Maya shot Ignis a glare. "He's pushing too hard—"
"He must," Ignis snapped, his hand brushing a frosted chalice, his greed flickering despite the ice. "The seal's spirit will not yield to half-measures."
Ash straightened, his jaw tight. The Frost Titan's resistance gnawed at him, but he refused to falter.
He shut his eyes, channeling the cold again, this time imagining it as a tide he could direct. The frost surged outward once more, thicker now, encasing the dais in a layer of ice.
The cavern's heat clashed with the cold, steam rising where frost met molten cracks. Ash's hands trembled, but he held the power, the chamber transformed into a frozen vault.
Ignis nodded, a rare glint of approval in his eyes. "Better. But you lack finesse. The Frost Titan is raw—guide it with precision, or it will consume you during the alignment."
