It wasn't a massive bed or anything, but I was truly grateful that I had somewhere to sleep. Mya lay on my right, clutching onto my arm whilst she was letting out sounds of gentle snoring. As the night grew darker, the everlasting blizzard only continued to paint the window white from the outside. The contrast between piercing destructiveness and warming peace being separated by a mere window was a fascinating thought.

Although I was cozy from not only the heavy fur blanket but also from Mya's warmth, I found myself unable to fall asleep in bed.

Ugh, how long has it been? An hour now? I've just been laying awake staring at nothing... 

I turned over to my left and noticed that the leather book that Mya had gifted me remained on the table. I guess I might as well give it a read since I can't really sleep right now. 

Praying that Mya wouldn't wake up, I gently pulled my arm away from her loose grip. Her hand slowly dropped onto the mattress, and she remained still, continuing with her light snores. 

As I reached over to grab the book on the table, a prompt appeared in front of my eyes.

<[Appraisal Activated]>

Analyzing the object’s contents…

Oh? That's pretty convenient!

Instantly, the previous prompt disappeared and was replaced with a different, larger chunk of text. 

[Cervos: The Tale of a Legend]

This was the tale of a wolf- a young, lone wolf who had been abandoned and cursed ever since the day that he was born.

Robbed of love and guidance, his mother had been hunted down by a mere human after he was birthed. His father, on the other hand, had already been crushed by a giant before the lone wolf had even entered the world. He grieved and grieved his loneliness, until one day he could no longer afford to waste time grieving anymore. He was in grave danger. The elves had expanded their territory within the forest he resided in, forcing the lone wolf to scurry away for his life- in order to not end up like his parents.

But this was when the wolf realized something crucial about himself. He realized that he was cursed with an ability that no other animals of his kind had. He was conscious. Because he was conscious, he understood the truth behind this cruel, tragic world that he was born into.

The humans hunted down not only him, but his comrades as well- wolves, bears, deer, owls, and all others. The giants were ignorant in their steps, crushing hundreds of animals and insects on a daily from merely striding. The elves claimed the forests as their own, forcing many creatures to leave their beloved homes. The angels and demons, on the other hand, were in constant conflict- ending the lives of countless innocent creatures as they were caught in the crossfire.

"For what reason are we the ones who are the hunted? For what reason were we born so powerless? For what reason must we survive in this cruel world?" Those were the questions that the lone wolf had undoubtedly asked himself. But one day, he found his answer.

It was magic, the holy grail of all humanity! It was the same magic that blessed the lands with green grass, bright leaves, colorful flowers, and a bright blue sky. It was the same magic that allowed the people to build a wonderful kingdom, and to care for their loving families. The lone wolf had awakened this magic!

"For what reason was I given the ability to use magic?" the wolf asked himself. Then he remembered. He remembered how deeply he despised humanity. He remembered the destruction that humanity had caused upon his kind. 

And thus, he cursed this world with his most powerful spell. He cursed this world with his burning frost, apocalyptic blizzards, and devastating snowstorms. Humanity could no longer destroy the lives of innocent creatures like himself, for they became frightened of the frost. Humanity's objective was no longer about expansion and progression, for it became a game of survival. The animals were saved!... or so he thought. The lone wolf's ignorance completely ignored the effects that his curse had placed upon his own kind. Within a single month, half of all living beings- humans, giants, bears, wolves, elves, deers- have been wiped out. Within half a year, all demons and angels, as scarce of a race as they already were, have gone completely extinct. Within a decade, only ten percent of all living creatures were able to outlive the burning frost. His plan to destroy humanity had succeeded- but at the cost of his own kind.

Whether or not the lone wolf regretted his actions or not, we shall never know. He had already vanished from the world.

[The End]

...

This continent... The Land of Ember... it's got a much deeper story behind it than I had thought. Giants? Demons? Angels? Do those groups really exist in this world? I mean, this book's just fiction, right? 

I reached over to the table and slowly laid the book back down.

Wait, no... I can't forget that Mya and her parents are elves, too. The book wouldn't be too far off from reality…

Tucking myself deeply into the blanket, I proceeded to lay my head back onto the mushy pillow and gently reached my hand over toward Mya to hold her in my warmth. Although she and I were practically strangers before today, I couldn’t help but feel a sense of ease and warmth from being with her.

I stared at Mya's face as she continued to quietly sleep away. Her pale skin… her blonde hair… she really was an elf. I couldn't help but let out a smile.

"Good night," I whispered to her.

...