The atmosphere felt calm... and cold. Way too cold. There were no voices, no footsteps, no wind. Just a heavy, muffled silence, like even the weather had given up on moving.
"Hmm...?"
FWOOOOOSH!!
A sharp gust of wind sliced through the air, making Yenne’s hair lift and her uniform whip around like it was about to be ripped off her body.
"Hrrrk... damn..."
The gust vanished as quickly as it came, taking with it the thick mist that had been hiding everything. Right after that, the world revealed itself completely.
Yenne took two steps back, more by instinct than fear. The hollow sound under her feet confirmed what her eyes had already seen.
'Again?'
There was no ground, no stone, no signs of life. Just a blue-gray sheet of ice stretching beneath her feet like a dead mirror, reflecting a pale, lifeless sky.
"Lake Hvergel... again?"
Unlike what some might expect, the place brought Yenne a strangely comforting feeling. As if being there, alone in that frozen emptiness, was better than dealing with whatever waited outside.
"What's it going to be this time...?"
Her eyes narrowed as she spotted something up ahead. In the middle of that mirrored emptiness, a crystal structure rose imposingly. It shimmered like the ice had been carved by time itself.
Yenne stood silently for a moment, staring at that lonely silhouette in the center of the lake. Then, she let out a long sigh and began walking toward it.
"..."
......Crack!
".."
CRACK!!
As she walked, her steps made dry cracking sounds, like tiny fractures spreading under her feet with each move.
And just as expected... the cold started to take effect. But it wasn't just regular cold. It wasn’t just the chill of the ground or a breeze brushing her skin. Yenne felt like the air itself wanted to dig into her chest. And the closer she got, the more intense it became, trying to fill every hollow space inside her.
It was uncomfortable. But in a way, not hostile. As if the cold had always been an old companion.
"I just hope it doesn’t take as long as last time."
As she drew near, the frozen figure started to become visible in the center of the vastness.
A giant ice crystal stood tall with sharp spikes pointing to the sky. Inside, someone appeared to be standing... arms relaxed at their sides, head slightly tilted, as if in a deep state of peace.
The face wasn’t visible. The ice itself seemed to hide whatever was in there.
Yenne stopped... staring at the giant ice crystal in front of her.
"What do you want from me?"
The question echoed through the vastness without any reply.
"....."
Until, in the middle of the silence that seemed eternal, a voice finally broke through the void.
"What do you mean, what? I just want to help you..."
The voice came from behind. And it was familiar enough to be unsettling, like it poked at something she didn’t want to remember.If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.
Yenne simply turned around with the same calm as always. No surprise, no reaction. Just a slow glance, like she already knew exactly what she’d find.
In front of her stood a boy. He had soft features, hair similar to hers, deep eyes, and pale skin. Almost like a mirror of her childhood had come to life.
"I thought I told you to stop using that look."
"Seriously? I thought this one made you feel better."
He ran his fingers through his own hair, looking at it with mockery.
"I mean, it's better than staring at an ice cube all the time—"
"Shut up."
"~Ohh. Sorry if I offended you."
"If you're bored, go do something else. Leave me alone."
"Tsk... wow... you're soooo boring....."
SHHHHHHH...
The figure in front of her froze completely, like the very presence had been swallowed by the environment.
But even frozen, his voice still echoed from all directions, like a constant whisper.
"You should stop being so arrogant... and just accept it already."
Yenne didn’t move. Her expression didn’t change. She was used to those kinds of provocations.
Ignoring the voice, she turned her gaze back to the ice crystal in the middle of the plain. The silhouette inside was identical to the boy who had just mocked her, only lifeless. Like it was something lost a long time ago.
"Tsk... tsk... looks like your weakness made you repeat the same mistake."
Suddenly, without any warning... she felt something touch her shoulder.
It was a light touch, almost weightless... but that wasn’t what made her senses freeze. It was the presence behind her, something she felt even before the voice appeared.
The voice came as a whisper, so close she could feel the warmth of the breath.
"How does it feel...?"
The moment she heard that voice, Yenne turned her head immediately, as if something deep inside had recognized the tone before the words were even finished.
"...to know you made the same mistake twice?"
She pushed the arm away with a sharp motion, spinning her body around.
In front of her stood a familiar figure.
Red eyes. White hair.
But this time, the goofy smile, the carefree posture, the impulsive energy... none of that was there.
Yenne woke up.
There was a slight dampness in the air, like the rain had stopped just a few minutes ago. The scent of wet earth still lingered, mixed with a faint trace of old wood.
It wasn’t cold, but it wasn’t warm enough to be uncomfortable either. The air was mild, cozy even. That deceptive kind of temperature that made anyone want to go right back to sleep.
Yenne remained lying still for a few seconds. Her gaze was distant, staring at nothing, like the world was still too far away to reach.
She blinked slowly. Once... then again.
Until she let out a breath with more force, almost like releasing something that had been stuck in her throat.
She sat up slowly, feeling a slight stiffness protest in her body. Her dark hair spilled over her face, messy and tangled, but she didn’t care.
She stayed there, sitting on the edge of the bed for a few moments, letting her mind catch up with her body, shaking off the weight of drowsiness that still clung to her shoulders.
She raised her arms and stretched with a soft, muffled sound of discomfort.
"Mmmmh...."
"3:26 PM... looks like I overslept."
She finally stood up slowly, letting out a lazy yawn.
"Guess I’ll take a shower..."
Yenne walked to the bathroom without any rush, feeling her bare feet touch the cold floor, enough to wake her up more than she wanted.
'I really hate the cold...'
The hot water hit her skin like a liquid blanket, filling the bathroom with the constant, muffled sound of water splashing against the tiles.
For a few minutes, everything went quiet again. A kind of inner silence, strangely comfortable.
'How was class today, I wonder?'
She wasn’t the type to skip classes. That had been true since childhood, when she was forced to attend endless sessions about elemental magic structures. So boring even the private tutors seemed like they wanted to drop dead from it.
But that day, she just didn’t want to be anywhere. The theory classes would only go over topics she already knew inside out, so she decided not to attend any of them.
Her fingers slowly slid through the wet strands, parting them and massaging her scalp. The steam from the hot water wrapped around her face, bringing a momentary daze.
Yenne’s mind began to clear again, free from any distractions... or at least, that’s what she kept telling herself.
She wasn’t worried. He was just an idiot who would show up later to bother her again, like he always did.
"Huff..."
'What if he doesn’t come back?'
Elena had spoken with so much certainty that he would. Like she truly believed it. Yenne wanted to believe it too. She really did. But...
She bit her lip lightly. That dumb smile of his... for a second, it had convinced her. Just one second was enough to make her believe he’d come back right after.
And the result? She made the same mistake again.
"Tsk... I'm not going to care about this."
"...."
She stepped out of the shower and wrapped the towel around her body. She dried her hair with firm, repetitive movements, then tied it back in a simple way, more out of habit than vanity.
As she left the bathroom, the steam escaped with her. Her eyes went straight to the clock on the wall.
"3:41 PM..."
With automatic movements, she got dressed slowly, not letting any thoughts take up space in her mind. It was just the routine taking over.
Finally, she picked up the bracelet from the table and clasped it around her wrist. The small screen still showed her name and the last score recorded in the isolated training room.
She stared at it for a few seconds, and the memory came back.
The idiot who made her fight a level 2 mannequin even when she could barely stand.
"That idiot..."
The screen went dark.
The reflection on the black surface showed only her own face.
She stared at herself for a few moments. Then, turned away.
'If he wants to show up, let him.'