Memorizing the information she needed within the transparent, white screen, Claire turned to understand where exactly she was. It was a mountain, it was high, she couldn't get down, it was surrounded by a forest as far as her eyes could carry her. Easy things to figure out and she was already busy actively working on the solution to her current problem: getting down. Aside from that, everything else would have to be left on hold.

She contemplated briefly.

"I suppose only this will do."

A sigh escaped her lips as she stretched her right hand forwards.

Her blackened hair chilled and glazed a pure white from the stem to its full length. Her crimson eyes grew softer, shining briefly before it too changed to pale, azure that narrowed into the distance.

She watched the palm of her hand and made a will.

"?" She was unsure how skills worked, but a test was worthwhile. Was imagination key? She had no idea, yet she wished for a crystal-like, diamond esque, ice.

Within an instant, a small white mist floated above her hand. The next moment, it disappeared as her wish was granted. A plain crystal-like ice, shaped like a diamond, and glimmering, sat upon her palm.

Claire brought it before her eyes for a moment, inspected it, and nodded to herself.

She looked into the distance. . .

. . .and chucked it.

It twinkled under the sun and out of her eyesight like a shooting star. Her hand folded as time trickled past. She waited for she did not want to fall from the sky. Who in their right mind would? Certainly, Claire wasn't in the mindset to die from gravity just yet.

Her plan was simple, throw the ice she held into the expanse of the forest and with it.

'It should be simple if I just wish for it, right?' Her thought process was even simpler. 'Mhmm,' She nodded to herself, 'Wherever it takes me, it certainly must be better than here.'

"."

It was instantaneous. She felt neither the wrapping of space nor the disarray of movement. Truly, the switch with the ice she had thrown was perfec—

A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

"..."

"..."

The two stared at each other. One a high school girl still dressed in her uniform, her hands folded at her ample chest, and her face devoid of emotion to the fullest as her sapphire eyes stared forwards.

The other individual a beast. A crow to be precise. Its wings blackened and closed upon the feathers of the same color that enriched its body. Its beak pointed towards her, its eyes were the same as her original, crimson. The main point, however, was its sheer size, towering over her and casting a shadow that engrossed her in its entirety.

Claire calmly looked around the area. She stood within a base made of twigs, well, giant-sized twigs. And, below all that, she found herself within the air, atop a tree that was big enough to carry all this. Hmm, she didn't like the chances of that fall. . .however, what were the physical limits of this new body of hers?

"Ah, it would seem I've switched into a nest," She nodded to herself.

She turned around.

"Well, I will take my leave, then."

She took a step forward.

Her body dropped.

As soon as she felt contact with the hard ground, Claire began in a sprint, not looking back in the least!

If there was one thing Claire was sure she had never done before, it would be running away from a crazed beast.

The crow's screech sounded behind her. She saw its huge shadow cast onto her. Within moments, she had already glazed another ice shard into her hand.

'Here goes nothing.'

She came to a forcefully stomp-filled stop and chucked it once again.

Just as the beast dived down to devour her whole. . .

"!"

It hit nothing but the hard ground.

The next moment, Claire found her entire world a flood. Water, water, and water. That was all she could see and feel.

"It just had to be. . ." She briefly commented.

Wait...she could breathe!

She didn't spend any more time dwelling on the issue. So what if she could breathe in water? Would her life change forever?...actually, on earth, it might have changed. She didn't know about this world, however.

'Hmm?' Something caught her eye.

A twinkle, almost like a star, shined within the depths of this watery place. She could breathe in water, it wouldn't matter if she took a bit more time to check it out, right? Claire swam with a speed befitting of someone who had curiosity take the better of them.

Soon, she was already reaching her hand to grasp the floating white ball of light in front of her.

The next moment, her environment changed and she found herself on solid ground.

She looked around.

She was in a room made completely of what appeared to be ice. She saw neither the sun nor moon, and felt neither cold nor hot.

[Welcome to the temple of Ice and Water.] A chilling voice spoke unhurriedly, seemingly entering into her mind.

"..."

[Welcome to the Water Ice Temple.]

"..."

[Welcome to the Frozen Temple.]

"No, I heard you the first time."

She was merely speechless at the insistence that the 'ice' motif followed her. She furrowed her brows and silently decided that complaining to the ends of the earth would get her nowhere.

[Complete this temple of mine and you shall receive my inheritance!]

"I don't want to, though?"

[...]

"..."

[Complete this Temple of mine, one of the five great elemental temples, and you shall receive my inheritance!]

"..."

Why should she care how great it was again?