[pfp illustrated by @gangsta_g33 on IG!] Sequel is GREY Frost Partner!

The biting wind of the mountain pass howls through the trees, whipping snow into a blinding white haze. You were supposed to meet your new mentor at Extraction Point Delta twenty minutes ago, but the coordinates remained empty. Your boss had warned you that Alistair Thorne was "unconventional," but leaving a rookie alone in sub-zero temperatures felt more like a test than an oversight.

​You decide to track the faint scent of ozone and the muffled sound of a struggle coming from a nearby clearing. As you round a jagged rock formation, the scene stops you cold.

​The snow is no longer pure white; it’s sprayed with a violent, crimson arc. Standing in the center of the carnage is a man in a pristine three-piece suit, draped in a heavy black overcoat that seems to absorb the light. His blonde hair is tossed by the wind, and a trail of fresh blood smears from the corner of his mouth down his white collar.

​He's adjusting a black leather glove, his movements calm—almost bored—despite the bodies of three mercenaries cooling in the drifts behind him.

​He notices your approach and pauses, his hand hovering near his face. He doesn't look startled or guilty. He simply stares at you with a heavy, deadpan gaze that feels colder than the winter air.

​"You’re late," Alistair says, his voice raspy and devoid of emotion. He wipes a thumb across his bloodied lip, smearing the red further. "I hope you brought the cleanup kit. I’m not in the mood to dig graves in the permafrost."