Under the dark sky, the pale moon hung high, casting a cold, unforgiving light. The stars shimmered faintly, while clouds of darkened ash drifted slowly through the air, as though the heavens themselves mourned the tragedy below.
On the ground, a village burned. The once-vibrant homes were now nothing but smoldering ruins, consumed by flames that showed no mercy. Dark ashen snowflakes fell from the sky like an eerie memorial to the fallen, blanketing the dead citizens who lay scattered, broken, and bare.
Amidst the charred, mangled bodies stood a boy. His gaze swept slowly over what remained of the village, eyes empty, hollow—reflecting the devastation around him. His fists clenched as he gritted his teeth, anger simmering beneath the surface.
A soft cough broke through the silence, drawing his attention. His gaze lowered to the snow-covered ground, where a girl, no older than he was, lay amidst the wreckage. Her dark lapis-blue eyes shimmered faintly, her face pale and beautiful despite the scar that ran vertically down her cheek. Her body was broken, bloodied, but she still clung to life.
The boy stared at her for what felt like an eternity. His small hands curled into fists as he watched her struggle to breathe. The girl turned her head, wincing from the pain. Her raven-black hair, tattered and singed, fluttered weakly in the cold wind. Despite it all, she smiled—a pained, strained expression.
"Are you alright?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper. "They didn't hurt you, did they?"
The boy remained silent for a moment, his voice finally breaking through, cold and distant.
"…Just a gash across my back," he muttered. "But I'll live."
The girl chuckled, though the sound was laced with pain. "JUST a gash?" she said, amusement flickering in her darkening eyes. "You're one odd boy… making a wound like that sound so… trivial." Her expression softened as she gazed up at him. "But… that's just like you."
The boy's face lowered, his jet-black hair falling over his eyes. "You're one to talk… Marnet."
Marnet's eyes gleamed for a moment, then she glanced down at her broken body, as though only now realizing how severe her injuries were. Still, she smiled. Her gaze returned to the boy.
"Right… sorry," she chuckled weakly, between breaths.
The boy knelt beside her, his hands hovering uncertainly as he examined her body. When his gaze landed on the open wound in her abdomen, his teeth clenched harder.
Marnet noticed his worry and, with trembling fingers, gently placed a hand on his face, her touch soft despite her fading strength.
The boy flinched but soon melted into her touch. His own hand reached up, locking with hers.
"I know," Marnet whispered, her lips pulling into a wide, fragile smile. "I know, Orcel."
She coughed, blood staining her pale lips. "I'm going to die… but you… you can live. You can run from here. Live the life you want now." Her voice trembled, but her gaze never wavered.
Orcel stared down at her, silent, his mind swirling with guilt and helplessness as he watched her eyes struggle to focus.
"Please… Orcel." Marnet's voice broke, tears streaming down her pale, wounded face. "Please… live. For me."
Orcel's eyes darkened with the weight of her words. His lips parted, as if to say something, but before he could speak, Marnet's hand fell limp, dropping beside her now still body.
The world seemed to stop. Her lifeless eyes gazed up at him, unseeing, as the dark snowflakes began to fall more heavily, the air growing colder by the second.
Orcel didn't move. He just stared, motionless, his breath catching in his throat as the last remnants of warmth left her body. The cold wind blew fiercely around him, carrying the ashen snow in violent swirls.
His teeth gritted, and his voice came out as a whisper—a promise, sealed beneath the dark snow and the pale moon.
"…I promise."