Advent of the Three Calamities

'What an absurd situation.'

The cloth continued to move, polishing and removing the thin layer of snow that had formed over the statues.

'...So this is what Ilyen was doing when I found him.'

This was their effort in trying to preserve the city that the ice had taken over.

"There are usually times when the statues start to move. They aren't very threatening, but as I grow weaker by the day, they start to become more and more of a threat."

Velar continued to polish the statues near him.

Despite his strength and his ability to wipe the snow with just a flick of his wrist, he did so manually.

"As you've probably noticed, the cold drains our mana. Every bit of it is precious, and as it's slowly stripped away, we become more vulnerable to the dangers around us. Just like the statues."

He removed the cloth, wiping it down to remove any of the crystals that had formed.

Taking a moment to pause, he looked at me.

"If you plan to escape, now is the time. The statues won't move or attack, and the fog is thinnest in the morning. By noon, it thickens again. Once you reach the outskirts of the city, you'll be safe. The curse doesn't spread beyond these walls."

"Thank you for the offer, but I don't have much of a choice either."

I swiped my hand over one of the statues, doing my part in helping Velar.

There wasn't anything else to do anyway.

"My friends have also been frozen into statues. I'm trying to find a way to help them out of the situation."

"...Ah, I see."

Velar went quiet.

He said nothing else, but his silence spoke for him. He didn't believe there was any cure or any way to turn the others back. But was that truly the case?

'If he didn't, there's no way he'd remain here so stubbornly.'

Just like me, he could've easily escaped this place. He didn't.

Why?

Because somewhere, deep down, he held onto the belief that the curse had a cure.

*

"It looks like the statues are about to move soon. We should head back."

I had lost track of time. Before I knew it, the fog started to thicken, and I felt a faint tremor coming from the statues. With a relaxed expression, Velar put the towel back into his pocket before heading back towards the shelter.

On the way back, we didn't encounter any problems.

Neither one of us said a word as we eventually arrived before the familiar buildings and entered.

Step. Step—

The quiet echo of the steps resounded across the dark corridor, and soon, we arrived at the door of the shelter.

But—

—Hey! Hey...! Ol'Sal! Ol'Sal!!

—Where's Velar?! What's going on!

Muffled cries echoed from the other side of the door, and immediately after Velar opened it, I was greeted by the sight of the old man from before, his eyes closed as he lay on the floor with a pale face.

"He's not opening his eyes!"

"Sal!!"

Everyone tried to shake him, but he refused to move.

The two children began to shed tears, while the burly man continued to shake them.

Evelyn stared at all of this with concern, and when she finally noticed me, her expression changed. She almost looked worried, and I could see why. I had been away for quite a while without letting her know.

"Calm down. Let me take a look."

Despite the situation, Velar remained calm.

He walked towards the old man and placed his hand over his chest.

Not a moment later, he closed his eyes and tried to feel the situation. The surroundings turned silent, a quiet tension building within the room.

But soon, his eyes opened as he smiled.

"He hasn't turned. I should be able to bring him back."

His hand began to glow, and the pallor on the old man's face began to fade.

It didn't take long for color to return to the old man's face as his chest finally began to move.

The eyes of the children and the burly man lit up.

"Ol'Sal!"

"Sal!"

They looked incredibly happy at the sight, and soon enough, the old man's eyelids began to move as he soon opened his eyes.

"Huh?"

He looked around, feeling confused by the sight that greeted him.

But soon—

"Sal!"

"Ol'Sal!"

The children jumped on him, the burly man just barely holding back as he brought his fist to his face and coughed in embarrassment.

"What the hell is this!?"

For obvious reasons, the old man was startled by the sudden actions of the children as he tried to push them away, but neither moved. In the end, the old man could only throw his hands in the air as he turned his attention towards Velar.

The old man appeared to have an understanding of what had happened, and after a brief moment of silence, he mouthed, 'Thanks, I guess...'

He then began to throw curses at the children.

"Stop! Get out...! Get away from me!"

In this cold, tiny place, it suddenly became lively once more.

I stared at the scene before me in silence, feeling a certain tug over my shoulder. When I turned, I saw Evelyn staring at me with a frown as she whispered, 'Where did you go?'

"...For some air."

"Really?"

"Sort of..."

I paused for a moment, then leaned in to whisper everything I'd discovered during my time outside. Her expression shifted almost instantly, and she turned her gaze toward Velar. The way she looked at him changed a little.

"And you're sure about this?"

"I'm pretty sure."

"That is..." Evelyn looked to be at a loss for words, but as if suddenly recalling something important, she nudged me once more. "Right, there's something else that I wanted to talk to you about."

"What is it?"

"Actually..."

Evelyn pursed her lips, grabbing me by the arm and pulling me further back. After making sure that no one was paying attention, she whispered, "I'm not entirely sure, but I think I might be able to cure everyone."

".....!"

I nearly let out a sound upon hearing her words.

Thankfully, Evelyn placed her hand over my mouth before I could do so.

"Stop...! Keep your voice down! Like I told you, I'm not completely sure. I haven't tested it yet, and I didn't want to say anything before. I was afraid of giving them false hope. But when I checked on the old man earlier, I felt… it might be possible for me to help. I was waiting for you to ask."

Evelyn looked at the old man with some hesitation.

"...I could be talking shit, but—"

"Hey."

I suddenly called out to Velar and the others, attracting their attention towards me.

Evelyn's eyes widened, her hand slapping onto my shoulder a couple of times, but I didn't care for it as I looked at Velar. He was already looking at me, his expression unreadable.

However, I was clear about it. He'd clearly heard everything.

He just didn't say anything.

"What is it...?"

The old man soon spoke, his voice slightly hoarse.

Rather than answering, I stepped toward him. Evelyn followed close behind, and when I stopped in front of him, I extended my hand.

"Give me your hand for a moment."

"Huh?"

For obvious reasons, the old man looked startled.

The same was true for the others, but it was under Velar's soft voice that everyone managed to calm down.

"Don't worry. You can give him your hand."

"....."

Ol' Sal hesitated, but eventually nodded, bringing his hand forward.

I grabbed it first, channeling my mana into his body. I wanted to see if I could do anything, but I was shocked the moment I did so.

This guy...

'How the hell is he still alive?!'

Nearly half of his organs were frozen solid, his blood among them. The fact that he could still speak and move was nothing short of a miracle. It also made me wonder more and more about this 'curse'.

What exactly was it?

How come I didn't feel anything related to Delilah from it?

"So?"

It was the old man's words that shook me out of my thoughts.

I lifted my head to meet his gaze but said nothing. Instead, I turned to Evelyn. She glared at me for a moment, but eventually, she sighed, reached for the hand, and closed her eyes.

The room was enveloped in silence.

That was until—

Cra Crack! Cra Crack!

Muffled cracking sounds echoed across the entire space, startling everyone present.

"Wait, what are you doing!"

"Hey!"

"She's not going to kill me, right?"

"Don't worry. I'm here."

Velar's words carried a strong sense of authority. The moment he spoke, everyone fell silent. Though hesitation lingered in their eyes, his assurance was enough, and soon, the crackling and muffled noises grew louder as Evelyn's brows drew tightly together.

"H-huh?"

The old man's slow breathing began to change, his body shaking after a moment.

This drew a worried expression from everyone, but under Velar's calm demeanor, nobody made a sound.

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Sweat beaded along the side of Evelyn's face as she focused, the old man's body beginning to tremble, his features twisting in pain from whatever she was doing. The others tensed, worry flashing across their faces, but Velar lifted a hand, silently keeping them back.

And soon—

Evelyn stopped, bringing her hand away from the old man's hand as her chest heaved up and down unevenly.

The surroundings turned silent, a quiet tension settling as Evelyn caught her breath.

Eventually, however, she raised her head and looked at the others.

After a moment of hesitation, she spoke.

"It's possible..."

Her lips pressed into a thin line, her expression shifting into something tense and conflicted.

"I think I can find a way to fix everyone."

I didn't celebrate just yet.

Staring at her expression, I knew that there was more to it. And sure enough, her next words confirmed such thoughts.

"But... I'm not skilled enough yet," she said quietly. "I'll need more time. My control... It's still lacking. If I can improve it, I might be able to remove all the ice completely. I can't make any guarantees, but I can try."