The story is set in 1888 in Iowa during a punishing, deep winter. Elias Thorne, a weary but resilient farmer, and his wife, Clara, are enduring a relentless deep freeze when the weather takes a sudden, terrifying turn. On a frigid morning, the temperature plummets to freezing. However, a break in the clouds unveils an intense, summer-like sun. Within hours, the temperature soars to an incomprehensible rise in the middle of January. This sudden, unnatural heat turns the massive snowpack into a catastrophic torrent of meltwater.

In a world consumed by metal, what will we become?

When owen ventures too far onto a frozen lake, the cracking ice threatens more than just his safety---it forces him to confront his deepest fears. Rescued by Maren, his childhood best friend and unyielding protector, their shared moment on the fragile ice cracks open years of unspoken feelings. As they navigate the thin line between friendship and love, the two must decide whether to keep pretending or take the leap into something more. "Beneath the Ice" is a heartfelt tale of love, courage, and the enduring strength of bonds formed in the coldest of seasons.

Ersking decided to Invoke Darkness and Nothingness without counterbalancing. Exclaiming an invocation was literally cursing someone. Counterbalance was always like a rope against infinity and too many and dire repercussions of such Invocations.