“See? No problem,” Jiro said through gritted teeth as he shuffled toward the second block. He rose onto his tiptoes, carefully aligning the first block on top of the second. The ice wobbled precariously before settling into place.
“That’s two,” Jiro said, stepping back. “Now for the third.”
“That’s the problem,” Kenji said, gesturing to the stacked blocks. “There’s no way we can lift the last block that high. Not with the tools we’ve got.”
My mind raced. There had to be another solution. “What if we didn’t stack them straight up? What if we leaned them against each other, like a pyramid? It wouldn’t need to touch the ceiling completely, just enough to deflect the weight if it collapses.”
Kenji’s face lit up. “Sort of like an igloo. That could work.”
“Then let’s move!” Jiro shouted.
The three of us hurried to reposition the blocks, tilting them into a triangular formation. The ice ceiling and walls groaned and shifted as we worked, but we managed to wedge the blocks into place. The triangle wasn’t perfect, but it was stable enough to provide a small space in the center.
“It’s not much,” I said, stepping back to survey our work. “But it’ll have to do.”
Another loud crack echoed through the room, followed by a cascade of ice chunks falling from the ceiling. One piece narrowly missed Kenji, shattering on the floor beside him.
“Get under!” Jiro yelled, shoving me toward the opening.
I scrambled inside, pressing myself against one of the blocks. Jiro followed, pulling Kenji in after him. For us all to fit, I ended up being sandwiched between them, our bodies practically molded together. I felt Jiro’s and Kenji’s every movement, every breath pressed upon me. Odd was the best way I could describe it. But it was better than being crushed.
The ceiling let out a low groan. I squeezed my eyes shut, bracing for the impact.
And then it came down.
The sound was deafening—a cacophony of cracking ice and thunderous booms, echoing like cannons. The structure jolted as the ceiling caved in above us. Chunks of ice slammed into the floor with resounding thuds.
When the noise finally stopped, I opened my eyes to find Jiro and Kenji staring at me, their faces pale and stunned. Above us, the triangular formation of ice blocks had held. Large chunks of the ceiling rested on the outside, but we were safe.
“We did it,” I whispered, hardly able to believe it. “We survived.”
Kenji let out a shaky laugh. “Holy shit. I can’t believe that actually worked.”
To my surprise, Kenji planted a quick kiss on my cheek, which prompted Jiro to pull me in for a hug and kiss my other cheek.
“Good thinking, Akiko,” he said.
We crawled out from under the shelter, taking in the wreckage around us. The walls of the ice room had collapsed completely, leaving only the steel framework of the shipping container. The rest of the ceiling had crumbled into massive chunks, littering the floor like building debris in a war zone.
Clapping drew my attention to Chef Sakamoto, Reina, and Iron Face standing a few feet away.
“Congratulations!” Chef Sakamoto called out, his voice bright and cheerful, as though we’d just completed a fun team-building exercise. He popped the cork off a bottle of champagne, spraying it into the air before taking a celebratory swig. “You have successfully completed the challenge without fail!”
He passed the bottle to me with a broad smile, his eyes twinkling with something I couldn’t quite place. Glee? A twisted delight? I took a hesitant sip, the champagne fizzing on my tongue. It tasted bitter. Wrong. A celebration among the aftermath?
I passed it to Jiro, who drank deeply before handing it to Kenji. They laughed and clapped each other on the back, their earlier tension seemingly forgotten. For a moment, they looked like ordinary friends celebrating.
A queasiness bubbled in my stomach at the sight of Chef Sakamoto’s beaming face, like that of a father watching his children succeed. Reina stood beside him, snapping photos with her phone as though documenting a holiday party. Even Iron Face, in danger of losing his nickname, wore something resembling a smile.
This wasn’t a victory to be celebrated. We had almost been killed. And yet there were smiles and laughter aplenty. I half expected cake and ice cream to be rolled out. Was I dreaming?
My gaze shifted to the center of the wreckage, where our makeshift ice shelter still stood, defiant and fragile. A monument to our alliance. But as I watched, one of the blocks shifted. The entire structure collapsed into a heap of jagged shards.
The symbolism wasn’t lost on me. Our alliance had held, for now. But how long before it crumbled too?
I glanced back at Jiro and Kenji. Their laughter rang out, carefree. How could they ignore the weight of everything we’d just endured? I envied them and their ability to find normalcy in the chaos. I for one couldn’t join in their celebration. I couldn’t let myself forget what this place truly was. Evil.
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE
