Skymint's POV

  As I stepped away from Llanova’s home, my thoughts churned faster than my boots against the frostbitten ground, each step dragging me toward an inevitable reckoning. One for Llanova’s disappearance. The other for my sister’s unexpected arrival. The crunch of snow followed me like an echo, a ghostly presence whispering reminders of everything slipping beyond my control.

  She can't be there. She can't be.

  It was a fragile, desperate hope, barely holding together beneath the weight of reality. Because the alternative—the undeniable void left by Llanova’s absence, the widening cracks in my grasp over the situation—was unbearable. My heart pounded, drowning out the murmurs of passing Polarmen, their forms blurring into shifting shadows at the edges of my storming thoughts. Even the snowflakes didn’t dare to touch me.

  What if Snowgale has already found her? Worse, what if Arie—reckless, relentless Arie—has thrown herself into danger again? I could see it so clearly: her stepping past the threshold, ignoring reason, ignoring safety. Her attempt yesterday still burned, fresh and raw, like harvested berries staining my conscience.

  By the time I reached the igloo with the ice camera—my second home—hesitation clawed at my chest. From inside, voices clashed in uneven harmony. My sister’s sharp, familiar authority. Arie’s unwavering defiance.

  “—how is he able to bring you here?” Snowgale demanded.

  “I told you, I turned into an ice cube. A simple transformation technique. Hardly impossible,” Arie answered, her tone dismissive.

  “I’m talking about the jar. Who in their right mind would put you in there? That must have been claustrophobic.”

  I had heard enough. If I let my sister spiral further into her grim theories, she might give Arie a heart attack. I knocked.

  The door swung open, and Snowgale stood before me, her expression carved from the same ice that had once chilled my childhood. The same look she wore whenever I disobeyed an order.

  “Skymint! Why didn’t you tell me?” she exclaimed. “Do you have any idea what could happen to you?”

  I stepped inside, locking the door behind me. Hands raised in surrender. “I know, I know. You’re predictable, sister. I didn’t tell you because I didn’t want you to carry this burden.”

  My gaze flickered toward Arie. I wanted her to see—no, to know—that my faith in her hadn’t wavered. But a shadow of doubt crossed her face, fleeting but undeniable.

  “Oh, of course, you would carry it alone, brother,” Snowgale muttered, sarcasm lacing her voice.

  From the desk, Chillbi’s obsidian eyes locked onto my sister with silent threat, though he remained still. Arie sat on a stool beside him, watching the exchange unfold.

  Snowgale exhaled, her stance softening. “I’m actually proud,” she admitted. “If I were you, I would have done the same.”

  For a moment, her words carried the warmth of our mother.

  “Refreshing to hear,” I said, lips quirking into a smirk. “But I didn’t ask you to play the proud mama now.”

  A quiet chuckle slipped from Arie. Light. Unexpected. A precious sound that momentarily lifted the weight pressing down on me.

  Snowgale’s cheeks reddened, but she quickly recovered. “I believe you’ll be able to protect her. You better have a plan, Skymint.”

  “I do,” I assured her.

  “Thank you very much,” Arie said softly. “I’m glad you’re not turning me in.”

  Snowgale scoffed. “Why would I do that? That would mean turning in my brother, too. And he means a lot to me.”

  Something in her voice—unshaken, genuine—chipped away at the hardened walls inside me.

  “Me allow speak now?” Chillbi interjected.

  “Yes,” Arie said, humoring him, “just no biting, groaning, or eating anyone.”

  Snowgale eyed him with suspicion. “You sure this thing isn’t a spy?”

  “No paraspy!” Chillbi huffed, puffing out his chest.

  Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

  “He’s from Donshell,” I explained. “Sent to guard Arie. Refuses to leave, so we kept him. She needs company when I’m not around.”

  “Right, right!” Chillbi chimed in, as if the conversation revolved around him.

  “And speaking of plans,” I continued, “we already have one. I’ve scheduled a meeting with the Guardian of Polarmen. We visit his mansion tomorrow.”

  Snowgale’s expression remained unreadable, but concern laced her voice. “Be careful. You know the rumors—Felipe has eyes everywhere.”

  “I know,” I assured her.

  Then, turning to Arie, I said, “We should get back to work.”

  She nodded, pushing herself up. “Alright. Goodbye, Skymint. And goodbye, Snowgale.”

  I returned her wave, mirroring her easy warmth. But even as I turned to leave, my thoughts pulled me elsewhere.

  Llanova was still missing.

  And no matter how much I wanted to keep Arie away from this, I knew she was already too deep. If she became tangled in a conflict that wasn’t hers—if she got caught in this war—I couldn’t guarantee I’d be able to pull her out.

  And if I failed her… I wasn’t sure I could live with it.

  ***

  Arie's POV

  Snowgale’s laughter still echoed in my mind, an afterimage of sound and memory that refused to fade. It had been a harmless conversation—just a passing remark about my fondness for polar bears—until she turned it into something else. An amusement at my expense.

  I told her I liked them, that I found them adorable, and she had laughed. Not cruelly, but knowingly, as if she already understood something I didn’t. Then she said I’d never get a Polarman that way.

  As if there was something to get.

  I sighed, resting my chin on my palm. To her, it was probably just playful teasing, a joke already forgotten. But the thought lingered, stubborn and intrusive. Skymint had never given me any reason to think of him that way, yet Snowgale’s words had planted something—something I wasn’t sure I wanted to examine too closely.

  "Chillbi, what do you think?" I turned to the tiny creature on the desk.

  Chillbi blinked, his obsidian eyes glinting with something unreadable. "You... want... Polar... Man?"

  I frowned. "No, that’s not what I meant!"

  "Skymint good. Arie want good?" He tilted his head, tiny fangs peeking from his mouth.

  "I—" I exhaled sharply. "You're not helping."

  Chillbi chittered, tapping his claws against the desk. "Snow-lady laugh. Mean?"

  "No, not mean. Just... teasing." I drummed my fingers, gaze distant. "But it made me wonder—do you think Skymint sees me that way?"

  Chillbi scrunched his face as if considering. Then, after a moment, he spoke, "Arie cute. Cute mean bond. Bond mean—" He let out a pleased noise. "Big trouble."

  I rolled my eyes, but a quiet unease stirred in my chest. "Exactly my point."

  Chillbi snickered, clearly amused by my misery.

  I shook my head. "Forget it." My fingers brushed the ice camera, and with a flicker of concentration, I connected. If I was confined to the igloo, I might as well watch the world beyond it.

  Outside, the sinking sun cast long shadows across the village. The igloos shimmered under its dim light, blending into the snow-covered expanse beyond. But what caught my attention wasn’t the landscape—it was the way the Polarmen moved, their whispers low, their glances wary.

  Something was wrong.

  Then I saw them.

  Three Wolfmen in dark red cloaks.

  Skymint had mentioned them before—traders, supposedly. But there was something off about them, the way they lingered, their hushed arguments too tense for simple commerce.

  A glint of silver caught my eye.

  They all wore identical bracelets. The same kind I had seen on Felipe.

  Enchanted. It had to be. But why?

  Before I could think further, movement in the distance caught my attention.

  Skymint.

  He was approaching, earlier than usual, his expression unreadable.

  I disconnected from the ice camera and turned as he stepped into the igloo.

  "Why are the traders here?" I asked.

  "Selling like usual," he said, tone even. "They wander the whole village before moving on."

  I studied him. There was something else, but he wasn’t offering it.

  Instead, he shifted the conversation. "I brought dinner," he said, pulling a container from his pouch and setting it down. "The ocean spat out more fish than usual today. I cooked plenty."

  I raised a brow. "You sure it’s not poisoned?"

  He huffed, amused. "I even removed the bones for you. No excuses."

  I opened the lid—

  And froze.

  Empty.

  For a long moment, neither of us spoke. Then, realization dawned on his face, horror mirrored in mine.

  Chillbi let out a disappointed groan.

  "That robbery dove," Skymint muttered.

  "How?" I demanded. "Last time it stole the whole container!"

  He lifted it, inspecting it as if he could find some lingering trace of the theft. "No one knows exactly how it does it," he admitted. "It takes food within its field of view, but this..." His fingers tightened around the lid. "Stealing only the fish is new."

  I exhaled, leaning back. "Skymint, it's fine. I’ll survive."

  He didn’t look convinced. "That’s not how it works, Arie. I still remember a few days ago—" He cut himself off, his thoughts drifting elsewhere.

  I waved a hand. "Forget dinner. Maybe I can help you with something instead?"

  He blinked. "What? No. I just lost your food, and now you want to help me?"

  I hesitated, but then pushed forward. "Since your sister visited, you’ve been tense. Distracted. What’s going on?"

  His expression didn’t change, but something in his posture shifted.

  "Ah," he said lightly. "Just overthinking work."

  "Liar," I said, before I could stop myself. "Skymint, you don’t have to tell me everything, but don’t pretend like nothing’s wrong."

  For a moment, he was silent.

  Then, with a quiet, measured voice, he said, "You have nothing to do with this, just as I have nothing to do with how you ended up frozen in the first place. I hope you understand."

  The words struck like ice against my skin.

  He was right. I hadn’t told him my full story, so why did I expect his?

  Still, a part of me bristled at the wall between us. Each day, I felt my regality slipping, piece by piece.

  I turned back to the ice camera. The Wolfmen traders were gone. But something about their presence nagged at me, a whisper of unease I couldn’t shake.

  Coincidence?

  Too convenient. Too

  clean.

  Despite the lingering threat, a flicker of excitement stirred in my chest.

  Tomorrow, I would meet the 'Guardian of Polarmen'.

  And after that, I would no longer be a burden to Skymint.