"Hey, hey, hey, that's not good enough!" Piqsirpoq kicked the sole of my shoe, grinning as he spoke.

I was too exhausted to respond, lying flat on my back with my arms and legs splayed out. My tongue hung out as I panted, occasionally catching a snowflake as I inhaled.

"Fifteen kilometers, and it's just the standard route," Piqsirpoq continued, still stretching and cooling down as he made his snide comments.

I wanted to point out his advantage of having a highly efficient aerobic metabolism, but my lungs felt like they were about to burst, my throat was parched, and my legs were on the verge of cramping. It wasn't exactly the best time for self-pity, so while I couldn't sit up, I kept working on regulating my breathing.

What did having half-Gray lineage give me? I opened my palms and held them up in front of my eyes, disappointed once again to confirm that I hadn't inherited those solid yet nimble hands that Grays were supposed to have.

We were on an outcropping below the training grounds, a platform rarely used except as an alternate route for the occasional cross-country run. So I figured we didn't have to worry about being disturbed.

After a long while, I finally managed to control my limbs again. I sat up, using my teeth to open the hidden pocket on my left sleeve, pulling out the straw to rehydrate and soothe my parched, sore throat. Since the water bladder was strapped to my back, the liquid was warm, matching my core body temperature as it went down.

After drinking enough, I tucked the straw back in and fastened the pocket. Tilting my head back, I propped myself up on my hands and took a deep breath.

The snow was thick, so the texture was... interesting. I clenched my fist, feeling the crystals crunch in my hand.

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At that moment, the snowfall seemed to pick up a bit. I squinted slightly, imagining that I could focus on the distant gray clouds and observe the process of the water vapor crystallizing.

They say you can't find two identical snowflakes. Has anyone ever really tried? I shifted my focus to the transparent crystals drifting down, pondering this question.

Countless... tiny snowflakes...

A cold sensation exploded on the side of my face, wet and chilly liquid soaking into my fur. For a moment, I was too stunned to react, staring in shock at Piqsirpoq.

"Aren't psychics supposed to be more sensitive?" he laughed heartily, tossing another snowball at me while conjuring three more in the air.

"Qana said..." I raised my arm to block the snowball, which splattered across my face. "Stop it!" Piqsirpoq ignored my plea. "Qana..."

"Isn't here!" he challenged, tail raised, hurling several more snowballs my way. I could only manage to get a mouthful of snow.

In the chaos, I burst out laughing.

You brought this on yourself.

I expanded my consciousness, gathering the snow to form a massive snowball, a cubic meter in size.

"W-Wait a minute!" Piqsirpoq's mouth dropped open, ears flattened, and his tail tucked between his legs.

As he turned to flee, I swung my right hand, launching the enormous snowball at him. I felt a sense of triumph as I heard Piqsirpoq let out a strangled yelp before disappearing into the snowdrift.

But suddenly, a faint sound caught my attention, like a sharp prick to my senses. I immediately turned toward the source, ears pricking up as I slowly rotated, listening carefully in all directions.

"What's wrong?" Piqsirpoq crawled out of the snowbank, noticing my sudden alertness. He moved more cautiously, lowering his voice as he approached me.

"I'm not sure..." There were just a few Himalayan juniper, covered in snow, growing low and sprawling over the ground at this altitude, like waves flowing over the earth. "It might be my imagination."

I scanned the surroundings, confirming that aside from the snow, there were only scattered rocks and enormous trees. In such an open area, it would be nearly impossible for someone to hide.

"Probably just too tired," I said, turning to Piqsirpoq and scratching my ears, trying to relax.

"Some say 'practice makes perfect,' you know," he responded with a grin, shrugging. I noticed his mouth continued to move, but I couldn't hear a sound.

What?

There was no time to think; the world plunged into darkness.