Chapter 69: Elyana Pendragon: The Frozen Dawn

The ice cracked beneath his palms.
Steam rose as blue flame spread along the frozen walls, melting centuries of silence.
Kanata stepped back, letting the warmth flow until the last layer of frost broke away.

Inside the crystal shell… a small figure slept.
White hair, faintly glowing skin, and the soft breath of someone who hadn’t aged in ages.

He knelt beside her, resting a hand over the surface of the ice.
“You’ve slept long enough, Elyana.”

The flame in his hand flickered brighter, melting the final seal.
Moments later, the girl inside collapsed into his arms—
small, cold, fragile.

Kanata carried her to a campfire outside the cave, wrapping her in his coat.
Snow howled across the wasteland, but the flames painted them in soft orange light.

After a few quiet minutes, her eyes fluttered open.

“Wh-where am I…?”
Her voice was weak, trembling like glass.

Kanata didn’t look back. His eyes were still on the blizzard outside.
“You’re awake. That’s good. Are you hungry?”

She froze—terrified the moment she realized he was human.
“A… a human? I’m sorry—did my sleep disturb you?”

Kanata smiled faintly.
“No. I came here to wake you up, not scold you for it.”

Her golden eyes darted nervously.
“I’m sorry… I’m not used to speaking with humans anymore.”

Then—
proooook!

Her stomach growled.
The silence broke.

Kanata chuckled softly.
“You want food?”

Within minutes, the fire crackled again.
He handed her grilled fish and a can of preserved fruit.
She ate in silence—then, full and warm, fell asleep beside the flames.

By dawn, the storm had passed.
The snow was clear enough to see the horizon.

Elyana stirred awake, rubbing her eyes.
“Um… I-I’m sorry. I fell asleep after eating and forgot to thank you.”

Kanata shook his head.
“You don’t need to. What matters is that you’re safe.”

He tossed her a thick coat.
“Here. Wear this.”

She slipped it on, blinking.
“Then… what will you do with me?”

Kanata’s gaze softened.
“I made a promise to someone—to help you learn to live again in this new world.”

She tilted her head, hesitating. Then her lips curled into a shy smile.
“Then please teach me, oni-chan!”

Kanata froze.
“Don’t call me that.”

“Then… Sensei?”

He sighed.
“That’s better.”

Months passed.
From the frozen north to distant continents, Kanata and Elyana traveled together—
training, learning, surviving.

By the second spring, Elyana had grown stronger, her magic surging like a second heartbeat.

“Sensei! Look!” she shouted one morning, flames dancing between her hands.
“I can burn the slimes now! They melt instantly!”

Kanata turned, watching the small explosions of fire scatter through the snow.
He smiled.
“Good job. But don’t burn the forest again.”

“Ehh? That was one time!” she puffed her cheeks.

Their laughter echoed through the empty plains.

The seasons turned.
Their path carried them across the Great Southern Desert.

A storm hit without warning—sand cutting like blades, wind roaring like beasts.
Elyana shielded herself with ice magic, and Kanata pressed forward through the storm.
Neither stopped.

When the storm finally cleared, they saw smoke rising in the distance.

A village.
Burning.

“Sensei… what’s happening there?”

“Stay quiet.”
Kanata’s tone shifted—sharp, cold.

They crept closer, hiding behind a ruined wall.
Bandits filled the streets, looting and striking down anyone who resisted.
At the center, an old priest tried to protect the villagers.

“Stop! They’ve done nothing wrong!” he shouted.

The bandit leader smirked.
“You wanna play hero, old man?”

He struck the priest to the ground, then grabbed a mother and her child.
“Let’s see if your god saves you now.”

He poured oil over them and struck a match.

But before the flame could fall—
clink.

The fire froze in midair.
Then his arm turned to ice.
Then shattered.

“Wha—what the hell?!”

Elyana stepped out of the shadows, cloak falling away, eyes glowing frost-blue.
With a wave of her hand, spears of ice burst from the ground, trapping the bandits.

“You won’t hurt anyone again.”

Kanata emerged beside her, dragon arms gleaming in the firelight.
He struck down the rest of the men with a single blow, sending shockwaves across the ground.

The leader fell backward, trembling.
“W-who are you?!”

Kanata’s voice was calm.
“Just someone passing by.”

Then came silence.
The storm had passed.
The village was saved.

The old priest, bloodied but alive, looked up at his saviors.
“Who are you two?”

Kanata turned away.
“Just travelers.”

Elyana smiled softly.
“Yes. Wandering travelers who happened to stop here.”

That night, by the campfire once more, Kanata turned toward her.

“Elyana… do you remember your true name?”

She thought for a long while, shaking her head.
“No. You’ve always called me Elyana. I think… that’s the name that fits me best.”

Kanata smiled faintly.
“Then let’s give it form. Elyana Pendragon—how does that sound?”

Her golden eyes lit up.
“Elyana Pendragon… I love it!”

She laughed—a sound that melted even the frozen wind.

Kanata leaned back against a rock, watching the stars.
“Then it’s settled. Elyana Pendragon. Remember that name well.”

Elyana nodded eagerly, holding her hands close to the fire.

Under the endless desert sky, the wanderer and the young elf watched the flames dance.
And somewhere deep in the stars above, the world itself seemed to breathe again.