FROST

Silvermist stood frozen at the school gate for what felt like an eternity, her feet glued to the spot, her thoughts swirling. The icy breeze tugged at her jacket, but her body felt numb.

It was almost as if her mind had shut down, like it couldn't process what had just happened, so she went back to school to rethink things. Only after what seemed like an hour did her brain finally decide to function again, and with a reluctant sigh, she forced her legs to move.

She made her way back inside and sat down on a bench in the student lounge. Her hand instinctively brushed against her cheek, and she paused for a moment, noticing how her skin had grown cold. There was no longer any sharp pain from earlier, no sting, but somehow it felt like she was in a different world.

Everything that had just occurred felt real and surreal at the same time. Her mind couldn't make sense of it, and her body felt disconnected from reality.

Maybe she was just exhausted, her thoughts too scattered to make sense of what had happened. Her mind was drowning in something—maybe insanity, maybe something worse—overdose.

She closed her eyes, trying to shake off the dizziness that seemed to settle in her skull. She didn't even know what to make of everything.

With a heavy sigh, she opened her eyes and blinked a couple of times, trying to clear the fog in her head. She needed to get out and think—really think—about everything. She needed space, time to process to avoid further insanity. Her gaze drifted to the gate, and before she knew it, she was walking out, heading home on foot, her thoughts heavy with uncertainty.

She traced the familiar route leading home, her eyes locked on the road in front of her. She didn't notice the people around her, the hustle and bustle of the city—nothing. The world felt like a distant hum. The only thing that mattered was the pounding in her chest and the storm swirling in her mind.

The earlier events flashed again in her thoughts, vivid and sharp. She pressed her fingers to her temples, trying to block it out. The image of those three men—the chilling presence they brought—wouldn't leave her. She wanted to talk to someone about it, but the truth was, she had no one.

She had friends, sure, but she knew they'd never believe her. They'd think she was losing her mind after cutting herself off from anyone when she got depressed. Depression had a way of doing that to people, and she was no exception. They'd think she was just spiraling out of control, especially since she'd never sought continuous help.

She muttered to herself, frustration building inside her. Maybe if she had some solid evidence... maybe then they'd believe her.

The thought stung, but she couldn't deny it. It wasn't just a delusion. It couldn't be.

The names echoed in her mind—Frost, Tim, and Fall: the names of three guardians, each with a role tied to an ancient story her grandmother used to tell her when she was younger.

She could still see her grandmother's face in her mind's eye, the way she would smile as she spun tales of gods and immortals. Of the Lunar god descending to Earth and finding the Sea goddess, how they fell in love and bore children—twelve sons, one daughter. Thirteen children.

The guardians. She could almost hear the story coming back to her like a distant whisper from her past.

The eldest son, Cloud, became the guardian of the mist. Coast, the guardian of golden sands. Blaze, the fire guardian. Rain, the water guardian. East, the spring guardian. Frost, the winter guardian. Flash, the lightning guardian.

Cay, the red sand guardian. Fall—the Autumn guardian. Tim, the guardian of time. Zephyr, the wind guardian. And finally, Sun, the youngest, who was entrusted with the summer.

Twelve guardians, chosen to protect the earth and maintain balance—especially the four who controlled the seasons: Sun, East, Fall, and Frost.

"Oh! What am I even thinking?" Silvermist chuckled.

Her mind was a mess. She was rambling, lost in ancient stories that she had no business thinking about. She was going insane. She had completely lost it.

"Ugh!" she groaned and rolled her eyes to the sky, letting the frustration spill out. "That's it! I'm just gonna let everything slide. I didn't see anything. It's all just a hallucination, a piece of junk in my brain!"

But the moment the words left her mouth, a voice interrupted her.

"Hmmm... I wouldn't call it junk tho."

She froze, her heart pounding in her chest. She spun around, but there was no one there—just the empty street behind her.

Or at least, she thought it was empty until she saw her.

A woman stood there, dressed entirely in white. It was as if she had stepped out of a fog, her pale dress flowing around her like something ethereal. She looked like a ghost, a "white lady," as they called it, but there was no mistaking the eerie aura surrounding her.

"Ah... hi?" Silvermist said, hesitating. Her voice was shaky, unsure.

She quickly scanned the area, half-expecting the woman to vanish into thin air, but there was no one else around. Just her.

"Are you talking to me?" Silvermist asked, pointing to herself to make sure she wasn't imagining this.

The woman smirked, a playful gleam in her eyes. "That's an obvious question, silly. Of course, I am. No one else is around."

"Oh, my mistake," Silvermist muttered, still reeling from the shock. "H-Have we met before? Do I know you?"

The woman grinned, a knowing look crossing her face. "Probably," she said, taking a few steps toward Silvermist. "Let me check something real quick."

Before Silvermist could even react, the woman reached for her hand, her fingers cold as ice. She rolled up Silvermist's sleeve, and Silvermist's breath caught in her throat when she saw a mark—the cinquefoil above her wrist. She didn't even know it was there.

"Found you at last," the woman whispered, her voice sending a shiver down Silvermist's spine.

Silvermist jerked back, her pulse racing, her heart pounding in her ears.

"W-What are you doing?" she stuttered, instinctively covering her wrist with her other hand.

The woman stood there, unfazed, her smile twisted in a way that didn't sit right with Silvermist. Her eyes locked with hers, and Silvermist felt a strange chill settle in her bones.

"You saw everything, didn't you?" the woman asked, her voice soft but full of certainty.

"W-What? What are you talking about?" Silvermist was confused, desperate to make sense of this nightmare.

The woman cocked her head slightly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "You can't fool me, Silvermist. I know how your mind works."

Silvermist's confusion turned to rage. She narrowed her eyes. "I don't know who you are or how the hell you know my name, but you need to stay away from me."

She started to turn away, ready to walk off and pretend none of this happened. But the woman's words froze her in her tracks.

"Orphan."

The word was like a punch to the gut. Silvermist's breath caught in her throat, her fists clenching at her sides. How did she know that?

"I know everything about you, Sil."

A grin spread across the woman's face, and before Silvermist could react, she was suddenly standing right in front of her. The world seemed to tilt on its axis.

She... teleported?

Silvermist couldn't breathe. She couldn't move.

"Shocked?" the woman asked, her smile playful, almost teasing. "You shouldn't be if you couldn't see me, but because of that mark you have," she pointed to Silvermist's wrist again, "you're starting to see new and wonderful things!"

"I-I don't understand!" Silvermist stammered, her heart hammering in her chest.

"Let me help you," the woman said, and before Silvermist could ask another question, everything around her went black.

She couldn't see. She couldn't feel anything.

What the hell is going on?

Suddenly, a bright light pierced the darkness, blinding her. She squinted, trying to adjust, when the world around her shifted. She gasped, finding herself standing in a vast meadow. The air was thick with the sweet scent of dandelions and lavenders.

"Where am I?" she breathed, overwhelmed by the beauty surrounding her.

"Wonderful, isn't it?" came the voice again.

She whipped around and there the woman was, standing just a few feet away, that eerie smile still on her face.

"Who the hell are you?" Silvermist demanded. "Where did you take me?"

The woman chuckled, her voice light and airy. "I do owe you an apology, and a whole lot of explanations."

She walked toward Silvermist, her steps light and carefree, her eyes filled with something unreadable.

"I am Periwinkle," she said, and her gaze drifted over the colorful field around them. "And here?" She paused, looking at the vibrant flowers. "Here is where the guardians' apprentices live." She turned back to Silvermist. "Where your kind lives."

Silvermist felt her throat dried. "K-Kind? I'm a humankind, ma'am."