It was the coldest Christmas ever for the little girl. She sat by the side of the road, surrounded by the cheerful voices of children singing carols. The orphanage was only a dozen meters away. If she went there, someone would welcome her, offer her food, and a warm place to stay. But her gaze lingered in the opposite direction.
At her feet sat a large, worn backpack—the only thing left to her name. She looked lost, tears threatening to spill over her reddened cheeks. She was waiting for someone she knew would never return. Her mother's words still echoed in her mind: "I'll be back, I promise."
If she died here, she wondered, would her mother even care? Or... Maybe she's coming back right now, she thought, clinging to fragile hope. If she comes back, I'll work hard, be less of a burden, and never visit the old bookstore again. She could read all the books she wanted after becoming rich. Then her mother wouldn't need to depend on her cruel boyfriend.
Everything had been fine when it was just the two of them. Why did her mother have to be with him? He didn't want her around—and that made her mother not want her either.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden shout.
"...O! ... . ME!"
The little girl blinked, her vision blurred by tears.
"FLO, LOOK AT ME!"
She flinched as a teenage boy, twice her age, appeared in front of her, grabbing her hands. He was dressed in an old-fashioned costume, his face pale—almost ghostly.
"Who are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The boy let out a relieved sigh and gave her a soft smile. "I'm your—well, how about this? Will you be my wife?"
Flo yanked her hands away. "Pervert! I'm only eight! And how do you know my name?"
"You told me," he replied matter-of-factly. "Your name is Flo, and you're 15 years old. I'm Rion, and I'm 17."
Flo stared at him, aghast. "Big Brother, I just turned eight last month!"
"This is a dream. You have to wake up." His voice wavered, thick with emotion. "I'm sorry, Flo. I promise I'll never leave you again. I was scared, so scared. Please don't do this again. I like you, Flo. I like you! I want to be with you forever."
His voice cracked as he grabbed her hands again, tears spilling freely. Flo wanted to kick him and run, but something was wrong—she couldn't move.
"What's happening to me?" she whispered in horror. She looked down and gasped. Her legs were turning to ice.
"It's okay. Don't panic!" Rion said quickly.
"But I—"
"Flo, look at me! You'll be okay." He pressed her trembling hands to his chest, and warmth spread through her fingers.
Rion's touch felt magical, like something out of the books she loved. A faint light emanated from his hands, melting the ice creeping up her body. Flo's fear began to fade. Whatever he was, he was saving her.
"Are you a wizard? Or… are you from the future?" she asked, eyes wide. "But even if I'm 15, I'm too young to be a bride!"
Rion chuckled softly. "I am a wizard. And yes, you could say I'm from the future. I planned to marry at 20, but if we don't get married now, how will I protect you?"
Flo tilted her head, curiosity replacing her fear. "What's the 15-year-old me like?"
"You're beautiful and kind," Rion said gently. "You love growing flowers, singing, and dancing in your little garden."
Flo's face lit up. "I love singing and dancing! My mom loves flowers, but we never had a place to grow them. You really sound like you know me. Are you really from the future?"
A flicker of hope sparked in her chest. If he was telling the truth, then maybe—just maybe—her mother would come back.
Her heart raced. "If I'm still alive at 15, that means… my mom comes back, right? You said this is a dream. So, when I wake up, I'll see her again, won't I?"
Rion's expression darkened. "Hey, Flo… what are you doing in a place like this? This must be a childhood memory."
"I'm waiting for my mom," she admitted, her voice trembling. "I thought she wasn't coming back. I thought I'd die here alone. I don't want to go to the orphanage because that would mean admitting she abandoned me." Tears streamed down her face, but there was relief in her voice now. "But she's coming back, right?"
Rion hugged her tiny frame. "I never met your mom, actually. So… when you wake up, will you introduce me to her?"
Flo could feel her legs again, though she didn't feel like kicking Rion anymore.
"Big Brother… are we boyfriend and girlfriend in the future?" she asked hesitantly. "You are handsome, but, you see, if you want to marry me, you have to work hard to earn money. Mom always says being handsome is useless if you can't feed us. Do you even have a job? You look like the big brothers from my neighborhood—they just play games all day and steal their parents' money."
"She said that? Ehm!" Rion cleared his throat, flustered. "Your mom was right. But don't worry, I have a job, and I'm very good at it. Hmm… how do you feel now?"
"I think I'm okay." Flo gave him a faint smile. "Hey, my name is Flora Emit. Thank you for saving me."
"Flora…" Rion repeated softly, as if savoring the name. "It suits you well. Flora Emit, I… My name is Orion. I… hm…"
"Orion?" Flo's eyes lit up. "That's the name of the male lead in the last novel I read."
"Novel? A book?"
"Ah, please don't tell anyone. It wasn't for kids. I accidentally read it on Sister Sierra's computer. The villainess even had the same name as her—Sierra Broissco. She was bad, really mean. But it was still sad that she died at Orion's hands, especially since she loved him so much. She didn't even know Ezra was her brother until the very end. The female lead was protected by the plot, of course. Her happy ending came at the cost of the Broissco siblings' blood. I think the author hated Sierra's character. It wasn't really good—not recommended."
Rion stiffened at the familiar names. He didn't know anyone named Sierra, but wasn't the Broissco family infamous? How did little Flo know those names? She was just an orphan living near a forest.
"Ah… sorry." Flo lowered her head, embarrassed. "I don't get to talk about the stories I read very often. Mom says I don't sound like an eight-year-old. I'm not cute when I talk like this."
"It's okay," Rion said gently. "So… who's the male lead again?"
"Hmm… Orion Dmitry. He's a half-human, half-demon. Cool, right? At the end of the story, he chooses to become fully human. Oh! In the story, halfs get to choose whether to become full humans on their 24th birthday."
Rion froze.
Orion Dmitry Everengar. Son of the devil Everengar and a human woman.
"Flo… who are you, really?" Rion's voice was quiet yet urgent. "You'll forget this when you wake up. But if I ask later, will you tell me the truth?"
Flo tilted her head, confused. "What do you mean?"
Rion hesitated before finally saying, "I'm the Orion from your story. Orion Dmitry Everengar."
"Huh?" Flo looked at him, then down at her feet. Her face twisted in terror. "Ahh!"
Frost was creeping up her skin again. Panic seized her chest.
Her voice cracked as she sobbed. "Big Brother, what's happening to me? Am I going to die?"
"No!" Rion's voice was firm, though his hands trembled. "I won't let anything bad happen to you. I promise."
But the frost climbed higher, and Flo shivered violently.
"It's so cold… When is she coming? Mom…"
Rion gritted his teeth, channeling all his strength into keeping the ice at bay. Warmth radiated from his hands, but it wasn't enough. He had never felt so powerless.
"Big Brother… do I have friends in the future? What do I become? A singer?"
"You have many friends. You live in a little house in the forest, surrounded by books. It's a bit far from the village, but you sell flowers."
"I'm poor?"
"No. Your flowers are very expensive. I don't know if you're rich, but I'm sure you're not poor. I'll take you from here and show you our future."
Flo stared at him dazedly, a faint glimmer of frost in her eyes. He seemed kind, but he was still a stranger. Even so, her heart softened when she saw his shaking hands. Slowly, she cupped his face with her small, icy palms, wiping away his tears.
Even her mom had never cried for her.
"I don't know much, but I can't go with a stranger." Her voice was soft yet firm. "Big Brother, thank you for coming. It's enough. I'm not lonely anymore. I… I have to wait for my mom here."
"What do you mean?" Rion's voice cracked. "Didn't I tell you? This isn't real!"
Flo hesitated, then smiled faintly. "And… if you really are Orion from the novel, don't fall in love with the princess, okay? And don't let Sierra fall in love with you. Wait for me to grow up. I'll marry you."
Rion fell to his knees, his hands trembling as he touched the ice. "Flo…"
He stared at her frozen figure, guilt and despair flooding his heart.
Flo gave him one last smile and gently pushed him away. The strange teenage boy disappeared from her sight as the frost tightened its grip. The cheerful sound of the children's choir echoed in the distance, a cruel contrast to the biting cold engulfing her small form. She couldn't move, her body encased in ice.
Her mind wandered. When will Mom come back?
Flo closed her eyes, imagining the future where the kind, strange big brother would be waiting to marry her.