{"id":507,"date":"2025-07-10T23:35:25","date_gmt":"2025-07-10T23:35:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/?post_type=read-for-free&#038;p=507"},"modified":"2026-04-07T04:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T04:21:12","slug":"castor-pollux-the-adventure-on-the-planet-of-eternal-ice","status":"publish","type":"read-for-free","link":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/read-for-free\/castor-pollux-the-adventure-on-the-planet-of-eternal-ice\/","title":{"rendered":"CASTOR POLLUX: LA AVENTURA EN EL PLANETA DEL HIELO ETERNO"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-elementor-type=\"wp-post\" data-elementor-id=\"507\" class=\"elementor elementor-507\" data-elementor-post-type=\"read-for-free\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-a893fe6 e-flex e-con-boxed e-con e-parent\" data-id=\"a893fe6\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"e-con-inner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-684ae38 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"684ae38\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-456494d e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"456494d\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\" data-settings=\"{&quot;background_background&quot;:&quot;classic&quot;}\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-930f012 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"930f012\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\">CASTOR POLLUX: LA AVENTURA EN EL PLANETA DEL HIELO ETERNO<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-f183141 elementor-widget elementor-widget-heading\" data-id=\"f183141\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"heading.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"elementor-heading-title elementor-size-default\"> Un relato del universo Imperium\n<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-5b16531 e-con-full e-flex e-con e-child\" data-id=\"5b16531\" data-element_type=\"container\" data-e-type=\"container\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-b562aaf elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"b562aaf\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2><b>\u00a1La acci\u00f3n continua!<\/b><\/h2><p><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/p><p><b>The trap of deadly ice!<\/b><\/p><p><b>Castor Pollux, el \u00faltimo h\u00e9roe pulp de la galaxia, <\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">se estrella en un planeta azotado por tormentas, oscuridad\u2026 y muerte.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Un campo magn\u00e9tico ha desactivado todas las naves.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Una fuerza desconocida se oculta entre la nieve.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Y su enemigo m\u00e1s letal\u2026 tambi\u00e9n ha descendido.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cassius. El conquistador Gnor.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Su rival eterno.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Separados por el hielo.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unificados por el peligro.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Solo uno podr\u00e1 salir con vida.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Pero esta no es solo una batalla entre titanes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">El verdadero enemigo a\u00fan no ha mostrado sus garras.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00bfQui\u00e9n caer\u00e1 primero?<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><b>\u00bfQu\u00e9 secretos esconde este planeta congelado? \u00a1Desc\u00fabrelo en esta nueva y brutal aventura del universo Imperium!<\/b><b><br \/><\/b><b>\u00a1No te la pierdas!<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-4110670 elementor-widget elementor-widget-image\" data-id=\"4110670\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"image.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1410\" height=\"2250\" src=\"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg.jpg\" class=\"attachment-full size-full wp-image-2846\" alt=\"Castor Pollux Book 5 The Adventure on the Eternal Ice Planet cover sci fi pulp novel frozen world\" srcset=\"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg.jpg 1410w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-188x300.jpg 188w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-642x1024.jpg 642w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-768x1226.jpg 768w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-963x1536.jpg 963w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-1283x2048.jpg 1283w, https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/07\/castor-pollux-book-5-eternal-ice-planet-cover.jpg-8x12.jpg 8w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1410px) 100vw, 1410px\" \/>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-c3a8fca elementor-widget elementor-widget-text-editor\" data-id=\"c3a8fca\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" data-widget_type=\"text-editor.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h3><b>Cap\u00edtulo 1<\/b><\/h3><p><b>The Fall into Ice<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Castor Pollux gripped the controls hard and smiled.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEarthling, we\u2019re surrounded by Gnor ships and you\u2019re smiling?\u201d Lotus growled, eyes never leaving the radar.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> On the screen, the enemy swarm wrapped around them completely. Bellatrix stayed calm, her steady face lit by flashes of combat, while Professor Quintus trembled, covering his eyes as if not seeing could change fate.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cAurora, status of the ship,\u201d Castor ordered.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cSystems at one hundred percent,\u201d the AI replied, her blue halo vibrating over the console. \u201cThe Gnor ships are also operational\u2026 and they\u2019ve just opened fire.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The first impact shook the cockpit. The metallic roar ran up the frame and rumbled in their bones.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWe\u2019re going to die,\u201d Quintus stammered, tightening his seatbelt.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cNot today,\u201d Castor shot back, swinging the ship with a sharp turn.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A beam slit the void, grazing the fuselage. The reflection lit Castor\u2019s eyes. The Centurion 1 rolled on its axis, chasing one of the enemy ships.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEarthling, we already know our weapons don\u2019t hurt them,\u201d Lotus growled.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI wouldn\u2019t be so sure,\u201d Castor answered, confident.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He pulled the trigger. The orange beam shot out and one of the Gnor ships exploded, shattering into a thousand incandescent fragments.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Lotus blinked.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cDamn, how\u2019d you do that?\u201d he said in astonishment.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cDoes Mercatus ring a bell?\u201d Castor said, eyes locked on the target.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cAnd here I thought everything there was junk.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThings aren\u2019t always what they seem.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Aurora cut in:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cDanger. Danger, Castor Pollux. Impact in three seconds.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor yanked the lever and the ship swept into a tight arc. The beam passed within feet and smashed into another nearby Gnor ship, disintegrating it. Bellatrix barely smiled.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cYou really enjoy this.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Space filled with luminous streaks\u2014ships crossing at impossible speeds, cannons firing bursts that looked like caged lightning. The Centurion 1 dove between enemy lines, rolled on its axis, and surfaced behind another Gnor ship. Castor fired again. The impact lit the darkness with a golden flare.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cLateral shield at forty-eight percent; they\u2019re firing on that flank,\u201d Aurora warned.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cKeep it maxed,\u201d Castor said, fingers digging into the controls.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cassius appeared on radar. His flagship was a shadow in motion, flanked by two escorts. Castor recognized its energy signature before Aurora confirmed it. His heart pounded like a drum.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThere he is.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCassius?\u201d Bellatrix asked.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cYes. The very same Cassius.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The Centurion 1 swung toward the Gnor ship. Two escorts crossed in tight formation.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor clenched his jaw.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cLet\u2019s go get him.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI do not recommend that,\u201d Aurora said. \u201cThey outnumber us. I recommend immediate retreat.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> No one answered. Lotus shook his head. Castor had already decided.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The Centurion 1 accelerated. The engines roared and the screens washed in light. Cassius pivoted his ship, answering the chase with surgical precision. An impossible duel began: two gladiators, and their arena was the void. Every maneuver from Cassius was calculation; every turn from Castor, pure instinct. Space warped around them, sketching a dance of fire and speed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cassius fired three projectiles. Castor rolled the ship; the shots buzzed past, cutting the darkness. Lotus gripped the panel with both hands.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEarthling, you\u2019re going to get us all killed.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cJust relax,\u201d Castor said, pulse steady as steel.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cShield at thirty-nine percent,\u201d Aurora warned.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cHold together,\u201d Castor growled. \u201cI\u2019m not dying today.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The two ships chased each other through the debris field. Castor rolled, sliding in behind Cassius. The Gnor climbed; Castor followed. The enemy released a cloud of mines that spun with a dim glow, and the radar flooded with interference. Castor dropped into a dive. The mines detonated behind him, fire licking the hull. The alarm shrieked.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEngine temperature: critical. You\u2019re pushing the ship to the limit,\u201d Aurora announced.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI know what I\u2019m doing,\u201d Castor replied, without breaking off the pursuit.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cassius turned again, drawing them into a dense zone of interference. Castor followed without hesitation. Readings began to fail; radar signals disappeared one by one.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI don\u2019t see him,\u201d Bellatrix said.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cHe sees us,\u201d Castor replied.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCareful,\u201d Aurora warned. \u201cMagnetic interference increasing.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The sky lit up. Dozens of lights burst from nowhere: Gnor ships boxed them in, tight formation.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cAmbush,\u201d Bellatrix confirmed.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cassius had led them straight into the heart of the swarm.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI walked right into it,\u201d Castor growled, slamming the console in frustration.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cNow what?\u201d Lotus roared.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cFive ships targeting,\u201d Aurora reported. \u201cProbability of survival\u2026\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI can see it,\u201d Castor cut her off. \u201cWe\u2019ll fight to the end. Fire all batteries.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Silence. Nothing happened.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cFire the lasers, now!\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The lights flickered and then went out. The cockpit fell into darkness. Quintus groaned.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cSystems failed. We\u2019re defenseless.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Bellatrix looked out the viewport, her voice steady.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCastor\u2026 the Gnors aren\u2019t moving either.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The entire expanse of space had died. Ships floating. No lights. No power.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor frowned.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThis wasn\u2019t an attack\u2026 it was something else.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Silence smothered everything. Cold began to creep through the seams in the metal, and the Centurion 1 hung suspended in a universe without breath.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Inside the ship, the void was worse than any alarm. The ship drifted: a frozen tomb, no engines, no Aurora, and the only sound was the slow creak of the hull.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Professor Quintus breathed in short gasps, each inhalation measured like someone rationing an invisible treasure. Total concentration: his brain, working like the sharpest computer, ran mental calculations, weighing probabilities, variations, and statistics. Finally, he concluded:<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cOxygen: twenty-four hours. Maybe less. If the temperature drops one more degree\u2026 eighteen,\u201d he murmured, voice cracking.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEighteen hours to freeze to death,\u201d Lotus grunted, arms crossed. \u201cI\u2019m not dying in this tin can.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Castor looked out the viewport. A white planet dominated the horizon.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019m sure the answer is on that planet,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cI can feel it from here.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Quintus nodded, pale as wax.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cYes. I can\u2019t find any other explanation.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCan we go down?\u201d Bellatrix asked, eyes locked on the planet.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cNot with the Centurion 1. The engines are dead,\u201d Professor Quintus said, resigned. \u201cThere\u2019s only one option: the single-seat shuttle. Pure mechanics. If the air doesn\u2019t tear it in two.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThat\u2019s suicide,\u201d Lotus said.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor smiled.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGot a better idea, big guy?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The corridor to the hangar smelled of cold metal and old oil. The shuttle waited like a coffin with short wings: levers, pedals, needle gauges\u2014relics from another age, perfect for a desperate man. Quintus appeared with a cylinder and set it in Castor\u2019s hands.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cThermal regulator for your suit. Chemical. It\u2019ll keep you warm for a few hours. After that\u2026\u201d He didn\u2019t have the heart to go on. He didn\u2019t need to.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor accepted it without a word. He met Bellatrix\u2019s eyes; no words were needed. Lotus planted himself beside the craft, fists pressed to his sides.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEarthling, don\u2019t you dare die down there.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI\u2019ll do my best,\u201d Castor said as he climbed into the shuttle.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Adrenaline on the surface of his skin. Mind and body ready for whatever came.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The helmet sealed with a screech. A heartbeat, and the hangar was behind him.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor pulled the manual release. The shuttle dropped like a stone.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The hit with the atmosphere was immediate. Invisible fire licked the fuselage; the frame shook violently and the craft screamed. Castor jammed his feet on the pedals. The shuttle responded halfway, lurching like a wounded animal.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCome on\u2026\u201d he said through clenched teeth. \u201cGive me a little more.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The blizzard was a living wall. The altitude indicators went crazy; the altimeter spun and died. The shuttle went into a spiral. Castor corrected with his whole body, back tight, face set. The ground appeared all at once: a sea of frozen glass veined with blue. He edged the craft toward a tongue of soft snow.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The impact rattled him to the bones. The shuttle bounced, spun, scraped across the ice, and stopped among sparks and shattered plates. Castor forced the helmet open. The icy air slapped him. The thermal regulator crackled inside the suit, sending a harsh chemical heat up his spine.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Ahead there was no horizon, only endless white: Vallis Nix. Crystal mountains, open chasms, a dead glow without a sun.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He scanned the terrain at a glance. Too quiet. Too silent. His instinct warned him that calm wasn\u2019t natural.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> A howl split the stillness. It wasn\u2019t the wind. It came from somewhere among the ice spires. Low shapes moved in the glare: muscular bodies, fur white as lime, frozen eyes burning in the dark. Giant wolves.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Too big to be wolves, too quiet to be beasts.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Castor lit the Gladius. The orange line slit the blizzard, and the \u201cV\u201d on his chest answered with a warm flash. He planted his boots deep in the snow.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019m guessing you\u2019re hungry,\u201d he said with a tight smile. \u201cDinner\u2019s served. Come and get it.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The first wolf leaped.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The blow was sharp.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor spun on his axis and used the wolf\u2019s weight to hurl it overhead; the body hit the ice and cracked with a hollow snap. Another slammed him from the flank. Castor turned with the motion: the Gladius traced an orange arc that cut air, hide, and bone. A metallic scent filled the storm. Snow turned to smoke.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Three more circled him. Pale eyes. Jaws dripping vapor. Castor tightened his grip and raised the blade.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWhat are you waiting for, pups?\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The next attack came from behind. Castor rolled; the lit blade sliced the gloom, a choked roar and a red line across the whiteness. Another wolf fell, but a third hit him square on. They rolled together, a mass of muscle and fury. The Gladius was lost in the scramble; snow spun around him like a whirlwind.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wolf sprang. Castor waited on his knees, caught it by the neck, and smashed it against the ice. The crack echoed like a gunshot. Then, silence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He rose slowly, gasping. His breath was pure vapor. He recovered the Gladius from the ground, the blade sputtering back to life.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Only one remained. It was larger than the rest: silver coat, intelligent eyes\u2014almost human.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor studied it. He powered the blade down and let it drop into the snow.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI\u2019m not after your death,\u201d he said quietly. \u201cOnly the way.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The animal breathed hard. It growled\u2026 but didn\u2019t attack.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor raised an open hand. The wolf sniffed the metal of the suit, growled once more, then lowered its muzzle.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor set his palm on its neck. He felt the heat of the body, the pulse under the skin.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The animal accepted him.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For a second, Castor just stood there with his hand on its neck, listening to the slow sound of its breathing.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wind howled around them, but between the two of them a different calm reigned, almost ancient.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wolf tilted its head; its pale eyes reflected the lights of the dormant Gladius. In them, Castor saw something he didn\u2019t expect: understanding\u2014or maybe simple weariness.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cI suppose that\u2019s something we share,\u201d he said, with a tired smile.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The cold bit his face, but for a moment he didn\u2019t feel it.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> His hand stayed on the animal\u2019s thick fur, sensing the warmth beneath, the rhythm of its heart.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He thought of the deserts of Nexum 1, of the roar of androids on Argentum, of all the planets where he had fought and survived.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wolf gave a low growl, as if it understood the thought.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor patted its neck lightly.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cEasy.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wind dragged snowflakes like dead embers.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For the first time in hours, Castor felt something like company.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Not an alliance. Not a mission.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Just a living creature that had decided, for reasons beyond all logic, not to devour him.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> He got ready to mount.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wolf turned its head, looking over its shoulder at him with what, in another context, would have been impatience.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor chuckled softly.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cYeah, I get it. You don\u2019t like wasting time.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cGood. Take me to where this wind ends.\u201d<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He swung onto its back. The wolf snorted, but moved. It ran through the storm, carving deep furrows in the snow. The air was a white blade.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Around them, ice rose in impossible shapes: columns, obelisks, ruins of metal and stone. Totems jutting from the ice, carved with symbols that seemed to move under the frost.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor leaned slightly over the wolf, studying the totems sticking up like ancient monoliths.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cWolves didn\u2019t build this,\u201d he whispered, more to himself than to his new mount.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They kept on. Hours passed and time ran out aboard the Centurion 1.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Suddenly, the wind shifted, bringing a different scent, dense, metallic: ozone and iron.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wolf stopped with a low growl, muscles taut as cables.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor raised his gaze and, through the blizzard, made out a solitary figure. Tall. Steady. Wrapped in a white cloak that barely stirred in the wind.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> For an instant, the world seemed to stop.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Amid the snow, a red light tore the haze. A lit sword.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor recognized it instantly; that glow was unmistakable.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cCassius\u2026\u201d he murmured, with a mix of fury and resignation.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The wolf stepped back on instinct.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Castor dismounted calmly, the ice crunching under his boots. He activated the Gladius, and the orange blade came alive with a roar of energy.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cSo you fell from the sky too.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> Cassius advanced through the blizzard, his cloak stirring like a living shadow.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The crimson light of his sword cut the air between them.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> \u201cOr perhaps the sky threw me down,\u201d he replied, \u201cto finish what I started.\u201d<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> His voice carried that unmistakable hiss\u2014part threat, part contempt\u2014that seemed to vibrate even after the silence.<\/span><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They stood face-to-face, motionless, measuring each other with their eyes.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The wind roared around them, lifting spirals of snow that danced between the two lights: one red, one orange, crossing over the ice.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The planet itself seemed to hold its breath.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The ground trembled.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The cold found its voice.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> And then, as if the universe had been waiting for that instant, the silence broke.<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"><br \/><\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> The battle was about to begin.<\/span><\/p><div><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div><div><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div><div><b>\u00a0<\/b><\/div><p><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/gp\/product\/B0FR3TF9ZV?ref_=dbs_m_mng_rwt_calw_tkin_4&amp;storeType=ebooks\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><span style=\"color: #f58220;\">Comprar en Amazon<\/span><\/a><a style=\"color: #ff6600;\" href=\"https:\/\/www.amazon.com\/dp\/B0FQQ3B2V9\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">\u00a0<i><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/a><\/strong><\/span><\/p><p><b><i>Sobre esta serie:<\/i><\/b><\/p><p><b>Relatos cortos pulp dentro del universo Imperium.<\/b><\/p><p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Cada libro es una aventura autoconclusiva protagonizada por Castor Pollux en un planeta distinto, enfrentando nuevos enemigos, peligros y misterios.<\/span><b> Puedes comenzar por cualquiera.<\/b><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"elementor-element elementor-element-aea7bc3 downloadSection elementor-widget elementor-widget-button\" data-id=\"aea7bc3\" data-element_type=\"widget\" data-e-type=\"widget\" id=\"downloadSection\" data-widget_type=\"button.default\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a class=\"elementor-button elementor-button-link elementor-size-sm\" href=\"#\" id=\"downloadSection\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-content-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<span class=\"elementor-button-text\">Click here<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/span>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"elementor_header_footer","meta":{"_acf_changed":false},"class_list":["post-507","read-for-free","type-read-for-free","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/read-for-free\/507","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/read-for-free"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/read-for-free"}],"version-history":[{"count":118,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/read-for-free\/507\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2852,"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/read-for-free\/507\/revisions\/2852"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/imperiumsaga.com\/es\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=507"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}