"What do you mean destruction?"

“It's chaos. I could also catch a glimpse of you crying in front of, uh … a woman who looks like you.” Eva conveyed what she had seen from the surface of the lake with hesitation. Her eyes were cast downwards as if she wasn't ready to see Meyara's reaction. It was predicted that there would be an emotional tantrum, because what Eva had just said was the opposite of the good thing that Meyara might have hoped for.

The Frostfell snow, which had never bothered her before, now made her body shiver. Eva continued to rub her arm uncomfortably while waiting for Meyara's answer.

“A-are you sure about what you saw?” Meyara finally asked after being silent for a moment.

Eva, who had been looking down, reflexively raised her head, looking directly into the eyes of the girl in front of her. "I'm sure I'm not the only one who saw it," she answered, glancing slightly at the other seers who nodded immediately.

“Do you know what time—uh, how much time is left until all that happens?”

“Sometimes the lake shows things that will only happen in more than a year's time, but there are other times when the lake shows events that may happen in a few hours.”

“Few hours?” Meyara bit her lip so hard it could draw blood. The strong aura and firm attitude that usually radiated from her now began to flicker. “The only woman who looks like me, who I will cry for, is my mother. W-what will happen to her? Can't you tell me the details?”

"I can’t … I’m sorry."

“Then I just need to ensure her safety with my own eyes.” Meyara deftly took her and Adriel's backpack from inside the igloo. Bowed slightly in a hurry. “Can you open the path we used before? There’s no other way that we know of.”

“I can ask Juma to take you two.”

"Wait a moment! Can you guys slow down a bit?” Adriel raised both hands in front of his body. All the conversation between the women happened so fast, he couldn't keep up. After everyone fell silent, the young man took a deep breath and looked at Meyara. “Are you sure? It took us a whole day to get here.”

"Never been more sure," Meyara answered without looking back at the young man. She busied herself with rearranging the contents of her backpack, fastening the coat she was wearing, straightening her footwear, whatever. Adriel grimaced, realizing that the girl was just looking for something to divert her mind.

Just like when they were just kids. Every time Adriel tried to provoke Meyara to talk about something unpleasant, the girl would continue to avoid him by doing other unnecessary work, to the point Adriel would give up and decided to try asking again another time. However, they didn't have much free time this time.

Therefore, Adriel still persisted in asking the same thing even though he had to hold Meyara's hand to keep the girl from moving. “Just tell me what you want. Whatever it is, I won’t complain," he added.

"I …." Meyara's eyes, which were initially shaking in an uncertain direction, were now fixed on Adriel's gaze. With just one glance, Adriel could tell how tears were starting to well up in the girl's eyes, a small drop wetting her lower eyelashes. “I forgot something at home. We really have to go back to get it.”

There was no way Meyara would leave something important carelessly. Long before they started their journey, the girl had taken careful notes and packed their necessities gradually. Adriel knew this well because he always accompanied and paid close attention to the girl.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Meyara probably just felt embarrassed to be able to clearly express her concern for her mother. That was another thing she always did. Every time she did, Adriel really wanted to hug her tightly and make her comfortable enough to be honest in everything. However, he still felt a little upset towards her at the moment. He probably wouldn't even talk to her if the situation wasn't this dire.

Meyara must have noticed that too because the two of them had barely spoken much since they escaped the bull monster's attack with Frostfell's men. That's why the girl slightly pushed Adriel's hand to release his grip.

“When will Juma be ready to take us?” she asked, ignoring the sad frown on Adriel's forehead.

Eva looked around for a moment, noting how calm the Frostfell’s men were regarding the situation. Maybe deep down, they also wanted to help Meyara, who looked quite miserable in holding back her own worries. “It would actually be more efficient if he took you at night like this, but like I said, the darkness is too dangerous for you. So, spend the night here first. As soon as the sun starts to show a little light, you can go."

"Okay."

Adriel's eyebrows rose at how easily Meyara agreed to Eva's suggestion. The girl surely had been impatient to leave, but perhaps her common sense still worked well enough to know which was the wiser choice to make.

Without any significant resistance, Meyara resigned herself to being led into the igloo. Letting Adriel tuck her to sleep even though there was absolutely no sign of her being sleepy.

But in the midst of her wakefulness, her eyes felt so hot that she had to blink often. For some reasons, her body felt heavy and kept shaking slightly. Adriel touched her forehead with the back of his hand in worry.

“You're a little warm,” the young man muttered as he clicked his tongue. "Wait here. I'll go get some healing potions.”

“You have that?” Meyara looked at Adriel doubtfully.

Adriel was not at all offended by Meyara's distrust of him. He knew where the doubts came from. However, because he still felt irritated towards the girl, he couldn't control his hardened expression. “I may not be good at healing potions, but I have tested them myself. Even if you don't fully recover, you’ll get better.” He got up before Meyara could comment anything.

Meyara decided to wait while closing her eyes for a moment, hoping she could sleep well and wake up in the morning feeling better. But then she felt a presence looming over her. She opened her eyes and saw Eva standing nearby, holding several small crystal jars in her hands.

The jar had a solid material and color, so Meyara couldn't guess what was inside. Not that she had to do that, because in just a second Eva revealed everything to her.

"These are healing and regenerating potions that we made from ingredients we painstakingly collected over the years," she explained as she arranged the jars in front of Meyara. “I used an ancient spell for this, so I'm sure everything is perfectly emulsified. But because its properties are so strong, I suggest you only drink it in times of emergency, when you feel you can no longer stand the pain.”

Meyara opened her mouth, ready to refuse. But then she realized that she really needed all those potions. Plus, if her worries for her mother were true, those potions would definitely help them a lot.

“Are you sure you want to give all of this to me?” Meyara couldn't help but ask, knowing that she was not the best guest Eva had ever welcomed.

"Of course. This isn't even enough to repay you for all your help. You know, Galen and his friends are never this calm. Maybe next time you should teach me how to keep them from rebelling." For the first time since they met, Eva chuckled. "Regarding what I saw earlier from the lake, you shouldn't think too much about it. The future has so many branches, even a slight change can change the outcome. I'm sure everything will be fine."

Meyara nodded weakly. She was reluctant to admit it, but Eva's soft voice made her much calmer. Any feeling of discomfort in every part of her body diminished, replaced by a warmth that enveloped her protectively. The warming stone she was lying on might also be responsible for that. Meyara found herself slipping into a dream so she was unaware of Adriel's arrival.

Adriel could only huff when he saw that the girl was fast asleep. He stretched out his hand, wanting to brush away the strands of hair that had fallen into her face, but he immediately thought better of it. His hands clenched into tight fists before he moved away.

***