The winds were cold on the mountain pass as Percy and Artemis made their way higher up the jagged cliffs. The path was narrow, winding through the dense forest before opening up to the towering peaks of the northern mountains. Percy's breath came in quick, frosty bursts as they ascended, each step growing more difficult as the chill in the air became nearly unbearable.

Artemis led the way, her silhouette a steady, graceful presence against the backdrop of snow-covered peaks. She seemed unaffected by the cold, as though the mountain's biting winds were no match for her enduring strength. Percy, on the other hand, couldn't help but shiver beneath her thick cloak. Her skin prickled with the frosty air, and she could feel the sting of ice forming along her hairline.

"Are we close?" Percy asked, her voice barely audible over the howling wind. Her eyes darted around, taking in the rugged terrain that seemed to stretch on forever. She knew that the goddess Chione, the first of their three allies, lived somewhere among these mountains—but finding her would be no easy task. The winds here were fierce, and the air thin, as if nature itself was trying to keep them away.

Artemis nodded without pausing in her steps. "Chione is a creature of the mountains. She has lived here for centuries, untouched by time. She is a force of nature—her powers are tied to the snow and the earth itself. If we are to gain her help, we must prove ourselves worthy."

Percy's heart beat faster. "Worthy? How do we do that?"

Artemis's lips curved into a faint smile, though it held no humor. "You'll see soon enough. Chione does not care for visitors, especially those who come with demands. She will test us. Be prepared."

A gust of wind whipped past them, sending a flurry of snowflakes swirling through the air. The sharp scent of ice and earth filled Percy's lungs as they continued their trek higher. She couldn't help but feel small in the face of such an imposing landscape. The mountain loomed ahead of them like a silent, watchful guardian, its peaks hidden by a thick cloud cover. It felt as though they were being watched.

As they reached the highest point of the path, a steep plateau spread out before them. Here, the wind was calmer, though the cold still bit at their skin. In the center of the plateau stood a tall stone structure—an ancient temple of sorts, half-buried in snow and ice. Its columns were cracked and weathered, but there was a strange, ethereal beauty to it, as if it had been built to honor the very mountain it stood upon.

"This is it," Artemis said, her voice low. "We've found her temple."

Percy looked around, her gaze drawn to the eerie silence that enveloped the place. It felt...wrong. There was something in the air, something unsettling, like the calm before a storm.

Before she could speak, a voice echoed from the shadows of the temple, soft and melodic but laced with an edge of frost. "You have come to seek my aid?"

Percy's heart skipped a beat. The voice was like the wind itself—cold, distant, and impossible to ignore. She turned toward it, her eyes scanning the shadows.

A figure stepped forward from behind one of the crumbling columns, her presence both striking and intimidating. She was tall, her skin pale as the snow around them, and her hair flowed like a river of ice, shimmering with an almost otherworldly glow. Her eyes were a piercing silver-blue, like the frozen lakes that dotted the northern landscape.

"You must be Chione," Percy said, trying to keep her voice steady despite the awe that gripped her.

Chione's lips curled into a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes. "And you are the one who dares to ask for my help. I have heard whispers of you, daughter of Poseidon. You have the moon's power within you, and yet... you seek my aid. For what purpose?"

Artemis stepped forward, her stance steady as ever. "We seek your strength against the rising darkness. Nyx, the primordial goddess of night, threatens to consume all. We need your power to stand against her."

Chione's expression remained unreadable as she studied them both, her gaze flickering between Artemis and Percy. "You ask for my help, but I do not give it freely. Many have come to me before, seeking my favor, only to fall short of what I require. You will not be any different unless you prove yourselves worthy."

Percy felt a surge of unease. "What do we have to do?" she asked, her voice slightly strained as the cold continued to seep into her bones.

Chione raised one hand, and in an instant, the temperature dropped even further. Percy could feel the air growing thick with an unnatural chill, as though the very breath of winter had taken hold of the land. Snow began to fall in large, swirling flakes, enveloping the temple in a quiet, freezing embrace.

"You will prove your worth in the Trials of Winter," Chione declared, her voice cutting through the storm. "The trials will test your strength, your resolve, and your understanding of nature's most unforgiving elements. Fail, and you will leave here empty-handed. Succeed, and I may offer you my aid."

"Bring it on," Percy said, her voice steady despite the knot in her stomach. She wasn't sure what the trials would entail, but she wasn't about to back down. Not when so much was at stake.

Chione's smile deepened, a glimmer of approval in her eyes. "We shall see. The trials begin now."

Before Percy could react, the ground beneath their feet trembled. A deafening crack echoed through the air, followed by a sharp, cold gust of wind that sent them both stumbling backward. From the depths of the temple, a massive wall of snow and ice surged toward them, threatening to swallow them whole.

"This is your first trial," Chione's voice rang out above the storm. "Survive the storm, or perish in the cold."

Percy braced herself as the icy wind slammed into her. Snow blinded her vision, and the freezing cold quickly numbed her fingers and toes. The wind howled around them, relentless and unforgiving. Percy's heart raced. She could feel the cold biting deeper with each passing second, but she gritted her teeth and pressed forward.

She wasn't about to lose to this.