As the clock struck midnight, a palpable chill descended upon the world, a cold so pervasive it seeped into the very bones of those brave enough to venture beyond their hearths. This cold surpassed a mere winter, defying commonsense with a simple fact that it was a mid summer right now; the air was cool, a numbing embrace devoid of snowflakes. A bitter cold that coerced even the most skilled mages to weave magic spells in a desperate attempt to ward off the encroaching abyss.