Sapphire awakened, her body numb as consciousness slowly returned. The cold, hard floor beneath her pressed into her back. She blinked, trying to make sense of her surroundings—a dilapidated building, abandoned and falling apart. Her head throbbed as the aftereffects of her visions still lingered.
A soft voice broke through the haze.
“Are you okay?”
Sapphire turned her head, her eyes landing on a little girl kneeling beside her. She couldn’t have been more than eight or nine years old, her dirty blonde hair hanging in messy strands around her face.
Sapphire sat up slowly. As always, she couldn’t feel pain, which only worried her more about her physical state. As she moved, her shoulder brushed against the girl’s outstretched hand. A faint sensation ran through her. For a brief moment, she felt a subtle pulse of Necronfi that resided in the air.
She blinked, shaking off the sensation. It must be residual effects from the Raven, she thought, attributing the feeling to her own overexertion.
“Thank you for helping me,” Sapphire said, smiling.
The girl nodded, a simple tear-shaped necklace swinging gently from her neck as she moved. The pendant caught the faint light, but Sapphire’s attention was drawn back to the girl’s eyes—so earnest and filled with a soft resilience.
“Where are we?” Sapphire asked.
The girl smiled shyly. “You’re in one of the old houses. You were outside in the snow, so I brought you here.” Her voice was small but steady, with an undercurrent of hope.
Sapphire’s gaze softened as she looked at the child. “That’s very kind of you,” she said quietly. “What’s your name?”
“Hyun-Ki,” the girl replied. “I’m a Cryolite.”
Sapphire tilted her head, noticing the dark blonde hair and dark eyes. “A Cryolite?”
“I know,” Hyun-Ki cut her off, almost sheepishly. “I haven’t had my Trionfi Benediction yet. But I will soon! I’ve been praying to Khione every day, and I have a feeling that she will choose me.” Her eyes sparkled with excitement.
Sapphire’s chest tightened. The child’s innocence reminded her of times she would have rather forgotten. She hesitated before asking, “Where are your parents?”
“They’re waiting for me at home,” Hyun-Ki replied with a proud little nod. “I told them I’d go get hot water for them.”
Sapphire frowned. “Hot water?”
Hyun-Ki stood and pointed toward a corner of the room. A large bucket sat there, filled to the brim with steaming water. Sapphire’s eyes widened as the little girl bent down, attempting to lift the heavy container. It was nearly as large as she was, struggling with its weight. Her tiny arms trembled while hauling it up.
“You shouldn’t be doing this alone. Don’t you have a brother or…” Sapphire trailed off, rising to her feet despite her aching body. The sight of the girl struggling with the burden was heartbreaking, and she couldn’t stand to watch her continue.
Hyun-Ki glanced up at her, surprised. “It’s okay! It’s just from the nearby hot spring. My brother also needs it.”
Sapphire’s heart sank as she watched the child’s determination. “Let me help,” she offered gently, stepping forward to take the bucket from her hands.
Hyun-Ki hesitated momentarily, but then she nodded, letting Sapphire take over. Sapphire’s arms strained under the weight—she couldn’t imagine how the little girl had been managing it alone for who knows how long.
Together, they walked toward the door, the cold wind seeping in through the cracks in the walls. Sapphire glanced down at the girl beside her, the child’s face set in concentration as they moved through the broken doorway and out into the biting wind. Snow whipped around them, stinging Sapphire’s cheeks as she tried to shield Hyun-Ki from the worst of it.
“How far is it?” Sapphire asked, raising her voice to be heard over the howling wind.
“Just the next building over,” Hyun-Ki replied, her voice almost lost in the gusts. “That’s our house.”
They pressed forward, the wind making it hard to see more than a few feet ahead. Sapphire’s thoughts churned, but she kept moving, her heart heavy as they made their way through the snow.
They reached the next building. The snow around it was piled high, the wind howling through cracks in the walls. Hyun-Ki stepped forward and pushed open the door with a creak, turning to Sapphire with a bright smile.
“Come in!” she chirped.
Sapphire entered, setting the heavy bucket by the door. She rubbed her hands together, trying to shake off the chill as she glanced around the small, dimly lit room. It was even more rundown than the last place—peeling walls, broken furniture, and an unsettling lack of light. She heard Hyun-Ki’s voice from the next room.
“I’m back, Mom, Dad! A really kind lady helped me this time.”
Sapphire turned, preparing to introduce herself, but her words froze in her throat. Her eyes widened in horror at the sight before her.
In the corner of the room, Hyun-Ki’s parents sat side by side, their expressions twisted in unnatural fear and despair. Their eyes, wide open, stared blankly into the distance, and their mouths parted slightly. A thick layer of glowing ice encased their bodies as their hands still reached out for one another.
Between them, on the floor, was the body of a small boy—Hyun-Ki’s younger brother. His face was contorted in the same terrified expression, his small hands grasping at his mother’s leg as if he had been trying to cling to her in his final moments.
Sapphire’s stomach twisted violently. She stared at the frozen family, her heart caught in her throat, refusing to beat.
This is Khione’s Lament. A deadly disease that slowly froze people from within.
Before she could process the horror, Hyun-Ki moved past her, oblivious to Sapphire’s shock. The little girl hummed softly to herself as she lit the fireplace. She returned to the bucket and began dragging it across the room with a haunting scratch, bringing it closer to her parents.
Sapphire swallowed hard, forcing herself to speak, though her voice came out strained. “What are you… what are you doing?”
Hyun-Ki smiled as she knelt beside the frozen figures. “I’m taking care of them. They’re sick, but they’ll get better. Mom always asked for hot water, so I bring it to them every day.” She reached into the bucket, pulled a towel, and dipped it into the steaming water. “I have to help them feel better.”
Sapphire’s lips quivered as she watched the child wring out the towel and gently rub it against her mother’s frozen arm as though it might melt the ice and bring her back. Each stroke was soft, filled with a heartbreaking hope. Hyun-Ki moved from her mother to her father, her little hands trembling slightly from the weight of the soaked cloth.
“It’s been a long time, so they will get better soon,” she said matter-of-factly. “One day, Mom said she didn’t need it anymore, but I still bring it. I know it helps.”
Sapphire’s vision blurred with tears. She couldn’t hold them back any longer as she processed everything. This innocent child had been tending to her dead family for weeks—months—without realizing they were gone.
The Ascendant’s hands trembled as she summoned Necronfi within her. She needed to be sure. She needed to see. The familiar embrace of death flowed through her, and Sapphire’s eyes glowed faintly as she reached out with her senses, searching for any trace of life.
Nothing.
Their souls were gone. Completely. They were dead.
She choked on a sob, biting her lip to keep from crying. Hyun-Ki glanced up at her, still oblivious to the truth.
“Is everything okay, miss?” the little girl asked, her voice so innocent. “I don’t have much left, but there’s some bread if you’re hungry.”
Sapphire couldn’t answer. She couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, as the tears flowed down her cheeks. How could she tell this child that her family was gone forever? How could she possibly make her understand the cruel reality?
The little girl chatted softly, her words directed toward her family as if they were responding.
“Mom says the snow will stop soon,” Hyun-Ki said. “Then we can go play outside.”
Sapphire’s brow furrowed. Something was off. The way Hyun-Ki tilted her head, pausing between sentences—as if listening to replies only she could hear.
“Hyun-Ki,” she began cautiously, “are you… talking to them?”
The girl looked up, blinking in surprise. “Of course! They’ve been quieter lately, but I can still hear them.” She touched a simple necklace hanging around her neck—the same small pendant shaped like a teardrop. As her fingers brushed it, a faint crackling from the bodies echoed in the room, like ice threatening to break. “They tell me stories when I’m lonely.”
Sapphire’s gaze sharpened on the pendant. A faint aura emanated from it, one she hadn’t noticed before. It pulsed softly—almost imperceptibly—but unmistakable to someone attuned to Necronfi. Her heart skipped a beat.
“May I see your necklace?” Sapphire asked gently.
Hyun-Ki hesitated, then nodded, lifting it over her head and placing it carefully into Sapphire’s outstretched hand. Sapphire felt a surge of familiar energy when it touched her skin—a whisper of souls lingering within.
She closed her eyes, focusing her senses. The Necronfi within the pendant resonated with her own, creating a delicate harmony. Threads of purple light intertwined, revealing the presence of multiple souls bound to the necklace.
Her breath hitched. Hyun-Ki had unconsciously drawn her family’s souls into this object, much like Death Sealers infuse their weapons. But the girl had no training, no guidance—it had happened naturally.
Sapphire’s thoughts raced. This child had awakened Necronfi on her own, a rare and dangerous occurrence. And without a Trionfi Benediction, no less.
Opening her eyes, she looked at Hyun-Ki, who watched her with curiosity and concern. “Is something wrong?”
Taking a deep breath, Sapphire knelt to meet the girl at eye level. “Hyun-Ki, your necklace is very special. Did someone give it to you?”
The girl nodded. “Daddy made it for my birthday. He said it would keep us connected.”
A soft smile touched Sapphire’s lips. “He was right. Your parents and brother—they’re with you. Inside this necklace.”
Hyun-Ki’s eyes widened further. “They are?” Her voice quivered. “But… what do you mean?”
“Your family loves you very much,” Sapphire said gently. “Sometimes, their souls can stay close to those they love.”
The girl glanced back at her family. “Souls? I don’t understand?” Her gaze darted between Sapphire and the frozen figures.
Sapphire reached out, gently taking Hyun-Ki’s small hands in her own. “Their bodies have stopped working, but their souls are still here, with you. That’s why you can hear them.”
Tears welled up in the girl’s eyes, spilling over and trailing down her cheeks. “So… they’re… they’re gone?” Her voice broke as the weight of the truth crashed down.
Sapphire pulled her into a warm embrace as Hyun-Ki began to sob, her tiny frame trembling. “I’m so sorry,” Sapphire whispered, her own voice filled with sorrow. “I know it’s hard. But they haven’t truly left you.”
“I… I thought they were getting better,” Hyun-Ki cried softly. “I thought if I tried hard enough…”
“I know,” Sapphire murmured, holding her close. “You did everything you could. They knew how much you loved them.”
Hyun-Ki clutched at Sapphire’s coat. “I don’t want to be alone.”
“You’re not,” Sapphire whispered, her voice breaking with emotion. “I lost someone important to me, too.”
The girl sniffled, pulling back slightly to look at her. “You did?”
Sapphire nodded, memories of her mother flashing through her mind—the painful choices, the weight of expectations. “Yes. And like you, I carry her with me. Our loved ones never truly leave us.”
Hyun-Ki glanced down at the necklace in Sapphire’s hand. “Can I have it back?”
“Of course.” Sapphire carefully placed it over Hyun-Ki’s head, the pendant settling against her chest. “It’s a precious gift, both the pendant and your ability, but it’s important to learn how to use it properly.”
The girl looked up, hope returning into her eyes. “Can you teach me?”
Sapphire smiled gently. “There are some churches of Necroshim here in Chuun. I know there must be more brave girls like you who would love to have another friend. Would you like to meet them?”
Hyun-Ki nodded earnestly.
Sapphire stood, holding out her hand. “Come with me. We can’t stay here, but I promise to help you.”
The girl hesitated, casting a lingering glance at her frozen family. “But… what about them?”
“They’ll always be with you,” Sapphire assured her softly. She squeezed the girl’s hand gently. “And I’ll speak with the Prime Minister. We’ll ensure their bodies—and everyone else’s—receive a proper goodbye, okay?”
Hyun-Ki took a deep breath, her little fingers tightening around Sapphire’s. “Okay,” she said, her voice quivering slightly.
As they approached the door, Sapphire paused, her gaze returning to the tragic scene. I won’t let the darkness take her too, she vowed silently. She murmured a prayer to Xenovia, seeking strength to protect this child from the shadows that had consumed so much of her own life.
