quiet snow

Duke Arkin

“So where are my crystals?”

“You’d better make more… or maybe you should lose another finger.”

He leaned closer to the chained girl.

“You may be my daughter, but the crystals matter more. Do you know how much money I can get for them?”

His voice became colder.

“Why are you so quiet, Rosalyn?”

Narrator

Rosalyn was already unconscious in the dark basement.

When her eyes opened slightly, they glowed gold. Her pink hair was tangled and dirty.

She whispered weakly.

“…Sorry.”

Then she fell unconscious again.

Memories from another life filled her mind.

In that life, she had been beaten to death after refusing to make any more crystals—magic stones. Normally, magic stones were obtained by killing monsters.

But she could create them.

In this world everyone had magic and a status window.

But there was also something called Talent Magic—abilities only extremely rare people possessed.

Her ability was crystal creation.

She thought bitterly:

Why was I born with this power?

Sometimes she could see children playing outside through a tiny window.

Running.

Laughing.

Free.

I want that.

I want it so badly.

But the more she reached for it, the further away it seemed.

Before she died in her previous life, she had discovered something.

She could change the shape of the crystals she created.

I’m ten years old now.

She listened carefully.

Her father’s footsteps faded upstairs.

He left.

Slowly, she opened her eyes.

I can stop pretending to be asleep.

Action

Carefully, Rosalyn created a small crystal copy of the basement key.

It was difficult. The first few attempts shattered.

But eventually…

Click.

Her shackles opened.

Her legs trembled as she stood up.

Then she ran.

Out of the basement.

Out of the mansion.

Into the snow.

This was the territory of House Arkin.

All her life she had only seen the inside of those walls.

Now the world stretched endlessly before her.

But it was freezing.

She ran until she reached the woods.

Using her magic, she created a tiny shelter out of crystals.

She wrapped herself in blankets she had stolen and curled into a ball.

Exhaustion overtook her.

And she fell asleep.

Narrator

The girl lay in the snow, exhausted.

Her clothes were torn rags.

Dirty.

Barely protecting her from the cold.

But something approached.

A paw stepped through the shadows.

Low growling echoed in the forest.

It was hungry.

Rosalyn

When I woke up, I didn’t know where to go.

So I just walked in a random direction.

Then I heard breathing behind me.

I turned.

Wolves.

At first I thought they were dogs. I had never seen animals like them before.

Then I saw another one.

It was bigger.

And it had a horn.

An evolved monster.

I ran as fast as my little legs could carry me.

But they were faster.

They pounced.

One bit into my shoulder.

Pain exploded through my body.

I screamed and cried for a mother that didn’t exist.

Then instinct took over.

I created a crystal.

And stabbed it straight into the wolf’s heart.

The wolf collapsed.

Barely standing, I held the crystal weapon in front of me.

Then the horned wolf jumped.

I created a ruby shield.

It shattered instantly.

So I created a spike.

When the wolf landed—

It fell straight onto it.

And died.

I searched the wolf’s body.

Earlier I had felt something strange.

Magic.

Soon I found it.

A magic crystal.

My body had gone numb from the cold.

Without thinking…

I ate it.

Then everything went black.

Narrator

Rosalyn lay unconscious in the snow.

The crystal dissolved in her body.

Magic surged through her veins.

Faint flashes of the wolf’s memories flickered in her mind.

When she woke again, a glowing window appeared.

Skill Obtained:

Temperature Resistance – Level 1

She was still cold.

But she was no longer freezing to death.

Rosalyn

I kept walking.

Eventually I saw a man lying in the snow.

Bleeding.

Surrounded by wolves.

I recognized him immediately.

Duke Leonard Ragnarok.

In my past life, he died here.

He had tried to fight a dragon.

His wife was cursed.

The only cure was a dragon’s heart.

I attacked the wolves.

Somehow I managed to kill several.

One slammed me into a tree.

I coughed but forced myself up and killed it too.

Then I crawled toward him.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered.

I ripped his jacket and made bandages for his wounds.

He was freezing.

So I climbed inside his shirt, curling against his chest to share warmth.

My head popped out of the collar.

I knew what it felt like to be helpless.

I didn’t want him to feel that way.

Leonard

“My head… hurts…”

“The dragon heart!?”

He quickly checked his bag.

“Oh thank God… it’s still here.”

Then he blinked.

“…Why am I warm?”

He looked down.

“…Where did this child come from?!”

Pink hair.

Golden eyes.

Sleeping inside his shirt.

“My jacket is ripped… wait…”

He touched the bandages.

“…Did she bandage me?”

He gently shook her.

“Hey… kid. Wake up.”

Rosalyn

“Oh… you’re awake.”

“Sorry about the jacket.”

“I found you and thought I could help.”

“You looked cold.”

“…Can you start a fire?”

“I’m really hungry.”

Leonard

“I— yes! Of course.”

Narrator

In Rosalyn’s previous life, Duke Leonard died in this snow.

His noble house faded into history.

Their crest—a dragon with a sword through its head—symbolized House Ragnarok.

Two hundred years earlier, the first duke, Richard Ragnarok, had been an orphan.

When a dragon threatened the kingdom, he slew it and saved the people.

The king granted him the title of duke.

For generations the family carried on that legacy.

And now its current heir stood here in the forest.

Duke Leonard Ragnarok.

Leonard

After starting a fire, I watched the child carefully.

To my surprise, she calmly roasted wolf meat over the flames.

We shared it.

Afterward I cut down a tree and made a proper shelter.

When she told me she could create crystals, she looked terrified.

Like she expected punishment.

Instead I simply patted her head.

“Don’t worry.”

Smoke rose into the sky.

Soon armored figures approached.

Knights

“Your Highness! Duke Leonard!”

“You’re alive!”

“We were worried when you disappeared!”

“Do you still have the dragon heart?”

“The carriage is waiting!”

Leonard

“Yes. I have it.”

He looked down at Rosalyn.

“Come on.”

“We’re returning to my wife.”

Chloe Ragnarok.

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