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Chapter 1: The loss of one life, the beginning of another.
The soft fog blurred my vision, the coldness of the scene marking the atmosphere with a dense feeling, my tears running down my face down my face, refusing to stop. My body shaking from the sheer cold under her weight.
She was laying down peacefully in my arms, her face as pale as an elegant orchid in nightlight. Her clothes hanging off her like a water source, the soft endless layers harboring her so as much lifeless body. The big gap that left her ribs made that bright red ruby liquid slowly leaving her skin, going down my arms, where she rested.
Her body was cold, and so where my hands and legs, the cold was beginning to burn, slowly getting up to my mind. ‘why did she had to go?’, ‘Why did I needed to go on?’, ‘Can’t I go with her?’.
I slowly got on my knees, I had to give her a last chance to have a nice grave. One other than rotting in snow. I tried over and over and over again to stand up but failed miserably. The harsh weather brought me down while my hope brought me up. If I couldn’t walk, I would crawl, and bring her with me. My legs still cold and pained as I drag myself to a certain distance, stopped right after then dragged her with me, letting a blood trail follow us by near. Her blood was shining over the snow, the moonlight was high and bright already yet my eyes was filled only with the sight of the endless path of snow.
As I continue on my way, I came across a path. A dirt path but still a path. Filled with a new found adrenaline to find someone or somewhere, I followed it, beginning to feel more hope running through me. I found the strength to use my legs- the last stretch, finally. I pulled her up with me and continued walking, as I neared and neared some sort of village.
The hearing of laughter and wooden cup being hit together made my face stretch, a sort of smile at least. I took one step, breathing heavily, my heart beating fast, maybe too fast, but I wasn’t no doctor to defines it. Finally seeing one of the houses, a soft, almost quiet noise of relief left my lips, and suddenly felt my leg fail me, my knees hitting the floor. My mind dizzy, my body starting to loose strength. My hands were turned light black due to the cold, same as the bottom of my legs. My breathing slowly narrowing into nothing, as my eyes relaxed into oblivion, the pain slowly creeping back onto me. I couldn’t see, couldn’t hear, nor feel. Was I dying? So close to my goal- I couldn’t leave her alone, could I?
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I couldn’t achieve it, I couldn’t bury her. She couldn’t have a peaceful afterlife, and that was my ignorant fault. I lead her into that snow filled forest only so I could get her to see the craving I made on a wood lump, our initials engraved right into it. Right around stood a crown of her favorite flowers; a crocus, only born in the slightly warmer land, it could also survive the harsh cold of winter. I would of had loved for her to see it, if only we weren’t hit by a snow storm.
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Where was I? I though I had died there… Where was she? My love? I tried to reach my hands to grab into only what felt like thin air. Yet, I remembered holding her cold hand before blacking out…
Out of confusion I opened my eyes, and reached out my hand further. How was it that easy to move? My eyes were still blurry. Did a villagers found us and brought us apart? My sight finally adapted to my surroundings.
I was in a field, a long wide one, I could only see a green scenery from how far my sight could see. I sit up, feeling more light than usual, I looked down on myself.
…
Why were my limbs so short? The end of my hands were turning black, like I had a few moments ago. Yet my skin felt like it had never felt one day of labor, and I was in broad daylight. Was I in the afterlife?
Soon after, someone closed up to me, in a weird language- or was it a name? Why was she shouting a name while looking at me?
-’yes?’
I mindlessly answered. The woman looked quite worried. I wondered why.
-’… I searched for this young lord for so long! little Arlon made me worry!’
Why was she speaking this formally? I was confused about this random person but I tried to answer accordingly, trying to forget about this confusing scenery.
-’I apologies, was I gone that long?’
The look on her face soften, a look of relief on her face, as if worries left her in seconds. She nods as a soft exhale left her mouth. She walked over to me and muttered;
-’Not for long, little lord … I only got worried because of this one’s curse.’
A curse? What was this about?
-’right, ‘my’ curse.’
I answered, a bit hesitant. Was this about my hands? Is that why the tip of my finger up to my knuckles were black? It could be about that. I was still confused about my whereabouts. In a world, alone, without her anymore. But if I was still alive in this strange world, could it be that she is too?
Even if she wasn’t here, I should try at the very least. I couldn’t be the one reborn can I? Well if it wasn’t death itself. I stood up from where I sat, my body felt weird, the feeling of a stranger’s skin over my own, my smaller frame, my perfect sight.
My eyes went back to the sight ahead, the simplicity of the view, the fresh air, the warmness of it all. It surely wasn’t like this land of endless snow. I wonder how big this world is, what beauty it could hide, and how much I had to search to find a way back. I looked back at this woman, dressed in a modest robe, her turquoise hair neatly put aside her head in a neat ponytail, I stopped for a second, blue? I asked myself, how could she have such a hair color? I wondered, while she continued.
-’it is getting cold, this young lord should get back inside.'