After the snow.

The Cryophoenix felt it. Her daughter was awake again. Fourteen years were nothing but a millisecond in her life, yet without hearing anything from her beloved daughter, the Spirit of the Winter, was like a millenia had passed.

"It began? The prophecy will at last come true..." the great Cryophoenix though.

"Well... So be it. That young mortal boy better watch her. No matter what, he must protect her..." The great Cryophoenix opened her wings and flew away, bringing the snow with her.

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Lanius slowed down, deciding that he got away. The pain had died down long ago, and was now nothing but a bad memory.

Freida hadn't spoken ever since the last scream of agony, making him fear that the spirit might have had something. He suddenly stopped, realising that he now longer felt like his head was foggy.

The young man then began hyperventilating as he dropped to his knees. He slowly regained his vision, now being able to see the physical world and not just outlines.

The world hadn't changed that much, making him believe that not much time had passed since he was sealed. The ice gauntlets now melted into a small puddle. He then approached the small puddle and looked at his reflection.

His silver hair had gotten longer since the last time he remembered himself, now ending at the start of his waist instead of his shoulders. They didn't look oily, which confused him. He was asleep for a quite a time, just wasn't sure how much. His left eye though... was kept open from a thin layer of ice that formed both around it and a small area around his eye socket.

He was sure that he couldn't could break the ice, as there was a high risk of ripping out his eyeball along with it. Lanius at last looked at the sky. It was a cloudy afternoon, his favourite. The young man, after so long chuckled. The chuckle then quickly turned into a laugh of relief.

"It wasn't a dream, huh? I'm finally awake. The fight was real then... These two probably wanted to help me." he said as he looked at his newly acquired kusarigama. He made a mental note to find these two and thank them.

A sound coming from a branch above him then startled him, causing him to turn towards that way with his weapon raised. He was able to catch a glimpse of a white fluffy tail, before it was lost behind the tree.

The same sound then came from the tree next to him. Two amber eyes then appeared through the leaves, looking at the young man. Lanius tried to get up, only to fall back down. He then looked at his legs, trying to make them move.

"How much time has passed? Long enough to make me temporarily disabled? Why the hell was I able to not only walk, but both clash and run almost an hour ago?" A series of questions rushed through his head. He then turned his head around as soon as a small thud was heard.

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The nine-tailed fox sat on a tree deep inside the forest, hoping to find someone to halt her thirst. She couldn't take it any longer. She was in need of it. Even if it ment more memories to burden her.

Her ears then moved towards a direction, as she heard the voice of a young man chuckling, then laughing.

Ahri turned towards the source of the sound, her tails slowly moving with curiosity. She could almost see him.

She then braced herself and jumped to the next tree, landing on a branch. Knowing that she alerted him, she jumped on the next tree and hid between the leaves, now staring at the young man with her amber eyes.

He observed the young man, He didn't look like the other Ionians... He was in about his mid twenties, tall and athletic. Ahri grew interested in that one the moment she saw his face. A half Vastaya. She then watched him try to get up, only to stumble back down and panic. Too bad that he was handsome, he was an easy prey.

Ahri jumped down from the tree and approached the young man, who turned around and froze on the spot, seemingly stunned by her beauty. Ahri smiled deviously and stood above the young man, blowing a kiss towards his way. The young man then seemed to be in a trance, charmed by the Vastaya in front of him. Ahri then tried to suck his life out of his body...

"Agh!" her whole body felt as if electricity was running through her, combined with a strong dose of both slight pain and pleasure. Ahri stumbled, unable to withstand that new feeling that barraged her. She hadn't felt anything like that. It felt so odd, making her let out a yell.

A growl made her to return on earth. She stepped away, only to see that the young man had darted his head backwards and was now digging the ground with his nails... The ice covered part had now lit up, making the fox's hair to rise as a feeling of danger now engulfed her.

His mouth opened and a sentence in a foreign language came out of his mouth. Ahri had heard similar words from Braum during the time that she had met him. Could that half Vastaya be from his lands?

The young man then collapsed on the ground with a groan, causing Ahri to flee.

She runned away and only stopped after she had gotten quite far. As she stopped, she recalled what happened in the forest. She couldn't suck out his soul. She was able to access some of his memories.

She couldn't steal them, only see them. Pain, lots of pain. Pain and tears. And then darkness. Just who was he? She lastly recalled that strange feeling that rushed through her once she attempted that lifesteal. Thinking about it then caused her to breath heavily. That feeling, it was intoxicating... She wanted more! More of it!