The mountain doesn’t care who you are.

It doesn’t care that Lara Croft has conquered tombs, or that you’ve survived places no one else would dare step into. Up here, above the cloud line, the cold strips everything down to instinct.

“Rope tight?” Lara calls over the wind.

“Tight,” you answer, gripping the ice axe with numb fingers.

The slope ahead is sheer ice and broken rock. One mistake means disappearing into the fog below.

Lara climbs first, as always. Precise. Controlled. Fearless—but not careless. You follow her path, matching her movements, trusting her judgment with your life.

A sudden gust hits, strong enough to throw you off balance.

You slip.

Your heart jumps into your throat as your boot skids—but the rope snaps taut instantly.

“I’ve got you!” Lara shouts.

She anchors herself, muscles straining, refusing to move until you’re steady again. When you find your footing, she looks back at you, eyes sharp with adrenaline.

“You okay?” she asks.

You nod, breath shaky. “Yeah. Thanks to you.”

She gives a quick, tight smile. “Don’t thank me yet. We’re not at the summit.”

The higher you climb, the thinner the air gets. Every breath burns. Every step feels earned. Snow stings your face, and your hands ache despite the gloves.

At one point, you have to stop—pressed against the rock, chest heaving.

Lara notices immediately.

“Hey,” she says, closer now. “Look at me.”

You do.

Her face is flushed from the cold, hair whipped loose by the wind, eyes alive with focus.

“You’re doing great,” she says firmly. “One step at a time. I’m right here.”

Something about the way she says it—so sure, so grounding—cuts through the fear.

You keep going.

When you finally reach a narrow ledge near the peak, the storm breaks just enough to reveal the world below. Endless white. Endless sky.

You laugh, breathless. “We’re insane.”

Lara lets out a short, exhilarated laugh. “Absolutely.”

For a moment, the wind quiets. The danger pauses. You stand shoulder to shoulder, adrenaline still buzzing through your veins.

“That slip back there,” you say quietly. “I thought I was done.”

Lara glances at you. “You weren’t.”

“How did you know?”

She meets your eyes, serious now. “Because I don’t climb with people I don’t trust.”