The two children continued their journey into the unknown.
Ice walked slowly so Celestia could keep up and save their energy in case something unexpected happened.
Besides, they'd be completely lost once they ran out of strength.
Their goal was to find other people who could help them and maybe explain what was going on—hoping that something worse wouldn't find them first.
Meanwhile, Ice was struggling inside, trying to put together the few pieces of information he had.
.I don't remember anything except waking up here not long ago. But that can't be right—I'm speaking a language, the same as Celestia, and I'm clearly not a baby. And then there's my name.
he thought.
No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't understand how his mind could be so empty and yet still know the basics.
And I have no idea what I look like. So how was I so sure this girl looked like me the moment I saw her?
"Ouch."
Lost in thought, he felt a sharp pain in his wrist that brought him back.
He looked down and saw Celestia, frowning at him.
"I repeat: do you have any idea how we're connected? Like I said, my memory is pretty fuzzy…" she said. "And we do look strangely alike."
He stared at her, sighed, then said,
"I guess we're brother and sister then."
She giggled.
"Fine, I'll call you 'big brother'. That sounds better. I just wonder what kind of parents would name their kid Ice."
He raised his eyebrows.
"Hey. You're not really in a position to judge with your name."
They fell silent for a second, then both burst out laughing. The tension faded a bit.
They kept walking quietly until Ice asked,
"Don't you think it's getting less dark?"
"Yes, I thought so too. But I figured maybe it was just our eyes adjusting."
He looked around before answering,
"Not just that…"
Suddenly, footsteps echoed nearby. They turned toward the strange silhouette that froze them on the spot.
They saw a creature, several metres tall, slightly hunched over, with long teeth hanging down to its chin.
So that's fear. Sharp. Cold. Real
Seeing the beast, Ice realised fear was still very real for him. His shaking hand said it all.
The creature turned their way and started moving slowly toward them.
Celestia's body trembled. She tried to run, but Ice grabbed her arm to stop her.
She saw him press a finger to his lips, telling her to stay silent.
She didn't get why he wanted her to stand still, but she obeyed.
Ice forced himself to stay calm and whispered,
"I don't think it can see us."
She shot him a doubtful look and whispered back,
"Why do you think that?"
He leaned closer.
"If it could see us, it wouldn't be moving like that. I think it heard our voices."
"All the more reason to run away," she whispered, still not convinced.
"Think about it—if it heard us talking from that far, imagine the noise if we start running," he said.
"So we wait. If it keeps going, maybe we'll stay out of sight. Maybe it's even blind."
She opened her mouth, then shut it again. She stayed quiet, staring at the beast as it got closer.
When it was near enough, they both held their breath and froze. The creature passed right by them, unaware.
But then, Celestia's stomach rumbled—a simple, stupid sound that ruined everything.
They looked at each other. They didn't need to check the monster—they knew it had heard them the second its deafening growl filled the darkness.
They bolted. The beast lunged after them, its long legs carrying it forward in awkward strides.
It was slower than Ice expected, but it was still keeping up and showed no sign of tiring, while they were already out of breath.
Ice racked his brain for an idea, but the creature was getting closer, and they were slowing down.
We could split up. Maybe one of us would survive, he thought.
But he couldn't do it. Even if it meant a 50/50 chance, he couldn't trust luck to protect her.
And if he fell, Celestia's chances would drop to zero.
Just as the beast was about to reach them, Celestia tripped and fell.
Ice stopped right away and threw himself over her, shielding her with his body.
The beast's claw hit his back, sending them flying a few metres.
He kept holding her tight as they hit the ground and rolled to a stop. He hugged her closer, trying to hide his shaking arm while she cried, the creature almost on top of them.
Then they heard a high-pitched sound—like glass breaking. The beast turned toward it and, miraculously, forgot about them.
It moved off, slowly, until it vanished into the darkness.
They stayed frozen in shock, barely believing they were still alive. But they were.
Ice was scratched up and his back burned with pain, but considering what had just happened, he was lucky.
Who was that? he wondered, helping Celestia up.
"You okay?" he asked.
"Yeah… my foot hurts a bit. I'm sorry I'm such a burden," she said with teary eyes.
He managed a small smile and patted her head.
"Don't worry. It was my choice. I don't know how, but I promise we'll get through this."
"Of course we will."
A voice answered instead of her. They turned to see someone step into the light—a boy about their age, carrying a torch in one hand and a sword in the other.
He was pale, with blond hair and sharp red eyes.
At first glance, he looked like the type who'd be popular with girls.
Too bad that's not very useful here.
"Who are you?" Ice asked, his voice cold. Saviour or not, trust was another matter.
"I'm Ray," the boy said. "You two don't seem to have any idea where you are, do you?"
" Yeah, absolutely no idea," Ice shot back.
"We're in a place for the worst criminals… No, that's not right. This is where men end up… when their bravery finally runs out."." declared Ray
And then smiled slightly.
"Welcome to the Prison of Time."