Followed by Snow

Suddenly, it started raining—thick, cold drops falling like needles from the sky, punctuated by the rumble of thunder. Eden took a step forward, his eyes fixed on the creature standing atop the river's surface, its form wavering like an image caught between worlds. The Kelpie, with yellowish eyes and a dripping mane, watched him—still, expectant, as if sensing some faint kinship Eden himself barely understood.

Drawn in, Eden reached out, his fingertips trembling as his hand hovered over the strange beast's head. A thrill shot through him; he could almost feel the electric hum of the Kelpie's spirit beneath his skin, untamed and brimming with secrets.

Then—crunch.

The Kelpie lunged, clamping its jagged teeth around his hand and biting down with brutal strength. Pain erupted, sharp and searing, radiating up his arm. Before he could scream, he felt himself being yanked forward, pulled into the icy depths. The river closed over him, muting all sound as water swallowed him whole, dragging him deeper into its chilling embrace. Eden thrashed, hands clawing, legs kicking—but the creature's grip held fast. In the darkness, his strength began to fade, his urge to fight sinking like a stone.

He closed his eyes, surrendering to the pull.

But through the stillness, a voice—calm and steady—cut through like a shard of light.

"Don't lose consciousness. Gain control of him. Pull him into your spiritual consciousness," Mysty's words drifted to him, a strange, solemn command.

Something ancient and fierce stirred within Eden, a spark igniting in his chest. His eyelids fluttered, and a strange warmth pulsed behind his eyes, spreading through his veins. Driven by this power, he reached out, gripping the Kelpie with both hands, feeling the creature's coldness seep into his skin as his vision sharpened.

Focus…

Snow began to swirl around them, slowly at first, then faster, spinning into a blizzard that enveloped them both. The storm thickened, layers of frost coiling tighter until they were cocooned in a sphere of crackling ice. Then, as if pulled through some unseen doorway, the darkness lifted, and Eden found himself in a vast, silent field of snow, his nightmare. But this time Kelpie stood beside him, its gaze softer, distant, as though lulled by the sudden quiet.

Silence stretched, and for a moment, Eden feared he'd slipped back into his nightmare. But Mysty's voice rang out again, closer now, breaking the fragile stillness.

"Eden!"

He blinked and gasped, finding himself once more beside the lake. But everything was different now—blankets of snow covered the ground, frost lined the edge of the water, and the air was sharp with the scent of winter.

Mysty's voice, sharp with astonishment, reached him. "Your eyes—they glowed, and snow… it started pouring from you, uncontrollably. Maybe you have two gifts."

"What?"

"Can't you see? You caused all of this without even casting spell or magic," Mysty said.

Eden followed her gaze, his heart pounding. He couldn't deny her words. Before him stood a towering sphere of ice, shimmering with a cold, otherworldly sheen. Encased within, the Kelpie was frozen in place, its wild form preserved in the icy depths.

Eden's breath came shallow as he took in the landscape—snow blanketing every inch, frost clinging to the trees, mist curling in the air like the remnants of a long-forgotten winter.

His heart sank as he gazed at the Kelpie, entombed within the ice. The creature's wild eyes were closed, its body still, suspended in frost.

A chill crawled up Eden's spine.

What have I done?

"This… this is my fault," he whispered, voice thick with guilt. His hands trembled as he reached toward the ice, almost afraid to touch it. He couldn't shake the feeling that he had dragged the creature into his nightmare, a prison of ice born from his own power.

But before that thought could take root, Mysty's voice echoed beside him, calm yet reassuring.

"Don't blame yourself, Eden. He's not in danger… he's evolving."

Eden turned to her, confusion flickering in his eyes. "Evolving?"

"When you connected with him, Eden, he entered your realm. And your realm—it's different, powerful. It can cause them to change, or evolve. It's nothing bad, because Kelpie willing accepted the change." Her words held a quiet pride, a hint of something wondrous he couldn't yet grasp.

Eden's guilt ebbed, a fragile hope kindling in its place. He opened his mouth to speak, but just as he did, he noticed Mysty's form wavering, her figure turning hazy, as if she were slipping away.

"Mysty?" His voice was tight, a hint of panic rising in his chest.

Her gaze softened, but there was urgency in her eyes. "Eden, he'll soon wake up… take care of him, and give him a name to your liking. He's yours from now on," she murmured, her form fading like mist in sunlight. "And take care of yourself as well."

"Mysty, wait—" he reached for her, but her image was dissolving faster now, her voice drifting in fragments.

"Learn magic… as much as you can. When you're strong enough… we may meet again…"

And with that, she vanished, leaving Eden alone in the snow-covered world.

Silence pressed against him, both hollow and heavy. He looked back at the ice sphere and the Kelpie within, feeling a faint pulse of determination. He didn't understand the full scope of what had happened or the path ahead, but Mysty's words lingered, guiding him like stars in the dark.

He stepped closer, hand reaching out hesitantly until his fingers brushed the icy surface. At his touch, the crystal seemed to pulse, a faint glow spreading from within, as if the Kelpie's spirit stirred beneath its frozen shell. Eden's fingers lingered, tracing the smooth, cold surface, and he pressed his ear gently to the ice.

Faint but unmistakable, he heard a heartbeat, steady and alive, echoing like a quiet reassurance from within.

A warmth spread through him, melting a tension deep in his chest. He took a step back, glancing down at the items Mysty had left. The blindfold rested in his hand, delicate and weightless, almost like a whisper of fabric. Gently, he tied it over his eyes. To his surprise, it felt lighter than air, and when he opened his eyes, he could still see everything vividly. Yet, something was different—the threads, the strange weaves of light he'd once seen, had vanished. The blindfold had granted him clarity but taken a vision he couldn't fully understand.

Next, he slid the bracelet onto his wrist. He waited, holding his breath, but felt no change. It sat there, a quiet weight, its purpose still hidden like so many other mysteries.

Finally, he settled himself by the base of a tree, leaning back as he took in the strange, desolate landscape before him. The sphere stood nearby, casting long shadows across the snow. The cold pressed in, sharpening his senses.

With a slow breath, Eden reached for the final item—the book Mysty had given him.

Running his fingers over its textured cover, he found it strangely familiar, almost like the curve of a seashell polished by endless waves. It felt ancient, alive, as though it held the mysteries of worlds beyond imagining.

He opened it slowly, and on the very first page, he saw words etched in a delicate, flowing script: Written by Mysty, Just for Dear Eden.

A faint smile crept onto his face, warming him against the cold. For a moment, he could almost feel her presence beside him—a reminder that he was not entirely alone.

Turning to the next page, he found the first lines of her guidance. "I'll start from the beginning," it read, as though she anticipated every question lingering in his mind. "First, you must learn how to sense mana. To begin, close your eyes and focus… try to feel something magical around you."

The words stirred a cautious curiosity in him. He let the sentence sink in, feeling the silence deepen as he tried to make sense of it. Mana… something magical. He glanced around the snowy, silent world. To him, the entire place already felt like a mystery. But sensing something unseen, something he'd never touched before, seemed as intangible as grasping at mist.

With a steadying breath, he closed his eyes and allowed the question to settle in his mind, focusing as he tried to feel the magic lingering in the air around him.

Eden closed his eyes and focused, letting Mysty's words echo in his mind. Five minutes passed, but no spark, no warmth, nothing stirred in the cold silence around him. He tried to concentrate again and again, hoping to sense even the faintest trace of mana. Frustration started to seep in, and he muttered under his breath, "Come on, Eden. What are you missing here? It's supposed to be simple, right?"

Each attempt felt more fruitless than the last, and the stillness only seemed to mock him. "Ugh, how am I supposed to learn anything like this?" He clenched his fists, then let out a long sigh, feeling as though the quiet, snowy landscape was hiding answers just out of reach.

Finally, unable to shake the frustration, Eden turned to the Kelpie, frozen in the sphere of ice. "Hey," he said softly, almost as if hoping the creature would hear him in its slumber. "When you wake up… we're choosing a new name for you. I bet you'll like it better."

He pressed his hand against the ice, letting his voice drop. "I could feel it, you know—your pain, back when we were… connected. It's strange, but… I guess I get it. Being trapped, pulled into something you didn't ask for." He let his fingers linger on the ice's cold surface. "I'll do my best to keep you safe. You've got my word."