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  The wind in Cirgo felt different.

  Cold had always been part of this city, from the moment I first set foot here, but now it felt… alive. As if it had developed a personality of its own. And not a pleasant one.

  I had adapted to this climate before; my natural resistances handled it just fine. But now… now I felt the cold cutting back at me, as if reminding me that I was mortal.

  And along with the wind, something else lingered in the air. Fear.

  The streets were filled with groups armed with torches and flags. Apparently, this had become the new normal. Some people were even burning firewood on the streets to stay warm while they protested.

  Posters against the royal family could be found everywhere. Most were thrown in the trash, some citizens who opposed the movement tore them off the walls.

  In the castle corridors, it was impossible not to hear the guards murmuring:

  “Everything’s going to hell…”

  “If it keeps up like this, the people are going to rebel for real.”

  “And my vacation got canceled…”

  And all conversations eventually circled back to the same name: Serena Snowfall, Sentil’s sister. The “white ice devil,” as some whispered behind her back.

  I was still trying to process the fact that all this cold came from her. But Sentil made it clear: she didn’t do it on purpose.

  The problem was… intent no longer mattered to the people. Fear had taken on a life of its own.

  Even now, with no monsters attacking the city, ever since we secured the labyrinth, nothing had truly improved. There was still a traitor on the loose, a brewing rebellion, and to make matters worse, the two prisoners remained silent.

  Whether they had given up or were preparing something… I had no idea.

  During the past few days, Merlin, Pumpkin, Don, Logy and I walked all over Cirgo. Nothing suspicious, nothing useful. Only people complaining about the cold, about the princess, and hoping the trade routes would reopen soon.

  The social atmosphere was just as frozen as the city.

  It was during this routine that, while walking along the west wing of the castle, I noticed something odd: a maid placed a tray of food on a wooden cart in front of a door, and then ran off.

  Literally ran.

  No knocking, no calling out. Nothing.

  I stared at the door for a few seconds. Of course curiosity won.

  I approached, knocked twice, and picked up the tray.

  The doorknob turned.

  And the door opened.

  Standing before me was a girl taller than me, skin pale as snow, hair just as white, and eyes so deep a shade of blue they seemed to pierce through ice, a contrast so striking I nearly forgot to breathe.

  It was her. The girl who watched me from the garden before the expedition. Sentil’s sister.

  Serena Snowfall.

  Except… she was staring directly at me. And according to Sentil, she was blind.

  For a whole second, neither of us said anything.

  Then, a wave of cold burst from her, so strong that my fingers began to tingle around the tray.

  “Uh… I think this is for you.” My voice came out a bit too soft. Maybe too timid. “They left it here and didn’t knock.”

  Her expression, surprise, shifted into fear. Real fear.

  And then the door slammed shut in my face. Hard.

  I just… stood there.

  Trying to understand what just happened. Wondering if I should say something. Whether I should leave. Or if my fingers would fall off and hit the floor.

  Then, after a few long seconds, a trembling voice came from behind the door:

  “I-I’m sorry… Who are you?”

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  She was afraid of me? Her voice carried a kind of loneliness that hurt to hear.

  “I’m Victor. I’ve been working with your brother to solve the monster problems. I just brought your lunch.”

  Silence. And then, timidly, almost hesitantly:

  “Are… are you not cold? Standing so close to me?”

  The honest answer would be: I’m freezing to death. But saying that felt wrong.

  “A little, but I have resistance to the cold. So it’s fine.”

  When she opened the door again, her hand reached toward mine to take the tray. The moment her fingers neared my skin, mine went numb.

  If someone told me I’d dipped my hand into liquid nitrogen, I’d believe them.

  “Thank you…”

  She turned halfway and stepped back into the room, leaving the door partially open.

  I took that as a silent invitation.

  I entered too, leaving the door only slightly ajar.

  Her room was made entirely of shades of blue and white, with black carpets on the floor and soft pink curtains. A round mirror with golden details was coated with a thin layer of frost. Above it, a chandelier that looked like it was made of diamonds.

  Her room was beautiful, luxurious, elegant… and absolutely absurd. The temperature was impossibly low.

  Breathing was difficult. She, however, stood there perfectly comfortable in a light dress.

  ? She might actually be the most cold-resistant living being to ever exist… ?

  ‘Don’t tell me… I feel like I’m dying just standing one meter from her.’

  “Um… what are you?” she asked bluntly.

  “What do you mean?”

  “I can sense something different in you. You’re not human.”

  'Sense? Some kind of skill?'

  “I’m a Metamorph. But you don’t need to be afraid, I won’t hurt you.”

  I said it quickly. Too quickly. I didn’t want to trigger any defensive instinct from her.

  But she didn’t back away. She simply blinked slowly.

  “W-what is that?”

  “… You don’t know what a Metamorph is?”

  “I… haven’t left this room in years. My knowledge of the outside world is… limited.”

  “When did that start?”

  “When I turned eight.”

  That hit me a little.

  She began eating her warm food calmly, as if temperature simply didn’t exist for her.

  “Well… Metamorphs are—”

  “It’s okay. I don’t want to know that right now. Tell me about you.”

  That caught me off guard. I didn’t expect someone so quiet, timid… and scared… to suddenly cut me off like that to ask something so simple.

  But there was a sparkle in her eyes. A genuine, childlike one.

  “O-oh… okay.”

  Serena Snowfall was nothing like what I had imagined. The moment she realized I could withstand her cold, her entire demeanor shifted. It was like watching a flower that spent years closed finally begin to bloom.

  “Seriously?! There are living snowmen out there?!”

  Her eyes shone as if I were telling her fairy tales. And I… well, I could still feel the weight of the cold around us, but talking to her felt strangely light.

  I avoided talking about myself, because I didn’t really know who I was. So I told her about my “adventures.”

  Truth was, even that story I told Merlin in the forest… I no longer knew if it was real or if my brain created it to comfort me. But I avoided thinking too hard about it.

  She leaned forward slightly every time I mentioned something new, her whole body reacting with sincere excitement.

  “And that’s how your brother, me, and Pumpkin made it back from the mountains.”

  “My brother… he’s always getting into adventures.” She smiled, small, but real. “I wish he’d visit me more and tell me about them…”

  Her voice softened, drifting off.

  “You don’t talk much with your family, Your Highness?”

  “Your Highness…?” She blinked, thoughtful. “Ah. That’s about me. No… I rarely speak to anyone. The only one who comes occasionally is Mister Hogan. But he stays on the other side of the door.”

  “That must be lonely.”

  “It is…”

  I crouched down, picking up her tray carefully, even as my fingers froze.

  “Let me take this. You need to keep eating well.”

  She nodded. But before I could turn to leave, she hesitated. She twirled a lock of white hair around her finger, an innocent gesture.

  “Um… can I ask for something selfish?”

  “Of course. Whatever you want, Your High—”

  She scrunched her nose faintly.

  “… Serena. Just call me Serena.” She took a breath. “And… could you come see me again? I… liked talking to you.”

  I don’t know why… but something inside me warmed at that.

  Maybe because no one had ever asked me that before.

  “Of course. Whenever I can, I’ll come see you, Your— I mean, Serena.”

  She smiled.

  Small.

  Faint.

  So sincere it felt like it melted the cold around her for a moment.

  °??──────??°

  In the corridors, Sentil stopped me.

  “Victor. What were you doing in Serena’s room?”

  He didn’t ask it aggressively, but the tone was heavy. A mixture of worry, exhaustion, and a hint of frustration he was trying very hard to suppress.

  “…I just brought her lunch. And we talked a little.”

  Sentil looked away for a second, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb. “She… talked to you?”

  “Yes. A lot, actually.”

  He took a long breath, as if part of him had just collapsed while another part was rebuilt at the same time.

  “Thank you. But… be careful. The situation isn’t good. People are saying she’s becoming more unstable. And if the protests get worse…” He bit his lower lip. “I can’t let anything happen to her.”

  “I know,” I replied. “I wouldn’t let that happen either.”

  Sentil looked at me again. And in that moment, I noticed something I hadn’t seen before: real fear.

  “Victor… we’re having a meeting tonight. I want you there.”

  “Is it related to the monsters?”

  “I believe so, but it’s all still theories.” His voice dropped an octave, almost as if he was afraid the walls themselves could hear him.

  I simply nodded.

  He turned to leave, but before fully walking away, he stopped, still facing forward.

  “Oh, and… thank you for talking to my sister. It means a lot to her. But… if you made any promise to her, don’t break it. She can’t handle losing anything else.”

  I stayed quiet, letting his words sink in. Then he spoke again.

  “I trust you. I know you won’t hurt her. But be careful. Whether she wants it or not… she’s still dangerous.”

  Then he left.

  I inhaled slowly, letting the cold air bite at my lungs. The castle felt quieter than usual, heavier.

  I walked down the corridor, carrying the empty tray.

  ‘Ah, damn it! I should’ve asked where the kitchen is…’

  That was when I heard it, faint, but my hearing doesn’t fail me, a whisper coming from around the next corner.

  A woman’s voice.

  I walked slowly to the edge of the corridor and peeked around. Two maids were talking, but the look on their faces wasn’t the usual gossip. They were tense. Nervous.

  “—we can’t wait any longer. We’re doing it tonight?”

  “Yes, I have it with me.”

  “Good. Everything will work out.”

  They noticed someone approaching, not me, and quickly slipped through another door, vanishing.

  I stayed still, hidden in the shadow, trying to organize my thoughts. Then I began walking again.

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