floating snowflakes. Down in the dark, hidden hole beneath the floor, Rick stood on the metal stairs. He looked down at the massive, black iron train. The Ice-Breaker. It was a giant machine from the old world. It was covered in hundreds of years of white frost and thick dust. Its front was shaped like a sharp, deadly sword designed to cut through solid rock and deep glaciers. "Move!" Rick shouted. His voice echoed in the deep, cold tunnel. "Everyone, get down the stairs! Get inside the train!"The thousands of refugees did not panic. They had learned to be brave. They moved quickly and carefully. The Underground Nurses, led by Brin and Jace

The two men gently lifted the old man and carried him into the safe, warm train car. Rick’s eyes widened. He turned his head to look at the mother with the sliced arm. A large, tough baker covered in flour and dirt was kneeling next to her. The baker pulled a clean flask of water from his belt. He poured the clean water over the deep cut, washing the dirt and broken glass away. The mother hissed in pain, but she held still. Another woman ran over with a clean white bandage. She wrapped it tightly around the mother's arm, tying a neat, firm knot. "Breathe," the baker told the mother gently. "Count to four. One, two, three, four. You are safe."The mother nodded, crying tears of relief. She hugged her baby. The baker helped her stand up and guided her into the train. Rick stood completely frozen on the dirt platform. He slowly lowered his glowing green hand. The magic faded from his fingers. He stared at the people. They were not screaming in panic anymore. When someone fell, thre

"Get back inside, Luna!" Rick commanded. "No!" Luna yelled. "We fight together!"The Frozen General swung its heavy sword directly at Rick’s head. Rick raised his glowing green staff and blocked the strike. Sparks of green fire and white ice exploded in the dark tunnel. The impact was massive. Rick’s boots slid backward on the metal platform. The train was moving faster now. It plunged deeper into the pitch-black tunnel, leaving the ruined bunker far behind. The darkness swallowed them. The only light came from Rick’s staff and the monster’s glowing white eyes. "You cannot stop the cold," the Frozen General hissed. Its voice sounded like cracking glaciers. The monster pushed harder. The freezing white magic began to creep down Rick’s wooden staff, aiming for his bare hands. Rick gritted his teeth. He felt the pure, absolute zero magic trying to freeze his blood. "Isaac!" Rick roared over the screaming wind. Auditor Isaac suddenly stepped out of the shadows on the roof of the t