Once the team was back in Ozryn, a medical team approached them immediately after they passed through the spatial vortex, inspecting their physical condition for any abnormalities. Seeing that everything was fine, the medical team returned to their posts without saying anything else.
"You can all go home for today. I'll let the guild know everything that happened inside the snowy plains. In a few days, you should all receive a certain amount of merit after the guild inspects the underground lake," said Alexei.
Kieran looked at the group, but even after two days had passed, none of them seemed to have recovered from Holden's death.
The only exception was Anna, who kept her distance from the group. She seemed to receive a call the moment they were back in Ozryn. In front of her was a holographic screen from her aurora collar, whose image was blurred, displaying a private call.
"I'm going to have to leave you. I have to contact my superiors to report to them, but I'll send you a message in the next few days," said Alexei, walking to Kieran.
"Okay," Kieran nodded before saying goodbye to everyone and leaving the secure base of the Cold Ocean Guild while staring at the sun in Ozryn's sky as it slowly began to set.
A voice called to him from behind as he walked through the door.
"Are you going to the magnetic train station?" Anna asked.
"Yes, I live in the southwest district of the city."
"Do you mind if we walk a part of the way together? I'm heading in that direction too."
"No problem."
Kieran seemed to doubt his ears for a moment, but he nodded and walked alongside Anna as they left the Cold Ocean Guild's secure base.
His eyes moved from time to time to observe Anna's face from the side.
'Is it just an impression, or is she different?'
The path to the station was silent as neither of them said a word. They finally arrived at the magnetic train station a few moments later.
The trains moved quickly, carrying passengers to different destinations across the vast city of Ozryn. Kieran watched the lighted tracks and speeding cars before boarding his train with Anna, both sitting side by side.
Once seated in his seat, Kieran relaxed and let his thoughts drift away. As he absently observed the other passengers, his eyes were drawn to a little girl sitting in the seat directly in front of him.
She gazed at him with curious eyes filled with childlike innocence. A warm smile unconsciously spread across Kieran's lips as he waved at her.
The little girl, surprised to be noticed, shyly hid behind the back of her seat for a moment before lifting her small body to cast another glance in his direction.
After spending nine days inside the snowy plains and only knowing battle after battle and the death of Holden, the vision before him eased Kieran's mind more than he could have thought.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
He couldn't help but smile as he looked at her, which gave the little girl enough confidence to start a conversation with him.
"Hello, Big Brother."
"Elora, leave this young man alone," said a woman who seemed to be the little girl's mother, sitting next to her.
"Don't worry. She doesn't bother me. Your name is Elora, right? I'm Kieran," he said, a smile still on his face.
"Big brother Kieran. Is that your girlfriend? She's pretty!" the girl asked, looking at Anna with bright eyes. The shyness she had displayed until now seemed to have vanished without a trace.
"We're just friends. But it's true that she's pretty."
Anna looked away from the two, not seeming interested in their conversation. Kieran stared at Elora, seeing a butterfly-like hairpin in her hair.
"Do you like butterflies?" Kieran asked.
Elora nodded, holding her pin in her hands, "Yes, I love them!"
An idea popped into Kieran's mind. He joined both his hands together. The earth elemental particles were quickly pulled together, causing a soft dull yellow light to appear.
With meticulous precision, he shaped the earth that had appeared in his hands into several small, delicate, and detailed butterfly figurines.
The earthen butterflies fluttered gracefully through the air, creating an enchanted sight before the little girl's amazed eyes. Her eyes widened in surprise as she followed them with obvious glee. A pure, crystalline laugh escaped her lips, illuminating the space around them.
Elora's joyous laughter echoed through the carriage, drawing the attention of the other passengers, who began to notice the beauty of the earth butterflies and turned to Kieran and the little girl, their faces lighting up with smiles. The atmosphere on board the train was imbued with contagious lightness and joy.
Anna remained silent, her eyes fixed on the view of the city through the train window rather than the sight Kieran had created. A notification popped up on her aurora collar, indicating a call that caught her attention.
"I'll be right back," she said.
She rose from her seat, quietly stepping away from Kieran, who had become the center of attention for the amazed passengers. She walked to the end of the car, looking for a quieter place to answer the call.
The call was very short, taking only a few seconds. Anna's gaze seemed to change at that moment, as her eyes were fixed on the center of Ozryn as the train rapidly approached it.
A stone made of a mysterious material, with intricate patterns etched into its surface, appeared in her hand, and with a slight squeeze of her fingers, the stone shattered into a thousand fragments.
Kieran felt a slight disturbance in the surrounding crystal essence. His movements stopped, as did the earthen butterflies that flew around Elora. He looked out the train window to try to see if a change had taken place outside.
"Something wrong big brother?"
Elora's voice caught his attention, forcing his gaze back on her.
"Kieran, be careful!!!" Runihoril's shout echoed in his mind.
A sense of danger invaded him as a cold sweat ran down his spine.
A cold blue light spread before his eyes taking the shape of a spear.
The crystal essence in his body moved at a speed he had never been able to reach before today.
His hand took on the shape of a lycan in an instant. He quickly lifted his body from the seat and stretched his transforming arm forward, trying to protect Elora in the seat in front of him.
But despite his quick reaction to the sudden situation, he was a step behind. The ice spear pierced Elora's small, frail body, plowing easily through the seat before leaving a deep wound on Kieran's chest, who was thrown back from the impact of the attack, tearing off several seat rangers before being stopped by the wall of the car.
*cough*
Kieran spat several mouthfuls of blood as he tried to get up. His mind suddenly went blank when he looked up and saw the scene before him.
The whole car was filled with ice. Every passenger who smiled a moment ago was now enveloped in thick ice with no sign of life in them.
Elora, who had brightened up their trip, had a gaping hole in place of her chest, her limbs held in place only by the ice that had frozen her in on the spot.
"Tsk. And to say I thought using that little girl to kill you would be a good idea."
A cold voice, both familiar and unfamiliar, entered his ears, causing his body to tremble.
"A… Anna."