“Where is it little girl? Don’t screw with me! Tell me where your mommy and daddy hide the money!”

What?

Kajito quickly steps out of bed, and quietly opens his door. He peaks into the living room, revealing two masked men with a gun pointed at a little girl.

“Huh.. wait- wait wait! Get the hell away from her!” He screams, running forwards.

He turns to Kajito but before pointing his gun Kajito grabs it in their hands and wrestles him for it. Another hand jams into the mask's face.

“Yanisu, get out of here!” The girl runs out of the room. “Y-you.. Bastard..” He continuously smashes his fist into their fast until blood seeps across the floor.

Is he unconscious? Or maybe dead.. Did I go too far? I should take the gun.. Will we be okay?

“H-a-aah..” He stutters with an inward breath, holding his hand over his pounding heart.

Kajito stands and rushes out of the room.

“Sis! Sis!! Yanisu where are you!?”

“I’m.. I’m here..”

“Thank god.. Thank god…” He immediately breaks into tears and falls to his knees.

“K-ka.. jito.. Big brother… snnf-... mom and dad are-”

“They’ll be home soon! It's okay.. You’re safe with me…”

“No! They’re… they’re in the other room, are they okay? They’re bleeding.. They wouldnt reply to me.. Please help me?” She looks up at him with teary eyes and he’s suddenly stunned.

What?

“I.. couldn’t save them?” He stumbles to his feet and looks into the next room, seeing two bloody corpses on the ground staining the carpet.

No.. no- no no no.. no!

“No!!!” He clutches his head and wanders back into the wall with a crash. He slides down and looks at his sister, also dead on the floor.

What?!

“Yanisu! Yanisu! Please.. Please speak to me.. You’re okay, right?”

He pats her shoulder and looks at the doorway to the living room. A head peaks out… a face, decorated in blood, they hobble from wall to wall, lurking closer.

“No.. Get awa-.. The gun?”

I’m certain I grabbed it? What?

He looks back up and the man is gone. Until… a hand reaches for his shoulder.

“No…” He turns and there’s a gun barrel held against his forehead.

“No! No! Damn it! Not my sister! No!!!” He tries frantically scooting back but his vision suddenly changes, as if swiping scenes queued by a sound…

Ts!

“No! Get away from me!” He tries getting away until coming to his senses and realizing what's in front of him.

A fire? How is the fire not dead.. A cave? Wait.. I’m so confused.

“You’re awake…”

“Huh?”

He looks up, disoriented.

“Well shit.. This isn't right.” He mumbles. “My act of heroism, I was supposed to die, and the girl was supposed to live.. The girl!”

“M-me?”

He finds the source of the new voice and see’s a small girl wearing a fluffy white hoodie. Her hair streams down as white as snow and her eyes are a light icy blue.

“Yeah.. you, wait you’re okay? Thank goodness..”

He smiles thankfully, like his prayers were truly answered for once. His hand reaches up and rubs his forehead.

Thank goodness, seriousl- huh?

“Wha…”

He pulls his hand away and stares at it suspiciously.

“Are you.. Okay?” The girl asks in a calm and monotone voice.

“Y-y-ye-eah… uhm.. Totally random question, but how exactly.. Do I have an arm?”

“Mm.. you were missing it, weren’t you?.. I healed it.”

He smiles nervously and dusts himself off as she calmly stares at the fire, poking it with a stick.

“Oh- ohhhh… you healed it, right, no my bad actually, that totally makes sense.”

She looks in his direction for a moment.

“Absolutely not! What do you mean! You can’t just put an arm back on!?”

“Mm.. I did.”

“Ehhh….” He blankly stares, unimpressed by her emotionless attitude and vague explanations. “You.. aren’t joking right?” He points at her.

“No…”

“Great… real productive conversation.. Ah… fine, sorry, I went through all the effort of saving you, so I should be nice. Where are you from? Japan? America? I’ve met a few different people in this world but somehow I could understand all of them no matter the language.”

“What do you mean?..”

Her voice is as cold as ice, but.. As graceful and elegant as it too.

“Er- well.. Russia then? Maybe? No.. you’ve got kind of a youthful face and cute look.. Eh.. maybe China…?”

“What is.. Russia? Or China?”

What the hell?

“Uhm, on earth, what country are you from? That’s what I mean, sorry for being so confusing.”

Maybe she’s just sheltered.

“Tarra.. The ever brushing frost.”

“Huh?..”

“I’m from.. You mean my origin? I’m from.. Tarra, the forest of eternal cold. I woke up here.”

“What? Well yeah.. Wait, so you aren’t from earth?”

“What is.. Earth? Your country?”

His jaw hangs as he begins to genuinely consider his situation.

So this girl doesnt come from my world? She’s the first person from this world I’ve met. I thought maybe this place was merely a simulation we all got trapped in to suffer but if it has other inhabitants, that might make it more realistic…

“So you woke up here, do you have a name?”

“Name? I’m.. F-.. f…”

She falls prey to thought, drifting among vacant memories.

“Fyu.. Fuy.. Fyo? Fyo..m..”

“We’ll just go with Fyo then, is that fine?”

“Fyo? Fyo.. mika?”

“Fyomika?”

She hesitantly nods, still showing no change in her eyes, or expression. It's all blank as if nothing at all phases her through her icy aura.

“Mhm..”

Kajito stands up, feeling oddly more refreshed than normal. “Alright, Fyomika. Then do you mind com-”

Oh shit.. I have no clue what direction to go to get back…

“I would like..”

Eh?

“To stay with you.. If that’s okay. You saved me..”

“Right, that’s fine.. Oh! My name is Kajito.”

“Ka..ji-to… Mhm, I understand.”

Perhaps she isn't really from this world? Maybe she just has amnesia and doesn't remember earth..? No then how would she know the name of this forest..

“Fyomika.. We should leave this cave, and set out when you are ready. Sooner than later, we don’t have food to sustain ourselves here.”

“Mmh..”

Is that a.. Yes I agree? Or…

“Right.. Then allow me to rest a moment longer, and then we can go, please do forgive me.. There’s also some things I’d like to know. How did you heal me for example.”

“Magic..”

“Really? Wait, seriously!? Can you teach me-”

“Nm mn.. Magic is dangerous. I don’t want you to get hurt.”

If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

It feels like I’ll get more hurt without it, honestly… but she sounds pretty confident, I won't win an argument with a brick.

“Fine..”

Both Fyomika and Kajito spend their share of time resting their bodies, and warming themselves with the fire. Soon they prepare to head out and not much conversing goes on.

Is she just anti-social? Or does she not like me? No I saved her life… plus she healed me, she wouldn’t do that if she didn’t like me right?

They leave the cave and start marching through the snow, thankfully although a chilling breeze remains, it's only a light one, and the wind doesn't howl the same as it did before. The snowstorm is far lighter and more manageable.

…

“So your name is Fyomika.. Do you have family?”

She tails behind him, holding his clothes.

“I don’t remember…”

“What about.. Uh… is there anything useful you can share? How did that wolf attack you?”

“I woke up.. I was wandering through the forest. I don’t remember any more.. Because I healed you..”

“What? Why does that matter? Did you sell your memories to the devil to return my arm?”

“The devil? What is… the devil… it's mana.”

Mana? Like magic points?

“Forgive me for not understanding, but it shouldn’t matter at the moment. You don’t need memories, just know I’ll keep you safe, and we should keep walking.”

“That doesn't comfort me.. From someone who lost their arm so easily…”

“E-excuse me!? I fought my ass off! Well.. sort of… Whatever! If you’d rather get lost in the snow, you can.”

Her grip on his shirt tightens and she walks close to him.

She’s cute, but also aggravating as all hell.. Makes me gloom over the fact I risked my life to save someone who doesn't even have any memories.. Then again I’d be a fool to see no value in her, if she can truly use magic.

“Kajito..” She mumbles.

“Yeah? What is it? Spit it out, we don’t have time mumbling.”

“I smell blood.”

She can smell blood? In this cold? There’s no way her sense of smell could possibly be that good.

“Where? What direction?”

“Straight ahead.. There’s blood, a lot of blood. I don’t.. Know how I know.”

She holds her head, and her vision adjusts around the blurry snow. Kajito peaks at her suspiciously and continues to march forwards.

“Well either it's a sign of people, or a sign of that big wolf.. Both could be bad, so keep your guard up, eh.. If you have one.”

“I’m not useless..”

She’s basically useless.. At least in combat. Unfortunately I’m not much different, I lost my knife, and my bow was probably shredded to bits along with my arm.. Which feels odd to think about since I still have it.

“Hey! It's a tent! I see a tent!” He points forwards and begins to hide behind trees, roaming closer and closer.

His eyes drag upwards, scrolling his view up to the sky.

“It's nearly night I think… we shouldnt be out here at night, maybe this can be a shelter. By the way, Fyomika!”

“E-eh.. hm?”

“I just wanted to ask, how long was I asleep? It had to have been awhile, I’m starving..”

“Hours.. I’m not fully sure, I only woke up hours before you..”

Right, I guess we would need to know how long she’d been asleep too.

“Right.” He grabs her shoulder and pulls her close to him, peeking around a tree. A large human camp surrounds a completely frozen river.

“Not good…” She mutters.

“What isn't?”

She points to the snow in front of them and he tries adjusting his eyes. Soon he picks up traces of red, and soon, a mangled corpse.

“Blfph.. What.. the hell could have done that? At least the wolf would eat the bodies…” He steps out into the open and begins sneaking closer to the tents.

It looks clear, there’s nothing alive.. Seriously nothing. I’m counting eleven dead bodies in view, but they’re all frozen solid. How could this happen?

“Fyomika! If there is danger, scream. For now, go search the tents, we need to find edible food, and any other helpful- Fyomika?”

She sits quietly in front of one of the bodies.

“I understand…”

“Did you know these people? Eh.. maybe you were from this-”

“I wasn't.. But they were killed, by magic. Something powerful, way too powerful to be allowed to exist..”

“What? How the hell do you know that?”

“It's the same essence, the same one as this storm. I feel the mana connecting with everything..”

Like electrical circuitry, damn.. That’s a crazy power, though right now it's irrelevant. I really wish I could see whoever caused this damn storm, then maybe I could ask them to screw off…

“Huh?” She looks up as he pets her hair.

“Fyomika, it's okay. You seem to be sensitive to death, I get it… I’ve seen a lot of people die recently, I’m not immune either… it’ll be okay, I’m here remember?”

Though I say that, these are words to comfort her, not a promise, nor even confidence…

“Mhm.. look at the ice, it shows the river once flowed upwards… up the hill.”

Kajito looks, confused by her description but his perspective slowly shifts. “Yeah.. huh.. What the shit..? We should check out whatever is up there last.. I feel least confident in mystical expertise.”

“Mana swarms strongly, up there- ouch!”

He karate chops her head and walks to the closest tent.

“Get searching! I told you, we’ll check that last! Sounds like a whole lotta bad news.”

“Mnn~ ouch..” She complains with her normal monotone look, but her eyes glance to her left, showing ever so slightly more expressiveness.

…

Damn.. there is food but it's not just frozen, it's basically ice. Frozen to the core… If we can dethaw it, it might be okay, but certainly not tasty. I found a bag that might help carry it. Where is Fyomika? I need to meet up with her.

“Fyomika!!” he yells and he’s startled by his voice echoing through the distance.

Where’d she run off to? I guess I’ll go up the hill, I don’t want to see what's up there without her, but she might have gone up there unless she’s in one of the tents..

He treads through the snow, climbing the steep hillside, occasionally having the snow crumble beneath his weight and force him down a few feet, lengthening his mission.

“Fyomika!!!”

She can’t hear me? Where is she dammit!

“Fyomikaaa!!...”

Maybe I shouldn't yell, wild animals might hear, but I need to find her fast. It's cold here, and we need to travel as far as possible bef-.. Befo.. what?

“Haaa!~ aaaa~...”

The voice of an angel, it's not really a voice as much as it sounds like it's coming from inside my head. Such a sweet and vibrant melody.

Beautiful sensations are brought to his mind as he suddenly feels a scarce feeling, one so rare to him, warmth.

“Fyomika?” He reaches the top of the hill from his climb and catches glimpse of… a beautiful tree.

Fluffy white leaves with frost hanging from it, but the tree trunk is a warm brown. It hangs over a surface of bright green grass with the occasional frozen flower. It’s surrounded by a pure clear water mysteriously coming from the frozen river.

“Hey I was looking for you..”

“Sorry..” She apologizes and stares at the grass she’s sitting in, leaning her fragile back against the tree.

Sights straight from fairytales, fluffy leaves adorned in jewels of frost, pure white petals scattered across the grass, a detailed view with a hundred descriptions.

“Kajito.. The water’s warm.”

“What? Are you joking? That shouldn't be possible..?” He dips his hand into the water and feels a warmth just like a steamy bath “H-how? It’s warm? It.. my skin feels warmer here, then how are the tree petals still covered in frost?”

“The mana protects this space, as if it was a precious treasure.. I do not know why…”

This is certainly odd, but it provides us a place to stay the night.

“Snn… Kajito… I love this place.”

“What? Do you have memories here?”

She looks around and soon shakes her head.

“I don’t know… but the mana protects this space, and I want to as well.. It’s precious.”

“Tsh- hahaha, weird girl, we can’t stay here, not unless we want to die, but I do agree, I hope this place is never destroyed, its stunning, a real crack in logic, it's so ethereal and beautiful that it truly drives home that this is a separate world from my own.”

“Hm..? Kajito? Are you from another world?”

Didn’t I already mention I was? I thought I did…

“I am. I was brought here forcefully, I had no choice, but I'm determined to survive, does that sum it up for you?”

“No.. sit down, tell me. It's warm here, we can watch the sky slowly turn black..”

Why does she want to know about me? I can’t help but worry she’s gonna die if I tell her.. That’s a seriously grim view of things, but so many people killed themselves recently, what am I supposed to think?

“I-I…” He sits down beside and, resting against the tree.

…

“Tsk..” He glances at her, knowing that she wont understand any of his words but it also allows him a unique comfort that doesn't normally come from confiding in others. “Well, when I was about sixteen, tch..” He feels a pool of tears suddenly hang from his eyes like hammocks. “Sorry, I don’t usually tell this story… ah, when I was sixteen, I woke up one night to a burglar screaming at my little sister in the living room.”

His eyes drift up to the dim fluffy sky. He’s startled a little by her resting against his shoulder, staring longingly at the snow.

“I was brave for once. Once in my life, I felt truly strong, protecting my sister from danger. Hshh..-” He shoves his eyes into his elbow. “I saved her, and I murdered a man that day.. Apparently I had beat him to death, which I didn’t know until the police came. After going to the other room to check on my sister, well… our parents apparently were the first victims, so- you know.. I guess that’s how life is? Unfair? I was too late..”

He sharply inhales air through his teeth, trying not to cry.

“I was no hero.. I wasn't even brave… rage, that’s what I felt when I saw them threatening her.. It was nothing more than immaturity, I couldn't control my emotions.. I’m no hero…”

He looks back up in front of himself and feels a gentle caress beneath his eye, wiping one of his tears away with a soft cotton.

Fyomika speaks. “Thank you for saving me… you were brave, you were a hero.. I don’t know why you are so hard on yourself Kajito…”

Is that concern I hear in her voice? No.. it must be me tricking myself.. She’s as emotionless as she is unreasonable.. Of course she wouldn't know, she doesn't understand..

“It's fine.. It doesn't matter anymore. I’m twenty two years old now, I want to return to my world to see my sister again… she must miss me, if any of this is even real…”

“It's real…”

Her confirmation only discomforts his frown.

“Good to know… real good to know. Now I know I’m really suffering.” He adjusts himself to stand but Fyomika wraps an arm around him. “Is something.. The matter? Why are you draped around me like a curtain…?” He asks.

She shakes her head. “Do you.. Want to know me? If you don’t, then I will let you freeze alone.. In your thoughts, and despairing memories.”

What exactly does that mean?

“You want to tell me about yourself? You don’t have any memor.. Eh, why not.. We can just say we’re warming ourselves up I guess.”

“You're sweet… to listen, you’re.. Beautiful, like ice.”

“Uhm.. wh-what about the story? Is this a love confession now?”

“No.. I don’t love you.”

“Ouch…?”

“You are just beautiful, you remind me of the snow, relentless and fierce like the storms I wandered through for so long…”

How would this small girl survive the snow for even a few hours alone..? She’s a space cadet, although, I can’t deny her analogy is one I’d steal. She’s as beautiful as ice, and as ethereal as its reflection. As lonesome as snow, she’s certainly.. Eh.. an interesting type of person?

A stunning blue light appears at her fingertip and she looks up to Kajito, with glowing blue eyes..

“Huh? W-what’s going on? How do I say this, uh… you’re glowing.”

“Mmm..”

Her eyes are like miracles made from frost, wow…

The trailing dust-like glow from her fingers follows her hand up to his head. She softly presses them against his forehead and he severely panics.

“I don’t remember… any of it, I don’t even know what you will see…”

“Huh? This sounds like bad news! Really terrible news!”

“The mana remembers, the mana always remembers, as it’s everything in this world, it carries my story, along with all that I sacrificed..”

“Wai-!.. T…” An intense drowsiness hits him like hellfire burning his body. His body has a chill wash through it and the back of his head taps the tree.

His vision goes dark…

. . .