The snow had thickened overnight, swallowing paths and sounds alike, forcing Prince Edric to slow his horse to a cautious pace. The great black steed moved with heavy steps, its breath steaming through the bitter cold. Edric sat tall and silent, his dark cloak fluttering with the breeze. Frost clung to his eyelashes, but his expression remained unmoved.
Suddenly, a faint voice behind him stirred the quiet.
"Wh-Where am I?!"
The girl in front of him began to stir.
Serena's eyes fluttered open, her vision blurred. Her head pounded. As soon as she registered that she was pressed against someone, her instincts screamed danger. She jerked back, nearly falling off the horse.
"Let me go! Let me go!" she cried, panic in her voice. Her hand swung up, aiming to strike.
But Edric caught her wrist midair. "What do you think you're doing?" he asked coldly.
Serena's breath quickened. "Who are you?! Why am I on a horse?! What—"
"You're the one who begged me for help," he muttered, releasing her wrist. His voice was calm, flat, but carried weight. "If you're going to scream again, get down."
She blinked, trying to remember. There was snow… pain… and then—nothing.
Edric sighed in frustration. "Fine. You can walk."
He pulled the reins, brought the horse to a stop, then dismounted without a word. With little care, he helped Serena down and stepped away.
"Go ahead. Walk yourself out of this forest."
Serena looked at him in disbelief. "Are you serious?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?"
"Fine! I will," she snapped, turning to walk—but the moment she placed weight on her foot, pain shot up her leg. She stumbled, landing in the snow.
"Ahh—! My ankle!" she gasped.
Edric didn't move.
"You're really just going to watch me suffer?"
He shrugged. "You were quite eager to leave."
Biting her lip in embarrassment, Serena looked up. Her pride burned hotter than the pain. "...Help me. Please."
He arched an eyebrow. "Didn't you just try to slap me?"
"I didn't know who you were. I panicked."
"Tch."
She glanced at him, then away. "You said… I asked for help? Before I passed out?"
"Yes. You said you knew where the creature was."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Creature?"
"The thing I'm looking for. You claimed you knew where it was."
Serena frowned, trying to remember. Her heart skipped. She had said something. But what creature?
"I… I might know. Maybe. I'm not sure," she said honestly.
Edric let out a long breath, then stepped forward and helped her back onto the horse.
"Don't waste my time," he muttered.
She looked at him as he mounted behind her. "Thank you."
He didn't answer.
The forest grew quieter as they rode. Snowflakes drifted from above, silent and delicate.
Serena fidgeted, glancing at the stranger behind her. His presence was heavy, cold. Yet… he had helped her.
"So… where are we going?" she finally asked.
He didn't respond.
She cleared her throat. "You said you were looking for a creature. What kind exactly?"
He sighed. "A beast."
Serena blinked. "A beast? Like… what kind of beast?"
"Something dangerous. Hidden in this forest."
She turned her head slightly to look at him. "Why would anyone come out here to hunt something like that?"
"Because that thing is responsible for the endless snow."
Serena looked forward again, blinking. "You mean… this isn't normal winter?"
"No. It's a curse."
Her lips parted slightly. "That sounds… serious."
"It is."
There was silence again for a few minutes. The wind brushed against the trees, and the cold crept under Serena's dress.
Then she asked, softly, "What kind of beast causes a curse?"
Edric's voice was quiet but certain. "An elf."
Serena flinched slightly. "An elf?"
"Yes. That's what the shaman said."
She hesitated. "But… I thought elves were peaceful. Magical, even. They help forests, don't they?"
He scoffed. "That's what old stories say. This one's different."
"How do you know?"
"Because this winter hasn't stopped. And she's still out there."
Serena looked down at her hands. "So… you're hunting her?"
"That's what I was sent to do."
She swallowed. "What does she look like?"
"Snow white hair. Emerald green eyes. Unnaturally beautiful."
Serena stiffened. Her own features matched that.
But… no. That couldn't be. She wasn't cursed. She wasn't dangerous.
"And… you've seen her?" she asked.
"No. But that's the description."
She hesitated. "Isn't that a bit… vague?"
"It's enough."
She turned her head away, uneasy. Her heart thudded. But she didn't speak.
Edric leaned forward slightly. "Why do you care so much about elves, anyway?"
"I… I've just heard stories."
"Then believe this one. The king wouldn't send out his men unless it was real."
She nodded slowly, her lips pressed tight. Her thoughts spun wildly.
He doesn't know.
And I don't even know if he's right.
But if what he's hunting… looks like me—
She couldn't finish the thought.
And so they rode on, deeper into the cold, toward a truth neither of them fully understood.
As the snowfall thickened, Edric suddenly tugged the reins, halting the black horse beneath them. Serena, seated in front, blinked in confusion as the ride came to a sudden stop. She turned slightly, lips parting to ask—but froze when she noticed his eyes studying her in silence. His cold gaze lingered not with anger, but with something unreadable. Then, wordlessly, Edric pulled off the thick, dark cloak draped over his shoulders and gently wrapped it around her trembling frame. Serena stared at him, startled.
"You'll freeze to death before we find anything," he muttered, avoiding eye contact. From his coat pocket, he handed her a folded piece of white cloth. "For your nose."
Serena hesitated, then took it with both hands. "Thank you…" she whispered, dabbing at the blood that had crusted under her nostrils.
Before she could say more, Edric dismounted and turned to her side. "Your foot," he said simply. Without waiting for permission, he reached up and gently lifted her injured leg, inspecting the ankle with precision. Serena flinched.
"It still hurts," she said.
"I figured," he replied. Then, he placed one hand behind her knee, the other around her ankle, and slowly applied pressure. She gasped as a faint crack popped through the quiet—followed by a strange, soothing relief in her leg.
Serena blinked. "Did you just…?"
"I realigned it," he interrupted. "You'll be able to walk tomorrow. Barely."
She looked at him, stunned. "You know how to do that?"
Edric didn't respond. He simply lowered her leg and stepped back, muttering, "I've had to fix worse."