When Lenna woke, the chill of iron cut into her wrists, dragging her to full awareness. Chains bound her small hands—hands that didn't feel like her own. As she blinked, disoriented, she noticed the darkening hue of her skin, unfamiliar and alarming. Her body, shrunken and fragile, seemed no older than a child of six or seven. She shifted slightly, and the icy bite of the chains became more apparent. It seeped into her bones like a creeping frost, growing colder with every passing second.
A thought struck her: liquid nitrogen, the way it could freeze and fracture metal. The image was sharp in her mind, and as if responding to her will, the chains began to frost over. Ice crept along the iron links, spreading with unnatural precision until they shimmered, brittle and crystalline. Gathering her strength, Lenna swung the chains against the stone wall. They shattered into glittering fragments, scattering like snowflakes.
She stared at the broken remnants, her heart pounding. Was this a dream? It felt too vivid, too raw. Then reality crashed in—she had died. This wasn't Earth- Heaven? Hell? Wherever she was, it wasn't normal. She shook the thought away, her focus snapping to the locked cell door. If the chains could freeze, perhaps the lock could too. She envisioned frost creeping into its mechanisms, and ice bloomed across the metal. A sharp kick sent the frozen lock splintering apart.
The door creaked open, but her triumph was short-lived. Pain flared in her legs and back, sharp and unrelenting. Glancing down, she saw her legs marred with bruises, cruel and deliberate marks etched into her skin. Gritting her teeth, she stumbled forward, each step a trial. The corridor beyond her cell was dimly lit, lined with more cells. In one, a girl with fox-like ears and a fluffy orange tail huddled in the corner, her neck bound by a glowing metal choker.
Across from her, another cell held two figures—a boy and a girl with snow-white wolf ears and matching tails. They were nearly identical, their expressions dulled by despair. The same cruel chokers encircled their necks, faintly humming with ominous energy.
Lenna limped toward the fox girl's cell first. She pressed her fingers to the lock, willing the frost to spread again. Ice spiderwebbed across the mechanism, and Lenna gestured frantically to the girl, urging her to kick it open. The girl stared back, wide-eyed, shaking her head. Fear painted her face, but Lenna's persistence finally broke through. With a reluctant nod, the fox girl mustered her courage and kicked. The door burst open—but the moment she stepped out, the choker around her neck glowed a vicious red.
The fox girl shrieked, clutching at her throat. Without hesitation, Lenna scrambled to her side, forcing the frost to envelop the cruel device. Ice dulled its glow, and together, they shattered it. Relief softened the girl's face, and for the first time, Lenna saw hope in her amber eyes.
With the fox girl's help, Lenna freed the wolf siblings. They tore the chokers from their necks, their shackles now broken. The wolf girl pointed at Lenna's neck, and she finally reregistered, Lenna realized she wore a similar choker. Strangely, it was cracked, its power already waning. She froze and shattered it like the others, and the four of them prepared to escape.
The fox girl crouched, offering to carry Lenna on her back. Weighed down by pain, Lenna accepted, and together they fled. The wolf siblings ran ahead, their movements silently swift, guiding the way. As they reached the entrance, a lone guard appeared. The wolf siblings pounced like predators. The girl landed a sharp kick to his groin, and as he doubled over, the boy finished him with a strike to the jaw. The guard crumpled to the ground.
The four burst into the open air, greeted by a sprawling forest. The last light of the sun painted the horizon in hues of orange and gold. In the distance, a grand mansion loomed, dark and menacing. They fled in the opposite direction, plunging into the safety of the trees. The forest stretched endlessly, its canopy shielding them from the watchful eyes of their captors.
Night fell, and exhaustion weighed on them. Hunger gnawed at their bellies, but luck was on their side. Fruit trees dotted the forest, their branches heavy with ripe offerings. The children gathered what they could, eating hungrily beneath the moonlit forest.
As Lenna chewed on a tart apple, a sharp headache pierced her skull. Images swam before her eyes—a woman with snow-white skin, pointed ears, and a crown. Her gaze was piercing, almost ethereal. The vision faded, replaced by the fox girl kneeling beside her. She chanted softly, weaving magic through the air. Warmth spread through Lenna's battered body as the girl's healing spell closed her wounds.
When they finished eating, Lenna used her ingenuity to construct a makeshift tent. They huddled together, finally safe, if only for the moment. As Lenna drifted to sleep, the vision returned—a pointed-eared woman standing in a place of light. Then, the girl Lenna had seen before her death appeared.
"You're in my body," the girl said, her voice calm yet tinged with confusion. "Our souls are merging."
The revelation hit like a thunderclap. Memories that weren't Lenna's began flooding her mind—snippets of a life filled with pain, wonder, and longing. The girl explained that she too had seen Lenna's memories and urged her to find her caretaker, the one who could lead them to the white-haired woman. Before Lenna could respond, the girl faded away, leaving her alone in the darkness.
Lenna stirred awake, her mind swimming with fragments of memories that weren't entirely her own. There was a strange duality to her thoughts—familiar yet foreign, as though two lives were stitched together imperfectly. Her body moved as it always had, yet even the way she held herself felt subtly altered. She was herself, and yet... not. The sensation was unsettling, like standing in a mirror and seeing a shadow that didn't match her movements.
The morning sun filtered through the forest. A gentle rustle of leaves and the soft chatter of the children surrounded her, grounding her in the present. She took a deep breath, calming the whirlwind inside her. It didn't matter how she felt—not right now.
What mattered was Helen. That name carried weight, a purpose that felt sharper than her confusion. Finding her had become a mission etched into her very being.
Lenna stood, her small, unfamiliar frame stable despite the aching remnants of the previous day's ordeal. The fox girl, now crouched by a nearby tree, glanced her way with curious eyes. Her expression carrying an unspoken understanding. The wolf siblings lingered a short distance away, their movements quiet and coordinated as they scanned the surroundings for any threats.
Lenna clenched her hands into fists, the cold morning air biting her skin. She wasn't sure how she was going to find Helen, but she knew one thing for certain: she wouldn't stop until she did.