Night fell.
The wind screamed outside like wandering souls lost in the snow.
Thick layers of snow had sealed the windows, leaving a world outside that was white, cold, and endless.
Inside the warm little house, the two sisters huddled close, wrapped in soft fur blankets.
They tried to share their body heat, enduring the harsh winter night together.
But no matter how cozy the blankets were, Kyouno couldn't fall asleep.
Her delicate face was marked with worry.
A vague fear crept through her mind—as if closing her eyes would once again pull her into that nightmare...
Loneliness.
A bone-deep cold.
Lost in a snowfield with no way out.
The fear kept her tossing and turning, unable to rest.
She would have remained trapped in those anxieties—
If not for the small arms that wrapped around her, gently embracing her.
It was Mana—her beloved sister.
This embrace was different from their mother's.
If their mother's arms were a safe haven, gentle and protective…
Then Mana's hug was like a whisper—a quiet understanding, deep and tender.
After all, as someone in the same youthful stage, of course her sister could understand her better.
Through each warm breath that passed from that hug, Mana seemed to be telling Kyouno:
"It's okay, my beloved sister.
No matter how cold and dark the world outside becomes…
You're not alone.
You'll always have me, always have Mom by your side.
So don't be afraid. You'll never be alone."
Then Mana leaned close to her little sister's ear, her warm breath brushing past her hair:
"My dear sister… shall I sing you a lullaby, like I used to when you were little?"
And so…
In the snowy depths of night, a gentle lullaby softly echoed—
Sweet, soothing, rising and falling like the wind whispering through the trees.
Each tender melody seeped into Kyouno's heart, washing away her silent fears.
Until at last, she drifted into sleep—
In her sister's loving arms.
Inside the little house, where the warmth of family continued to burn quietly.
.....
The girl jolted awake—
And once again, it was that place.
The same familiar scenery…
An endless expanse of white stretching out forever.
Still, cold, and suffocatingly alone.
At first, Kyouno couldn't shake the unease.
Her heart tightened, breath growing frantic—
She wanted to escape this nightmare again, like every time before.
But then—
Amidst the storm of her emotions, Mana's gentle voice echoed in her mind:
"You're not alone, you always have me and Mom with you."
That sentence, like a tiny flame lit in the frozen night, illuminated her soul.
No.
This time, she wouldn't run.
Kyouno clenched her fists, taking a deep breath.
She made up her mind—to face it.
To confront the nightmare that had haunted her all this time.
She started walking, eyes scanning her surroundings.
And then, from the distance, she saw it again—
That faint light she had glimpsed before, like a flickering lantern in the snowy void.
Without hesitation, Kyouno ran toward the light.
Decisively.
Without fear.
The road ahead was endless.
Each step dragged by the weight of frost.
Her whole body ached from the cold, stiff and numbed as if frozen solid.
The cold seemed to sap her life force, threatening to bring her to her knees.
At times, her vision dimmed, consciousness faltering—
But Kyouno kept going.
Teeth clenched, step by step, she moved forward.
Because she knew—on the other side of that light was an answer.
Finally—
After what felt like an eternity…
She reached it.
And there—
Something strange unfolded before the small girl's eyes.
A glowing white sphere, dazzlingly bright, seemingly conjured from nothingness.
It floated in the void, with no anchor, no sound.
A brilliant light radiated from it—warm, yet unfamiliar—causing Kyouno to squint, shielding her eyes.
Strangely—
The closer she came, the brighter it grew.
As if… it recognized her.
As if—it was calling out to her.
There were no words, but she could hear it in her mind.
Drawn by an invisible force, Kyouno stepped toward the sphere.
No resistance. No hesitation.
She was pulled in, by a gentle yet irresistible force.
Slowly, she raised her hand—
Bit by bit, as if guided by something deep within her.
And then—
The moment her fingertip touched the sphere's surface—
A powerful shock surged through her body like lightning.
Every nerve trembled, her heart pounded, her breath ragged.
The world exploded in that instant.
The white curtain around her began to violently ripple.
Like fabric torn by a raging wind.
Everything distorted, swayed, trembled—space itself seemed to rip apart.
Her vision went white.
And when her sight slowly returned—
Kyouno gasped.
Before her was no longer the familiar white void.
That empty, snow-covered space was gone—
Replaced by a strange new world.
Before her eyes—
Flashing lights above—not oil lamps or torches, but cold, artificial lights.
Above her was no leafy forest canopy, nor a misty sky, but a shattered skyline of towering structures, silent and immense.
No snow fell, no wind howled—only a suffocating stillness.
"Artificial stars" floated overhead, suspended on metal poles—neither twinkling nor warm, but distant and sterile.
Beneath her feet—
Not a snowy forest path, but smooth black tiles, divided by sharp white lines.
And on those roads—countless strange-dressed people moved rapidly, holding glowing objects.
Alongside them, bizarre blocky beasts zoomed across the ground.
Amid this chaos, Kyouno stood frozen in the street, wide-eyed, heart pounding so fiercely it felt like it might burst.
"Where… is this place?" she whispered, scanning her surroundings in disbelief.
Everything was in turmoil!
And then—
As confusion engulfed her, a piercing sound screamed in her ears.
She looked up—
And saw a monstrous creature, sleek and massive, charging toward her at an unimaginable speed.
Its eyes glowed, its round limbs crushed the road beneath with a deathly screech.
Her eyes widened, pupils trembling.
Her body froze—time seemed to stop.
Just a few more seconds…
And the beast would devour her.
But in that instant—
The creature passed through her.
No impact. No pain. As if… she didn't exist there.
Kyouno stood trembling, gasping, unable to comprehend.
But before she could regain her bearings—
"BANG!!!"
A deafening crash erupted behind her.
She turned in shock—
And saw chaos erupt in the previously orderly street.
Screams rang out.
The monstrous beast now lay still.
And in front of it—
A pool of blood smeared across the cold pavement, like a scar slashed into the dark night.
At its edge, she glimpsed—
A body, twisted unnaturally.
Kyouno, overwhelmed with horror, rushed closer.
And there, the ruined form revealed itself—
It was a girl.
Her eyes wide open, glazed over in sheer terror.
A trickle of blood ran from her temple down her cheek, like a tragic smear of rouge.
And when Kyouno's eyes finally saw the girl's face—
Her whole body trembled.
.....