A Castle In The Ice  

Time seemed to lose all meaning as I continued on my way toward the castle in the distance.

Truthfully, once I passed through the arch, I could only see an outline of it, cut into the mountain at its back, its gleaming walls covered in ice and snow reflecting the sun. I knew it was there, and that was all that mattered.

But now, I stood right in front of it, my feet inches away from the first of over a hundred steps to the front door. Looking up the massive staircase, I could see that the castle itself, more than just covered in ice and snow, was actually carved from it. The towering spires and arches were practically transparent when the light from the sun hit perfectly.