Snow fell steadily, thick flakes drifting down from a pale sky and settling into the dark pines that ringed the house. It clung to the porch rails and steps, softening every hard edge until the world beyond the trees felt distant and quiet.
The mountains rose around them in a wide, protective curve, the forest swallowing sound as easily as it swallowed light. By the time the snow began to stick, even their earlier footprints had vanished.
Sera stood at the window with her palms pressed to the glass, watching the flakes build up more and more until even their footsteps from a few hours ago disappeared into the whiteness. Her reflection stared back at her faintly, her white hair loose down her back, her lavender skin warm in the lamplight, and her breath fogging the pane in soft clouds.
Behind her, life moved.
