The icy wind cut across the rugged landscape as Emily and her companions arrived at the base of the Southern Peaks. Towering above them, the mountains loomed like ancient sentinels, cloaked in mist and shadow. The peaks were foreboding, their jagged tops piercing the low-hanging clouds, and each step closer made the air feel heavier, the atmosphere charged with something unseen but palpable. It was as if the mountains themselves were alive, watching them, waiting for their next move.