March 2042 – early spring had begun to tease the merged plains. Patches of snow still clung to the roots of mango trees, but tiny green shoots pushed through, defiant and hopeful. The Eternal Bridge orchard smelled of thawing earth, wet bark, and the first faint sweetness of budding flowers. The portal arch stood open as always, its golden light now softened by morning mist, a quiet invitation to worlds beyond.
Liyana Thorne-Frost, nine years old, stood at the threshold of her second major rift. She had grown taller in the past year—still small, still delicate-looking, but her pale blue scales had taken on a deeper luster, like frost on a frozen lake at sunrise. Her wings—once too tiny for more than fluttering—now stretched wide enough to glide short distances. Her golden eyes held a quiet certainty that had not been there before.
From Liyana's perspective:
"The rift feels… cold. Not mean-cold. Sad-cold. Like when Bruno cries because he misses Abba. I want to hug it. My frost wants to help, not hurt. Nani says ice can preserve beauty. Maybe it can heal pain too."
The rift shimmered pale silver-blue, edged with crystalline fractals and the faint sound of distant wind chimes made of ice. It smelled of fresh snow, old stone, and something deeper—loneliness frozen in time.
Ahmed knelt beside her, brushing frost from her hair.
"Beti, this world is called the Realm of Eternal Frost. It's dying—not from heat, but from too much cold. Hearts have frozen over. Your frost isn't just ice—it's mercy. Use it to thaw, not to freeze."
Liyana nodded, clutching her small frosted mango (her ritual offering).
"I'll be gentle, Abba. Like Sohni swimming the river. I won't let the cold win."
Her mentors materialized—stronger now, more present after months of training:
Sohni Mahiwal — water-veiled, ripple-scaled, eyes gentle as river moonlight.
"Child of frost, endure the cold so others may live. Flow through the ice."
Mai Maharban — desert mother, sand-veiled, warm even in snow.
"Nurture what is buried. Even frozen hearts remember how to beat."
Hua Mulan — warrior woman in simple armor, sword sheathed, eyes steady.
"Courage is quiet. Protect what is precious—even if it is a stranger's heart."
Liyana reached up and took Mulan's hand.
"You have a sword. But you look kind. Will you help me hug the cold?"
Mulan smiled—soft, rare.
"I will stand with you, little one."
The family watched from the orchard edge—Ahmed and his wives in a protective semicircle, older siblings cheering quietly, younger ones waving tiny mittened hands.
Ahmed's mother pressed a warm ajrak shawl around Liyana's shoulders.
"Beti, this is from your nani. When the cold comes, wrap it tight. Remember—love is the warmest fire."
Ahmed's father added a small carved wooden snowflake.
"For courage. Our orchard's heart."
Liyana stepped through.
Liyana – Realm of Eternal Frost
The transition was instant cold—like stepping into the deepest part of winter all at once. Then warmth bloomed inside her: not physical heat, but the quiet pulse of her own heart, steady and strong.
She emerged in a vast, frozen landscape—snowfields stretching to the horizon, mountains of ice like frozen waves, auroras dancing in greens and purples across a sky that never saw true daylight. The air was so cold it hurt to breathe—but Liyana's frost affinity made it feel like coming home.
From Liyana's perspective:
"It's beautiful. Quiet. Sad. Like when Bruno cries and I hug him. The whole world is crying. I can hear it in the wind."
Sohni appeared beside her—water-veiled, ripple-scaled, eyes gentle.
"This realm is dying of too much cold. Hearts have frozen—love locked away. You carry warmth inside. Share it."
Mai Maharban stood on her other side—sand-veiled, warm despite the snow.
"Nurture even the frozen heart. Love thaws what time cannot."
Mulan walked ahead—armor silent in the snow.
"Courage is quiet. Protect what is precious—even if it is a stranger's heart."
A village appeared—ice huts half-buried in drifts, people wrapped in furs, eyes hollow with unspoken grief. They moved slowly, as if every step cost them warmth.
An elder—woman with frost-rimed hair—approached.
"You are not of this world. Yet you carry fire inside ice. Why have you come?"
Liyana held out her frosted mango.
"To help. The cold is hurting your world. I want to warm it. Not with big fire—just enough to remember."
The elder sighed—breath fogging.
"The Frostheart has frozen. Our guardian sleeps in ice. Without her warmth, we fade."
Liyana's wings fluttered.
"Then I'll wake her. With hugs."
The elder smiled—faint, hopeful.
"Then go to the Heartpeak. The last guardian waits."
Liyana trekked upward—snow swirling, winds howling like lost lovers.
From Liyana's perspective:
"It hurts. The cold wants to get inside. But I remember Nani's chai—warm hands, warm words. I carry that."
At the summit: a frozen figure—armored guardian encased in ice, sword planted in the ground, heart-shaped crystal in her chest dark and still.
The guardian's voice—faint, echoing:
"Who dares climb the peak of longing?"
Liyana stepped forward—small but steady.
"I'm Liyana Thorne-Frost. I came to mend the tear. To stop the cold. To help you remember warmth."
The guardian's eyes opened—blue as glacier heart.
"Prove your heart does not freeze."
The storm descended—Riftborn blizzard, whispering every loss, every goodbye, every moment love was locked away.
Liyana breathed—reciting Bhitai:
"Kohyari te chadhdi ae
Dil jalda ae, par himmat naal…"
Her frost flowed—not to freeze, but to preserve—encasing memories the storm tried to steal, turning them into glowing ice orbs.
Sohni's flow guided her—water in ice, movement in stillness.
Mai Maharban's nurture warmed the villagers below—through her, love reached them.
Mulan stood guard—sword ready, but not striking—Filial Charge protecting Liyana's small form.
Liyana reached the guardian's heart-crystal—placing her frosted mango at its center.
She recited—soft, steady:
"Thirst bites, thorns stab—
But love is the water I carry in my heart.
Come rest, little guardian.
The desert remembers how to bloom."
Her vines (borrowed from Elara's echo) grew—gentle, wrapping the crystal. Frost bloomed into ice-flowers, then melted into warm water—thawing the heart.
The guardian gasped—eyes clearing.
"You… did not conquer longing. You walked with it."
Light returned to the crystal—warmth spreading like dawn. The storm died. Snow melted in patches. Villagers below began to smile—first time in years.
The guardian knelt.
"You have passed. Take this—Heartfrost Shard. It will protect your bridge."
Liyana took the shard—feeling its warmth despite the cold.
"Thank you. I'll keep it safe."
She stepped back through—rift closing softly.
Return & Family Moment
Liyana emerged into the snowy orchard—cheeks rosy, vines still blooming with tiny ice-flowers, Heartfrost Shard necklace glowing against her chest.
Ahmed scooped her up.
"Beti, you okay?"
Liyana nodded against his shoulder.
"I didn't freeze. I carried the warmth. Like you said."
The family gathered—wives hugging her, siblings cheering, grandparents beaming.
Ahmed's mother pressed a warm paratha into her hands.
"Brave girl. Nani is proud."
Ahmed kissed her forehead.
"You fought with love. That's the strongest magic."
From Liyana's perspective:
"I did it. Like Sassi. Like Mai. Like Mulan. I climbed the mountain. And I didn't freeze my heart."
The chapter closed on family pride—Liyana's gentle courage a new verse in the bridge's song, worlds waiting for the next little hero.