I Vow

Flying through the night sky at an indescribable speed was the silhouette of red-figure seemingly fleeing from something. The figure finally stopped. What was revealed was a matchless silhouette of a woman with glossy waist-length white hair. Her robe which was originally white was dyed red with blood and in tatters, revealing grievous wounds in some areas and tender jade-like skin on others. She wore a white veil hiding her face and was holding a crystalline bow. The woman was soon surrounded by multiple figures who the majority of which were in a state no better than hers.

"Hahaha, I would never have guessed the Lonely Ice Maiden who seemingly disdained the world would end up in such a state. Tsk tsk, let me take a peek at the supposed matchless beauty," spoke one of the surrounding figures looking at the woman in the center with malicious intent.

With a swipe of his hand an invisible force that the woman could not care to stop pulled away from from the white veil, revealing her face. The surrounding crowd all could not help but gasp. The woman's face seemed as if it was carved by a god using the most precious jade. Her eyes looked like two stars and her silver hair and matchless figure made her seem like the deity of beauty.

Even covered in wounds and in such sorry state, her radiance could not be dampered. However, an express was like that of ice. She gave off a chilly air that would make one want to distance themselves from her.

It took the crowd a second to recover their shock. The group of men and women had multiple expressions, mainly that of envy and lust.

It was then that a voice spoke out reminding the people the reason they were chasing her.

"Sigh. What a waste of beauty. However, Lonely Ice Maiden, no matter what you can't get away. Hand over the treasure!" Although seemingly domineering, like everyone else, he still had his guard up.

"Yea hand it over! You're doomed either way," another figure also gained confidence and yelled.

Everyone's gaze seemingly switched to that of a starving animal when eyeing a juicy piece of meat. They were all spouting threats and curses at her.

"Hmph," The maidens bow in her hand disappeared and her hands started flashing with numerous hand seals and incredible speed.

Everyone could feel the temperature decreasing and the sense of intense danger

"Stop her!"

But before anyone of their attacks could reach her,

"Tomb of Eternal Ice!"

The area in the 100-mile radius and all life forms were instantly frozen after a ray of ice blue light.

"Shatter!" The surrounding group of people who were all frozen in the midst of their assault shattered into pieces of ice.

The maiden instantly fell from the sky, coughing out blood when her back hit the ground.

She laid there, looking up at the night sky as snow fell. Like the snow that came in touch with her skin, her icy expression melted away, replaced by one of longing and then happiness.

"Finally, we shall be reunited again," she let out these words slowly as a beautiful smile blossomed on her face. The image of her family appeared in her mind. Then, everything went dark.

….

"Reunited again? Reunited with who?" A crisp young voice of a young girl sounded out.

"Maybe she's dreaming of the little rabbit. I miss little rabbit… Wahhh!" Sounded out from a little standing next to the girl as he started sobbing.

"Crybaby, shut up! Being loud won't help Eldest Sister's situation at all!" Replied the girl oblivious to the fact that she, herself, was yelling while reprimanding her big brother.

"I'm sorry Eldest Sister..." said the boy, trying his best to hold back his tears. He looked down and started timidly twiddling with his fingers.

*cough*

"Eldest sister!" The pair shouted in unison.

The boy and the girl stood in front of a circular bed. They were of the same height and looked to be around the age of seven or eight. They bore strikingly similar appearances and their looks resembled that of little fairies from legends.

On the bed behind a sheer piece of turquoise fabric lay an emaciated girl. She had the stature of an average 10-year-old girl and had ghastly pale skin along with shoulder-length grey hair. Her face, however, was hidden by a white veil, however.

"Am I dreaming?" The figure on the bed thought. This Yu Xuehua or also known as the 'Lonely Ice Maiden,' but compared to her perfect appearance from earlier, the difference was no less than day and night.

Yu Xuehua could clearly remember her death but the voices she heard made her heart beat madly. It had been so long since she heard them, so long…

Had not she just used the last bit of her life essence to kill her perpetrators? It was until she felt the physical sensation to cough again and heard the incessant squabble between the boy and the girl that she knew she wasn't dreaming. It was all too real to be a dream.

Yu Xuehua opened her eyes to see an intricate gold gilded ceiling through the sheer fabric. The sheer fabric draped down forming a canopy that surrounded her bed. This all felt so familiar to her yet at the same time not. She used all her strength to sit up cross-legged on her bed and looked straight towards the edge of her bed. Without knowing, the sight that she saw made tears stream down her face.

"Eldest sister what's wrong?!" they boy and girl asked in unison.

Who else could this pair be if not her younger twin siblings?

"Have I really been given another chance?" She thought.

"Xiaoqu, Xiaoquan…" She said in a hoarse voice as she looked at the pair.

The twins were bewildered.

"Eldest Sister, we're here! What's wrong?" Asked the little girl, seemingly Xiaoquan between the two.

"Is this real? Xiaoqu, Xiaoquan, one of you pinch me," said Yu Xuehua.

"Okay!" Replied Xiaoquan reaching out her tiny hands towards the Yu Xuehua.

It was at this moment that Yu Xuehua remembered something and instantly regretted saying that. Fear overcame her.

"Wait, Youngest Sister, I don't think that's a good idea!" Sounded out Xiaoqu in a panicked expression.

Before Xiaoquan's tiny pinchers could reach Yu Xuehua, a jade-like hand appeared out of nowhere, stopping her.

"Hmph. Qingquan! Have you forgotten that you're near the pinnacle of the Mortal realm and that your Eldest Sister not only has no cultivation but is also sickly!" A voice of a female reprimanded. Although seemingly harsh, it still had a melodious ring to it.

Without anyone knowing, one of the two gigantic doors of the room had seemingly been opened and the woman dressed in white appeared next to the twins.

With the casual flick of her hand, the open door shut and she turned to look at the girl sitting atop the bed.

"Mother!" The twins shouted in unison.

Besides her black hair, the woman looked exceedingly similar to Yu Xuehua before her death. It was hard to imagine that this lady who seemingly looked to be in the prime of her youth, around young 20s, was their mother. It was not too uncommon though as this was a world of cultivation. When someone reached a certain boundary in cultivation, their looks would seemingly age at a slower pace, if at all.

"Hua'er, are you okay? I heard you fainted in your garden today," the woman asked with a concerned expression.

Yu Xuehua looked up towards the figure. How could she not know who this woman was? This was the famed Imperial Consort Lu Zhi, fearless and domineering in the Imperial Court. She was also known throughout the continent as the most talented and beautiful woman in history, Fairy Lan. But most of all, this was her mother. The figure that everyone seemed to fear, admire and respect was looking at her with a warm and concerned gaze.

Staring at the trio in front of her, Yu Xuehua, once renowned as the Lonely Ice Maiden known for being cold as ice, pulled off her veil and let out a loud wail.

"Ahhhh!" Tears streamed down her gaunt face.

"Eldest Sister!"

"Hua'er!"

Yu Xuehua ignored her mother and siblings. She looked up while sobbing, her eyes seemingly piercing through the heavens. She recited in her mind,

"I vow to the heavens to use this gift of a second chance to protect the ones I love.

"I vow to the heavens to use this gift of a second chance to change destiny

"I vow to the heavens to use this gift of a second chance to never, ever, be lonely again!"

She then felt warm energy spread throughout her back from a palm, and then she could only slowly lay back down drifting off into a deep slumber.