The inn room was quiet—still and warm like a timeless moment frozen in soft candlelight.
Only two people existed in that hush of silence.
Noah sat on the bed, back leaned against the wooden headboard, and Lyra—calm, for once—rested quietly on his lap.
Her head pressed gently against his chest, listening to the steady, comforting rhythm of his heartbeat.
His left hand wove gently through her hair in slow, patient strokes, while the other wrapped around her waist like a shield.
It was peaceful.
And yet…
"Lyra," Noah whispered, his voice low, calm. "Is there something you want to tell me?"
For a long time, she didn't answer.
Her eyes remained closed, and she let herself feel his warmth, the heartbeat she never thought she'd trust enough to lean on.
But slowly… her fingers gripped his robe.
Her voice trembled as it left her lips—fragile, uncertain.
"…Do you promise not to hate me?"
Noah blinked. "Lyra."
He gently tilted her chin up so she could meet his gaze.
"I don't know what you've gone through. But there's nothing you could tell me that would ever make me hate you."
Her eyes flickered—dark pools of hesitation and long-buried sorrow.
And then, something in her broke.
"…Then I'll tell you."
Noah didn't interrupt.
He just held her a little tighter, and she began.
"I was born in a small village which is called the Everfrost now," she began quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.
"It was peaceful, small… and beautiful place.
My mother and I lived alone. Her name was Alea.
Everyone called her 'The Ice Witch'... but to me, she was just 'Mom' "
A small, sad smile touched Lyra's lips.
"She had the most beautiful black hair. Just like mine. And her eyes… they were warm, even when everyone said she was cold."
She took a breath. It shook.
"I didn't know back then that she was hiding us. That people were hunting her… and me."
Noah's hand paused in her hair for just a moment—but resumed. Gentle. Silent.
"She used to say that if I ate more, I'd grow strong like her. That someday, she'd teach me magic… real magic.
I always thought she was joking. I never saw her use it—until that night."
Her voice dropped.
"They came. A whole army. They had strange weapons—magic we'd never seen before.
The villagers were terrified. They came to our door, begging her to protect them.
And she… she didn't hesitate."
Lyra's fists clenched against his chest.
"She activated her Domain. I didn't even know she had one. I still remember it—the ground turning to frost, the wind howling, the invaders screaming…"
Her body trembled slightly.
"She told me to go. Gave me this."
She lifted the blue pendant from around her neck—it shimmered softly under the candlelight.
"She said as long as this didn't break, she was still alive. That I should go to our secret spot and stay there… until I could perform one of her spells."
Lyra's voice cracked.
"I didn't know what she meant. I thought she was being dramatic. I pouted.
I...I didn't even hug her properly…"
A tear slid down her cheek.
"I watched from the mountain. I saw everything.
It
She froze the battlefield. Froze them all. Killed hundreds. But then… he appeared."
Her jaw tensed.
"Edward. My father."
Noah's eyes darkened slightly but said nothing.
"He said he came to take me back. To use me. Experiment on me.
He was the one who ruined her life—damaged her core, shattered her hopes, forced her to run."
Tears streamed freely now.
"They fought. Gods, it was terrifying… the snow fell sideways, the sky cracked.
And then…"
She swallowed.
"She was impaled. I saw it. I screamed—but she didn't stop.
She held him in place and activated her final spell."
"Absolute Zero—Ice Age."
Lyra looked up at him now, broken, vulnerable.
"She froze everything, Noah. The village, the land, even the sky…
She died with him. Took him down so he could never touch me again."
She buried her face in his chest, sobbing.
"And I ran. I ran so far. I cried for days. But the pendant never broke.
She… she died with hope.
That I would live."
Noah held her. Tighter than before.
No words came immediately—just the steady sound of her crying, the painful echo of a child's final goodbye.
When her sobs faded into soft sniffles and silence… Noah finally spoke.
"…Lyra."
His voice was calm—but something in it burned.
"I'm sorry. You should never have had to go through that. You were just a child."
She said nothing. But his warmth never left her.
"You've carried this alone for so long. You've kept that pain buried… locked away, pretending to be okay.
But no one should have to freeze themselves just to survive."
He leaned down, his forehead against hers.
"I'm proud of you. For living. For growing. For staying kind, even if the world didn't deserve it."
Her eyes widened.
"I'll take you there."
"W-What…?"
"To EverFrost," he said firmly. "We'll go together. You'll stand there again—not as a child, but as who you are now.
And you'll fulfill that promise."
She stared at him, breathless.
"You'll perform her spell, Lyra.
And she'll be proud."
Her lips quivered. "But what if I can't? What if I—"
"You can," he said softly, stroking her cheek. "Because I'll be with you. Every step of the way."
She blinked—then smiled. Small. Genuine. The first real smile she'd shown in years.
"...You really are an idiot, you know that?"
"I've been called worse," he smirked.
"I've… never told anyone this before," she whispered.
"I know."
"So why do you trust me with your heart?"
"Because you gave me yours first," Noah said, brushing her bangs away. "Even if you didn't realize it."
She chuckled through her tears, then rested her head back on his chest.
"Don't let go. Not tonight."
"I won't."
The night passed in silence.
Not the silence of emptiness…
But of healing.
Of two frozen hearts, thawing gently beneath the warmth of shared sorrow.
And above them, the pendant glowed softly—still whole.
Still connected.
To be continued…
Author's Note:
Every story has its shadow,
And in Lyra's, it's woven from the cold.
But the warmth of her truth can melt even the fiercest ice.
This is her cry to the world, her plea for strength.
I hope her journey finds its echo in your heart.