The sun set low in the sky of Nivalis. Orange light shone on the small orphanage covered in snow. The wooden walls creaked every time the wind blew. Children's laughter could be heard in every corner of the building, warm and happy, but he never laughed with them.
Ilya sat by the window. Staring at the falling snowflakes, counting them one by one. His eyes were sharp and cold, unlike those kids at his age. There was something that bothered him. A memory, haunting him every night. A memory that he shouldn't have.
"Ilya!"
A voice startled him. A girl with fluffy hair and loose shoes stood in front of his room. Her cheeks were red from the cold, her gloves mismatched, and her scarf tied wrong again, as always.
"Anna," he replied flatly.
"I found something," she said with excitement. "You have to come with me."
"No."
She blinked, her body frozen. "Wait, wait—you don't even know what I found!"
"I don't need to know," Ilya replied, looking out of the window. "It must be something troublesome."
"This time is different. I promise."
Ilya sighed. He had expected it to end like this.
Anna was like a magnet that always attracted troubles. She once climbed a water tower to "get a closer look at the clouds" and almost fell into its tank. Another time, she tried to bathe a cat she found because it looked dirty, only to come back with scratch marks all over her face. Ilya followed her not because he was curious, but because he knew someone had to clean up the mess she made.
Still, he stood up and grabbed a coat that was too big for him.
"What is it now?"
Anna grinned. "You'll find out when we get there."
Ilya didn't like that smile. It was like she was saying, "I'm going to ruin your precious free time and there was nothing you can do about it." But he couldn't help it. Anna would go off anyway even if she wasn't with him, and that would only make Ilya feel guilty. He just hoped that this adventure wouldn't end in a disaster, though the experience told him otherwise.
***
The forest near the orphanage stretched endlessly. The snow crunched beneath their boots, their breath seemingly hanging in the air. Ilya walked behind her, both hands in his pockets. His steps were silent, as if he had been trained to do so. Anna skipped from step to step, humming a strange tune.
Anna turned around. "By the way, why do you always walk behind me? This forest is wide enough for us to walk side by side, isn't it?
"I'm just making sure you don't get eaten by wolves."
She chuckled. "Come on, there aren't any wolves in Nivalis. You're just embarrassed, aren't you?"
Ilya didn't respond. He just sighed once more, and looked up at the sky that was starting to darken.
Anna tilted her head, confused by Ilya's reaction. But she didn't care much. She continued walking and pointed out a lone tree in the middle of the frozen lake.
"There it is! Look!"
A bunch of blue flowers shimmered, shining like moonlight within the tree's hollow trunk. The petals were delicate, untouched by wind and snow. Blooming in the middle of the shivering winter.
"Isn't it beautiful?" she whispered.
Ilya didn't smile, but his gaze softened. "You shouldn't take it."
"O-Of course not," she replied, her voice trembling. "I-I just wanted to show you."
As she stepped closer to the tree, her foot slipped on the ice.
Luckily, Ilya was quick enough to catch her. His left hand closing around her waist. His grip was steady, as if he knew it would happen.
"Typical," he muttered.
Anna's grip tightened as she pouted. "You sound like a grumpy old man sometimes."
"I hear that a lot."
Anna broke free from his grasp. "Alright, let's go home."
"You're really not going to take it?" Ilya raised an eyebrow.
"Of course not. Hurry up, the wolf will be here soon," she said quickly. Even so, Ilya noticed every time she stole a glance as they walked away.
As they retraced their steps, Ilya felt an unease feeling about the forest. Maybe it was because their adventure had ended without an incident. He walked with a thin smile on his face, until Anna spotted something.
"A cabin!" she exclaimed. "Over there, look!"
Ilya took back his words.
In the middle of the dark forest, buried in overgrown vines. The windows were dark and smoke drifted faintly from the chimney.
While Ilya was still taking in the surroundings, Anna had stood in front of the door of the old cabin.
"Anna!" he shouted, hurrying to catch her up.
The wooden floor creaked beneath their feet as Anna grabbed the doorknob. Before she could open the door, their bodies froze.
"What are you doing here?" a low, flat voice asked from behind.
Ilya turned around.
A tall man stood right behind them. Wearing a worn white cloak with scoffed shoes, and an old rifle slung over his back. His face was deathly pale like a ghost. He didn't look like he came from any villages, he belonged to the forest itself.
Anna stepped back, surprised by his presence. "N-No, w-we were just-"
"Are you lost?" he asked calmly.
Ilya immediately moved closer to Anna. He reached into his pocket, as if he was searching for a weapon.
The man remained calm despite noticing Ilya's reaction.
"You're from the orphanage, I presume?"
"...Yes," Ilya answered cautiously.
The man nodded and turned around. "It's getting dark, I'll take you home."
Ilya didn't believe him, but he had no other options. With his hands still in his pockets, Ilya decided to follow him.
The forest no longer seemed intimidating with the man's presence. He didn't talk much, but Anna as usual lightened the mood with her noise. Asking where he lived, how he hunted, or if he had ever seen a ghost.
Until she asked, "What's your name, sir?"
The man paused for a moment.
"...Arvid," he replied. "Arvid Lumi."
"That's a cool name," Anna smiled. "You look a lot like the hunters in the stories I've read."
Anna's smile could always melt people, including the man. Ilya saw how he softened slightly at her.
Ilya remained silent throughout the trip. He just watched the man secretly. The way he glanced around, the way he walked without making a sound, every movement stirred something within Ilya. Something he tried to hide, burying it deeply.
When they finally arrived at the gate of the orphanage, Anna immediately ran inside, while waving her hand at the man. But just as Ilya about to follow her, the man suddenly stopped him.
"Wait," he called out.
Ilya turned back, curious. 'What did this man want?' he thought. Silence filled the atmosphere, full of unspoken questions. And then the man asked him.
"You... don't belong to this world, do you?"
Ilya gasped. His eyes widened in shock as he staring at the man, his heart pounding, while his mind overwhelmed by mixed emotions. Snowflakes fell slowly around them, but the world seemed to stop for a moment.
Without waiting for a response, he continued. "Come to the cabin tomorrow morning, I'll be waiting."
He walked away, disappeared into the wind.
Ilya stood frozen, trying to process the man's words. Until Anna tapped his shoulder from behind.
"Ilya, what are you doing here?" she asked.
"Ah, it's nothing."
He still couldn't believe it. "You're not from this world, are you?" that sentence echoed in his mind. Fear enveloped his body. He was afraid that his peaceful life in the orphanage would be shattered. He was afraid that the memory he shouldn't have, might come true.