FROST

Levi must have noticed the way Silvermist's lips tightened and the sheen of tears starting to dim her eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, he cupped her cheeks with his big, soft hands, guiding her to look at him.

"Uhm, nothing. I think something just, uhm..." She started blinking rapidly, pretending something had gotten in her eyes.

"Oh, let me see." He gently repositioned her face so he could get a better view and kissed her forehead when he obviously saw nothing.

"You'll be fine," he whispered, gazing deeply into her eyes.

As much as she wanted to stare into his innocent face, something tugged at her to look away. She knew this was what she wanted—her family happy and Levi by her side once again—but it didn't feel entirely right. It felt both good and bad at the same time, and a wave of guilt started to wash over her.

Something felt off. The unsettling thought that Levi had chosen Gail over her kept gnawing at her insides, and her gut twitched with doubt. Could she really be happy with this?

Her attention was suddenly snatched by the sight of Gail sitting gracefully in one of the front seats. Who invited her?!

Silvermist bit her lip and quickly shifted her gaze, trying to avoid making a scene.

"Don't look at her like that," Levi snapped, his hands falling beside his legs.

"Why do you care so much for her?" Silvermist asked, her voice surprisingly sharp, and Levi seemed taken aback.

His eyes wavered for a moment before he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.

"Let's not talk about this," he said, a thin smile curving his lips. "I don't want anything to ruin your day." With that, he turned and walked toward his parents.

A soft, exasperated snort escaped Silvermist's lips as a sudden realization hit her like a boulder.

She had expected this moment, but she hadn't cared—until now. She had been blinded by the hope that fate would eventually fix everything, but she was starting to understand. Even if her life changed, the lives of those around her would stay the same. Levi would still choose Gail over her.

She watched him walk away, only to see Gail doing the exact same thing, and a surge of self-doubt flooded her. It made her feel small, like no matter what she did, fate, time, or whatever this was couldn't change his feelings.

The program began, and as soon as she finished her welcoming speech, Silvermist sneaked away to catch her breath.

Lifting her gown carefully to avoid tripping, she made her way to the entrance leading to the wishing well—her father's name for it.

The air wasn't as chilly anymore, and she let out a sigh, feeling somewhat lighter. She had done it. No matter what happened next, as long as humankind was safe, she would regret nothing—even if it cost her peace.

"Ah, it's been a while," she muttered as she gazed at the old, dusty well. It looked almost abandoned now, with algae growing over it in thick layers. She leaned closer to peer inside, only to find it nearly dried out.

She pulled a penny from her purse and held it between her thumb and index finger.

"L-Let me be happy," she whispered, about to toss it into the well when a sudden chill brushed against her cheek, freezing her in place.

"That's odd," she murmured, breathing onto her hands to warm them. Her eyes widened when she saw a cherry blossom blooming on a branch above her.

"But it's winter—"

"So, you were the one who broke my staff?"

Silvermist almost choked, startled by the sudden voice behind her. She spun around to see a figure leaning near the entrance. The place was dim, making it hard to see his face clearly, but his question was sharp and clear.

Despite the lack of light, his blue hair still stood out vibrantly—Oh god, no!

"Do you even know what happens because of what you did?" he continued between deep breaths as he slowly walked toward her.

His face became clearer, and Silvermist's throat suddenly went dry. Her friend, the one she never wanted to see again, was standing in front of her. It's Frost!

"HOLY CAT!" he squealed as she collapsed to the ground in a heap, feeling her energy drain completely.

Frost rushed to her side as she suddenly collapsed.

"Hey? Are you okay?" He knelt beside her, panic rising in his chest.

Was she dead?

He had only been trying to act cool, and now this was happening. What the hell was he supposed to do? He should sue Blaze for this!

He fidgeted beside her, unsure whether to perform CPR, when Silvermist suddenly opened her eyes—then closed them again.

"Gosh! Why isn't he disappearing?" she moaned, cracking open one eye, then the other.

"Ah... am I supposed to disappear?" Frost asked, only for her to groan in frustration, kicking at the nearby ferns as she sat up.

"You know, East's going to be sad when he sees you killing his babies." Frost chuckled as she immediately covered her face with her hands.

"A-Are you here to kill me? Am I gonna die?" she asked in a tremulous voice.

Frost raised an eyebrow but couldn't help laughing.

"Kill you? Why would I do that?" He gently pulled her hand away to check the mark on her wrist. A small smile crept onto his lips. "Do you have any idea how long I've waited for you? Too bad Periwinkle found you first."

Silvermist snatched her hand away with an almost disrespectful force, which threw him off balance.

"What the heck did I do wrong?" Frost asked, confused by her reaction.

"Get away from me!" she snapped, stepping back. Her expression went from calm to furious in an instant.

"Why? W-What did I do?" Frost's tone was sincere, but it only seemed to make her angrier.

"Don't play coy with me, you devil!"

Frost's eyes widened as she pointed at him.

"I just did what I had to do to stop you from—"

"From destroying humankind?" Frost cut her off.

"W-Well, yes!" she stammered.

"And you think my sister's telling the truth?"

"W-Well, yes! She—" She stopped herself, her eyes drifting down to the ground. "S-She's your sister?"

"Hmmm," Frost nodded.

"So, she really is a guardian?!" Her voice shot up an octave as she looked at him in disbelief, causing him to step back to save his hearing.

"Well, yes. Obviously. She's our youngest, went missing for hundreds of years, and now she's back, threatening to destroy the world."

Silvermist's face fell. She looked down, her eyes suddenly wide and full of confusion.

"I'm sorry, what?" she whispered.

Frost smiled knowingly. "Periwinkle's the Sandman's apprentice. She was bound to destroy the world, and she made you a tool to fight against the guardians... me."

She blinked and slowly scratched her jaw with her index finger. "Ah?"

Frost sighed deeply, folding his lips into a thin line. She clearly wasn't grasping it—everything had happened so quickly.

"I'll make it clear," he began, clearing his throat. "The world is balanced between good and evil. We—the guardians—are the ones who maintain that balance. We keep the peace."

"I get it," Silvermist interrupted, raising a finger. "I've heard this before. I just want to clarify... I made a huge mistake, didn't I?"

Frost nodded, his expression somber. "You did."

A sigh of disappointment escaped her lips. "I see. So this is all just an illusion?"

"Incorrect," Frost sighed, his eyes locking onto hers. "This is now your reality now although all she did is altering the time for I-don't-know-how and now you got a happy life, but you need to understand this."

His voice dropped to a whisper. "Altering fate and time comes with consequences."

"What happens now? How do I fix this? How do I bring your staff back?" she asked, desperation creeping into her voice.

Frost shook his head. "You can't. The staff is gone."

"What do I do, then? If the world falls apart, my conscience will kill me for sure," she scrubbed a hand across her face in frustration.

Frost's expression softened. "I've known about you since the moment you were born. I knew you'd be my apprentice. Sadly, Periwinkle found you before I did." He placed his palm over the mark on her wrist, which glowed with different shades of blue. "I believe you'll know what to do. That's why you're here."

Silvermist gasped as she saw the mark turn into a blue snowflake.

"What did you do?" she asked in awe.

"Claiming you as mine," Frost replied.

Her eyes widened in surprise. "What?! Claiming me as yours?"

He smirked. "As my apprentice." He clarified, standing up and offering her his hand.

She hesitated for a moment, staring at it before placing her own hand in his. He pulled her to her feet.

"Let me handle this," he said softly.

Silvermist gasped as he yanked the necklace she wore from around her neck and tossed it into the well.

"What did you do?!" she gaped at him, leaning over the well. "Periwinkle gave that to me!"

"Exactly why I threw it," Frost retorted dryly.

She looked back at him, her brow furrowing. "Why? She helped me with my life."

"And you helped her ruin the world," Frost responded sarcastically, imitating her voice, his lips curling into a smile at her reaction.

"Why are you laughing?!" she demanded.

"Why? Am I supposed to cry?" Frost teased, crossing his arms.

"Okay, what do you want? Just tell me right away!" she snarled. "Do you want to punish me for breaking your staff? Fine, go ahead! I won't stop you."

Frost leaned back against the well, crossing his arms with a smirk.

"Now I see why he left you. You're too impulsive."

Silvermist's eyes flashed with hurt, the pain evident in her expression.

"You knew?" Her voice softened.

"I'm sorry," Frost whispered, watching as she sighed. "But at least you're happy now. Periwinkle can't take this back. You can live this life."

She gave him a simple smile.

"Can I?" she asked quietly, her eyes now cast down to the ground. "Have you seen the look in his eyes? Even if we're together again, she's still the one he loves. Now tell me," she looked at Frost, "How am I supposed to live with that?"

Frost noticed the leaves on the cherry blossom tree above them sprouting, a change he hadn't anticipated.

"W-What's happening?" Silvermist gasped as she noticed the sudden the sudden change of seasons.

"It has started," Frost whispered.

"What do you mean?"

"The seasons went unbalanced the moment you broke my staff, Sil."

Silvemist paused, breath hitched in surprise.

"And it's your job as my apprentice, and the mistaken one, to bring the season back into their right place."

Silvermist's brows met when those leaves which just sprouted slowly wilted and fell down the ground. She, even Frost himself, didn't expect that it will turn out to be this crucial.

Frost's brows met. "What have you done, sister?"