On a small island swallowed by sand, the world stretched endless and bare. No green, no river, no shade, only hills of sand rolling under the wind's hushed voice. The sun pressed heavy on the horizon, turning the sky into molten gold. And in that silence, one building rose against the emptiness, as though the desert itself had shaped it: a temple of sand, weathered but unmoving, its presence a quiet defiance against time.
The walls whispered with age. Though carved from the desert's bones, the temple carried a stillness that reached deeper than stone. Inside, the air was dim and warm, breathing incense. A line of lanterns swung gently from the beams above, their soft glow spilling across the polished wooden floor. Each board shone faintly, catching light like ripples on water.
A monk in long robes paced across the hall. His steps were slow, dragging, as though weighed by something he dared not speak. His followers shifted restlessly around him, robes brushing the floor, their hands tightening and loosening at their sides. Whispers rose and died before touching the air, leaving only silence, stretched thin and brittle.
The boy entered then. The temple door gave a sudden creak, breaking the hush. He stumbled in, his robes tangled around his legs, his breathing fast. His small hands tugged nervously at his sleeves as he rushed to the monk's side. Leaning close, he whispered, words so faint they seemed to vanish even as they were spoken.
The monk froze. His body stiffened, color draining from his face. His eyes widened, and for a moment, he seemed not to breathe. His fingers twitched against his sleeve before he turned, his legs moving on their own, following the boy outside.
The doors groaned again, slow and heavy, as they opened to the desert. Light poured through, flooding the dim hall in molten gold.
And there—framed by the blazing sun stood Selene, the Ice Queen. Her figure cut through the heat, sharp and cold, a presence that gleamed like a blade of crystal. The desert's fire bent around her, unable to touch her skin. Her robes moved faintly in the wind, but her stillness was heavier than stone.
Beside her was Ice, in his human form. Tall, silent, unshaken, he walked like a shadow carved from winter. The air around him shimmered, frost gathering in faint trails from his shoulders. Even in this land of burning sand, the world bowed to his chill.
The sight crushed the monks to the ground. Before a word was spoken, they collapsed to their knees, foreheads pressed to the wood, their bodies trembling as though held down by an unseen weight.
"I deserve death for this grave mistake," the monk whispered, his voice breaking, thin with fear.
Selene's gaze lowered to him, her eyes like glass—cool, unreadable. "And what grave mistake have you made, Master Doku?"
The monk's throat closed. His breath shuddered, his eyes flicking to his followers, then falling again. If she is not here for my sin… then why is she here? His head bowed deeper, unable to look upon her face.
But Selene's voice shifted, softened, falling quiet as snow. "I came to ask permission… to use your island for an occasion."
Her words carried through the air, calm but strange. "I wish to turn this place into Rainbow Land—my fiancé's favorite place."
Her lips curved gently. It was small, fragile, yet it bent the room. For a heartbeat, the monk dared to lift his eyes. That smile—delicate as a fleeting petal—caught in his chest. Could this be the Ice Queen? The one freezes everything that gets in her way?
But as quickly as it came, the smile vanished. Her expression tightened, sharp as winter glass.
"…Something is wrong."
The words fell like frost. She tilted her head, listening. The air shifted faintly, a breeze brushing against her cheek, too strange to ignore.
Without hesitation, she moved. Her robes swept across the floor, trailing shards of cold. The monks shivered when the air dropped, breath clouding faintly in their throats.
Ice followed, his steps silent, his presence heavy. The monks scrambled to their feet, robes rustling, rushing after them in fear of being left behind.
Together, they entered the heart of the temple.
Selene lifted her hand. Between her fingers rested a silver crest. Its surface bore two moons etched deep, but their glow had died, leaving only a dull glimmer. Her voice fell, low and sharp. "It's gone."
The words dropped like stone.
The monks collapsed again, faces pressed to the ground, their bodies shaking.
"I deserve death for this!" Master Doku cried. His voice rose in despair, echoing against the beams.
Before breath could return, his body lifted from the ground. He slammed against the wall, frost exploding from Selene's palm. The wood groaned, grains of sand raining from the ceiling as the temple shivered under her fury.
"You had one job," her voice cut through the hall, cold as a blizzard, "just one job. Where is the stone?"
Her hand tightened around his throat, the air freezing with her grip. His breath rattled, desperate, fighting against the frost that crept into his lungs.
"Someone… took it," the monk gasped, voice strangled.
Selene's eyes burned with a cold fire. Her words sliced the silence. "Your ancestors guarded this crest with their lives. And you—" her grip pressed harder, "you are the one who stained their name. You deserve nothing but death."
Frost spread along the walls, climbing high, curling across the beams. Her hand drew back to strike, the room trembling under her wrath.
But then—small hands tugged at her robe.
Selene froze. Her gaze shifted down. A boy knelt at her side, his head lowered, his body shaking, yet his voice rose, trembling but clear.
"This is my fault, Queen Selene. Kill me instead. I brought her here. The blame is mine, not my master's."
His eyes lifted, wide and raw. Too innocent, too honest, too human to dismiss. Selene's hand stilled. Slowly, she released Doku. His body dropped, gasping, his hands clawing at the frozen air.
Her gaze moved back to the boy. "Who took the stone?"
The boy's lips parted, his voice unsteady, but he forced the truth out. "When Master Doku was gone, he left me in charge. I was tired… hungry. I stepped out to fish. That's when I found her—an injured maiden. I brought her here to heal. When she recovered, she left… and the crest was opened."
Selene's eyes narrowed, her expression sharpening. "So you left a child to guard this place." She turned her head slightly, her voice flat, her words cutting toward Doku. "This is not your fault, boy. It is your master's failure."
Her attention returned to the boy. "Describe her."
The boy hesitated, his hands trembling against his knees. "Her hair was purple… her eyes, violet."
Selene's gaze sharpened. "There are many maidens in Kaida with such features. Look deeper."
"I don't know," the boy whispered. His eyes squeezed shut, his voice cracking with shame. "But when I found her, she was inside a strange bubble—made of water. My hook snapped the moment it touched."
The words struck her like a stone against ice. Selene stilled, her breath catching. The air thickened, frost spreading sharper across the floor. Even the incense seemed to vanish, swallowed by silence.
"…So it was a Hoshino," she said at last. Her voice cut the room like winter steel. "A Hoshino stole the stone."