Chapter 68 | Daughter of Story teller.

The room contained a single bed, a wardrobe, and a small table displaying a collection of coins. A window offered a view of a green field outside. It resembled a typical summer house, except for a jarring detail. A cracked spatial door leading to a dark, starless sky. This fissure constantly emitted heavy snow, creating a cool temperature that caused frostbite on her hands, making them numb.

Ella observed two figures at the front. Two-meter-tall Calder, a white Rey follower, stood firm with a grim expression, his fists clenched. He glared at a woman with black, fuzzy hair, covered in bandages, and charred, blackened skin exposed on her visible body parts. She sat on the floor, clutching a metallic box in her hands, barely big enough to hold a ball. Black liquid seeped from it.

“Willna, he is not your brother,” Calder said. “Haven’t you seen how cruel he is? How could a brother do this to you!” His voice boomed throughout the room, and he reached for the metal cube.

Willna hugged the box tighter, shaking her head as she touched a gem on her chest, her black hair reverting to its chestnut color. “Brother…” her voice rasped like a creaking door.

Flop, Flop, Flop, Ella approached them and asked, “Is her condition stable?”

Calder looked at the golden saint, paused, then shook his head. “Not at all, Saint Sky Piercer.” He showed an empty jewel-encrusted potion bottle.

Ella examined Willna’s bandages, which were still stained with red. “This is cruel Red magic, even holy potions can’t heal it.”

Calder remained silent, using his large frame to block the relentless snow from the cracked space. Each snowflake seemed to berate him with disappointment.

Ella placed a cup of milk on the bedside table, then moved closer to Willna, kneeling. She extended her hands and intoned, “White of light, please cure this innocent child. Holy Remedy”

Wink A light enveloped her, and warmth spread throughout the room. The snow began to melt, and the burns seemed to stop bleeding. The wounds began to knit themselves together.

Everyone watched the magic, marveling as the healing continued.

“It’s working, thank the white holy, for sending you as a gift to us, Saint Ella,” Calder said, clenching his fist.

Ella shook her head. “No, this isn’t helping. At this rate, it’s just holding the pain and stopping the bleeding. The scars and burns will still remain, and more importantly, the internal pain will continue to burn.”

As she finished speaking, the healing light faded. All the healed wounds were now burned and charred black, smoke rising with the smell of melting skin. It reached her nose.

Ella’s face hardened. “A cruel curse.”

Calder clenched his fist. “Can we beg the Sage of the North to break her magic?”

Ella stood up with a soft thud, thud, flop as she sat on the bed, crossing her arms and legs. “It’s possible, but the cost would be significant.”

Calder looked at her. “How much? A thousand gold? A million? Or my life? I can pay anything, just please release her from this endless pain.”

Ella stared at the tower follower, then sighed. “She wants her thing back. If she gets it, she will heal Willna, even dispel the current winter.”

Calder’s eyes widened in shock, then slowly lowered his head. “That’s impossible—”

A tiny hand and a tiny mug moved closer. “Here, Brother Calder.”

He looked at the small mug, which emitted waves of hot air. The smell of hot spices mixed with the mellow scent of milk filled his nose. It was so familiar, he mumbled, “Ginger milk…”

Rain smiled and said, “Yep, it’s good for winter.”

He grasped it, looked at the rippling surface of the liquid for a moment, and then at the mug with its brown, cross-hatched pattern. “My favorite...” He said softly, He slowly lifted it, the hot air touching his mouth. But before it reached his lips.

“Kiddo, be careful, it’s still hot.”

“Brother, be careful, it’s still hot.”

Clank. A metal box landed on the floor. Calder and Willna both lifted their heads to look at Him.

He kept his warm smile. Thud, thud, thud, his bare feet walked closer to Willna. Her eyes remained fixed on him, unblinking.

Clink, clink. Two mugs were placed on the metal block.

“Angel, how much sugar do you want?” He said, pulling out his candy sachet and shaking it gently, the clear sound of candy audible. “As I promised, Honey, the eighth month.” He picked out and showed her a clear crystal honey candy.

Willna continued to stare at him, not speaking.

“Today you’ve encountered a lot of stories, and I also have a long tale to tell, so…” Dip, dip. “I’ll give you two, okay?” He moved his hand and picked up the plate behind his back. “And last time, I promised that we would have a sweet feast, right?”

Calder instinctively swayed, mouth agape, a soft sound escaping him, “How is that possible…”

Clink, He set the plate with the cake on the box. “And this is for you, a ginger cake. I made it myself, you’ll love it, it’s super sweet.”

Calder’s mind seemed to drift, “Mother’s cake?”

Willna looked at the cake, then at his friendly face. Her mouth moved, then stopped, then moved again, finally letting out a small sound, “Brother…”

“Oh, I forgot. I should add this too.” He pulled a lemon from his bag, sliced it into three pieces with a knife, and placed them on top of the cake.

“That will help enhance the taste, right?”

Thud! Thud! Calder’s body swayed. One hand touched the wall, breath, breath, breath. He tried to control his breathing, but couldn’t. “This isn’t right…”

Willna mirrored his state. Tears welled in her eyes, disbelieving what she’d just heard, “That…mother…”

Rain scratched his face. “I don’t know if it will taste the same, but I can guarantee it’s delicious.” He offered her the cake, “Here, try it.”

She watched the woman with black hair mirror him. Their smiles were identical, free-spirited as always, and their pale skin resembled a blooming midnight flower. Their light reflected in dark, night-black eyes seemed like a kind and peaceful moon. "Mother..."

He moved his cake plate toward her.

Willna slowly reached for the plate, but ugly, charred hands emerged from her clothes. She quickly recoiled.

Grab! Crank! Rain grabbed her hand. Chaarrr, his hand also got the burn effect, willna tried to flick his hand off but his hand locked firm.

“You already send hand out, I will not let it go,” He said, hot of her hand make his hand got sweat.

“Brother Rain, please, you will make yourself hurt.” Willna said.

“Did you think, see you sad like as a dead body made me happier, right?” He said.

She swayed her face. “No, but Warmund already die, I also should die—”

“Are you fool, Anna! Are you not think how hard mother have to save you both life?” He said as he slightly looked at her left side, “You too, Mundi stop drinking water and help you big sister, this all happen because of you, can you do good for your sister once?”

“Mundi?” Willna turned her head but no one was there only empty space, but when she looked at water glass that fell on the metal box water ran and accumulate connect to word Sorry... then it faded into stream.

Her teardrops falling down touched the metal box. Char, Chaarrr, Char, one by one turned into stream. “Why have you said that to me, how can I stay alive… without you…with this curse…”

Space portal cracked wider, room temperature colder.

“Anna.” Rain said with soft voice, his hand grabbed firm not let Willna hand go, It changed into red color, bandage on his and her started burn and turned charred.

She kept her faced down. portal cracked wider, it started eating wooden wall.

Ella casted her spell want to heal his hand, but he looked at her and swayed his head. moved his mouth into word, trust me. then he looked back at Willna, “Anna, Brother already here, do not worried okay.”

Willna, swayed her head. “Brother is not Warmund…”

“I know, I’m not Mundi, I can’t replace him, and I will not do that too, Just want to said that, are you really want to die right?” He said.

Room suddenly get cold as it drop to frozen hell.

She rose her head up Eyes widen in shock, his body turned red, blood, sweat emitted form his body but instantly turned into crimson stream but he stilled keep smiled at her, “Do not worried Anna, If you want to die that bad, I will stay that moment with you.”

“B-Brother Rain.” She said.

“I also want to know how hot the hell, too.” he said.

Fume! Fire burned his hand.

“Arrrhhhhhh, Brother lets go of me,” She swayed her hand. Clank, cliank, cake and milk felt down and splashed. “Please let’s go, you will die.”

His blood splashed out of burning wound, but he stilled grabbed her hand firm, stared at her.

“Please, brother Rain,” Her tear falling down, tried to use all her force but her fragile body cannot fight with his force. “Please let’s go of my hand.”

He looked at her, “No, it’s you, that to let’s the time float by, keep the pain are not way save him, only story will save him with you, Anna.” he said.

“Please, Please, I doesn't want to lose him.” She said, her hair struggled change back to black color, but it swap randomly between pale chestnut and black.

Fire climbed up to his arm, bandage and fur on this coat lit on fire, Red flame ate his arm, The Prisoner tattoo was clearly seen even in the hot charred fire, it taboo black stilled here. but not only that, his arm are fully have scare and old wound everywhere. “Anna, Are you wish, to die right?”

Space eat all the wooden pillar, House started shaking.

She looked at his it pale face and his faze eyes no longer have life in his eye, but smiled that stilled clearly seen, only moment before his life will faded away. She swayed her head, tear falling down “No, brother… I want… live.”

Space portal disappear into thin air.

Wink! “Holy Remedy” Clap! “Earth Pillar”

Earth wall crated replaced all the pillar house, but one side of the wall are clearly green field out side, light shone back into bed room, two wound hands slowly get heal.

Rain embraced Willna, said, "It's alright, I'm here now."

She rested her head against his chest, clutching his shirt tightly. Tears streamed down her face. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."

"It's okay," he soothed.