"Well, Frey was unfrozen because it was time to unfreeze. See, Norn said that the way it works is that when he uses his magic, it takes his own time, depending on how long he wants to freeze something. So basically, he froze the city for a thousand years, and it should have naturally unfrozen next week. But for some reason it happened now, and not only did it unfreeze earlier, it also did so partially, not all at once like it should've."
"So we tried to come early and check if everything was okay, and if we could reapply the spell, but on the way there, we encountered people from Frey fleeing the city." Zywia's chin rested on her fist as if she were an ancient thinker posing for a sculptor.
"As for the demons, we actually have no idea why they were there, or how they knew when the spell was going to end, or if it was their doing that made the city unfreeze prematurely." She felt uneasy about not knowing. But what scared her most was the fact that it opened so many doors of possibility, and none of them were good for us.
"Actually, if I remember correctly, Norn tapped into the spell by returning some portion of time to make sure the spell was intact." Zywia dressed Liz's arm in clean bandages from top to bottom.
"So this is my fault." By now, Liz was convinced of Zywia's theory about her power. It made her realize she might be the reason so many people died.
"We don't know yet, and who knows when we will find out if my theory is correct. So don't take it personally; it could be demons, for all we know." Zywia regretted bringing that up; she should've just kept her mouth shut. She tried her best to smooth things over, but she felt as if she was doomed from the beginning.
It didn't make Liz feel any better; her powers distorting the spell made the most sense. How abrupt the unfreezing was, and how much people suffered because the spell couldn't break naturally. Also, the fact that she and her mom didn't get stuck in time while walking such a distance was probably because of her new powers.
"Okay, we're finished here. Now it's time for me to go. And about your arm, how do I say this? I'm sorry, but because I can't use my magic, I can't completely heal it. What I'm trying to say is, there are going to be scars. I'm so sorry I can't help you properly." Zywia looked genuinely apologetic as she spoke quietly.
Liz looked at her hand, mummified in bandages from the shoulder to the tips of her fingers. Her eyes began to water; only now did she start to understand that her arm would be ugly and she would have to look at it for the rest of her life.
Shin sensed that she was really bothered by the future scars. He jumped off the box and landed loudly, drawing their attention. He took off the glove from his left hand, then rolled up his long sleeve, revealing burned skin across his whole arm.
"Those things make us truly beautiful. Perfection in imperfections." He said it with a straight face, making them both laugh harder than they had in a long time. Shin's face turned red, so he quickly turned away, rolled his sleeve down, and put his glove back on.
He diffused the tension, making Liz forget for a second about everything. She really appreciated that.
"Good news, it will work just fine. But I'm so sorry…" Zywia picked up the first-aid kit, put everything back in the bag, then got up from her seat, shook off small bandage threads, and began walking toward the tent's entrance. "I've got to go, I'll see you when we get back. You just rest. Believe me, you really need it."
Zywia left.
Shin and Liz were both stuck in the tent, unable to break the awkward silence.
"How old are you?" Liz finally broke the ice.
"I don't know."
What kind of person doesn't know how old he is? Why was this boy among her father's crew? Was he also a powerful mage? It only made her even more curious. The more she thought, the more she realized she still knew so little of what she would have to learn. That prospect scared her.
"Why do you look so weird? I've never seen a gray-haired kid before," Liz didn't hold back, like she never had before. Talking this way with her peers always came naturally, as if becoming friends while you were young was something guaranteed.
"Go sleep or something." Shin barked at her, angry at her barbaric way of talking to him. He was so annoyed that she barely knew him and already talked to him like they'd been best friends forever.
"How can I sleep after everything that happened today?" Droplets of tears fell onto her knees; she didn't even notice she was crying. "My… my mom—" She pulled her legs against her chest and hugged them. In that cocoon pose, she felt a faint sense of warmth. "I saw it with my own eyes." Horrible images kept running through her mind. She was shaking, and cold sweat formed on her forehead.
"They didn't even leave her alone after they killed her. Those demons tore her apart like she was prey. And they just, just ate her, with so much greed, like that was their first meal in centuries." Liz's heart was beating so fast she was hyperventilating. Her hands and feet were tingling, and she felt a sharp pain in her chest.
"Now you're telling me that I was frozen in time for over a thousand years? And the most ridiculous part is that it was by my stupid dad. Now, he doesn't even remember me, his own daughter. This is just the next level of a terrible parent. How can you forget your own child? Huh?" Liz looked at Shin angrily. She knew it wasn't Shin's fault, but she was so mad she didn't care.
"YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT IT'S LIKE TO LOSE SOMEONE WHO MEANT EVERYTHING TO YOU AND BE BETRAYED BY THE ONLY OTHER PERSON WHO'S LEFT!" she screamed.