Stepping out from the doorway, Belle immediately lost her footing on the slick surface and landed with a thud, flat on her backside.

  "Ugh. What the hell? Is this another trap, Rex?" she groaned, looking up at Rex who stood behind her, grinning.

  "Nope, this is just where I live. Well, sort of—we still have a bit further to go," Rex replied, reaching out a hand to help her up.

  Being stubborn, Belle ignored his offer and attempted to stand on her own. But her legs, unsteady and frozen from the cold, betrayed her, and she slipped again. After several more unsuccessful attempts, she begrudgingly accepted Rex's help, managing to finally stand.

  Squinting against the sudden, harsh sunlight, Belle took in her surroundings. A silent, frosty wind whipped around her, biting at her exposed skin. As her eyes adjusted, she realized that all around her were towering mountains of snow and ice, stretching as far as the eye could see. Despite the bright yolk-like sun hanging in the sky, there was no warmth to be felt—the freezing, dry air dominated everything.

  Shivering uncontrollably, Belle zipped her jacket with trembling fingers and rubbed her hands together in a desperate attempt to generate heat.

  "Are... we... in... fookin'... Antarctica?" she asked through chattering teeth.

  Rex grinned proudly. "We sure are! Isn't it cool? Get it? Antarctica? Cool?" He chuckled at his own corny joke.

  Belle stared at him blankly, unimpressed. "Do I look like I'm grand with this right now, lad?" she replied, her voice thick with frustration and the cold.

  "Alright, alright. I probably should've warned you about where we were heading. My bad," Rex said apologetically. "And I guess I forgot that elves have really sensitive ears. You can borrow my hoodie if you want."

  Belle blushed, her freckled cheeks turning a deeper shade of red. She was touched by Rex's thoughtful offer.

  "What a gentleman," Belle said with a small smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I'll pass for now."

  With a snap of her fingers, Belle summoned a small floating flame, hovering it just above her head like a tiny sun. "Well, now that I've got a bit of warmth, we can keep moving. Lead the way."

  Rex nodded and began walking ahead, guiding Belle through the thick snow. The drifts were at least two feet deep on all sides, and Belle immediately regretted her choice of low boots and jeans. The cold bit through the fabric, chilling her to the bone, while Rex walked easily, as if on a leisurely stroll.

  How does he not feel this cold? Belle thought, exasperated. It looks like he's taking a casual walk in the park, and I'm here freezing my arse off!

  Desperate for a distraction from the biting cold, Belle decided it was a good time to ask Rex some questions for her research. "Hey, Rex, mind if I ask ye somethin'? That door we went through... it brought us all the way to Antarctica. Was it some kind of teleportation portal? I've never seen anythin' like it before."

  "Sort of," Rex replied, glancing back over his shoulder. "It's a vampire-specific skill. My aunt taught me about it. Want me to explain how it works?"

  "Aye, please do! I love learning about this stuff," Belle said, eager to hear more.

  Rex thought for a moment before continuing. "Alright, so there are two types of doors—wooden and rubber. A wooden door can be shaped and molded for back-and-forth travel to a specific location or the place you were previously. Think of it like paper—you can write on it, fold it, tear it, or crumble it up, right?"

  Belle nodded, following along.

  "Well, a vampire has to first tear a hole in reality, and then they 'write' the destination they want to travel to. After a few seconds, a large chunk of wood forms and folds into a door. Pretty cool, right?"

  Belle nodded, fascinated. "What about the rubber doors?"

  "Ah, those are a bit different. Rubber doors take about 24 hours to form and can use up a whole day's worth of mana for an average vampire. But they're much more flexible—rubber doors can travel anywhere. It's more time-consuming, but worth the effort if you need to go somewhere far."

  Belle raised an eyebrow. "And the door we went through...?"

  "That one's special," Rex said, grinning. "Both types of doors can be assigned to specific people. My door with the star carving? That's my personal door—only I can open it. Unfortunately, I don't think my aunt will ever make one for you."

  "Fascinating. Truly fascinating," Belle said with genuine awe. "Which lasts longer—wood or rubber?"

  "Wood," Rex answered without hesitation. "Rubber doesn't hold up well in extreme temperatures, like what we're dealing with right now. But the flexibility makes it a useful tool for specific needs."

  Belle nodded thoughtfully, her mind racing with new ideas. "Thanks for the explanation, Rex. It's brilliant."

  They walked in silence for a few more moments before Belle asked, "By the way, how old are you, Rex?"

  Rex smiled at the easier question. "I'm 112 years old. What about you?"

  "I'm 116," Belle responded.

  Rex's star-shaped pupils gleamed as he nodded. "That explains it—SEF like me age differently. We live a long time, almost like real stars in the sky."

  Belle reflected on his words. So it's true—SEF really do live nearly immortal lives, like the stars they're named after, she thought. I wonder if he knows anything about what happened in that village a hundred years ago, but... he'd be too young to remember, just like me.

  They continued walking, climbing up a large snowy hill. As they reached the top, Rex suddenly stopped.

  "This is it," he announced, facing forward.

  Belle looked around, puzzled. All she could see was a vast, empty expanse of ice stretching out for miles. "What d'ye mean? There's nothin' here," she said, confused.

  Rex chuckled. "Oh, right. I forgot—you can't see what I can. We'll fix that later. For now, just take my hand."

  Belle hesitated for a moment but then reached out and grasped Rex's hand. The moment their fingers touched, her vision shifted, and the once-empty landscape transformed before her eyes.

  A massive LED sign in purple and white letters loomed above them, reading "Rehij City."

  "Rehij City...?" Belle repeated, staring up at the sign. "What a strange name."

  Rex shrugged. "One of the Cryptids who built the city came up with it. But most people call it the City of Cryptids."

  Belle's stomach dropped as she repeated Rex's words. "Wait... ye don't mean this is the City of Cryptids, do ye?"

  "Bingo!" Rex replied with a grin, completely unfazed by her horror.