The First Drop of Snow in Spring

Once an orphanage building that is isolated from the city, surrounded by lush forest has now turned into a mound. The bodies of victims are difficult to identify and become fragile so the soldiers just bury them together, in a place they called home, and will be their forever home. The smell of burned bodies makes me nauseous, the sight of it is unbearable so we decide that Rose shouldn't attend the burial of the victims, including Ben. I thought I would feel something like freedom after being able to break free from mothers chain, a sense of joy, but now I just feel nothing. There is no respect nor anger, it's just nothing.

I stared blankly as the soil start to piling up with heavy snow that come out of nowhere and covering the bodies. It's not even a day, but my life just turned upside down, change is not even a word to describe it, destroyed seems suitable. Where did it go wrong? the day we planned out our escape? or maybe far more behind, the day I knew Percival when we were ten? Was the promise we made to live together away from the orphanage reach is just a lie then? He talked about sacrifice, I guess this freedom really is Ben sacrifice for us. All of these questions just testing out the last strand of my sanity.

Aira Empire soldier, start building up some tents around the site. I don't know why the need to go this lenght just for two remaining children who don't even understand what is happening.

"Let's go back and treat your wound," said Marina still holding my hand. I just nodded and followed her footsteps heading to one of the tents near the woods. Entering the tent, I could smell a faint scent of alcohol, she made me sit near the table and covered me with a thick blanket.

"I know this would be too much, but please answer my question", Marina said while trying to check on my wounded feet.

"What is your name? how old are you?"

"My name is Madelaine, I'm fifteen"

"And the other child?"-she asked looking seriously at my wound.

"Rose, seven", there is a lot of questions I want to ask her, "What is happening right now, miss?" I'm being impatient right now.

"I will answer all of your questions within my own capabilities later, but your wound has been closed right now, it's not healed but turned into bruises, do feel anything weird?"-she tried to change the topic.

"No".

"Do you feel any pain somewhere perhaps?".

"No".

"Do you feel any cold? or maybe hot?", Marina tried to observe me more closely.

"No I felt nothing, and is this even important right now?", I lose my temper for a moment.

"To answer your question yes this is important, there is something wrong with you right now", she opened the door and showed me the view outside.

"Your wound closed by itself, and your body is ice cold but you feel nothing?"

"This is ridiculous" I lose my patience and run outside searching for Rose.

From afar people gather around the fire, and I could see Rose with a man called Johnathan. It's only the two of us now, I could not risk anything that would harm our life that is paid by a lot of other's lives.

"It's all because of you!", I could hear Rose screaming at me while I tried to get closer to her.

"If only you didn't try to get back to the mansion, Ben would still be alive with us right now!", I felt my ears ringing heard those words.

I'm sorry is all I could think about but no words coming out of my mouth.

"Don't come closer!", she hid her body behind Johnathan.

"What are you saying Rose?" and I could feel all eyes looking toward me.

I walked barefoot in thin clothes, while people around me were wearing thick jackets and smoke coming out from their mouths.

The surroundings started to spin, Rose looked at me like I was a murderer.

"If only you didn't suggest to run away with Perry!" Rose said while tears streaming down her face. I couldn't say anything. Maybe she is right, it was all my fault.

"This so-called freedom of yours, I don't want it!" and then Rose disappear into one of the tents leaving me behind. Johnathan gave me his jacket and helped me to stand up.

"Let's get you back inside," he said while leading me back to the tent where Marina stayed.

Suddenly, I could feel a sharp pain in my chest. It's so painful I just break down into the floor. Johnathan and Marina rushed towards me with an anxious look.

"Hey what's wrong!" Johnathan tried to reach out to my crunched body."

"Hahhh...arghh!" it was so painful, I felt breathless. All of a sudden a wind bringing in a snowstorm came without warning. Once a peaceful night becomes chaotic with a sudden storm, all of the soldiers run, trying to strengthen the tents that could be blown out by the wind.

Johnathan tried to carry me, but Marina stopped him.

"Johnathan wait!"

"What now?!"

"Look at her hand!" Johnathan pulled up the sleeve, and look surprised.

"What in the world..." 

"Don't touch it directly!"

"How?! do you want me to leave her in this storm?!"

"Don't you know how to use your karma!"

Hearing those words, a white aura emanated from Johnathan's body, and ran toward Marina's tent while carrying me.

"Marina..her fingertips..is it frostbite?"

"I hope so.." Marina searching for something around her tent, look almost confused.

"Marina!"

"What?! I'm thinking right here!"

"Her eyes!"

"It turns white.." Marina try to check on it.

"Use your karma, take it out as much as you can out of her body!"

"It's forbidden you know that!"

"It is needed if you want her to be alive! her body rejecting her own karma right now.."

Johnathan feel conflicted, but he knows he needs me alive.

I could feel something coming out of my skin, a blurry vision of Johnathan and Marina tired faces, I couldn't hear what they were saying, and then I lost consciousness.

The morning comes, sunlight peeking through the tent. I felt dizzy and thirsty. The moment I gain consciousness, I look at my body and my hands, it isn't pale blue like last night. I run toward the water basin across the room, seeing my own reflection, afraid it would look monstrous. Fortunately, my appearance is still the same, black hair and dark blue eyes I'm familiar with.

"What is happening to me?" holding my head that felt heavy and sat on the ground.

"Oh! You already woke up" Marina came with a tray of food

"Rose is fine, don't worry" It seems like she knows what I thought without even the need to ask.

"Thank you, Miss Marina"

"How are you feeling, Madelaine?"

"I don't know, what is happening to me? whose people that is gone with Perry?"

"I see, so there is another child and he choose to go with Rurevican soldiers"

'Rurevican? Perry? why?" I can't believe what she just said.

"That's our question too, so if you could help me with what really happened last night that would be a great help" Marina's smile warmly tries to reassure me. I don't want to recall of what happened last night, but the question just become more complicated the more I asked about it.

"The four of us tried to escape from the orphanage, Perry.. I mean Percival.." called his name left a bitter taste in my mouth.

"He escaped first, trying to secure our path, we promised to meet in the forest passage nearby, but we couldn't find him anywhere" I tried to compose my trembling hands.

"We heard an explosion with a blue flame soaring to the sky after that, so I chose to get back to see if it was really Percival doing"

"Blue flame?"

"Yes.." I'm getting anxious since I know her question will lead to another question.

"I see, so he is a successful object, finally.. a breakthrough of their cruelty"

"So you know about us.. why now.."

'I'm sorry, it's just too late for us to come isn't it?" Marina's looking down, holding my trembling hands.

"We knew about the Rurevican experiment under your orphanage for a long time, but we couldn't do anything because the orphanage located in Elderscar, a conflict zone of Aira and Xhyre, and up until a month ago this land was given by the King of Xhyre as a token of friendship, the engagement of the second princess of Aira to their crown prince" I just nodded with confusion, this tragedy are bigger than my imagination, and we are just small casualties.

"So if our orphanage was working under Rurevican order, why did they try to...Perry tries to..." The words I couldn't say out loud stuck between my throat and made me breathless.

"I guess, their 12 years of research is bringing a lot more damage than success, and your friend, Percival, is the only successful object from their research"

"Well... but now we know he isn't the only one, you are a regressor too, just like him"

"Me? a regressor?" I couldn't believe what she just said. Marina is heading toward the door and opens it.

"See this heavy snow in the last season of spring? this is all your doing".

All of yesterday mess, make me lose my sense of awareness and just now I could see the land that was green now turn into white. The tree around the tent is now frozen, almost like a dead-looking one. I hold my breath unconsciously, and the tip of my fingers starts to turn into pale blue again.

'Marina.. you are a regressor, a karma bearer'.

I just stood by the door, looking outside. I could feel my heart beating so fast, a tingling pain of last night started to come back. I don't know what is happening behind me, but I can hear Marina's frantic voice, and everything turns dark once again.