#tikc

The palace felt rigid and cold — maybe it was the ice breaking through the cracks, maybe it was your nerves as you navigated your group along the tall maze-like building. You went over the plan a couple thousand times, yet you heard your heart beat drumming in your ear. Every misstep, whisper could be fatal, you are more than sure that he knows you are in there and yet no guards — no one is coming to get your group.

None of you thought this would be easy, breaking in, killing the one who froze the land, and getting out unscathed, but you all knew it would be now or never, since you, the key, are with them.

You were special, someone who was born before them, someone who saw warmth in their life; the last spring elf born in the weakened sunlight, to one of the most influential families in that time. The palace used to be your playground, you used to spend almost every day here with others of your kind. But that time is long gone now.

You opened the inner gate as the alarm went off, white icy magic flaring up from everywhere your eyes can see. You know what you need to do: run. Run towards the goal that brought you and your friends close, which is to kill Him, and end his regime of winter, and free the land. Their screams echoed in your ear as you ran through the corridor. You just hoped they destroyed the winter crystals that were used to build this palace, and to give birth to him.

As you continued your journey, you felt a presence heavier than frost itself, watching, waiting patiently. Your stomach twisted with the realisation that you weren’t making your way through this forsaken maze, you were running towards him.

You turned, and there he was — unmoving, static and stone cold just like how life has been since he crowned himself a king. The corridor seemed to shrink around him, and every one of your instincts screamed to turn around, find your friends — if they were still alive — and run for your life. Maybe looking for some new place in faraway lands would be the key, starting a new civilization where he could not find you.

He looked at you with a stoic expression, trying to size up the damage you could cause the world with your warmth that no ice storm could extinguish. He finally broke the intense silence “ You are the one they call ‘the change’. The one who survived where it was impossible to bloom.” Chan's voice was low and measured, carrying through the lifeless hall, yet soft enough to be mistaken for care.

As he stepped closer to you, a chill ran across your whole body. Not sure if it was his presence, or the excruciating cold radiating off of him. He was now near enough to see the small ice crystals sparkling on his eyelashes. If you didn’t know how much of a monster he is, you would even call him beautiful. “What did you do to my friends? You killed them, didn’t you?” He didn’t give you an answer which made everything so much worse. You wanted to scream in agony. It is your fault that your friends died in vain, and before you could do anything to hurt him, he raised his hand, and cold air like shackles twisted around your wrists— the pressure and the immediate frostbite across your limb made you wince, but you tried your best not to show it. As he turned to leave, you felt a tug on your wrist so you followed him without uttering a single word. You knew there wasn’t anything you could do, so you didn’t even begin to protest.

He brought you into a big room, where the windows were so small there was barely any light coming in, it had some uncomfortable looking bed, and a toilet (note: do castles have toilets? Nothing fancy, it could’ve been a servant’s quarters back in the day, but you couldn’t care less: the only things on your mind were your friends and if they somehow survived or if they died a horrible death. You tried questioning him again, to no avail. You didn’t get an answer. “This is your room.” you scoffed thinking that Chan should call it what it is: a cell. “If you need anything, let the guards know.” And with that he left you there with your spiraling thoughts. Thinking about your companions, mourning them. And a way to escape, and a way to kill him. You had to follow through the plan, so you and everyone you love can be free from this frozen Hell. Spring will come again, you are sure of it, so your friends and family, and your whole race didn’t die in vain, you must do it for their sake.

Although escape seemed highly impossible, if you could muster up some of your magic, you might be able to thaw the ice on the walls so that you could climb up to the windows and squeeze yourself out of the narrow hole. You walked up to the grim stone wall and tried your best to think of your happiest memories: playing in the golden fields, your mother singing you a lullaby, the family that took you in without any second thought, your friends… your comrades whose bodies might be lying on the palace floors somewhere, cold, lifeless. You broke down crying. You are such a failure. You should’ve kept them safe, yet you live and they are in another place now. You sobbed, feeling your heart breaking. You are held hostage by a man you hate with all your being without any of your loved ones. All alone, consumed by rage.

main masterlist ║ taglist ║ series masterlist