Archive of Our Own

Russian Arctic. Summer 2025

Eve stared absently at the blank document glowing on her laptop screen, trying to figure out how to continue her article, the very reason she had ended up in the most remote place on Earth.

A beep startled her, pulling her from her reverie. It was the sound of a message. Eve glanced at her phone and confirmed it was indeed yet another message from Jake, her now ex-boyfriend, possibly asking to talk when she got back. Eve ignored it and decided not to open it.

It had all begun a few months earlier, when Eve had accidentally discovered, through a series of text messages, that Jake had been cheating on her with a coworker. Her heart had shattered. It wasn't the first time it had happened to her. In general, Eve had terrible luck with men. She always was searching for something more pure… marvelous. And it always ended the same way: deceived and disappointed.

So, weary of her life and desperate for a change of scenery, she had accepted a position in the Russian Arctic to write an article on climate change and its impact on local wildlife for the prestigious Imperial College London, where she had a research grant.

Eve had thought that a few months at the end of the world would help her find herself again, reorganize her thoughts and her life. But she was completely stuck. She wasn’t moving forward. Her life wasn’t moving forward. And neither was her article. Everything felt as frozen as that bleak, desolate place.

She took a sip of her coffee and sighed. "I’m going to get fired", she thought.

And indeed, if she failed to write and submit the article within the assigned deadline, she would likely lose her job. To make matters worse, summer was nearly over. She’d already had a shit year. What else could possibly go wrong?

She glanced at the clock. It was just past nine in the morning. In the Arctic, daylight hours were scarce and darkness abundant, so she decided to go for a walk despite the cold, even in summer. She bundled herself up and headed for the entrance. She was about to open the door when a voice startled her.

“Where do you think you’re going all by yourself?” Lily Hart, her research partner, asked.

“Good morning to you too,” Eve replied, lifting her steaming mug. “I need some fresh air.”

“You know we don’t go out alone. Not without Sebastian,” Lily said firmly. “He’s gone to feed the dogs, so wait. He won’t be long.”

Minutes later, Sebastian came back inside the facility, pulling off his wool hat and gloves. Sebastian Shaw was their supervisor. He had previously conducted research in the Arctic and knew how to navigate the terrain, which was why he’d been put in charge of the team.

“Good morning, ladies!” he greeted cheerfully, already out of his coat.

“Eve wanted to go out without you,” Lily blurted out immediately, much to Eve’s annoyance.

“Thanks, Lily,” Eve said sarcastically, forcing a smile. “Hi, Sebastian.”

Sebastian grimaced and began speaking in the most serious tone he could muster. “Eve, I honestly can’t believe you’d want to go out alone, knowing how dangerous this place is, especially considering the presence of that thing I spotted in the distance…”

“You mean the imaginary Yeti dressed in black you claim you saw on the horizon?” Eve interrupted lightly, prompting Lily to burst into unexpected laughter, nearly choking on her coffee.

“Laugh all you want, but I’m telling you, there’s something out there. And it’s not human.”

“Yes, the Yeti,” Eve repeated mockingly.

“Part of me wishes you’d believe me,” Sebastian said, “but honestly, I’m not sure I want to come face to face with that thing.”

“Oh, come on, Sebastian, Eve’s right,” Lily chimed in. “Yetis don’t exist. It’s probably a polar bear or a wolf. Don’t be paranoid.”

“I never said it was a Yeti!” Sebastian snapped. “It’s humanoid, but it’s not a person. I’m certain of that.”

“So what is it then? An alien?” Eve asked skeptically.

“I told you…I don’t know. All I know is that it’s around here, and we need to be careful. Last year, the Inuit told me they know about it. They call it Qallupilluk, and they say it’s lived here for centuries, protecting this place and the animals from human interference.”

“Legends,” Eve muttered.

“What does Qallupilluk mean?” Lily asked, intrigued.

“Spirit that lives beneath the ice, or something like that. I’m just saying...we don’t know what strange creatures might inhabit this godforsaken place that’s been untouched for millennia.”

Eve raised an eyebrow.

“Yeah… blah, blah, blah,” she said mockingly, opening and closing her hand like a talking mouth. “Are you taking me to where the seal colony is so I can study their behavior in response to the ice melt, or do I have to make that part up in my article?”

Finally, after several exchanges of words and reproaches, Sebastian gave in and took Eve to the area where ringed seals usually gathered, several kilometers from the base, at the boundary between the ice and the open sea.

That day, they were experiencing the midnight sun, which meant that no matter the hour, daylight never truly faded. The light was golden, slanted, and soft, like an eternal sunset bathing the snow and ice. Temperatures ranged between 0 and 15°C, an unusual warmth for the region, intensified by the effects of climate change. Even at night, the cold was moderate compared to the ferocious Siberian winters, when temperatures could plunge dozens of degrees below zero.

For that reason, summer was the only time of year when humans could endure those conditions. In winter, the Siberian Arctic became one of the coldest places on Earth, with thermometers dropping for months to between −40°C and −70°C. An extreme cold that only the Inuit people could withstand without suffering immediate frostbite or hypothermia.

The icy wind bit at Eve’s face, despite it being almost completely covered by her helmet, as she clung to Sebastian’s waist on the snowmobile. When they reached their destination, they parked at a safe distance, as ringed seals were very shy and the noise of the engine would frighten them, driving them back into the water.

With extreme caution, Eve dismounted the snowmobile, adjusted her coat, and headed straight toward the group of seals resting on ice floes, basking in the sun. She took out her camera and began filming them while Sebastian prepared the equipment. They were small compared to other seals, some dark gray, others silvery with pale rings scattered across their bodies, hence their name.

Eve found them fascinating, and it saddened her deeply to know that, due to the ice melt, many of them had developed high levels of stress, struggled to reproduce, experienced changes in their diet, and were increasingly exposed to cold, predators, and storms, leading, inevitably, to higher mortality rates.

She had been documenting the seals for quite some time when Sebastian approached her quietly.

“Eve… we don’t have much time left here, and I was wondering…” he began.

“Yes, I know. I’m behind on the article,” she interrupted without taking her eyes off the camera.

“That’s not what I meant—though you should really get moving on that,” Sebastian added. “I meant… when we get back home, would you like to meet up sometime for a drink? Outside of work.”

“Oh…” Eve looked up, surprised. “That’s very flattering, but right now I…”

She didn’t finish the sentence. At that precise moment, Sebastian’s satellite phone emitted a persistent beep. He muttered a curse under his breath and stepped a few meters away in search of a signal.

Eve released a quiet sigh and was grateful for the timely interruption. Sebastian was a young handsome man—tall and red-haired—but a bit rough and somewhat pedantic for Eve’s taste. She liked him well enough, but she didn't see him as a potential suitor. Besides, turning down her supervisor’s advances would put her in an uncomfortable position she would rather avoid.

Suddenly, she felt a slight tremor. At first, she dismissed it, attributing it to the natural movement of the ice, but before she could react, the ice floe beneath her began to crack. Panic seized her as she looked toward Sebastian and screamed his name. He had his back to her, focused on the call, unaware of the danger opening beneath her feet.

The ice finally gave way with a sharp, brutal crack, and Eve plunged into the freezing water.

A thousand knives stabbed into her body at once. An intense, searing cold burned her lungs. Eve screamed, but only bubbles escaped her lips. She felt her body slipping deeper into the water and struck the ice above her with all her strength, uselessly. Soon she began to tire, feeling the water flood her lungs, her vision blurring.

Through the ice, she glimpsed a dark figure looming above her. A powerful fist struck the surface, shattering it. A hand seized her coat with crushing force...and suddenly, everything sank into absolute darkness.

When Eve opened her eyes, she didn't recognize the place she was in. She was terribly, painfully, cold. In fact, she was shivering uncontrollably. She was wrapped in blankets and furs, wearing nothing but her underwear.

What had happened? How had she ended up there?

Eve looked around. She was surrounded by walls of ice that filtered the light into a soft, bluish glow. The freezing air remained outside, while the snow dome radiated a gentle warmth coming from a small fire. With every breath, faint clouds of vapor formed above the furs covering the ground. Was this an igloo?

She touched her skin: it was icy and pale. Her hands and feet felt numb, and an overwhelming exhaustion weighed on her, as if she were about to collapse.

And then she saw him. Her strange savior.

Before her stood an enormous Creature, nearly two meters tall, wrapped in black furs. His dark long, wavy hair cascaded over a terrible face, pale and uneven, with deep-set, intense black eyes that watched her with unsettling depth.

Eve had never seen anyone like him. Her first instinct was to scream, but the Creature raised his hands in a clear, placating gesture. And then he spoke. A deep, guttural voice emerged from his throat.

“Don’t be afraid. I won’t hurt you. Please, don’t judge me by my appearance,” he said nervously, with a certain awkwardness, gesturing to himself. “I pulled you out of the ice.”

Eve’s eyes widened, astonished and terrified at once. "Damn it, he’s real", she thought in utter disbelief.

The Creature Sebastian had spoken of truly existed, and he was standing right in front of her. She owed her foolish supervisor an apology.

A wave of dizziness washed over her, and her movements felt clumsy and uncoordinated. That was when she realized she was showing clear signs of hypothermia. Although the Creature had acted quickly, removing her wet clothes and wrapping her in furs (something he had done without her consent, which she would have to discuss seriously with him once she felt better), it wasn’t enough.

She needed human warmth. But that thing wasn’t human… was it?

“I… I h-have hypo… thermia,” Eve stammered, her lips trembling. “I n-need… warmth… your warmth. Please… h-hold me or… I’ll d-die,” she murmured, barely audible, as though each syllable cost her what little strength she had left.

The Creature looked at her in confusion, but quickly relaxed his frown and seemed to understand. He stepped closer to the bed where Eve lay and removed the fur coat he was wearing, revealing ragged clothing that seemed to belong to another time, one very far removed from the present.

“W-without… sh-shirt,” Eve babbled, clumsily signaling for him to take it off. Body heat needed to be transferred directly, skin to skin, and it was vital that her chest be warmed.

The Creature understood and, flustered, removed his shirt, revealing a torso unlike anything Eve had ever seen. He was thin, and his body—like his face—was crossed with scars. His skin was pale, slightly grayish, marked by countless lines running across its surface, as though forming a pattern.

But they weren't a pattern. They were different fragments of skin, joined asymmetrically, with no visible seams. One of his pectorals was normal, with a nipple. Over the side of his heart, however, there was something resembling a patch. Just beneath it lay a mole, a small sign of normality. His back and arms bore the same irregular markings.

It was the most incredible thing Eve had ever seen.

“May I?” he asked, politely and shyly. She nodded.

He slipped beneath the blankets with great care and, deeply embarrassed, extended his enormous arms, wrapping Eve in a firm embrace that drew her in at once, curling her tightly against him.

Slowly, Eve began to feel the warmth emanating from him. It wasn't the warmth of an ordinary person. In fact, his skin was cold, deathly cold. But then she heard the powerful beating of his heart and understood that this being, who looked human and yet wasn't, would give every last trace of his scant body heat to help her survive.

Surrounded by that strange warmth and breathing in his scent, Eve finally lost consciousness.

When Eve came back to herself, the cold was no longer consuming her, though every muscle in her body ached. Warmth enveloped her with a strange heaviness. Her hands were still trembling, not from cold now, but from exhaustion.

It took her a moment to remember what had happened. Her thoughts felt thick, disordered.

Through fevered dreams, she had heard a deep voice softly whispering a name that wasn't her own: “Elizabeth…”

She didn't understand the meaning of it.

Her skin was overly sensitive, as though the warmth itself might break her, and yet she didn't want to move away from it. She needed that contact, still wrapped as she was in the arms of that strange being who had fallen asleep beside her, breathing heavily at her side, as if each breath came with effort.

A trembling sigh escaped her lips. She was safe.

In some inexplicable way, she had just shared an unimaginable level of intimacy with a superhuman Creature. Who would ever believe it?

With those thoughts, she drifted back into sleep.

When she awoke again, she was alone on the bed inside the igloo. She was wearing a man’s shirt with ruffles, clearly belonging to another era. The Creature wasn't beside her, and she quickly searched for him with her eyes. Then she found him, sitting nearby, reading a book. When Eve looked at him, the Creature lowered the book and exclaimed with genuine enthusiasm:

“You’re finally awake! You’ve been sleeping for a full day.”

Eve slowly sat up and asked the questions anyone would have asked in her place.

“Where am I? Who are you?”

“I'm a friend. You're in my home. I saw the ice floe beneath you break and watched you fall into the water. I fear your companion didn't notice, but fortunately for you, I was nearby. I'm always nearby.”

“Where's Sebastian?”

“I don't know,” the Creature replied. “I only concerned myself with you. I pulled you from the water and brought you here, to my home. I cared for you as best I could. Your shivering stopped when I held you, just as you asked. Your clothes are nearly dry, you will be able to dress soon. Are you hungry?”

Eve nodded, and the Creature stood, went to a pot resting over a small stove, and ladled some soup into a bowl. He handed it to Eve carefully. She took it and drank deeply. It was hot and flavorful, and she soon felt the liquid spread warmth through her chest, comforting her.

“It’s nothing special, but it’s warm,” the Creature said.

“Thank you. It’s very good,” she replied sincerely.

Suddenly, Eve remembered that she had been carrying a backpack when she fell into the water, and inside it was her phone. Perhaps…

“Excuse me… do you know where my backpack is?”

The Creature nodded, stood up, and retrieved it for her. Eve rummaged through it until she found her phone. As she had feared, it didn’t respond when she tried to turn it on.

“Damn it… I’m completely cut off,” she muttered to herself, pressing a hand to her temple with a frustrated sigh. Then she realized that she and her strange savior had not properly introduced themselves. She looked up at him.

“How rude of me, I haven’t even introduced myself. My name is Eve. And yours?”

The Creature lowered his head sadly and murmured,

“I have no name. He never gave me one.”

The Creature had no name. But… who was HE?

“Oh… I’m sorry. When you say he… who do you mean?” Eve asked gently.

“My father and creator.”

“Creator?” Eve repeated, now utterly intrigued.

“Yes… You must have noticed that I am different. There's no need to pretend otherwise.”

Eve studied the strange features of his face as he spoke. His hair was long and dark brown, with a white lock standing out at his right temple on a nearly cadaverous face marked by scars. His features were irregular; his skin tones pale and uneven. His lips were white and cracked. He had no eyebrows. And yet, despite his evident ugliness, there was something hauntingly beautiful about him, almost painful to behold.

But without question, the most captivating thing about the Creature were his eyes. Deep, black eyes filled with pain, sorrow, and compassion. Eyes that had seen more than any being ever should. Suddenly, in his left eye, an unnatural white reflection appeared, like the glint of a cat’s eyes emerging from the darkness. Was that leukocoria she was seeing?

“I admit your appearance is… striking,” Eve said carefully, “but it’s not your fault."

“Don't I frighten you?” he asked.

“No. Should I be afraid?”

The Creature didn't answer at once. He swallowed, then finally said:

"I have killed to defend myself. And I'm not proud of it."

Eve remained silent for a moment, processing the confession of that being. There were no excuses in his words, only the truth. As she looked at his appearance, she understood that his life couldn't have been easy. Who was she to judge him?

"I think I understand" she finally said, her voice full of understanding.

“You're the first human in many years to treat me without fear, though it's true I haven't spoken to anyone in a very long time. Still, I'm well aware of what I'm. That is why I dwell here, far removed from all contact. I don't know what your modern world is like, but I doubt there's a place in it for someone like me. There are things that never change, no matter how much time passes. Fear and rejection of what's different are among them.”

“Your clothes… the way you speak and express yourself… it’s as if you’re from another time. Is it true what the Inuit say; that you’ve lived here for centuries?”

“Yes,” he admitted calmly. “I cannot die.”

Eve’s eyes widened, and she brought a hand to her mouth. She was standing before something extraordinary. No, not something, someone. She realized that moments like this happened only once in a lifetime, and whatever the Creature’s story was, she wanted to know it.

“There must be an incredible story behind you,” Eve said, utterly fascinated.

“Would you like to hear it?” he asked.

“I would love to,” Eve replied, a spark of light in her eyes.

The following hours melted away in the Creature’s tale, as he spoke at length of his origin and his misfortune. He recounted how his creator (and symbolic father), Dr. Victor Frankenstein, had fashioned him in 1856, assembling his body from the remains of other men and using electricity, defying God and nature itself.

He told how he awoke alone in that shadowy laboratory, confused and terrified, searching for the one who had given him life. It was his own creator who first showed him the sunlight and taught him his first word, the one that would become his entire world: Victor. But that brief moment of connection soon turned cruel, for Victor locked him in a cold, fetid underground chamber and began to mistreat him.

He spoke of how one day an angel appeared in his captivity: a young woman of singular beauty named Elizabeth, the first woman he had ever seen, who offered him respect and tenderness where he had known none. Upon discovering this, Victor, consumed by anger and jealousy, tried to kill him, forcing him to flee through flames.

He recounted being wounded by hunters who shot at him merely because of his appearance, and how he eventually realized his wounds healed on their own. He told of taking refuge on a remote farm, where he secretly observed a humble family and grew to love them deeply, especially a blind old man. Against all odds, he befriended him, and the wise man taught him to speak, read, and understand the world.

He spent nearly a year there and also discovered the truth of his origin among the ruins of the laboratory where he had been created, and how the old man was killed by wolves. The family, believing him guilty, unleashed all their fury upon him, shooting him to death… only for him to come back to life hours later.

Consumed by resentment toward his creator, he set out to find Victor to demand a companion like himself, a plea that was cruelly denied. He spoke of his brief and painful reunion with Elizabeth, and how she died in his arms when she stepped between him and a bullet fired by Victor, a bullet that would not have harmed him. Filled with rage and hatred, he swore to make his creator pay for every tear shed.

He told of how they chased each other to the ends of the Arctic, and how an explosion failed to end his life, though it left Victor mortally wounded. Victor was rescued by the captain of a ship trapped in the ice, and the man heard both sides of the tragedy. Finally, he recounted Victor’s death, finally repentant, asking for forgiveness, calling him son, and extracting a promise that he would continue living.

From that moment, he decided to remain alone in that inhospitable place for the next one hundred sixty-eight years, living as a hermit in communion with nature and its creatures, avoiding contact with humans (save for rare encounters with the Inuit) and clinging to the memory of Victor and Elizabeth, the only beacons of light in his eternal solitude.

When his story ended, tears streamed down Eve’s face, completely moved. A wave of compassion flooded her heart. It was the saddest and most extraordinary story she had ever heard. And that Creature… a tortured soul.

“You must have felt terribly lonely all this time,” Eve finally said, wiping away her tears and sniffing softly.

"Loneliness is a part of me, and over time I have learned to turn it into an ally. Though my life may seem dull and monotonous, in this place I have found peace with myself and with the world. Even so, I will not deny that it's comforting to have company again… and to speak with someone."

Eve looked up at the Creature. She didn’t see a monster, but someone weary, marked by choices he had never wanted to make. His life hadn’t been fair from the start. Without any fear, she reached for his hand, as cold and pale as his face, and held it gently, causing the being to shiver and look at her with genuine devotion.

“It’s a pleasure,” Eve replied softly. “But there's something I can’t understand…” she added sadly. “Why haven’t you chosen a name for yourself all this time?”

“Parents are the ones who name their children, and Victor didn't do it,” he replied. “Besides, what is the point of having a name if there's no one who could ever call you by it?”

The Creature’s cruel reasoning was so logical that it filled Eve with sorrow and indignation.

“But that isn’t fair! Everyone has the right to a name,” Eve protested. And then, an idea came to her, perhaps a bold one, but born of goodwill. “I would like to give you something, if you’ll allow me.”

The Creature looked at her, puzzled, not understanding.

“I'm not Victor, and I know I'm a stranger and that it isn’t really my place to do this… but I would like to give you a name. Will you grant me that honor?”

The Creature’s eyes filled with tears as he listened to Eve, and with some difficulty, he nodded.

“Great! What do you think…”

Eve glanced around as she thought, until her eyes settled on Paradise Lost by John Milton. Then she smiled, as if something finally fell into place.

“Of course, I’ve got it! Adam!” She looked up at him. “You’re the first of your kind, and I think it suits you. But if you don’t like it, we can look for another one…”

“No,” he said softly. “I like Adam. That name will bind me to you forever.”

“Why?”

“Because in The Bible and Paradise Lost, Adam’s companion was Eve… and that's your name.”

“Oh my god, you’re right!” Eve said cheerfully, bursting into spontaneous laughter. “Well then, it’s settled. You shall be my Adam, and I will be your Eve.”

Adam and Eve laughed together, though his laughter was shy. It was clear that the Creature had laughed only a handful of times in his long existence.

“I can’t believe you’re one hundred and sixty-nine years old,” Eve murmured, fascinated.

“Has it really been that long?” Adam reflected for a moment. “In this place, it is easy to lose all sense of time. I would like to know more about you… and your tale.”

“My tale? There isn’t much to tell,” she replied with a faint smile. “My life is fairly simple. I’m thirty years old, I live in a small flat in London, near the university where I work. I have a dog named Coco, who’s staying with my mother at the moment. I like nature and animals… I’m a climatologist.”

“A climatologist?” Adam repeated, frowning slightly. “Is that a profession?”

“Yes. I’m a scientist. My field is the environmental impact that climate change has on a controlled environment; its fauna and flora.”

Adam watched Eve in amazement, not fully understanding.

“I study the weather,” she added patiently, simplifying her words.

“Oh… do you mean you investigate what clouds are made of, or how lightning forms?”

“Something like that, though that’s not exactly my specialty. I study how changes in climate affect the land, the creatures that inhabit it, and the plants that grow on it.”

“That's fascinating!” he exclaimed. “A woman of science! How times have changed!”

“Believe me, you have no idea,” Eve said, rolling her eyes.

Adam hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“And Sebastian… is he your companion?” he asked, a little embarrassed.

“When you say ‘my companion,’ do you mean my boyfriend?” she asked, and Adam nodded. “Oh God, no! I’m single. Ever since things ended with Jake, my ex-boyfriend, I haven’t wanted anything to do with men…”

“Ex-boyfriend? Does that mean a former companion?” Adam asked, intrigued, and she nodded.

“Yes, more or less. But the bastard Jake slept with Mary, a coworker of his, after five years of living together, and on top of that, he expected me to forgive him, the scoundrel…”

“Sleep with?”

Eve immediately realized that her wording might be too modern and ambiguous for him, so she tried to explain it more plainly.

“He lay with another woman.”

Adam frowned slightly, thoughtful.

“But you and I slept together as well…”

“I don’t mean sleeping to rest,” she replied, holding back a sigh. “I mean… a more intimate, carnal act…” She studied his expression carefully, searching for any sign of understanding. “You don’t know what I’m talking about, do you?”

Eve could hardly believe it. Adam seemed completely ignorant of what sexual relations between men and women were, and even less aware of the dynamics of modern relationships.

“How embarrassing,” she murmured. “We speak the same language, but you don’t understand me… Let’s just say he betrayed my trust, and that’s why I ended our relationship.”

“And why did he do that?” Adam asked with genuine concern.

“Good question… I wish I knew,” Eve replied bitterly.

“Did it cause you pain and suffering?”

“Yes. In its own way.”

Adam lowered his gaze for a moment before speaking solemnly:

“I deeply regret that you were hurt. If you were my companion, I would never sleep with another woman and betray your trust. I would be with you… only you.”

A wave of tenderness washed over Eve. There was such pure innocence in that Creature that she had no doubt, not for a moment, that he would be the most faithful man on the face of the Earth.

“What you just said is very beautiful,” Eve sighed.

“It’s the truth.” He looked at her for a moment. “You remind me so much of her…” he confessed, a faint blush rising to his cheeks.

Although he didn’t say her name, Eve knew he meant Elizabeth.

“Elizabeth and you…”

“We never reached that point.”

Suddenly, Eve felt the almost childish impulse to kiss him. It was bold of her...but why not? Despite his nearly one hundred and seventy years, Adam retained an almost untouched purity, and that innocence awakened in her a tenderness she didn't remember ever having felt before. And besides… he thought she was beautiful.

“I want to try something,” she said softly. “Stay very still and close your eyes.”

Adam obeyed. Eve moved closer and took his trembling hands in hers, holding them gently. Very carefully, she tilted her face toward his and softly pressed her lips against his. Adam remained completely still, startled, unsure how to react.

Eve felt like a little girl again, reliving the thrill of her first kiss. The sweetness, the inexperience...it was a wonderful sensation. They parted and stared at one another, holding each other’s gaze until Adam finally broke eye contact.

“Why…?” he stammered.

“Because I want to. It’s a gift, to thank you for saving me.”

“I don’t understand" Adam said quietly, confused. "Don’t you find me repulsive?’” 

“Of course not! Sometimes we look too much with our eyes and far too little with our hearts. You seem like a good person… and besides, we’re friends.”

“Friends,” Adam repeated.

Suddenly, thick, silent tears welled in his eyes and slid down his cheeks.

“Shhh… no, don’t cry.”

“It’s just… that’s what the old man told me when he died,” he confessed in a broken voice. “I… I thought I would never have a friend again.”

“Well, believe it,” Eve smiled. “You’ve been waiting for a long time, but here I'm at last!"

She pulled him close and embraced him, resting his head on her lap. She stroked his dark hair with slow, almost maternal gestures, rocking him gently.

How little it takes to make another being happy in this world, she thought.

Eve closed her eyes and sighed. She felt an invisible bond joining them—deeper and truer than any connection she had ever known in her life. When the embrace ended, they slowly pulled apart, and she murmured:

“How about you read to me for a while, until I fall asleep?”

Adam nodded willingly. He opened Paradise Lost and began to read, letting the words fill the room like a lullaby.

The next day, Eve woke up alone. Adam wasn't in the igloo.

She felt much better, more rested and fully recovered. She grabbed her clothes and dressed. She tried to comb her long hair as neatly as possible using a small mirror and a comb. I wanted to look pretty for Adam. Then something caught her eye. Reflected in the tiny mirror, she noticed a small, worn leather chest, as old as nearly everything else in the place.

What if…? Curiosity overtook her. What did Adam keep inside that chest? Could it contain more than a century and a half of life?

Eve opened the chest and began to rummage through it, unsure of what exactly she was looking for. Among the old, tattered clothing, she found several yellowed books and, finally, a black-and-white photograph of a young woman… who turned out to be herself.

A shiver ran down Eve’s spine, and she stifled a scream. Before her was an old portrait of a beautiful woman with the same features as hers: fine, light eyebrows, a melancholic gaze, a slightly upturned nose, and full lips. Her hair was styled in a Victorian bun, and her dress, from the same era, fit elegantly while a rosary hung delicately over her chest.

It was HER… and yet, not her. Eve looked at her reflection in the small mirror again, holding the photograph of that woman in front of her. Her features were identical, though she couldn’t tell if the hair colour matched hers exactly, who was dark blonde. It was as if she were looking at herself through time.

And then she realized: that woman was Elizabeth, and Eve… was her living portrait.

Suddenly, a hazy memory became clear: he had called her Elizabeth when he held her in his arms during their first encounter, as he fought to keep her from succumbing to hypothermia.

At the time, she hadn’t understood it or given it much thought, but now everything made sense: his wandering near the base, Sebastian seeing him with his binoculars, his proximity when the ice cracked… even the fact that he had saved her life.

The tenderness and kindness Adam had shown her the previous night weren’t for her, but for the image of the love he had lost.

Their connection wasn’t real. Nothing was. Everything was an illusion… and Eve felt her heart break.

A dark thought ran through her mind: what if, in some way, she truly was the reincarnation of Elizabeth? What if the instant attraction and compassion she had felt for Adam were inherited? Were her feelings for him real, or just an echo from another life? How much she resembled Elizabeth, in body and soul, she couldn’t know, but the entire situation was deeply unsettling and strange.

Eve was so lost in her thoughts, the portrait trembling in her hands, that she didn’t notice Adam had entered the igloo.

“Good morning! I thought you might like…” Adam began enthusiastically, but when he saw Eve standing motionless with her back to him, his voice faltered, turning worried. “Eve?”

She turned around, her face flooded with tears.

“Eve, what’s wrong? Are you all right?” Adam asked, alarmed.

“You knew… you’ve known all along and you didn’t say anything!” Eve’s voice trembled with disappointment and bitterness. “Weren’t you ever going to tell me?”

“I don’t understand…”

Suddenly, the photograph of Elizabeth slipped from Eve’s hands, crashing to the floor as the glass and frame shattered. At the sight of it, Adam froze, understanding instantly.

“That’s Elizabeth, isn’t it?”

Adam’s gaze shifted first to the photograph lying on the ground, then back to Eve.

“Yes,” he admitted. “Have you been going through my things?” he growled.

“That’s the least of it. Our meeting wasn’t a coincidence, none of this was. You planned it… you lured me here because I look like her!” Eve shouted, furious.

“It wasn’t exactly like that… I admit that when I first saw you I was astonished by your extraordinary resemblance to her, but our first encounter was truly accidental.”

“YOU’RE LYING!” Eve roared.

“I swear it, Eve,” Adam replied sincerely.

“Then what were you doing lurking around my camp? Sebastian saw you that very day! You were close because you were stalking me!” she cried, indignant.

“When you put it that way, it does sound suspicious. But I swear I didn’t engineer our meeting. I’ve spent decades avoiding any direct contact with explorers, except for the Inuit, but I wanted to… vary my diet. That’s how I found your camp and saw you for the first time.”

“You wanted to steal our food?”

“Yes,” he confessed. “In fact, I did. But I never get closer than necessary… until I saw you. You stepped outside, stroked a dog, and when you turned around, my world shook. For a moment I thought I was dreaming. I had to pinch myself to be sure it was real. You were exactly like her, except for your hair. Hers was red. And then I told myself it couldn’t be a coincidence, that God or fate had sent you back to me.”

Adam took a breath and went on.

“I didn’t know how to approach you. I was terrified you’d be afraid of me or reject me, so I settled for watching you from afar. I had no real intention of revealing myself… until that ice floe broke.”

“Then why didn’t you warn Sebastian or take me back to the base? I nearly died of hypothermia! My colleagues have medicine; they could have given me proper first aid.”

“You’re right,” Adam admitted, lowering his head. “I never meant to put you in danger. I was terrified when you fell ill, because I didn’t know what to do until you told me. I just… wanted to see you more closely. I felt the urge to steal you away, to take you with me. To know you.”

“But I’m not Elizabeth! I’m not anyone’s replica!”

“But you’re like her. I don’t know how to explain it, when you woke up, you weren’t afraid of me. You showed me compassion, just as she did in that cold dungeon. And the more we talked, the more I got to know you, the sweeter you became, as if you already knew me deep down. It’s as though your souls are the same. It can’t be a coincidence. You’ve come back to me because our story was interrupted. Can’t you see?”

“No… this can’t be true. It’s too strange, too disturbing,” Eve told herself, breaking down into inconsolable sobs.

Adam stepped toward her and raised a hand to touch her face, but Eve recoiled sharply.

“No, don’t touch me!” she shouted. “Don’t ever touch me!”

Adam’s eyes filled with tears, as if her words had pierced his heart like knives.

“Eve…” he whispered, trembling.

“I want to leave this place now,” she said firmly. “Take me back to my companions. You know the way.”

Adam took Eve back to the base in a sled pulled by Siberian dogs. They didn’t exchange a single word during the entire journey. Upon arrival, Eve asked Adam to leave her several meters away from the base so that no one would see her.

Adam made a move to speak, but Eve shot him a hard glance that stopped him.

“I…” Adam began.

“Leave it, Adam. Thank you for saving me. Goodbye,” she replied coldly.

Eve looked at him one last time, turned, and continued on her way.

As she walked, she struggled to hold back tears and the pain that pressed on her chest, making it hard to breathe. But she did not look back. She couldn’t afford to falter now. Fortunately, Adam didn't follow her. A part of her felt relieved, knowing that if he had, she might not have had the strength to walk away.

Upon reaching the door, Sebastian and Lily rushed to meet her, visibly agitated and surprised.

“Eve!” Sebastian exclaimed as he saw her, running towards her. “My God, you’re alive!”

Lily hugged her tightly, trembling with emotion.

“You have no idea the scare you gave us! We’ve searched everywhere for you. We were about to report your disappearance to the nearest authorities. We thought we’d never see you again.”

“What happened out there? The ice broke, and when I turned around, you were gone. I’m sorry…I didn’t notice,” said Sebastian, visibly remorseful.

Eve waved it off.

“But how the hell did you survive?” he added, frowning with concern.

Eve tensed immediately and remained silent.

“Are you hurt?” Lily asked, alarmed. “Did someone find you? Did they help you?”

“I’m fine. I don’t want to talk about it.”

“Eve…” Sebastian insisted, frowning. “We need to know. It’s important.”

“I said no,” she replied firmly. “Please.”

No matter how hurt or confused she was, she would never expose Adam. Lily exchanged a glance with Sebastian, and after a moment, nodded gently.

“Alright. We won’t press now,” her friend said understandingly.

Sebastian sighed, clearly frustrated.

Eve retired to her room to rest. Lily kindly brought her a sandwich and a glass of milk. In the shower, she appreciated the warmth of the water caressing her skin, calming her mind. She changed her clothes and lay down, but for a long while, she couldn’t fall asleep. Her mind kept spinning, trapped in all that had happened in the past few days: the ice breaking, the feeling of drowning, the hypothermia, Elizabeth… and, above all, Adam.

She missed him.

A superhuman Creature who at first glance seemed grotesque, yet she found herself thinking of his gentle way of speaking, the tenderness of his gestures, the slow sound of his deep voice, his long dark hair with that streak of white, and his eyes… those deep black eyes that held decades of life and pain, which had captivated her so profoundly.

She wept bitterly until, finally, overcome by exhaustion, she fell asleep.

In dreams, she saw herself wearing a wedding dress from another era, soaked in blood, held in Adam’s arms. He carried her tirelessly as the icy wind lashed against his face. A crimson trail stained the snow, and an intense pain consumed her completely. They were heading toward the dark mouth of a cave.

And yet, inexplicably, she felt safe.

Adam returned alone to his shelter.

The sled moved slowly over the endless ice, but he was barely aware of the journey. The dogs seemed to sense his dejection and didn’t pull with their usual vigor. When he arrived, he unhitched the harness with mechanical movements and let them rest. Then he entered the igloo.

Silence hit him with a harshness he hadn’t expected.

Everything there remained the same… yet nothing was the same. The folded blanket next to the bed, the bowl where Eve had eaten soup, the empty space where she had slept. Adam stood for a long while, unable to move, as if taking a single step would confirm a truth he didn’t want to accept.

She had left of her own accord… and not on good terms.

How foolish he had been...how had he ever believed that she could have come to loved him? That she could become his companion?

He slowly approached the chest. The broken glass from the frame still lay on the floor. He knelt and picked up the photograph carefully, as if it could hurt him. Elizabeth looked back at him from another time: young, serene, frozen in the eternity of paper.

“She’s gone… and I long to follow,” he murmured to the photograph, his voice breaking.

He hadn’t just lost Elizabeth… now he had lost Eve as well.

He brought a hand to his chest, where no pain should exist in someone who couldn’t die. Yet there it was. Alive. Burning. A feeling he hadn’t experienced since Victor’s death.

He let himself fall beside the chest, leaning his back against the wood. He closed his eyes and recalled the moment he first found Elizabeth’s photograph many years ago.

Victor had just died, and he walked alone toward a new dawn. He was sad, but strangely relieved, even hopeful. Forgiveness had set him free.

His steps led him to the charred remains of Victor’s tent, and there, half-buried in the snow, he saw it: a picture frame with two black-and-white photographs. One showed a young man with a friendly face, light curly hair, and a kind gaze. It was William, Victor’s brother, whom he had killed in self-defense. The other was her. Elizabeth. Both collateral victims of the tragic dispute between him and his father.

He assumed that Victor had carried both portraits with him so as not to forget the reason that had brought him to that desolate place in his final pursuit. He decided to separate the photographs, discarding William’s, keeping only Elizabeth’s. For more than a century and a half, he had spent countless hours staring at that photograph, memorizing every detail of her face. Idealizing their brief time together. Obsessed with what could have been, and wasn't.

“I was wrong, Elizabeth,” he whispered into the void. “I should have told her the truth from the beginning. I’ve been a coward.”

Adam remained motionless, holding the broken photograph, as a certainty slowly emerged through the pain: even if Eve didn’t return… he could never forget her.

Things couldn't remain this way. He had to go back and see her again.

A few hours later, Eve woke up, and Lily took the opportunity to ask her to undergo some routine medical tests to check her health.

“The tests came back fine,” Lily said, sitting beside her on the examination table. “Your bloodwork values are normal, and a priori, I don’t see any possible side effects from the hypothermia, although I’ll keep monitoring you. Whoever rescued you acted quickly and efficiently.” She paused, then looked at her curiously. “Are you really not going to tell me who saved you?”

“I don’t want to talk about it,” Eve cut her off.

“Then what’s wrong, Eve? Why are you so withdrawn?”

“Really, Lily, I don’t want to talk about it. I have my reasons,” she said firmly.

“Alright, as you wish,” Lily conceded, defeated, crossing her arms. “When you’re ready to talk, you know where to find me.”

Lily was about to leave the room when Eve’s voice stopped her.

“Wait, Lily… can I ask you something?”

“Of course,” Lily replied, turning back to her.

“Do you believe in reincarnation?”

Lily raised an eyebrow slightly.

“And why do you ask?”

“Just answer, please.”

“The concept is very interesting, but scientifically unprovable.”

“Doesn’t it scare you?”

“It depends,” she said after thinking for a moment. “If it were the reincarnation of a serial killer, I’d be worried. But if I knew I had been someone just and good, I would be at peace.”

Eve swallowed hard.

“Do you think it’s possible that someone could die, be reincarnated, and meet again someone they once loved?”

Lily studied her attentively.

“I have no idea, Eve. But if it were true, it would be the most romantic and extraordinary thing a person could experience. A love that transcends time and death… Can you imagine? What are the odds of that happening? Although, to be honest, I don’t see how this connects to your little disappearance.”

Eve lowered her gaze.

“Oh, Lily… I feel like I’ve made a terrible mistake, and that I’ve been unfair and inflexible with someone who didn’t deserve it,” Eve whispered, becoming aware of her feelings.

“Are you talking about your mysterious savior you don’t want to speak about?”

Eve nodded.

“And there’s no way to fix it?”

Eve shook her head slowly.

“I don’t think so. We parted on bad terms. I practically pushed him out of my life.”

“Anyone would say you feel something for your rescuer.”

“I do. I feel something for him,” Eve admitted, finally speaking aloud what her heart had already known.

Suddenly, a powerful roar echoed, accompanied by several gunshots. Eve and Lily jumped off the examination table, startled.

“What was that? A bear?” Lily asked, bringing a hand to her mouth.

“That’s not a bear… IT'S ADAM!” Eve shouted.

She rushed out of the room, with Lily close behind her. She grabbed a coat without really looking and ran toward the outside of the base. Sebastian was reloading the tranquilizer gun they kept for emergencies in case of attacks by dangerous animals.

Night had fully fallen, and with it, the plunge in temperature. The thermometer already marked several degrees below zero. The cold was unbearable, and the icy wind accompanied the snow, which fell in thick flakes. The darkness was so dense that visibility was minimal.

“SEBASTIAN, DON’T SHOOT, PLEASE!” Eve shouted, desperate.

Sebastian looked at Eve, confused, and she placed a hand on the shotgun to stop him.

"Eve, what are you doing? That thing is out there! I've never seen it up close! The tranquilizer darts won't do anything! It's a monster!" he exclaimed, visibly agitated.

With trembling hands, he raised the weapon and shouted into the darkness:

“Come out of the shadows, if you’re here!”

And he did.

The dark, hooded figure of Adam emerged before them, tall and imposing, with the strange whitish gleam of his left eye shining in the darkness. He let out an unsettling guttural growl, exhaling in a misty vapor. His presence was terrifying… and for a moment, Eve felt fear. Not of Adam, but of what he might do if he felt threatened.

Sebastian’s hands were still shaking as he held the gun. Even so, in an act of courage, he aimed again at Adam… but Eve immediately stepped between them.

"Move out of the way, Eve" Sebastian added with caution.

"I won't do it. Sebastian, don't do it." Eve pleaded. "He… he’s here for me," she added, pointing to herself.

Sebastian hesitated for a moment. Suddenly, everything made sense to him, and he lowered the weapon.

“That thing… saved you?”

“Yes. And he’s good, I swear he’s good. But if you attack him, he will defend himself. Let me talk to him, he won’t hurt me. I beg you.”

Sebastian clenched his jaw, uneasy.

“Alright. But make him leave,” he warned sternly. “Or I’ll report his presence. Good or bad, I don’t want him near the base. Understood?”

Eve nodded. Her eyes briefly met Lily’s, who stood to the side, her face contorted with horror. Then it became clear: Adam would always inspire fear, revulsion, and rejection.

“Both of you, go inside, please. It’ll be easier if you’re not here. He’ll feel more confident.”

Sebastian took Lily by the arm and led her inside the base. 

Eve turned around, stepped forward a few meters and raised her voice:

“Adam, what are you doing here? Why are you exposing yourself like this? You’ve frightened my colleagues.”

The dark figure remained motionless. When he spoke, his voice was heavy with sorrow.

“It will always be like this, won’t it? Wherever I'm, there will be fear,” he murmured, hurt. “It doesn’t matter… You know they can’t harm me.”

“I know,” Eve replied, a tight knot forming in her chest. “But they can report your presence, and then everything will become complicated. Things will turn very ugly… and I won’t be able to control it.”

“I had to come, Eve. It was worth the risk if it gave me a chance to see you again. I cannot bear how things ended between us. I am so sorry for what happened. I was afraid to tell you about your resemblance to Elizabeth, and I didn’t realize that hiding it from you is precisely what caused me to lose your trust.”

Adam approached Eve cautiously, standing in front of her. Close, very close, but without invading her personal space.

“Eve, you gave me more in a single night than anyone has in my entire long existence. You gave me a name and my first kiss, and you offered love and comfort selflessly.”

Eve felt her anger dissolve like the snowflakes touching the ground. How could she not forgive him? This Creature loved her, whether she resembled Elizabeth or not.

“My dear Adam Frankenstein,” Eve said solemnly, raising a hand to tenderly stroke his cheek. “In just a few days, you have filled the emptiness in my heart. I sought and longed for something I couldn't quite name. But in you, I found it. To be lost and to be found. That is the lifespan…”

“…Of love. And in its brevity, its tragedy, it has been made eternal.”

“Ho-how did you know what I was going to…?” Eve stammered, astonished.

“Because you had already told me,” Adam replied softly. “One hundred and sixty-eight years ago. Do you think I could forget Elizabeth’s last words?” 

“Oh my God! Adam…” she whispered, her voice breaking, bringing a hand to her mouth.

It was true. In some way, Elizabeth and she were the same person. Only that could explain how Adam had completed that sentence that had escaped from her lips without her knowing where it came from. Words inherited, memories not entirely her own. Without thinking twice, Eve threw herself into his arms, and they melted into a warm, desperate embrace.

“I will follow you, Eve,” murmured Adam. “I will follow you wherever you go.”

“No… you mustn’t do that,” she replied, barely separating to look at him. “My modern world isn’t ready for someone like you. Some will fear you, others will mock you… and there will be those who want to exploit you for your healing powers and your immortality. They’ll want to experiment on you to cure diseases or attain eternal life. I cannot allow it. Here you are safe, where you're only a legend among the Inuit. You must stay.”

“But I don’t want to lose you…not now that I've found you” he said in a thin voice. “Would you be my companion? Would you stay here with me… at the end of the world?” he asked, hopeful.

Eve almost answered yes, but restrained herself.

“Oh Adam… Your proposal is very tempting, but there are too many complications for me to ignore,” Eve said gently but firmly. “Summer is ending, and I will have to leave. I have a life waiting for me, people who love me. I cannot abandon everything just like that. But if we are truly destined, I will come back to you. You won’t lose me.”

Adam felt saddened, but he understood what Eve meant. Her modern world was incompatible with him, just as his lonely frozen territory was hostile to her. Still, a small hope warmed his heart: knowing he was loved in return.

“I will wait for you,” he said calmly. “For as long as it takes.”

Eve was moved by his determination. Adam’s imposing height prevented her from reaching his face, so gently she pulled him by the nape of his neck to bring him closer.

Their lips drew near, longing.

They closed their eyes and melted into a kiss beneath the spectral light of a beautiful aurora borealis that crowned the sky, wrapping them in its glow.

It wasn't an innocent kiss like the first they had shared. This time Adam responded, returning it clumsily, but in a profoundly tender way, sealing the bond they shared. A bond that had begun one hundred and sixty-nine years ago, in a cold underground chamber in a tower far from God’s hand.

Eve couldn't remember it… but she felt it in her heart. And for the first time, that déjà vu didn't scare her; on the contrary, she clung to it tightly.

They separated slightly and pressed their foreheads together, their noses touching.

“Now you must go, Adam,” she said with sorrow. “Leave before things get complicated. We will meet again. I promise.”

Holding onto that promise, Adam took a lock of Eve’s hair between his fingers, stroked it gently, and let it fall before setting off back to his refuge.

Eve stayed there, watching him disappear. After a few steps, Adam turned and looked at her one last time, his eyes full of love. She responded with a faint smile.

Adam’s figure grew smaller and smaller until it vanished completely, merging with the darkness.

ONE YEAR LATER

Russian Arctic. Summer 2026

Eve had returned to the Arctic base, this time confident and self-assured.

After returning to civilization months earlier, she asked her colleagues not to expose Adam’s existence. She didn’t go into too much detail, but she made them understand that he was a being who had already suffered far too much, and that revealing his presence would condemn him without mercy. Lily understood immediately. It took Sebastian a little longer, but when he saw how important it was to Eve, he finally gave in, albeit reluctantly.

After that, Eve embarked on a vital search. She requested leave and traveled to Geneva to investigate the Frankenstein family archives. There, among yellowed documents and forgotten names, she confirmed that Adam’s tale was true: Elizabeth had been tragically murdered along with her fiancé, William Frankenstein, by a mysterious assailant on their wedding night in 1857, and that he had also taken her with him while she was still dying.

But the most shocking revelation was yet to come. To her surprise, Elizabeth and she shared the same surname: Harlander. Back in London, she consulted a geneticist colleague to research her own family tree. The Harlanders, Eve’s paternal family, was of German-Austrian origin, and had relocated to England in the aftermath of the Great War.

And what seemed evident was confirmed: Elizabeth and she were family; reflections of one another, separated only by time. That discovery brought her strange peace. At last, she understood who she had been... and who she was.

Eve Harlander. 

She felt free and happy for the first time in a long while. And being there again, at the end of the world, a small spark of hope timidly ignited in her heart. Would she see Adam again? Her intuition told her yes. Not a single day had passed since their separation without her thinking of him. She had missed him terribly and imagined how hard it must have been for him to wait for her.

It was early. Eve stepped outside with her steaming cup of coffee to watch the sunrise. And then she saw him. A figure dressed in black, wrapped in furs, stood silhouetted in the distance by the first ray of sunlight.

She smiled. It was him. He had returned.

She felt her heart race. She raised the steaming cup to her lips and took a sip of coffee.

After all, she wouldn't be alone for much longer.

THE END