The old man with the long gray beard stood behind me. His unexpected voice made me flinch.

  — Who are you? What is this place? And what is this ring, anyway? — I nearly shouted at the old man. Though mentally I was 23, everything that had happened today had thrown me off balance.

  — No need to shout, — the old man replied calmly. — We’ll have plenty of time to talk. Better sit down and have a cup of tea.

  He waved his hand, and the white space around us transformed into a cozy winter cabin in the mountains. The old man sat at a table where a teapot and two cups were already set.

  Deciding to follow his lead, I also sat at the table. After drinking the tea, I felt the tension gradually ease. It tasted like chamomile, the kind I loved drinking as a child.

  — Feeling calmer? — the old man asked, watching me.

  — Yes, I feel better now, — I replied, feeling the warmth of the tea spread through my body.

  — Good, now we can talk, — his voice was calm and even soothing.

  — First, let me introduce myself. My name is Ice Mor.

  — Ice Mor? — I stood up in surprise. — Wait, the King of Mildfold, the boss of the S-rank dungeon?

  My voice trembled slightly. After all, sitting before me was the dungeon boss I needed to kill to escape this place. ?Why am I even here?? — the thought raced through my mind.

  — Such a noisy child, — the old man muttered with slight displeasure. — Well, you’re half right. My real body is currently inside the castle.

  — You said "real body"? — His words puzzled me.

  — You know, you should introduce yourself first.

  — Oh, right, sorry. My name is Ark, — I said, slightly embarrassed, having completely forgotten basic manners.

  — My soul is bound to this ring, and now both your consciousness and I are in the space created by the ring, — the old man said, pointing to the ring.

  ?That’s why he called this place his home,? I thought.

  — Yes, this place is my home, — the old man said, as if reading my thoughts.

  — Don’t be alarmed. In this space, I can see what you’re thinking because it’s now connected to your soul.

  His words made me a little uneasy, but I quickly pulled myself together. As soon as I arrived here, I didn’t notice at first, but my hands and feet were back to their normal size, not child-sized. I looked in the mirror hanging on the wall and saw my real face.

  — No need to be surprised. I told you your soul is here, — the old man said calmly.

  He continued to sit and drink tea as if this were completely normal.

  — This ring... What is it? — I asked, still not fully understanding what was happening.

  — As I said, it’s my home. Though, no, it’s more like a prison, — he replied, his voice tinged with melancholy.

  — Why a prison? — I asked, confused, looking at the ring.

  — In my naivety, I thought I could cheat death and achieve immortality, — the old man said, his tone growing more somber. — But... well, never mind. Let’s just say I made many mistakes, and now my soul is trapped here. — He quickly returned to his carefree demeanor, as if trying to hide his sadness.

  In the game, the story of Mildfold was never told. The only thing you could learn was that the kingdom fell after a curse cast by the "Witch of Eternal Frost." And even that was only revealed by carefully examining the paintings in the ice castle.

  — You know, kid, I can’t figure out why your body and soul are so different, — the old man asked, setting down his cup.

  — Honestly, I don’t know what happened either, — I replied truthfully.

  I don’t know why, but I told the old man that I wasn’t from this world. Ice Mor just laughed at my story. To be fair, it did sound like a child’s fantasy.

  — Though it’s hard to believe, in my life I’ve seen many stranger things. So I can believe your story, — he said, his voice sincere.

  His words calmed me down. Venting to someone, even if it was just an old man, really made me feel better.

  — So how did you end up in such a dangerous place? Clearly, you didn’t go there willingly, — the old man asked, his voice tinged with irony, but his eyes showed genuine curiosity.

  — In the dungeon where I wanted to get stronger and earn some money, I got trapped. The only way out was a strange teleportation circle, and here I am, — I replied, feeling bitterness and frustration mix in my words.

  — It’s a tough situation, indeed, — the old man nodded. — You know, this ring isn’t just my prison. It also has some power.

  — Power?! — I jumped up from my chair, barely containing my excitement.

  Power was exactly what I needed. Without it, I wouldn’t be able to protect the people I cared about, let alone survive.

  — But first, answer me one question, kid, — the old man’s tone changed, becoming more serious. — Why do you need power if you rushed straight here?

  It seemed like an easy question, one I knew the answer to, but for some reason, I couldn’t say what I was thinking.

  ?To survive? To stop a war? Or maybe for my own selfishness...? — My thoughts swirled like a whirlpool. ?Maybe I really just want to stroke my ego? To be above others so no one can push me around?? More and more dark thoughts circled in my head. My mind began to sink into a sea of doubt until suddenly, an image of a girl with long purple hair and a boy with gray hair appeared in my mind.

  Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.

  ?How could I forget...? — A faint smile appeared on my face.

  — I want to save people destined to die without a happy ending. I want to give them the ending they deserve! — I declared with my head held high, feeling the words fill me with determination.

  — You remind me of myself when I was young, — the old man chuckled, his eyes gleaming with approval. — Alright, we’ll have more time to talk soon.

  The last thing I heard before a bright light blinded me was his calm voice:

  — Good luck, kid.

  — Why does everyone have such a strange love for white and bright light? — I muttered irritably, rubbing my eyes.

  When my vision returned, I saw green grass again. The green grass was much more pleasant than the white snow of that cursed place. Soon, I looked around: I was a few meters away from the entrance to the goblin dungeon. Or rather, what used to be it. Now, all that was left was a collapsed cave.

  ?Maybe I passed out, and it was all a dream? Wait! The ring!? — I quickly looked at my right hand. On my middle finger was the dark blue ring.

  — So, it was all real? — I said with mixed emotions.

  ?How did I even get out? And why am I still alive?? — Trying to remember what happened, I felt a headache coming on. So I decided to put it aside for now.

  — Damn! How long have I been here?

  Jumping up, I started looking for my bag of food. But it was gone. At least the dagger and bow were still with me. There was no time to search; I wanted to get home as quickly as possible.

  As I walked through the familiar forest, I had a feeling that something had changed. The longer I walked, the stronger this feeling grew. By the time I reached the edge of the forest, I hadn’t seen a single person or animal.

  ?It seems less than a day has passed, and the hunting ban is still in effect,? — this thought made me happy until a yellow leaf suddenly fell on my head.

  — Strange, there aren’t any trees with yellow leaves around here...

  Looking around, I noticed that there were far more yellow leaves than I had thought. Because I was so happy to see green grass instead of white snow, I hadn’t noticed that less than half of the foliage was already yellow.

  — It’s too much for June.

  Deciding to hurry, I reached the main gates. Showing my hunter’s badge, the guards gave me strange looks and whispered among themselves. Soon, they let me into the city.

  ?What’s going on? Did some rich guy get killed?? The strangeness kept piling up. As I approached the house, my hand stopped at the doorknob, and just as I was about to open it...

  — Honey, I’m going to check on Andy! — a woman’s voice called out as the door opened.

  Our eyes met.

  — Ark? — Before I could even process it, the woman hugged me, her eyes filled with tears. It reminded me of my first day in this world.

  — Mom, I’m home. Why are you crying? — I asked, confused.

  — What do you mean "why"? You’ve been missing for two months, — Mia said through her tears.

  ?Two months! How is that even possible?? I stood frozen, not understanding anything. ?How could I have been gone for two months when it felt like only a day...?

  — What month is it? — I suddenly interrupted the hug.

  — August.

  — August! — I was extremely surprised. — Sorry, I really don’t know how that happened.

  — You can tell us everything later, but for now, come inside, — Mia said, wiping her tears.

  I entered the house, and a worried Greg approached me. He had been worried about me too. I told them about the dungeon, the goblins, and the ring. Of course, it was hard for them to believe what I said, but they were still glad I had returned alive and well. Naturally, the rest of the day was spent listening to my parents’ lectures about not putting myself in such danger again.

  My life returned to its usual routine. I didn’t notice any changes from the ring. I tried to talk to the old man, but he didn’t respond.

  A week passed. As usual, I was out hunting with my father. I was aiming to shoot a deer when suddenly, a man’s voice echoed in my head.

  — Testing, testing, can you hear me?

  Startled, I released the bowstring, and the arrow missed its target. The deer, frightened by the sound, ran away.

  — Seems like bad timing, — Ice Mor’s voice sounded with a slight chuckle.

  — Don’t scare me like that! And what’s with the sudden awakening? — I protested, still feeling my heart pounding in my chest.

  — I needed time to establish a connection with you. Anyway, you probably have questions for me, — Ice Mor said.

  — Yes, I do. How did I get out of that cursed dungeon, and why was I gone for two months? — I asked with interest.

  — I can’t answer your first question right now, but let’s just say it’s related to the mana left in the ring. As for why you lost two months, time in that dungeon flows much slower than outside, — the old man said calmly, sipping tea in his dimension.

  ?I don’t remember this feature in the game. So, it’s an anomaly. No, the fact that a teleportation circle from a low-level dungeon led to an S-rank one already means things are different from what I know in the game.?

  Though the second question was answered, it only raised more questions.

  — Ice Mor, you said the ring has power. I haven’t noticed any changes this whole time.

  — Are you an idiot? Did you even try channeling mana? — The old man’s voice sounded like he was baffled by such an obvious thing.

  — I... don’t know how, — I said, looking away.

  — Don’t even commoners know basic magic?

  — Only aristocrats or people born with a talent for mana can use it, — I said, as if it were the most obvious thing.

  — In the 800 years I’ve been trapped, have people really degraded so much? In my time, even a seven-year-old could use mana however they wanted, — the old man grumbled in my head for about five minutes, reminiscing about the past.

  In the game, it was never mentioned that hundreds of years ago, mana was something everyone could use.

  When the old man finished his monologue about the lost generation, he made me an offer.

  — I’ll teach you how to use mana, and you’ll tell me everything that’s happened in the 800 years I’ve been trapped.

  — No problem, Ice Mor. Or should I call you teacher now? — This offer was very advantageous for me.

  — Call me whatever you want, but first, find a quiet place where no one will disturb you.

  The first thing that came to mind was the field where I had awakened in this boy’s body. Excited, I grabbed my bow and was about to head there, but as soon as I took the bow in my hands, it turned into ice and instantly shattered. I stared in disbelief at the small pile of ice crystals that had once been my favorite bow.

  — What’s this? — I asked, still not believing my eyes.

  — Forgot to mention, the ring is very jealous. It tries to destroy any weapon you pick up. While I was establishing the connection, the ring was inactive. Now it’s working again. Don’t worry, you’ll get used to it, — Ice Mor explained calmly.

  — Yeah, I’ll get used to it... — I muttered, still staring at the remains of my bow.

  ?Rest in peace, Sky Piercer,? — I mentally bid farewell to my beloved bow and headed to the field. I had already warned Greg that I’d be home late. Though he initially wanted to refuse, he eventually gave in and allowed me to stay in the forest longer. Arriving at the field, following Ice Mor’s instructions, I sat in the middle of it.

  — Mana, like blood, flows through your body, starting from the heart and spreading to all your organs. Imagine there’s another heart inside you, — the old man began to explain.

  Ice Mor’s advice wasn’t helping at all. It felt like the old man was just messing with me.

  This went on for an hour until I felt something like a stream flowing inside me. But the sensation quickly disappeared.

  — I felt something strange, like a stream of water, — I shared.

  — We’re on the right track. That’s your mana. With each attempt, this stream will grow stronger until it becomes a torrent. From now on, you’ll practice this for 2-4 hours every day. And next time you feel the stream again, try directing it into the ring, — Ice Mor said.

  As the old man had said, the next time the stream was stronger. Trying to direct it into the ring, it dissolved immediately. I spent almost the entire evening on the field.

  One last attempt. I focused, slowly guiding the stream toward the ring. I finally succeeded. Feeling a slight chill in my right hand, I opened my eyes. In my hand was a small dagger, similar to the one I had found in the dungeon, but made of ice.

  — I did it! — As soon as I shouted in joy, the dagger in my hand dissolved.

  — This means I have a chance now, — I said with a smile, looking at the darkening sky.

  — Well done, kid. You’ll learn everything soon, — Ice Mor said approvingly.

  For me, this day was a small victory. Quickly gathering my things, I headed home...