Prologue

Not long after my first kiss, I died.

Funny, I had always thought someone like me was too insignificant to even be considered for murder. Part of that was still true. Yet the menu before me told me otherwise. Maybe I wasn't insignificant. Maybe someone, aside from her, actually saw something within me.

[To be revived, in the eyes of the gods, you'll become a sinner. Continue?]

I looked at the game-like screen, though I didn't have a body anymore. If I could see her again, then without question, I hit the yes button. With that, my new life began.

---

 **Early That Day**

"Hey hey, Silica, are you sure you're okay with me?" I said, smiling. We sat alone together in one of the academy classrooms. I had been talking for about an hour about my day, as always. As a dog demi-human, or Fennar, yapping seemed to be second nature to me.

Combine that with a larger build, brown skin, and big eyes, and I was basically nothing more than a large, annoying pup. I didn't blame people for not being able to stand me, but I liked how I was. If I had to go through life like this, so be it. Because I had her.

"You always ask that. Stop," she responded. Her voice was cool, and every word came out like an ice storm. Truly, I had no idea how I managed to win her over.

She was pale-skinned, with icy blue eyes and bone-white hair—an elf from Frostmoore. We grew up together. Her family was minor royalty among their court and had left due to complications it wasn't my business to tell. They quickly gained fame here in Caedril, and my mother, ever the opportunist, offered both herself and me to serve them.

In other words, she was my childhood friend, but just recently, we became something more.

"I love you, Silica," I said, smiling at her.

"Can you stop it already? Let's just finish this project and go home." She looked away from me. As much as she was amazing at hiding it, I'd noticed all the little things that showed she was embarrassed.

"Not gonna say it back?" I teased, moving closer to her.

"Ah, Princess Silica!" a voice came from the doorway. I sighed. Another group of noble family students had found her. This was our daily dilemma.

Silica was... for lack of a better word, a prodigy. Her capabilities with ice magic had people from all over the country wanting just a minute of her time to make an offer, arrange a marriage, the works. Every time we were at the academy, just before I could have a romantic moment with her, they'd appear like the hordes of mindless zombies they were.

"Miss Silica, would you please show us some of your methods for channeling your magic? Not only that, my family, the Yenarin, would love to host your family for a celebration of your recent academic achievements!"

"And my family would love to speak with you in-depth regarding your equipment!"

"And mine would-"

My ears flattened against my head. They acted like I wasn't there, like we weren't trying to have a private moment together. Unfortunately, my dear Silica was surprisingly dense, or perhaps her own family expected her to respond to these queries formally.

She stood up, heading toward the door. "Artie, I'll be back soon," she said.

"Kay..." I responded, waving lazily. Just before the smallest, most delightful words flowed into my ear.

"I love you too."

My heart started racing. That sly Sil! I smiled, watching her go.

"I truly am lucky. Even a moment with her feels like a treasure," I said out loud. "Argh! Alright, I'll blast through my studies so she can reward me later!"

I scribbled away with reckless abandon. To be honest, I understood the theory perfectly, but something about applying it failed me. I was attuned to earth magic, but I couldn't even lift a rock. Then again, if not for Silica's father, I wouldn't have even gotten into this academy.

The rest of the afternoon carried on in silence until she finally returned.

"Sil!" I said, bouncing up from my seat. My brain had nearly simmered over from all of that studying.

"Silica. Don't use that... that name in public," she said, holding her hand out toward me. "Let's go."

I took her hand. It was cold and so soft, as always. Strangely, while she wasn't good with verbal communication, she really liked to hold hands. She always did, ever since she was young. It almost made me wish we had started dating earlier. But no matter, I knew the future was bright for me and Sil!

We walked everywhere together. After all, I got carsick easily.

It was late, with little light dotting the streets. She walked ahead of me, pulling me along.

"Hey, Sil, why don't you slow down a bit?"

"I want to be home quickly."

"Ehhh, but the journey is part of the fun!"

"No. There's been a lot of unease in the city. Just shut up about it."

Even so, she slowed down.

"I love you~"

"I... you... too..."

"Eh, what was that? I couldn't hear you, Sil?"

"Artie."

"Yes?"

"Just, you're really laying it on thick. And you heard me just fine."

"Did I? We're not going to get a chance to be romantic until tomorrow!"

"I love you too. Now please talk about anything else."

Her ears had gone completely red.

"Hey... Sil, do you wanna... kiss, maybe?" I blurted out, expecting her to practically start sprinting away from me. I sort of regretted asking. It had only been a month, after all. I was already putting a lot of pressure on her.

"J-Just kidding! Sorry, I went a little too f- mmh!"

Something soft pressed against my lips. She held my face with her hands as she kissed me once, then again. This time, I was the one getting embarrassed. She pulled back, looking into my eyes. "You're a distraction, Artie."

I laughed. "You're smiling, Sil."

"Smiling is normal when I'm with you, I just don't usually let you see it."

"Y-You're surprisingly good at flirting."

Her hand found mine again as she pulled me forward. "If you're satisfied, let's go."

We chatted the whole way home, hand in hand.

Frostmoore was an elven community deep within the forest on the outskirts of Caedril. I lived a short distance away. It was always so beautiful every time I saw it. Blue mist sprawled through the streets, and any modern vehicles were banned. They rode horses or griffins and kept to themselves.

"Then... I'll see you tomorrow. Are you... sure you're okay alone? Your mother has been on that mission with my older sister for weeks now."

"I'll be fine, Silica. I mean, I want to spend more time with you, but I've actually been training a bit at home. I want to quickly get stronger so I can fight by your side if something happens."

"Artie."

She didn't let me respond, kissing me again. My heart pounded in my chest. She shut the door to her home without a word. For the first time ever, her blush had spread completely to her face. It was a sight I could never forget.

I turned, smiling like a fool, to go home. But not before noticing movement on the back end of her family's estate. I had grown so used to the layout of her home over my entire life that the sheen of metal and a hurried figure stuck out to me like a sore thumb.

I was glad I was there, as I ran after the figure.

"Hey!" I said, chasing them. "I said hey! Wait up!"

Once they noticed someone was trailing them, they seemed to take off even quicker. But even for someone bigger like me, I was still a dog-type Fennar. If I could do one thing well, it was run. I kept calling out to them as I moved.

They cut from the side of the building into the forest, nearly on the same path I took home. How could they know this path existed? They didn't have elven features, and the only home along this path was mine.

They continued, stopping directly in front of the small home my mother and I lived in.

"I didn't want to have to involve you," they said. It wasn't a voice I knew. It was deep, gruff.

I didn't say anything as a sick feeling washed over me. "Why were you there? Near the east side of the estate?"

"Don't."

"And how do you know about this place?"

They didn't respond.

"Answer me!" I screamed, my hands balling into fists.

"You know not the harm the royal families have caused. You're nothing but a dog to them."

I charged at him, mustering all of my strength. I tried to call upon the Eldyr, manifesting the power of earth. I only flickered briefly before a blade stabbed clean through my chest.

"Gaah!" I coughed up blood.

"I didn't want to hurt any lower-class citizens. You've left me no choice."

I grasped his hand holding the blade, gripping tight and letting my claws extend. He tried to pull away, but I held firm, summoning all the strength I had in me. Something unspoken happened. I finally felt it—the power of the Eldyr.

"Let... go!" He shoved the blade in further. The orange glow around me flickered, but I tightened my grip, my claws digging into his hand. He used his free hand to try and tear his hand free. I saw the panic set in his eyes.

"You... tried to kill the wrong girl," I said, staring at him. "She'd have you on the floor in seconds if you're struggling with me."

Rock formed around his hands, covering mine. I used my free hand to tear off his mask, feeling the blood loss set in. I grew dizzy, but I focused on every single detail of his appearance: blonde-haired, with the tattoo of a crucible under his right eye.

I pulled out my phone. "I'll remember your face. I'll remember that symbol, too. If you ever pop up near her again, I'll tear through heaven and fucking kill you," I snarled, spitting up more blood.

I sent the image with my phone to Silica, not knowing whether she'd ever actually receive it. The service there had always sucked. The rock started to crumble as my brief strength faded. He pulled the blade out, stabbing me again and again.

"Worthless... fucking dog! You weren't supposed to die here! Yet you go on and on." He took my phone, throwing it on the ground and stomping it to pieces.

I don't know how long he desecrated my corpse. The pain had stopped long ago. He let his frustration out on me.

I shouldn't have talked big... but I saved her, didn't I? My sweet Silica. I wished I could have told her to stay strong, to find love again. I wished I could have had one more minute of just talking to her. She never told me to shut up. She never called me annoying.

Silica, everyone always said you were made of ice. To me, there's nobody that carried the warmth that you do.

I love you.