No one knew how all of this had happened.
The ski resort had been operating here for over a decade. Wave after wave of tourists had co and gone. No matter how noisy and bustling things were at the foot of the mountain, the distant snow peaks had always stood there like silent giants, unmoving and majestic. Ever since people had begun living at the base of the mountain, avalanches had never occurred.
But now, one had.
After a faint crack, the massive ice layer that had been frozen solid for hundreds of years suddenly split apart. At the summit, snow and ice weighing thousands of tons transford into an endless white wall, crashing down along the steep cliffs.
Everything in its path—rocks and ice alike—was swallowed by the surging torrent of snow. The overwhelming wave sent diamond-like snow crystals swirling into the air, while the glow of the setting sun draped over it like a curtain, reflecting dazzling halos across the mist of snow.
If Everly and the others had not been standing within the avalanche’s path at that mont, they might have thought it breathtakingly magnificent—a white funeral hosted by the mountain itself, a spectacle of nature’s overwhelming power.
But right now, the only thing they could do… was run.
Along the muddy, slippery path, they ran—again and again, without stopping—toward the snow mountain lodge, farther and farther away from the heart of the avalanche.
The collapsing snow mass thundered downward, carrying chunks of ice and rock, growing thicker and heavier as it rolled—like a raging flood made of snow. When it plunged to the mountainside, the snow-covered pine forest beca nothing more than countless fragile matchsticks, doing everything it could to slow the unstoppable torrent.
It resisted, bent… and then fell.
Ahead, the outline of the snow mountain lodge was already faintly visible.
“Quick! Don’t stop!”
The avalanche had started on the southern slope of Mount Nathanjoya, directly facing the ski resort below. The lodge, however, was located on the southeastern slope. A raised ridge divided the two slopes—if they could just reach the platform where the lodge stood, they would barely avoid the avalanche.
But everything was happening far too fast!
In the blink of an eye, the snow pines halfway up the mountain were completely wiped out, reduced to broken branches and splintered wood, swept along as part of the descending wall of snow.
The ground beneath their feet began to tremble. A deep, rumbling roar—like the bellow of so ancient beast—pounded against everyone’s eardrums. There was no need to look up. As the vanguard of the avalanche, snow crystals shaken loose from the slope beside them were already pelting their bodies.
Each flake was like a tiny blade, too fine to be seen with the naked eye, piercing through pores and stinging the exposed skin of their faces. Even with masks on, the air they inhaled was bone-chilling. Every breath felt like swallowing countless shards of ice, freezing their lungs from the inside out.
At the sa ti, the rest of their bodies burned like furnaces from the intensity of their exertion.
The four of them supported each other as they ran with all their strength along the slick, muddy path.
Just a few ters away, on the other side of the road, lood a steep, towering rock face. If they failed to reach the platform before the avalanche arrived, their fate would be either burial under the crushing snow or being swept over the cliff by the torrent. Either way, it ant death.
Knowing this all too well, when the roaring wall of snow finally surged down the slope—huge chunks of snow mixed with rocks and deadwood slamming hard onto their shoulders—Old John spread his arms, trying to shield the others beside him, and let out a hoarse, cracking shout:
“Jump—!”
There was no ti to think. The mont the command registered, adrenaline surged, and their bodies reacted on instinct. Driven by an overwhelming will to survive, they unleashed every ounce of their strength. Without a word, all of them shouted inwardly as they leapt into the air, hurling themselves toward the platform just within reach before the avalanche could crush them.
“Boom! Boom!”
Behind them, the roaring torrent of snow, rock, and shattered wood swallowed the entire mountain road. Everly coughed violently, bracing her hands against the filthy ground mixed with mud and ice as she pushed herself up on the platform and looked around.
Through the swirling snow mist kicked up by the avalanche, she could vaguely make out several other figures lying nearby.
“One… two… three…”
Walking around the figures one by one, Everly counted them. Though each of them looked battered in their own way, they were all still alive and in one piece. She finally let out a long breath of relief.
“We can’t stay here. Let’s get into the lodge and take shelter.”
As she spoke, she stepped forward. Together with Misha, one on each side, they helped Rebecca—who had even lost one of her shoes while running—up from the ground. Old John was still in good shape and didn’t need assistance; he got up on his own.
The four of them didn’t dare linger. They quickened their pace, moving away from the still-collapsing snow behind them.
By the ti they reached the lodge entrance, several people were already standing there, having co out after hearing the commotion.
Seeing the four of them erge from the avalanche, shock filled their faces. A young man and woman dressed like students stepped forward, seemingly intending to help. But when they glanced at the avalanche in the distance, hesitation appeared on their faces. After being lightly held back by their companions, they stopped in their tracks.
Instead, a middle-aged couple unfamiliar to them stepped out from the crowd and, without hesitation, rushed out of the lodge to et them.
The man helped carry Rebecca on his back. Seeing that Old John still had strength left, the woman accompanied the remaining three as they headed into the lodge together.
At last, upon reaching the entrance, Everly turned her head to look back.
After so ti of roaring descent, the avalanche along the mountain road had mostly subsided. Thick layers of snow had completely blocked the path in and out. Above the snow lay steep, nearly unclimbable slopes; below it, not far away, was a bottomless cliff.
That mountain road was the only route to and from the lodge.
They were trapped here.
Even so, the situation here was still better than at the ski resort on the slope.
From what Everly had observed earlier, the Pence Ski Resort was located right at the center of the avalanche. To mark off paid areas, the resort had been enclosed with fences. When the avalanche struck, those still inside likely didn’t even have ti to escape beyond the fenced area before being buried beneath the snow.
Thinking back to when she had left—the ski resort still brightly lit, packed with tourists everywhere—Everly couldn’t help but shiver.
This was a brutal burial of snow.
After an avalanche like this, even with the speed of rescue efforts in the United States, no one knew how long it would take to dig out those buried beneath it. And by the ti rescuers finished at the ski resort and reached the lodge, it would likely take even longer…
“This is just too terrifying… It’s truly God’s blessing that you managed to escape alive.”
“Sit down, quickly—would you like so hot milk? Joshua, go get so blankets…”
Led by the middle-aged couple, the group gathered Everly and the others around the burning fireplace. The woman brought over a tray with several cups of hot milk, thoughtfully handing them to the four, who were freezing badly. The man called Joshua quietly walked away, then returned shortly after carrying a thick stack of blankets, which he distributed among them.
Judging by how familiar they were with the lodge and its facilities, the two were likely staff mbers or the owners.
Once the four were settled on the sofa, everyone in the lodge gathered in the hall, talking all at once.
They were all still shaken by the avalanche, yet also relieved that the southeastern slope where the lodge stood hadn’t been affected. Others were already worrying about the blocked mountain road—how they would leave when the ti ca.
“There’s no other choice—we’ll have to wait for rescue,” Old John said. “That kind of avalanche snow may look like a thick layer, but because it’s mixed with rocks and branches, there are often hidden voids underneath. One wrong step and you could sink deep into it—it’s extrely dangerous. Without clearing it, no one can pass.”
Nearby, a young man in glasses and a suit vest had been fiddling with the front desk telephone. Hearing Old John’s words, he put down the receiver, turned around, and announced so bad news to everyone:
“I just tried—it’s possible the lodge’s phone line was damaged in the avalanche. The landline can’t get through to call for help.”
“Really…? I’ll go try the other phones next door!”
Hearing this, Joshua’s face showed a trace of tension. He quickly turned and hurried toward a room on the left side of the corridor.
A red-haired young man added while holding up his phone, “The lodge’s Wi-Fi is down too—it was working fine before the avalanche!”
Prompted by him, several others around them also pulled out their phones to check.
“Yeah, I can’t connect either.”
“Sa here!”
“Did the network cable get cut too?”
In the United States, communication base stations weren’t as widely distributed as they had been in China in Everly’s previous life. In more remote areas, it wasn’t unusual to have no mobile signal, and people were already used to it. The snow mountain where the Yomoor Lodge was located was one such place without reception.
Originally, the lodge provided free Wi-Fi, so everyone could still chat or video call friends and family outside. But now, with even the wireless network down, their phones had beco nothing more than useless bricks.
Holding their “bricks,” the group stood there with grim expressions. After a while, Joshua finally returned, his face heavy.
“How is it?” a short, stout man in his forties or fifties asked anxiously from the crowd.
Joshua shook his head. “No luck. I tried several landlines—none of them can get through. The phone lines are probably really broken.”
“So we can only wait for soone outside to notice us?” The stout man clicked his tongue and cursed under his breath. “I’ve got a lecture at the beginning of the month…” His expression turned sour.
The others didn’t look much better either.
In theory, rescue would definitely co.
The avalanche had been such a massive event that it would be hard for the outside world not to notice. And the Yomoor Lodge was located near the ski resort—it wasn’t so isolated, uninhabited place. As long as the rescue teams paid even a little attention, they would discover the lodge’s predicant.
In addition, the lodge currently had quite a number of guests staying there. No one had appeared out of thin air—sooner or later, friends or family outside would notice sothing was wrong and report it to the rescue teams. Therefore, whether sooner or later, soone would co to rescue them.
But the problem was, no one knew exactly when the outside world would realize their situation.
On one hand, it was the Christmas holiday. Many rescue personnel were away traveling, so the local governnt’s available ergency forces would inevitably be limited on short notice. On the other hand, the Pence Ski Resort to the west had been hit hard, with many people swept into the avalanche. The rescue teams’ attention would very likely be focused there.
As for Yomoor Lodge, its location was… awkward. From the map, the lodge didn’t appear to be within the avalanche’s affected zone. If the rescue teams were even slightly careless, it might take a long ti before they realized that people here were trapped.
And by the ti the rescue teams finally figured it out and ca to help—who knew how much ti would have passed? If the lodge ran out of fuel or food by then, that would beco a serious problem.
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