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Legend has it that Yuki-onna is a beautiful girl, a creature of snow and ice. She is extremely beautiful and dangerous. Tradition has it that they can usually be recognized by their extremely pale, almost porcelain-like skin, slightly blue lips, which look as if the person is freezing, and luxurious hair, long and silky.
Be that as it may, you didn't believe in legends. In the village where you lived, however, stories about mysterious creatures were meant to scare children, although sometimes they frightened adults as well. It was said that the yuki-onna could often be seen in this area in winter, and when spring came, driving away the cold and frost, the creature would go high up into the mountains, to the very top, where it would fall asleep. And with the arrival of the first snow, the yuki-onna descended to continue its bloody feast and lure as many careless travelers as possible into its predatory jaws.
Although you liked the legends very much, you did not believe in the possible existence of such a creature. If that were the case, your father would hardly have been an ice cutter.
Although you were a family of modest means, your dad agreed with you. The possibility that the Yuki-onna really existed seemed like a fairy tale to you skeptics.
However, the villagers, who, incidentally, were also ice cutters, as it was a settlement of people engaged in this particular activity, often told you about her, warning you against the dangers of wandering alone in winter.
Stories about Yuki-onna originated long ago. This creature was worshipped for hundreds of years: gifts were brought in the form of jewelry, food, especially meat, incense, and most interestingly, ice sculptures. Statues, figurines... Ice cutters were not only skilled at extracting ice efficiently, but also at creating works of art from it.
Such creations were brought to the Yuki-Onna most often and most actively. Although it was painstaking and extremely delicate work, over the centuries, the inhabitants of the village passed down from generation to generation the technique of processing ice and creating extremely detailed figurines, statuettes, and even household items from it.
However, no matter how much you asked, no one could answer the perfectly logical question: had they seen a yuki-onna with their own eyes?
When asked this question, the villagers could only shake their heads. Only the oldest man living there, Mr. Sato, who seemed to be the liveliest person in the village, cheerfully told you his story when you were very young:
"Girl, everything you've been told about the yuki-onna is essentially true. However, they made a terrible mistake. The yuki-onna that lives in our mountains is a man. He is easily mistaken for a woman from a distance because he has long platinum hair and is dressed in a blood-red yukata. However, if you look closely, you will see that he is far from being a woman. No one has ever managed to meet him except my mother, who he obviously liked so much that he decided to let her go alive and even taught her how to extract ice!"
Yuki-onna is a man?!
All this time, you've been taught that this creature is always a woman, and an extremely beautiful one at that...
"Is it true that he is beautiful?"
Mr. Sato laughed and replied:
"Oh yes, very much so! He has long, platinum hair that cascades down his back and shoulders, but perhaps his most striking features are his rainbow-colored eyes, thick dark eyebrows, and ever-present radiant smile. My mother spoke of him with great enthusiasm..."
But you quickly forgot about this story because you didn't take it seriously. After all, the old man was about 90 years old at the time...
So you continued to believe that Yuki-onna was a woman.
As in every culture, songs, poems, and legends are an integral part of the ethnic group... And although Japanese culture is all-encompassing, in your village, special attention was paid to Yuki-onna. In her honor, your ancestors composed a song about this magical creature:
"Born of cold and winter air and mountain rain combining..."
Your father fell ill. He was so sick that he couldn't go to the mountains to get ice. And there were no sons in his family.
You were his only child. So, in order to earn at least a little money, you decided to do the work for him.
When you were little, you often went with your dad to get ice, and when you grew up, you were able to help him. It's not an easy job, requiring skilled and strong hands as well as legs.
And you decided to replace your father.
After telling him about your decision, you decided to leave early the next morning. Your dad initially objected to this initiative, but realizing that there was no one else to go, he had to agree.
You gathered the most necessary things: food, water, warm clothes, tools, other equipment...
You went to bed.
You got up before dawn. The morning star still hung in the sky, reminding us of the recent reign of night. The clear, still dark sky spread its morning carpet before human eyes, showing off the colors of its creation.
You ate breakfast with gusto. Your father was still asleep, but you could understand him: his illness had completely exhausted him. Leaving the medicine on the table, you took the bag with your belongings on your back and decided to keep the hatchet in your hands, just in case.
Today, several people were also going to the mountains, so you agreed to go with them along the route they had already laid out. Three of your father's friends were traveling with you.
The mountains were not far from here, so the village was usually covered in heavy frost. In winter, the cold seemed to penetrate to the bone, so all the inhabitants had very warm, comfortable clothes at their disposal. And in summer, the pleasant coolness of the snow-capped mountains provided a pleasant breeze in the heat.
On the other side of the village stretched a dense forest, so you always had a supply of wood, regardless of the situation.
The village seemed cut off from the rest of the world. It was as if beyond these mountains and forests there was only a wasteland stretching further and further, although you had already gone beyond the forest.
The mountain range surrounding the village on the other side stretched for tens, even hundreds of kilometers. In this area, it was mostly gentle, but the steepness of some sections could confuse even the most experienced ice climber.
Fortunately, the road you were walking on was not slippery. Moreover, it was fenced on one side, so you walked quite calmly.
Upon reaching their destination, the three men decided to stop and extract ice in this place. You decided to go higher up into the mountains. There was a lot of ice there, and the road was also fenced off.
However, the men decided to warn you:
"It's better not to go so high. There are strong winds there..."
"Be careful!"
"They say that Yuki-onna lives there..."
You left the team and headed uphill, where the ice was as clear as a mirror thanks to the weather conditions.
"This icy force both foul and clear..."
The higher you climbed, the harder it became to move forward.
The edge of the road was indeed blocked, but the road itself was a little slippery and poorly cleared in places, which slowed your movements.
And how cold it was there! The frost froze your body, penetrating to the very bones...
God, but what a view opened up from there! It was as if you were watching life from the heavens, like the gods. Only the gods don't freeze.
And so you continued to move forward.
After a while, you reached the point where the barrier ended. Walking a little further, you saw several relatively low slopes blocking each other. Here you decided to begin the long task.
You placed your food and water supplies nearby, leaving the sled you had been pulling next to them so you could put ice on it and rest in the process, and set about doing your work.
However, after a while, a light snowstorm appeared. At first, you didn't pay much attention to it, deciding to continue your work.
But then, somewhere on a subconscious level, you got the impression...
That you were being watched.
More precisely, observed. You instinctively turned around, but there was no one there. Only the falling snow and your belongings, which remained in their places.
Strange...
After a while, you took a break. You sat down to eat and drink properly. This work was extremely hard, no matter what anyone said.
While you were eating, you decided to look around.
There was snow, ice, and stone everywhere. Indeed, there was nothing here now that could catch your attention: no trees, no bushes...
Looking up, you saw another slope towering above you. It was practically the top of this mountain.
After finishing your meal, you decided to stretch your legs and headed in a direction that would allow you to get closer to this height.
Ahead was a path that led straight to the top. You decided to go there in a few days, taking additional equipment to safely climb up and down.
No ice axe had ever set foot there before, so you had to prepare properly.
In the meantime, you headed back to finish mining for the day.
You placed the ice blocks on the sled, tied them to the base with ropes, packed your bag, and headed down.
The eyes of the mountain accompanied you to the end.
"Has a frozen heart worth mining...".
The next day, you went back to the mountains.
Fortunately, your father was gradually recovering. However, thinking that you were leaving your sick father alone, you asked your neighbor, an old acquaintance, to check on him from time to time.
You found this woman quite pleasant. At least she didn't discuss your single status... Although you were very young, the women in the village looked down on you, whispering among themselves:
"At her age, I already had two children..."
"Her father is so irresponsible! He still hasn't found a groom for her..."
"I heard she has a terrible temper..."
The words mocking you couldn't hurt you. But when it came to your father...
You just walked away silently. There was no point in stopping to prove anything to them. Who were they to you? And work was waiting...
In general, your days passed quite calmly. Your father was recovering steadily, and with the cheerful company of your neighbor, even more so! But until he was completely healthy, you couldn't let him go to the mountains. No matter how much he insisted...
And no matter how scary it was for you.
On the third day of your work, a big, though short-lived, snowstorm began. It started so suddenly that it stopped your work for a few minutes.
You ignored the inconvenient weather conditions and continued your painstaking work.
Suddenly...
You turned around. You couldn't understand why, most likely to take your eyes off the ice and look elsewhere.
Through all this blizzard, you saw the outline of someone tall standing near your things. It remained motionless, and you would hardly have been able to see it at all if the blizzard had not subsided at that moment.
As soon as you saw this figure, it began to approach you, slowly but surely. You gripped the handle of the hatchet tighter in one hand, and in the other you already held the small knife that you always carried with you.
A chill ran down your spine, and your whole body shook...
When the blizzard ended as quickly as it had begun, the creature was nowhere to be seen. It had simply disappeared...
This incident sowed fear and doubt in your heart: was it worth going up?
And in general, did you have enough courage to go back there?
At first, you were very scared. You even thought about continuing to work with the men. But the ice you mined was of the highest quality: it was not dirty, but crystal clear, and it melted slowlier. However, the latter surprised you at first, but you assumed that it contained less salt than the ice below. There was permafrost there: only snow, only ice.
But you had to go. If you want to live, you have to work. Otherwise, you won't be able to buy food or medicine for your father.
You just have to go.
The next day, you set off with a larger arsenal, taking an axe with you, which you had sharpened beforehand so that it was as sharp as a katana blade. It wasn't light, but the feeling of having it with you gave you a certain peace of mind.
From time to time, you looked around, but saw no one.
This went on for several days. Your fear subsided on its own, because that's natural. The incident that had initially alarmed you began to fade from memory. You assumed that you hadn't actually seen anything, and that it was all just a figment of your imagination, probably caused by fatigue.
And so you finally mustered the courage to reach the summit.
"Cut through the heart, cold and clear..."
That day was exceptionally clear, so you decided early in the morning that it was time to blaze a new trail on the mountain.
This time, you brought more ropes and two hatchets for safety.
The fresh, slightly thin mountain air hit you with a chill. Stopping at your usual spot, you took your safety gear with you and left the rest of your belongings at the same spot.
Taking a deep breath, you moved forward with the feeling of a pioneer.
The road leading uphill was a little snowy but not slippery, which made you happy. You calmly made your way up, and before your eyes opened up a view of endless evergreen forests.
And then you reached the top.
What an incredible feeling! What freedom of space, what all-encompassing grandeur opens up before the face of the brave! This warmth, this curiosity to learn something new, this understanding that you have seen what probably few have seen...
And how much pure ice there is! You can earn a little money for such ice...
You returned downhill, picked up your things, and dragged them uphill. Having finished the job fairly quickly, you enthusiastically headed downhill and happily returned home.
The next day, curiosity got the better of you, and you decided to properly explore the area where you would be harvesting ice.
The bright blue sky towered above you like a minimalist but majestic dome. A few minutes later, however, it was covered by clouds. A new, strong blizzard began.
This time, it was so powerful that you decided to stop working and take shelter in a stone cave that you assumed was nearby.
Turning the corner, you saw that it was just a rock. Unfortunately, it would not save you from such a blizzard.
Going downhill was not an option either, because you would not be able to see the road.
Suddenly, you saw a rather tall rock formation. Looking behind it...
You saw something unearthly, incredible!
It was a kind of palace. Made entirely of ice! It resembled a temple in its luxury. The palace was located right next to a cliff, which stood out against the backdrop of the mountains with its sharpness.
But you had never seen it there before!
How was that possible?!
Taking an axe in one hand and a hatchet in the other, you set off to explore this place. And where did your fear go?
And inside...
My God, what kind of place is this? Whose creation is it?
Incredible, exquisite work with ice! Everything here was like an ordinary palace, but it seemed so luxurious to you! How many patterns there were on the walls, how many interesting objects...
And all of them made of ice!
The place was very large, and the height of the room seemed especially massive to you: the ceiling here was as tall as 10 men, if not 15!
You felt so small, just tiny. It was in stark contrast to the moment when you stood at the top yesterday.
Moving on, you entered a huge hall, which for some reason had many ice partitions.
Suddenly, you had the same feeling.
You were being watched. Again.
Clutching the axe tightly in your hand, as if to make sure you still had it, you moved on.
And suddenly...
Oh my God, what is that?!
You shuddered and jumped back.
In front of you, carved in ice, stood a tall and extremely handsome man with platinum hair falling chaotically over his shoulders and back. Dark, thick eyebrows that contrasted with the light color of his hair. A smile that, through the prism of time, was frozen on his beautiful face. And most interestingly, his incredible, multicolored eyes that changed like a rainbow, like kaleidoscopes.
He stood motionless, piercing the void with his lifeless, beautiful eyes.
"Strike for love..."
You looked at him spellbound. You had never seen such a handsome young man...
Everything about him was beautiful. As if unearthly.
But this strange "encounter" frightened you. You couldn't understand why, because he was frozen.
So what was there to be afraid of?
"And strike for fear..."
You decided to go back. Slowly, as if for the last time, you headed for the exit, taking in the beauty and grandeur of this place with your eyes.
Instinctively, you turned around.
But the young man was no longer there.
Your eyes widened like two saucers.
A chill ran down your spine. You clutched your axe again.
You quickened your pace. Memories began to flood back...
Someone's cold, icy hand fell on your shoulder.
You stopped, as if hypnotized, and stood motionless with fear. You couldn't even move your fingers.
Finally, you found the strength to turn your head. And what you saw there... or rather, whom...
"Oh, it's been so long since I've had visitors!"
It was the same young man. But now, he didn't look dead...
He was very much alive!!!
The stranger leaned his face closer to yours and continued:
"What a lovely girl! How did you end up at the very top?"
You were still silent. You were just thinking about how to get out of there as quickly as possible.
But the probable owner of this palace did not even think of letting you go. You found the strength to speak and asked:
"Who are you?"
For some reason, this made the young man laugh, and he gently ran the back of his hand across your face, which made you flinch.
"Oh, how rude of me not to introduce myself! My name is Douma! As for who I am... I think you already know, don't you?" He continued to smile, studying your face intently.
Yuki-onna... the very one Mr. Sato had told her about...
She turned her head to the side and saw... all the gifts that people had left at the foot of the mountain! They were neatly stacked on a small, inconspicuous table.
So it was all... true?!
All this time...
Douma laughed gently when he saw the confusion on your face.
"What is your name, my dear?"
Sweetheart?!
You forced yourself to introduce yourself to him. One careless step and you...
"What a beautiful name! Tell me, my dear, did you like the ice I made for you?"
You stared wide-eyed.
He made that ice ?
Oh my...
Seeing the shock on your face, he continued:
"It's the highest quality ice! I was sure you would like it. And in the end..."
He gently lifted your face by the chin and whispered:
"I was not mistaken."
You blurted out:
"Why are you helping me?"
Doma looked at you in surprise, then gave you a sly look and said:
"I liked you."
Let it be a dream!
"I saw you for the first time a year ago. And I was impressed by you: for the first time, I met a girl who seemed so interesting to me that at first I only felt sympathy, and then... And seeing how hard you work, I couldn't stand aside, could I?"
"There's beauty and there's danger here..."
You stood rooted to the spot.
What should you do? What do people usually do in such situations?
"Oh, it's getting dark!"
Through the open door, you saw the sun, which was a sign that it was already the second half of the day. It was about 4 o'clock. Now it was getting dark faster, so the sun was setting much faster.
"Oh, what a pity that we have to say goodbye for today! But remember, I'll be waiting for you tomorrow," his smile revealed extremely white teeth, among which were fangs longer than a human's.
You left the palace with a tremor. You didn't even have time to understand how you tied the ice to the sled and how you descended the mountain. By that time, dark twilight had appeared in the sky.
You returned home. Your father and neighbor, who were sitting at the table drinking tea, instantly turned their heads in your direction.
You barely limped into the house. Your eyes radiated emptiness and fear. Your usual calm expression left you, and you sat down next to them, trembling.
Your father had already noticed that something was wrong with you. Your neighbor tactfully left you alone, which gave you the opportunity to share everything that had happened.
To say that your dad was shocked would be an understatement! At first, he didn't even believe you...
Until he noticed something strange on the edge of your cheek.
There was a barely visible, light blue lotus flower. No one would have noticed it if they hadn't looked closely. It frightened your father, and in the end, he believed you.
When you saw yourself in the mirror, you froze! He had managed to leave his mark on you! Why?!
"Obviously, he considers you his chosen one," your father said aloud what you didn't dare to say even in death.
God, all this time I was being followed by a creature far removed from humanity and humaneness. Which could probably...
You didn't even continue your train of thought.
What could you do?!
You have to go tomorrow! If your father goes instead of you... he'll... most likely kill him.
But how to solve this problem?!
You weren't going to marry anyone.
Especially not an immortal yuki-onna who had been following you and decided that you were the perfect couple!
You and your father barely slept that night. The slightest crack or sound from outside woke you up. But the exhaustion from the tension overcame your body, and soon you fell into a deep sleep.
"Split the ice apart..."
You woke up feeling terrible. You didn't have the strength to go and do hard work.
The weather seemed depressing to you now. Only snow, ice, and more snow...
There was no end in sight to that winter.
You forced yourself to get up and start a new day.
With fear and sadness in your soul.
You came to the place where the fence ended. This time, you did not go to the top.
But Douma, as Yuki-onna introduced himself, was not going to leave you alone now.
While you were chipping away at the ice, someone very cold hugged you tightly from behind and lifted you slightly off the ground. Your legs dangled helplessly over the snow.
You gasped for breath. You were about to scream for help and try to break free when someone whispered in your ear:
"Sweetheart, I told you I'd come."
You stopped instantly.
"Douma?! Let me go, please!"
He pouted like a little child and pulled you even closer to him:
"Wait a minute! I haven't seen you all night! I missed you. I was so lonely without you!"
You grimaced and sighed. Douma didn't seem to be letting you go, so you decided to break the silence more boldly:
"Let me go, work won't wait."
"Oh, my dear, you're so cruel!"
Still, he let you go with a slightly sad expression on his face, which again resembled the sad or offended face of a child.
Is this yuki-onna?
You just went back to your work, ignoring Douma, who seemed to want to catch your eye for at least a moment. But you, being scared, decided that the best way to get away from him, at least a little, was to keep working.
After a while, you turned around and were surprised to see that Douma was still standing behind you, but closer now. This frightened you a little again, but without losing your fighting spirit, you just walked past him and sat down on the sled to have a snack.
You stared at the snow so as not to look up. Douma, somewhat rudely, sat down next to you and stared at you intently, sending a chill down your spine.
When he was so close, you realized how helpless you were in front of him, which both frightened and angered you.
"Why did you leave a mark on my cheek?"
Doma looked at you innocently, then smiled slyly, moved closer to you, and whispered in your ear:
"Oh, dear, did you notice? I must admit, you are more observant than I thought. As for the mark itself... It is a sign that you are under my blessing! It will disappear over time, but its effect will remain for the rest of your life."
You turned around and looked at him in amazement:
"And what is this blessing?"
Doma chuckled and replied eagerly:
"It means that you are under my protection and it deters other beings from trying to harm you. It also brings you prosperity, like ice picks. As for me personally..."
He deliberately stretched out his explanation to watch the change in your expression. Doma leaned even closer to you and whispered:
"It also means that you are my chosen one. Isn't that wonderful?"
You trembled with fear of the unknown.
What awaited you? Was the price of your freedom equal to the price of your life and the lives of your loved ones? Why you, of all people, in the end?!
Who knows where you found the courage, but you blurted out:
"Douma, I'm not a good match for you. I'm just a human, and you're immortal! I can't live in eternal ice and snow. I'll die before you, and I'll grow old. And most importantly, I don't love you!"
"Beware of frozen heart."
You got up, followed by a surprised Douma. You quickly gathered your things and decided to leave early today. The ice shimmered with different colors thanks to the sun's rays.
You went back. You didn't know what tomorrow would bring. You didn't want to know. When tomorrow came, then you would think about what to do next.
And Douma stood silently and watched you leave. At first, the sparkle in his eyes faded, but when you disappeared over the horizon, it returned with renewed fervor.
Even though you rejected him, his hope of winning your heart did not disappear. On the contrary, it burned with a new fire, stronger and brighter than ever. He would prove her wrong! And they would be together forever...
After all, that's how all stories end, right?