Verse 1 [Male 1] The chamber yawns open like a wound in the ice The relic pulses amber, a false promise of light Warmth floods our chests but the cold slithers behind Every forward step now feels like crossing a line [Switch to Female 1] The air tastes of iron, the silence too loud Our earlier songs seem to echo too proud Chorus [Male 1 with layered harmonies] Every whisper we utter, every chord we release The glacier absorbs it, it never forgets The weight of its memory presses cold on my skin Success tastes like poison when the mountain listens in Verse 2 [Male 1] My voice cracks on the verse, the minor takes hold The strings vibrate wrong as the story unfolds Cracks race like veins across the glacial floor The fellowship falters, we can’t ignore [Switch to Female 1] A tremor below, a breath not our own The wyrm tastes the air, its hunger has grown Chorus [Male 1 with fuller harmonies] The ice has been patient, it knows every name Our triumph unravels in this hall of shame No glory awaits when the mountain has heard The prize we pursued now feels cursed and absurd Bridge [Male 1, building tension] I feel it watching, the judgment so deep The black chord awakens from its fitful sleep Regret coils tight in the pit of my chest We came seeking fire, now we’re facing the test [Switch to Female 1] The glow flickers false, the dread takes its claim The chamber is alive and it knows our shame Chorus [Male 1 with all voices swelling] The ice has been patient, it knows every name Our triumph unravels in this hall of shame But we’ll stand our ground though the ancient one wakes Defiance our shield as the darkness breaks
