Time itself seemed to shudder, the world grinding to a halt. The crackling fire at the hearth froze mid-flicker, its light trapped in a ghostly glow. Reed's breath hitched as the air around him grew still, heavy, and cold. The warmth of the room was replaced by a damp chill that crawled over his skin.

A humid breeze brushed against the back of his neck, carrying the faint, metallic scent of something otherworldly. The hair on his arms stood on end. Slowly, as if compelled by forces beyond his control, he turned.

And then he saw it.

Hovering just beyond the edge of the firelight was a creature unlike anything he could have imagined. Its enormous, unblinking eye, the size of a wrecking ball, stared down at him with a gaze that seemed to pierce through his very soul. Its scrawny, elongated arms ended in three spindly fingers, each flexing with a deliberate, unnatural grace. When it smiled, its uneven, jagged teeth glinted like shards of broken glass.

"Speak," it whispered, its voice like dry leaves rustling in a tomb.

The creature's presence should have terrified him, but it didn't. Reed simply stared, his face unreadable. Whatever fear he might have felt had long since eroded, buried beneath the weight of resignation. He had already lost.

"Take me," he said quietly, his voice cutting through the stillness like a blade.

The creature paused, its grotesque grin widening. It tilted its head, curious.

"How curious," it murmured, its voice dripping with dark amusement. "Very well."

The creature dissolved into the shadows, its form unraveling like smoke caught in the wind. For a moment, there was only silence.

Then agony came.

A sudden, searing pain stabbed through Reed's body, like his very essence was being torn apart. He collapsed to his knees, gasping as fire seemed to spread through his veins. His dark blue hair began to drain of its color, fading into a stark, unnatural white. Blood welled from his eyes, his nose, his nails-every pore-as though his body was being hollowed out.

Through the haze of pain, he glimpsed his reflection in a shard of broken glass near the hearth. His once-healthy frame was withering before his eyes, his muscles shrinking, his cheeks hollowing. He could barely see his parents and Jade frozen in time, their faces blissfully unaware. A choked sob escaped him as tears mingled with the blood on his cheeks.

The pain faded into numbness, and Reed lay motionless on the floor. Minutes passed-or maybe hours. He wasn't sure. The silence felt eternal.

Then, through the void, came a whisper.

"The trade has been witnessed. The fate, blood, and history of the boy for the seed."

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The voice was soft, almost playful, yet laced with something unspeakably cruel. Reed gasped as his eyes fluttered open. He was alive-but not the same. His body was frail, his strength all but gone. The world around him had resumed, the fire crackling again, voices faintly audible from the other room.

Reed stumbled to his feet, his legs shaking as he made his way to the door. Each step felt like a monumental effort, but he pushed forward. He couldn't stay.

Outside, the winter night was merciless. The snow crunched beneath his boots as he stepped into the cold, the biting air slicing through his weakened frame. The moment the door shut behind him, his legs gave out.

Reed collapsed into the snow, leaning heavily against the door. His breath came in shallow, labored gasps as he clawed at the ground, trying to stand. His fingers trembled, his body unresponsive.

Minutes dragged into what felt like an eternity. He clenched his fists, forcing himself to try again and again, but his body betrayed him. The snow soaked into his clothes, the chill numbing his skin, yet he kept pushing.

Voices from inside the house floated faintly to him, muffled by the door.

"Honey, did you make extras tonight?" his father's voice asked, warm and familiar.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," his mother replied, a hint of laughter in her tone. "Something must've come over me."

Jade's voice chimed in, light and cheerful, though tinged with confusion. They were talking, laughing, as if nothing had happened.

Reed gritted his teeth and, with trembling arms, finally pulled himself up. His legs wobbled as he limped forward into the snow-covered night, each step heavier than the last.

A little further out, he paused and turned back toward the house. Through the frost-covered window, he could see his father leaning back, patting his stomach with a satisfied smile.

"I don't remember the last time my belly's been this full," his father said, his voice carrying faintly through the night.

Reed stood still, staring at the warm glow of the home he had just left. He let out a slow breath, his chest tightening with an ache he couldn't place.

"Your sin is now forgotten," he whispered to the night, his voice heavy with something between acceptance and despair.

A faint smile tugged at his lips. He turned away, limping into the endless white of the winter, his figure soon swallowed by the cold, unyielding night.

***

After the laughter and chatter of dinner faded, the house grew still. Jade hummed softly to herself as she prepared for bed, her tune light and carefree. She padded across the room toward the haystack bed where she slept, her mind already drifting toward dreams.

With a small leap, she plopped down onto the haystack-only to yelp in pain.

"Ouch!"

She sat up, rubbing her back with a wince. Something hard and unyielding had jabbed her. Puzzled, she pushed aside handfuls of hay, her fingers brushing against a solid object buried beneath. After a moment of digging, she unearthed a wooden sword.

Jade held it up, turning it over in her hands. Confusion flickered across her face as she examined the sword. The weight of it was familiar, the smooth grain of the wood carefully polished. Her fingers traced over the carved patterns etched along the blade-patterns unmistakably hers.

And then her gaze landed on the base of the hilt, where a name was carefully carved.

"Reed."

Her breath hitched. A tear slipped unbidden down her cheek, catching her completely off guard.

"Huh?" she whispered to herself, her voice trembling.

Why do I feel sad?

Her free hand flew to her chest, clutching at her heart as it raced beneath her palm. An ache bloomed deep within, sharp and unrelenting, as though something precious had been ripped away, leaving a gaping void.

The sword trembled in her grip as she held it closer, her tears falling faster now. The feeling was inexplicable, but it consumed her entirely-a loss she couldn't name but felt with every fiber of her being.