The weight of the girl pressed against his arms, her blood chilling fast in the cold. His breathing grew heavier — sharp gasps breaking through the howl of the wind. Every inhale cut deeper, every exhale lost in the blizzard's roar.
He adjusted his grip, her fragile body limp in his arms. The snow clung to her hair like frost on glass. He couldn't stop now — not while her breath still came, however faintly.
"Akane!"
"Akane!!"
"AKANE!!!"
His breath vanished into the storm. Panic struck as his eyes snapped open.
What happened?! he thought, confused.
Wake up, Akane! A familiar voice echoed inside his head.
He blinked. His arms were buried in the snow, the girl's body half-covered, her hair damp and heavy.
"I'm… sorry," he whispered. "I got lost in thought while telling the story."
He brushed the snowflakes from her face. Crimson drops had already begun to stain the white beneath her.
"Wh…why…" His voice cracked — not out of pity, but genuine fear.
The wound must have come when the villagers struck her, her body falling against the stones.
Tearing a strip from his clothes, he pressed it to the wound. The cold slowed the bleeding — a small mercy.
Akane, you must hurry… the wolves are coming.
His first step was heavy. Snow swallowed his legs to the knee. Each movement was a battle.
Tears traced down his cheeks — not from the cold, not from pain, but something deeper.
"Miu… where are we?!" he cried, voice cracking.
"Wh–what?! Akane, seriously? Why did you walk the wrong way? You forgot where you live?"
"I was caught up in the story…"
"S…so your name… is A…Akane," the girl murmured, her voice trembling through the pain.
"Don't talk," he said softly, tightening his hold on her. "Save your strength."
The blizzard howled louder, swallowing his words whole. The world was nothing but white — sky, ground, horizon — all one endless blur. He could barely feel his legs. Every step was a fight against the snow dragging him down.
The girl's breathing grew weaker, each exhale barely a mist before vanishing into the storm. Akane pressed her closer to his chest, trying to share what little warmth he had left.
Just a bit more, he told himself. There must be shelter… somewhere.
The wind screamed. A dark shape moved far ahead — or maybe it was just his eyes playing tricks.
"Miu…" he muttered. "Can you see that?"
Keep walking, her voice echoed faintly in his mind. That's no mirage. There's a light ahead.
He stumbled forward, snow crunching beneath his boots. The faint glow pulsed through the mist — like a heartbeat in the darkness.
Then came the sound. Low at first — a distant growl, then another. The kind that slithered beneath the storm's cry.
Wolves.
Akane froze. Their silhouettes emerged from the veil of snow, eyes glowing faintly amber, circling.
He shifted his stance, clutching the girl tighter. His right hand reached instinctively for the hilt at his waist — only to grasp nothing. His sword was gone.
You can't fight them, Miu warned. Not in this state.
"Then tell me what to do!"
The wolves crept closer, paws silent against the snow. He could count six — maybe more.
The girl stirred weakly, whispering through trembling lips, "Akane… run…"
"No," he whispered back. "Not without you."
The nearest wolf lunged.
A flash — not of steel, but of light. The air rippled. A faint blue shimmer burst outward from where he stood, scattering snow into a swirl of glowing frost. The wolves yelped, retreating a few paces.
Akane blinked in disbelief. His right hand glowed faintly, traced with lines like frost veins.
"What… was that?" he breathed.
Your will, Miu whispered. And something… far older.
The wolves watched from the edge of the storm, their growls fading into the wind. One by one, they disappeared into the white.
The light ahead grew stronger now — close, real, flickering like a lantern behind frost-covered glass.
Akane pressed forward again, each step a promise.
The girl's pulse was faint, but it was still there. And that was enough.
Somewhere beyond the storm, warmth waited.
Akane… please… do not use your powers anymore.
Miu's voice was faint — trembling, yet heavy with sorrow.
"I'm sorry… Miu. I didn't intend to use them. My body… it just moved on its own."
It wasn't his will — it was as Miu said: something far older. A force beyond reason.
A gift not from the gods, but from the world itself.
Thou shall not rise again.
That gift was called a Unique Skill — a power bound to a single soul.
There were ten in total, each granted to those of high standing or immense strength.
But this time, it was different.
The world itself had spoken.
It wasn't a mistake.
It was the solution.
"What… ha… happened to the story, Ak… Akane?"
"Before I continue the story, may I know your name, young lady?"
"Yu… Yuki."
"Like in happiness?"
"Like what… covers us."
Yuki — like snow.
Akane kept speaking with her as they moved toward the faint light ahead. It helped keep her conscious, and gave him a way to check whether she could keep going until they reached his home.
But before they reached the light, another shadow appeared.
This time, it wasn't a wolf.
It was the silhouette of a person.
"Oh… look how far you've come," a voice drawled.
"Wh–why?!" Akane's voice trembled with rage, though his body refused to move. His breath caught when he saw what the shadow held.
A sword — thin as a needle, glinting in the pale snow light.
The same blade that had pierced Yuki's friend.
Yuki's body tensed. Her hands clutched at Akane's clothes as she pressed herself against him, trembling.
"It's all right," he whispered, his voice barely holding steady. "You don't have to worry about him. This time… I'll protect you."
His words were weak — soft and fragile. Yet somehow, they gave her hope.
The man took a step forward, the crunch of snow echoing like bone beneath his boots.
"Protect her?" he sneered, the sword tilting slightly in his grasp. "You couldn't even protect the last one."
Akane's jaw tightened. The words struck deeper than any blade could.
Carefully, he lowered Yuki into the snow, his hands trembling as he brushed the frost from her hair. "You'll be safe here," he whispered, though he wasn't sure whether he meant her or himself.
"Stay behind me," he said at last, his voice shaking but steadying with every syllable.
The air grew heavier. The blizzard's howl faded into silence, as if the forest itself held its breath.
A faint shimmer began to stir around Akane's hands — not light, but something colder, older. The same echo that once moved his body without his will.
"So, it's true" the man said, raising his blade and narrowing his eyes. "People like you shouldn't exist."
Snow spiraled upward, defying gravity. The ground cracked beneath Akane's feet.
"Then I'll exist as long as I must," Akane murmured. His voice carried through the frozen air — calm, resigned, but burning beneath the frost.
The storm answered him.
Akane… Myu called his name, word filled with sadness. If he decides to use his powers, the outcome will be imminent.
"Can you not start a fight in front of someone's house?" A new voice questioned.