Again, he looked above, his eyes tracing the night sky as the stars slowly aligned themselves from left to right, all pointing toward the moon. It felt unnatural, almost as if the sky itself was guiding him. Following that direction, his gaze soon landed on a tall cliff in the distance. From its peak flowed a waterfall, one he could only ever see when he stood higher than the trees.
For a moment, he froze.
Then his body moved.
Seeing that, Lucian jumped down from the cave ceiling without hesitation. The moment his feet touched the ground, he ran. Fast. Faster. Even faster than before. His heartbeat pounded in his chest as if something deep inside him was urging him forward. The river was not far, only about a hundred steps away, yet his pace was so quick that he reached it in less than a minute.
As he slowed down, his breathing heavy, the story echoed in his mind.
With the tale as his guide, he lifted his head and looked at the place in front of him. The water was so clear that it reflected the moonlight perfectly, like a flawless mirror placed upon the earth. The gentle ripples shimmered under the night sky, creating a quiet, almost sacred glow. Beside it, the waterfall flowed gracefully, moving like long strands of hair dancing with the wind.
Lucian stood there, completely still.
A strange feeling rose in his chest.
He had been here before. Many times. Yet he had never once realized how beautiful this place truly was. It was as if he had been blind to it all this time. Even with his left eye closed, he could still see the soft light, the flowing water, the calmness of the place.
Tears began to fall.
Not from sadness, but from something deeper.
Joy.
"Is this it?" he whispered, his voice trembling slightly. "I… is this the place?"
His thoughts barely settled when a voice suddenly echoed inside his mind.
It was soft. Calm. Majestic.
Like the voice of a woman who had been waiting for a very long time.
"You're finally here. I've been waiting for you. You know, it's so boring here."
Lucian's breath caught. His body trembled, not from fear, but from something he could not fully understand.
His voice came out slowly, filled with both joy and hesitation.
"It's true… isn't it… Mother?"
He took a small step forward, his eyes fixed on the waterfall.
"It's just like how you described it… how you told the story… Mother."
Tears continued to fall from his right eye. Even his closed left eye could not hold them back as another tear slipped through.
"Mother… I'm sorry…" he whispered. "I'm sorry that I forgot… I'm sorry…"
The voice echoed again, this time with a playful tone.
"No, no, no. It's me. I'm the one you're trying to find. Come and enter my humble abode so I can explain everything to you."
Before him, the waterfall slowly began to change.
The flowing water split into two, parting from the center as if something invisible was pulling it aside. Behind it, a large cave revealed itself, hidden all this time from plain sight.
Lucian stared at it in silence.
Then he moved.
His feet stepped forward, not by his own will, but as if something was gently guiding him. He walked into the river, the cold water rising around his legs, yet he did not react. Step by step, he moved forward until he passed through the parted waterfall and entered the cave.
Inside, the air shifted.
It was colder.
The walls were covered in blue and white crystals, glowing softly in the darkness. The light they gave off reflected across the cave, creating a quiet and mesmerizing scene. It was beautiful, so much so that Lucian froze at the entrance, unable to move for a few seconds.
Then—
He saw it.
A small figure moved through the air.
It flew lightly, almost playfully, circling around the cave before slowly approaching him.
It was a dragon.
Small. Almost like it had just hatched from its egg.
Yet despite its size, its presence felt overwhelming.
It stopped in front of Lucian and spoke, its voice the same calm and majestic voice he had heard in his mind.
"Welcome to my house. It's beautiful, isn't it? Well, I am also the most beautiful one here, right?"
Lucian's body stiffened.
His mind struggled to catch up with what he was seeing.
"D-D-D-Dragon?!"
The dragon tilted its head slightly, amused by his reaction.
"Wow. You're so surprised. Is this your first time seeing a dragon?"
"Of course! Yes!" Lucian answered quickly, his voice still shaking.
He stared at it, unable to look away.
"You're… beautiful… but…"
The moment he said that, the dragon suddenly flew straight toward him. It closed the distance instantly until its nose lightly touched his.
"But what?" it asked.
Lucian blinked, then slowly raised his hand and pushed the dragon's face away.
"You're… small."
There was a brief silence.
Then—
"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"
The dragon burst into laughter, its voice echoing throughout the cave.
"You're such a funny young man… HAHAHA… sigh…"
It floated back slightly, still giggling to itself before regaining composure.
"Well then," it said proudly, "let me introduce myself. I am the Dragon of White, the incarnation of Cold and Stillness."
Lucian blinked, confused.
"Cold? Not ice?"
The dragon's eyes gleamed with interest.
"You want to know why it is called cold and not ice?"
Lucian flinched.
"Hey! Who said you could read my mind?!"
The dragon giggled softly.
"Do not be shy. I know you want the answer."
It circled around him slowly, as if preparing to teach.
"Let me ask you something. Do you think ice magic can exist without cold?"
Lucian hesitated.
"…No?"
The dragon sighed.
"Wrong. Of course it can."
It floated higher, speaking more clearly now.
"Ice is simply hardened water. It belongs to both water and earth. That is why people call it an advanced element."
It paused briefly.
"But ice itself is not a true element."
Lucian stood there, completely confused, like a child who had too many questions at once.
"What? How?" he asked.
The dragon continued, its tone shifting into something more instructive.
"Ice magic is a compound. Like other advanced forms, it is difficult to control. That is why only a few mages can use it."
It slowed down, making sure he followed.
"Think of ice as water that has stopped moving. The easiest way to stop water is through cold. Cold slows movement. When water slows enough, it becomes solid. That is the ice most people know."
It then raised a claw slightly.
"But magic allows another method. A mage can force water to stop moving without using cold. Mana holds it in place. Nothing moves, so it becomes solid."
Lucian listened carefully, not daring to interrupt.
"That kind of ice does not feel cold," the dragon continued. "It feels dense. Heavy. Fire cannot melt it, because cold did not create it. Only when control is lost does it return to water."
The cave grew quiet for a moment.
"So the idea is simple. Ice exists because water stops moving. Cold is one method. Control is another. Ice follows stillness, not temperature."
Lucian's eyes widened as he slowly began to understand.
"So… as long as the water is still… you can create ice even without cold?"
The dragon smiled.
"Yes. You understand. Those are the two forms of ice magic. You already grasp cold. Now you must learn stillness. That is the harder path."
Then suddenly, its tone changed.
"That is enough for now. You can learn more later. Did you forget your purpose for coming here?"
Lucian blinked.
"Oh… I did. I'm sorry."
"No worries," the dragon replied calmly.
Lucian paused, then frowned slightly.
"…You're right. It's not my fault."
The dragon nodded.
"Yes, that is—"
"It's your fault!"
The dragon froze midair.
"…How is it my fault?"
Lucian crossed his arms.
"Because you keep talking to me!"
The dragon sighed.
"Enough. Let us move. Follow me so you can get what you came here for."
Without waiting, it turned and flew deeper into the cave.
Lucian followed.
The path narrowed as they moved forward, forming a long passage, like a hidden hallway leading to something important.
As they walked, the dragon spoke again.
"You know, there was another ice mage who found this place."
Lucian looked at it, surprised.
"Really?"
"Yes," the dragon replied. "She was also my friend."
"When did she come here?" Lucian asked.
"About fifteen years ago," the dragon said. "She returned again around three and a half years ago, but she did not greet me."
Its voice softened slightly.
"I think… she forgot about me."
Lucian stayed quiet for a moment before asking,
"Do you know her name?"