Lucian looked at the dragon, his voice steady yet curious. "Do you know her name?"
The Dragon of White tilted her head, thinking hard as she tried to remember. "Uhh… based on my memory, I think her name is… phe… phene… no… pherno…" She frowned, clearly struggling. "Eh? How do you even pronounce it again… Oh! Yes! Phersephonny Eute… Uetreka?"
Before she could finish, Lucian spoke in a louder voice, cutting her off. "You mean Phersephonny Eureka?"
The dragon's face lit up with excitement. "Yes! That's right! That's the name!" she said, relieved that she finally remembered. She turned to look at Lucian with a smile, but the moment she saw him clearly, her expression froze.
Tears were falling from his right eye.
The Dragon of White grew agitated at once. "H-Hey! What's gotten into you? Why are you crying?" she asked, her voice rising with panic. She hovered around him, restless and confused. "Wait. Did I say something that made you cry? What did I say?"
She began to panic even more, flying in small circles as she tried to think. "Wait, wait, wait. How do you stop a human from crying? Right, I have a book about humans. Stay here, I'll go get it!"
She quickly turned to fly away, but before she could leave—
"Stop!!"
Lucian's voice echoed sharply.
Midair, she froze. Slowly, she turned back toward him. "Y-Yes?" she said, her voice softer now. She moved closer, hovering in front of him. "Why are you crying? Did I say something?"
Lucian lowered his head slightly, his voice filled with sadness. "How do you know her?"
The dragon blinked. "Her? You mean Phersephonny?" she asked. "Well, she was the second person who found this place. Why are you asking?"
Lucian clenched his hand. "The tale… about the magician traveler… was it real?"
The Dragon of White nodded. "Oh yes, it's completely real. I was the main character of that story," she said with a small laugh. "And I was the one who spread that tale. I thought it would make people interested, but no one came. They thought the Great Mountain was too dangerous."
Her voice softened. "No one came… except for her."
Lucian's voice dropped. "The ending of the tale… did you purposely leave out the real ending?"
The dragon nodded again. "Yes. The purpose of the story was for each person to create their own ending. But I also placed a spell on it. No one could truly think of the ending unless they experienced it themselves."
Lucian's eyes trembled. "So that's it… that's why she could tell the ending… because she experienced it herself… and that's why I couldn't…"
The dragon leaned back slightly, realization slowly forming on her face. "Wait a minute… why are you asking—"
She froze.
"…Oh."
Her eyes widened, and her mouth slowly opened. "OHH MY GOD."
She rushed closer to him, staring straight into his face. "Are you the descendant of that girl?"
Lucian nodded.
The dragon instantly became excited. She grabbed his arm and pulled him forward as she flew through the low-ceiling hallway. "Then come with me!"
"Hey, wait!" Lucian said while wiping his tears. "You're too fast!"
As they moved, the hallway began to change. The stone walls faded away, replaced by a strange space filled only with blue and white. The colors were thick and alive, swirling around them like spirals.
In a second, they arrived.
Lucian steadied himself as he looked around. This place was even more beautiful than the first. Like before, it was filled with glowing blue and white crystals. The air felt cold, yet it did not bite his skin. It was a quiet, still kind of cold.
In front of him stood a mountain of gold coins. Shelves filled with books lined the area. Behind the mountain of gold stood a massive door, at least four meters tall.
The Dragon of White spread her arms proudly. "Welcome to my house! See? This is much better than the previous place!"
Lucian wiped the last of his tears. "What is this place? It feels different from the other one."
The dragon lifted her head proudly. "Of course. I created this place myself using my power. Only I, and those I allow, can enter here."
Lucian looked at her in surprise. "You can do that?"
She smirked. "Of course. I am a great dragon."
She turned toward the door. "Let's get to the point. You know about the letter, right? Do you want the letter first, or the reason you came here?" She waved her claw. "No, I'll decide. We'll handle your purpose first."
She flew toward the door. "Come. Follow me."
Lucian followed behind her. As he got closer, he finally saw the full design of the door. It was made of stone, covered in white and blue crystals. The surface was mostly white, but at the center was a large blue emblem embedded into it.
The emblem looked like a dragon's head with a horn above it.
Lucian stared at it, then looked at the dragon. "Is this you?"
The Dragon of White smirked. "What do you think?"
Lucian examined it more closely and shook his head. "No. That's impossible."
The dragon reacted immediately. "What?! What do you mean impossible?!"
Lucian pointed at the carving. "Look at it. That dragon is much bigger than you. And it has a horn."
The dragon laughed softly. "You were crying earlier, and now you have the energy to joke?" She puffed up proudly. "Of course that's me. I'm just in my hatchling form."
"I'm a great dragon. Why would you think I can't change my form? I can even change yours if I want."
Lucian crossed his arms. "Then change into me."
The dragon paused. "…Well, I can't."
Lucian raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
She scratched her cheek awkwardly. "I already died. What you're seeing now is only my will. I don't have my full power."
She cleared her throat. "Ahem. Enough of that. Let's begin. I'll give you what you came here for."
Lucian nodded.
The dragon placed her palm at the center of the door. Her voice echoed with authority. "As the Incarnation of Cold and Stillness. As the Creator of this space. I command…"
She paused.
"Open the damn door!!"
The massive door slowly began to open.
Lucian looked at her. "What kind of incantation is that?"
The Dragon of White looked embarrassed. "When I made this door, I wanted it to sound cool. So I tried an incantation as a joke. That was my first and last attempt. I said I would change it later, but I died before I could. So now I can't change it anymore."
Lucian stared at her. "What an idiot."
The dragon said nothing.
As the door fully opened, the space inside revealed something even more breathtaking.
The entire place was covered in blue and white. At first glance, it looked small, but it held the scale of a mansion. The structure formed a vast sphere, though only the curve of the ceiling showed it.
A few meters ahead, a deep cliff opened. Its edge followed the curve of the space, forming a hollow void below. A single bridge stretched across, connecting the entrance to the center.
At the center stood a massive tree. Its trunk glowed in blue tones, while its white leaves shimmered with soft light. The tree carried a heavy presence, filling the air with calm stillness.
Along the walls rose an endless library. Shelves climbed up to ten meters high, filled tightly with books. Every surface was covered, silent and watchful.
Lucian stood still, amazed. The light reflected in his green eye, while a faint mark like a snowflake rested on his left cheek.
He spoke softly. "What is this beautiful place?"
The Dragon of White answered in a calm voice. "Welcome… to the Heart of Ice."
She looked around quietly. "I always see this place… but I'm still amazed every time."
Lucian was also in awe, he nodded. "Anyone would be."
He then looked at her. "Let me ask you something. Why is it called the Heart of Ice and not Cold and Stillness?"