ARC I: Where a Child Drifted
Chapter 2 — The Cold Wouldn't Leave
When I tried to open my eyes, a bright light hit them as soon as I did.
I closed my eyes and shielded them with my hand in a hurry.
This time, I opened one eye slowly and closed the other with my hand.
As I opened it, the light hit again, so I looked through a small crack in my eye.
The light was bright — pure white.
As I endured it, the light slowly became bearable to look at.
When my focus shifted from the light, I started to feel all the vibrations I had been ignoring.
The ground was shaking, and I could feel the wood-like texture where I was sitting.
I couldn't make anything out of the situation.
I started to look around and realized the place I was sitting in was moving.
The light from earlier was coming from a hole in the fabric roof above.
There was a person sitting next to me, her eyes closed.
I thought she was a girl because of the way she sat and the clothes she wore.
But it was difficult to confirm anything because a blanket was covering her.
There were red stains on the blanket, and the smell of iron filled the air.
In front of me, there was something big — human-shaped — wrapped in clothes.
I didn't know what it was, and I didn't go closer to confirm it.
There were also some boxes stacked at the front, next to the woman.
Beyond them, I could see the shadows of people through the curtain.
I took a long breath to calm myself, but the dryness of the cold air hit me from inside and out.
It made me shiver.
I put my hand on my nose to calm myself, but it felt like ice had been placed on my face.
When I looked at my hand, it was blue, and my whole face felt bright red.
I tried to open and close my hand.
It moved, but it took more effort, and it didn't feel like it was mine.
There was a blanket wrapped around me, but it didn't protect me from the cold.
At that moment, a strong gust of wind came from behind.
The curtain loosened and flew wide open.
As it opened, the cold air hit me directly — dry, freezing — locking me in place.
I tried to hide from it, but the wind kept coming.
I lifted my head and looked outside.
Snow stretched on both sides, large trees standing along the path.
The trail behind us was marked, as if we had done something wrong to the land itself.
Then the cold truly reached me.
I crouched, trying to shield myself with the blanket, but nothing worked.
I was shivering as the wind struck my back.
At that moment, I heard footsteps hit the floor, and the carriage shook.
"What is going on here?" I thought to myself.
Suddenly, the wind stopped.
I stayed still, not daring to look up.
"You're there. You're awake."
The voice was rough, but somehow soft — a strange combination.
I wanted to say something, but nothing came to mind.
"Hey, you're hearing me."
Her voice came closer.
"I'm asking something here."
She spoke louder. Her steps stopped near me.
I didn't respond.
"Where am I?" I thought.
"What is happening?"
I clenched my hand tighter around the blanket.
"How did I get here?"
My throat dried, just like my thoughts.
"Why am I inside a carriage… and how did I get here?"
I shut my eyes tightly and tried to slow my breathing.
She extended her hand, saying something, but I couldn't make out the words.
I felt weight on my back — something touching me.
Then the blanket began to slip from my hand.
I tried to hold on, but my strength was gone.
"Mom… Dad…"
My throat closed, and breathing became harder.
The pull was light, but my hand was tangled in the blanket.
When it was pulled, I suddenly fell back and landed on the floor.
I looked in her direction, but couldn't see anything through the tears filling my eyes.