Rei sat quietly on the edge of the wooden bed, the faint crackle of a nearby fireplace echoing through the tiny hut. His clothes were still damp, his breath steady now but his mind still spun from what had just happened.
Across the room, Nari stirred a pot of cocoa milk again, humming off-key, his scarf swaying softly with every step. After a while, Rei finally spoke, his voice low and uncertain.
"…You said you found me outside?"
Nari turned, eyes lighting up as if he'd been waiting for that question all along. "Mhm! You were half-buried in the snow by the lake. Not a fun place to nap, by the way. Your lips were blue, and your pulse was… well, barely there."
Rei looked down at his hands, remembering the freezing pain and the sound of ice cracking beneath his feet. "And then… you gave me CPR?"
Nari nodded cheerfully, placing a hand on his chest. "Of course! Would've been sad if I just let a cute guy like you freeze to death in my domain."
Rei blinked. "…Your domain?"
The boy smiled, sitting cross-legged on the floor now, his cocoa mug steaming beside him. "Yeah. I'm not just some random wanderer, y'know. My job's to guard that lake. Been doing it for years. The locals call it the Mirror Vein."
"Guard it?" Rei repeated, furrowing his brows. "From what?"
"From people who shouldn't be near it," Nari said, his voice suddenly more serious. "The lake's old. It remembers things. Reflects things that shouldn't be reflected. It doesn't like strangers. You… were lucky, honestly."
Rei stared at the floorboards, the faint echo of that twisted reflection flashing in his head the pale figure, the empty eyes, the hole in its chest.
Lucky. That word felt wrong.
"Where exactly… am I?" Rei asked finally.
Nari blinked. "Oh! Right, you probably don't know where the heck you washed up. You're in Hacenförn."
"Hacenförn…" Rei repeated the name slowly. "Never heard of it."
Nari shrugged. "Not many have. It's a small, hidden region up north. Cold, quiet, surrounded by snow and too many legends."
Rei's mind spun. "Do you know how far Esteria is from here?"
Nari winced playfully, rubbing the back of his neck. "Uh… you might not like the answer. If you go on foot? Maybe… half a month. Maybe more if the storms keep up."
Rei's stomach sank. "Half a month…"
Nari gave a sympathetic smile and reached out, patting Rei's shoulder gently. "Hey, don't look so gloomy. You just cheated death. Again, I might add. Maybe fate's telling you to chill out a little before running off into another blizzard."
Rei glanced at him. "You talk too much."
Nari grinned, his baby-blue hair bouncing slightly as he leaned in with mock offense. "And you talk too little. Perfect balance!"
Despite himself, Rei exhaled a small laugh quiet, tired, but real.
Nari smiled softly at that sound, then stood, tugging on his scarf. "Anyway, I'll get you some dry clothes and something to eat. Don't worry about the lake; it's calm now. Probably won't eat anyone for a few days."
Rei blinked. "Eat…?"
"Joking!" Nari chirped, already walking away. "Mostly."
As Nari disappeared into the next room, Rei sat still for a long while, the warmth of the cocoa in his hands fading as he looked toward the frosted window.
Outside, the snow was still falling soft, endless, silent.
Half a month away…
He sighed. "Guess I'm really stuck here."
And somewhere deep beneath the frozen surface of the Mirror Vein, something stirred quietly watching the one who had escaped its reflection.
The small hut creaked softly as the wind pushed against the wooden walls. Outside, the snowstorm had grown thicker, covering the forest and the frozen lake in a quiet white blanket.
Rei sat near the fireplace, slowly finishing the warm cocoa milk. His body was still sore, but the warmth in the room helped chase away the freezing pain that had clung to him earlier.
From the other room, Rei heard drawers opening and clothes rustling.
Then Nari walked back in.
He had a small bundle in his arms and tossed it lightly onto the bed next to Rei.
"Here," Nari said casually. "You can't walk around Hacenförn looking like a drowned snow ghost."
Rei looked down at the clothes.
A white winter jacket, soft but clearly made for harsh weather.
A long black scarf, thick and warm.
And a pair of dark gloves, lined with fur inside.
Rei blinked. "These are… yours."
Nari shrugged and sat on the table, swinging his legs lazily.
"Yeah. But you need them more than I do. My body's used to the cold here."
Rei looked up. "You're giving them to me?"
"Well, yeah." Nari tilted his head, smiling softly. "You're trying to get back to Esteria, right? Half a month of walking through snow without proper gear would just turn you into a second frozen statue for me to rescue."
Rei stared at the clothes for a moment, then quietly picked them up.
The jacket was surprisingly warm when he put it on, fitting him almost perfectly. The scarf wrapped around his neck comfortably, and the gloves protected his still slightly numb fingers.
Nari clapped once.
"See? Much better! Now you look like a normal traveler instead of a tragedy."
Rei glanced at him. "You're oddly generous for someone who just met me."
Nari leaned back on his hands, smiling with that light, playful expression again.
"Maybe I just like helping mysterious guys who fall through cursed lakes in the middle of the night."
Rei sighed.
"…The lake isn't cursed."
Nari slowly turned his head toward him.
"Oh?"
Rei looked toward the window, where the frozen lake could barely be seen through the snow.
"…It's something worse."
For a moment, the room went quiet.
Then Nari simply hummed, standing up again.
"Well," he said lightly, stretching his arms, "good thing you didn't stay down there long enough to find out."
He grabbed his own mug and took a sip.
"Anyway! Since you're awake and not dead anymore, welcome to Hacenförn."
He walked to the door and opened it slightly. A blast of cold air rushed inside, along with swirling snow.
Beyond the hut stretched a quiet little settlement hidden among snowy pines. A few wooden houses, smoke rising from chimneys, lanterns glowing softly in the storm.
A small, peaceful place buried in the winter.
Nari leaned against the doorframe and looked back at Rei.
"Since you're stuck here for a while…" he said with a playful grin,
"we might as well make the most of it."
Rei stood up slowly, adjusting the white jacket.
"…What do people even do here?"
Nari laughed softly.
"Oh, lots of things."
He raised a finger.
"Fishing through ice holes."
Another finger.
"Chasing off dumb tourists who wander too close to the lake."
Another.
"And occasionally dealing with weird monsters that crawl out of the forest."
Rei paused.
"…Monsters?"
Nari smiled.
"Yep."
Then he grabbed his scarf and stepped outside into the snow.
"Welcome to the Hacenförn filler arc, Rei."
He looked back over his shoulder.
"Try not to die, okay?"