Strom

Where am I? It's freezing here, my body won't move. My vision is blurry, I can't see clearly. But, I can faintly see snow continuously falling on me.

This is strange. It seems like I was fighting someone in an ice cave earlier, but why did I end up here?

"Oh my God, are you okay?!"

A woman? Who is she?

"Oh Lord, your body is as cold as ice. I'll take you to a safe place."

I can't see very well who is helping me, her voice sounds vaguely familiar.

My energy is completely drained; maybe I'll be okay with her.

***

"Tree! It's been more than 30 minutes. Do you think he's okay?"

"This is strange, why hasn't he come back immediately?"

This has never happened before, it should only take about 10 minutes for meditation. I'm afraid Snow lost control of his Soul, and if that happens, I have no choice but...

"Tree! Blood is coming out of his right eye!"

"Shoot! Wait, I'll get tissue from the front table."

His eye is bleeding. What is happening here? This is very abnormal!

"Shin, here are the tissues."

"You're late, doctor. I've already killed your companion."

What?! Snow?! No, that's not Snow! His eyes are red, and his weapon turned pitch black!

"Darn! His tears of blood won't stop. Well... but I like this body, especially the legs. These legs are very strong!"

His nature is completely different from Snow's, his cornea is different, and his weapon is too. And earlier, he said, "I like this body." Wait, could it be him?

"Finally, you know who I am, doctor."

"How do you know what I'm thinking!"

"I won't tell you. It's better if I create a commotion outside than stay in this confined place!"

"Wait!"

He breaks my window to escape, I have to inform Night that Snow failed.

"Argh! Tree? Is that you?"

"Shin! Are you okay?"

"Yes, luckily I used my Gen-X just before he stabbed me. Quickly, we have to chase him!"

***

"Where am I? What happened?"

Before I knew it, I was in a room, the building made of wood, even the furniture, a wooden house.

"Oh God!"

A woman's voice came from the door, she dropped a container of warm water and ran towards me.

"Thank goodness, you're alright. I'm so relieved! Thank you, God!"

She was a mature woman, with black hair in a braided style. She kept crying beside me, even for a stranger like me, she was overly kind.

"I'm sorry, where am I now?"

"Oh! I'm sorry, I'm crying endlessly again!"

She tried to catch her breath and wiped her tears, and unknowingly I also wiped her tears.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

Her eyes were bright blue and very beautiful, her eyes were so similar to...

"Um... sorry, are your wounds getting better?"

"Wounds?"

Oh right, my body was covered in wounds.

"Yes, I'm fine. By the way, what happened to me?"

"While I was out looking for some snowberries, I saw you lying in the snow. Your body was full of wounds, so I brought you here to treat your injuries."

"I see, thank you. My name is Snow, what's yours?"

"My name is Yuki."

Yuki, a beautiful name. I wanted to ask her some questions, but I still needed a lot of energy to recover.

"Snow, can you walk?"

"I think so, what's going on?"

"Well, I cooked some warm soup earlier... would you like to eat with me?"

"With pleasure."

She looked delighted, for a moment she looked very similar to Lilith. Her shy demeanor when meeting strangers and her cheerful nature were very much like hers.

She took out some sets of clothes and asked me to wear them. Yuki said my clothes were torn and bloodied, so she discarded them. I put on a white shirt and black trousers because none of the clothes she pulled out had any shirts.

"Wow! These clothes look very good on you."

"They're a bit big, whose clothes are these?"

"They belonged to my husband, he passed away a year ago. I keep all his clothes and belongings here, rather than leaving them unused, I'd rather give them to you."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, let's go to the kitchen."

I felt uneasy for asking about her husband earlier.

"By the way, Snow, where are you from?"

"I'm from District C."

"District C? Where is that? I've never heard of it."

Huh?! She doesn't know District C?

"Hold on, why don't you know where District C is... wait a minute! Yuki! Where are we?"

"We're in my house..."

"No, but what area are we in?"

"What do you mean? We're in Hokkaido, it's winter now so the temperature around here is very cold."

Hokkaido? What place is that? Where is this? Why doesn't she know what a district is? Doesn't every country in the world name its cities with the term district? Then why did Yuki mention Hokkaido? There's something strange here.

"Um, Snow, are you okay?"

Suddenly, there was a loud bang from the front door.

"Excuse me! We're from the laboratory! We're here to collect what you promised!"

"Oh no, they're here, what should I do?!"

"Yuki, who are they?"

"They're people from the laboratory in the neighboring town, they want to take my children. What should I do?!"

Laboratory? Hold on! Why do they want to take her children?

"Mom?"

A boy came out of the room, holding a little girl's hand. They seemed to have just woken up.

"Yama! Why are you out of the room, quickly go back inside."

"We don't have much time! Miss Yuki, quickly hand over your children!"

"Mom!"

Her children held onto her tightly, they looked very scared. Since none of us answered their cries, the officers broke down the door roughly.

"It's time, miss, to hand over your children. You promised the professor."

"What is this? Who are you? What's your problem with... argh! You'll break my hand!"

"What's wrong? It's just one hand, you still have the other one."

I was annoyed with their behavior, especially since I had personal grievances with people like them before. I won't let them act as they please!

"How dare you!"

One of their friends pointed a gun at my head, the barrel still warm even though it's snowing now.

"This gun is still warm, have you shot someone before coming here?"

"Shut up! Quickly release your hand or I'll smash your head!"

His face looked panicked, especially as I could see his legs trembling. Not wanting to delay any longer, I had to use my Gen-X to move behind him.

"Hah! Gone! Where did he go?!"

"I'm behind you."

He immediately turned around and I instantly broke his neck and kicked him hard, he flew quite far. Seems like my attack scared the others, they looked trembling.

"You better leave this place now, or..."

"Better you take a look at your neck first?"

My neck? Hah, there's blood? What happened?! But when?

"Miss Yuki, it's better if you quickly hand over your children. Or I'll kill the man protecting you."

Who is he? Did he injure my neck? His sharp gaze feels very familiar.

"Oi, boy, you must be wondering who I am. Well, I'll tell you my name, I am a professor who heads the research of a serum from the government."

What?! I have to stop him, as long as my legs and hands can still be used, there's no reason to give up.

"Stay there!"

My leg was stabbed? How? Since when? Damn, it hurts so much.

"Snow!"

"Oh, so your name is Snow. I appreciate your effort, but you're still very weak."

Damn, is there nothing I can do? If this continues, Yuki's children will be taken.

"Miss, I don't have time anymore. How about you surrender now?"

"No! I will not hand over my children! Even if I die, I won't give them up!"

"Even for the life of this pathetic man?"

Yuki looks confused, tears starting to well up in her eyes.

"Yuki! Don't mind me, run away while you can!"

"Miss Yuki, this is your last warning."

She looks desperate, Yuki hugs her children tightly and I hear her whispering to her son.

"Forgive me, my children."

Yuki, she hands over her children to them for my sake.

"Take her children!"

Yuki's children are forcibly taken away, both of them crying over Yuki lying helpless on the floor. I have to help them, if I can't use my legs, then the next option is my hands.

"Do you think I'll let you move freely? Now look at one of your hands."

Hand? Damn you! My left hand too! Damn, I'll kill you!

"Let's go!"

"Sir, what should we do with them?"

"Let them rot there."

Damn, they're gone, I can't move. Damn!

"Sn...Snow..."

"Yuki! Why?! Why did you choose me?! Why, Yuki?!"

She can only smile while holding back the tears that flow freely from her eyes, I don't know what's on her mind now, she slowly closes and tends to my wounds and brings me inside the house.

Now my head is in her lap, we warm ourselves by the fireplace. She gently strokes my head, I don't know why but my tears won't stop flowing.

"You know, Snow, sometimes we have to sacrifice something to save something important."

"If that's the case, why did you..."

She covers my mouth with her trembling finger.

"Ssh... your wounds are still open. I understand you must be wondering why I risked my children and chose to save you."

"Yuki... can you explain it to me?"

"Of course."

As strong as this woman is, she can still smile in this tense situation.

"All I know is when the children are taken by those people. They will be well taken care of, they will be fine."

"But in my experience, even though they are fine, they will suffer! They could forget you!"

"Snow, have you ever experienced something like this?"

"Well, I have. It was a long time ago, that's why when those people captured your children. I felt very angry."

"I sympathize with you, Snow, but even if they will experience that later. I believe my children will be fine, they will surely continue to fight to survive."

"But! Yuki..."

She covers my mouth with her finger again and slowly tries to calm me down. And I see her blue eyes welling up, holding back the flood of tears that increasingly soak her cheeks.

"At least... at least they can still live, even if they forget me later, I... don't mind that."

"Yuki..."

She says it while trying to hold back the tears that flow harder and harder.

"Rather than having to sacrifice an innocent person like you, who is willing to die to protect us, even though you're a stranger to me. If I let them kill you... it would make me a cruel mother."

This woman... even though she tries so hard to smile, her tears couldn't lie, she is a very kind person.

"Yuki, I promise. I will save your children, I don't care how many troops they have, I will succeed!"

Her crying intensifies, and she hugs me tightly while crying.

"Thank you, Snow, thank you!"

Amid a snowstorm, we warm ourselves by a very small fireplace. Resting with wounds that hurt so much, yes... a heartache so deep.

---

"Two Angels Lost in the Midst of a Storm of Tears"