FROST BOUND HEARTS

CHAPTER 2:THE GIRL WHO HIDES

Isla's POV

The dream always began the same way.

Ice stretched endlessly beneath Isla's feet, smooth and unbroken beneath a sky so dark it swallowed everything around her. There were no trees, no buildings and no sign that another person had ever existed.

Only endless ice.

Only silence.

Only her.

A cold wind brushed against her face, sharp enough to sting. She wrapped her arms around herself, but it did little to chase away the uneasy feeling settling deep in her chest. Something was wrong. She couldn't explain how she knew. It was simply there, pressing against her like the darkness itself.

Then she heard it.

A c***k.

The sound echoed across the frozen lake.

Isla held her breath.

Another c***k followed, louder this time, and the ice beneath her boots trembled.

Her pulse quickened.

"No," she whispered, taking a cautious step back.

"Absolutely not."

The frozen surface split again. Thin cracks spread across the ice, racing toward her feet like veins reaching through glass. Panic tightened around her chest. She spun in a slow circle, searching the endless darkness for anyone, anything, but there was nothing. No shelter, no footsteps and no escape.

Then a voice drifted through the wind.

Soft.

Almost gentle.

"Isla."

Her breath caught.

The voice wasn't familiar, yet something about it hinted at a memory she couldn't quite reach.

It called her name again.

This time, the ice gave way.

The cracks rushed beneath her boots, shattering the frozen surface before she could move. She stumbled backward, her arms flailing as the ground disappeared beneath her.

She was falling.

Just before the darkness swallowed her, the voice whispered one final word.

"Find..."

Isla bolted upright.

Her lungs burned as she dragged in a shaky breath, her heart pounding so hard it felt as though it might break through her ribs. Morning sunlight spilled through the dormitory window, painting golden streaks across the wooden floor. Outside, the frozen lake glittered peacefully beneath the early light, looking nothing like the endless wasteland from her dream.

She closed her eyes for a moment, as she tried to control her breathing. It had only been a dream. At least, that's what she wanted to believe.

A loud snore broke the silence.

Isla turned toward the other side of the room.

Poppy was sprawled across her bed in a position that looked physically impossible. One arm hung over the edge, her blanket had somehow ended up on the floor, and her stuffed penguin was wearing one of her socks.

Isla blinked.

She wasn't sure what had happened while she was asleep, and she wasn't sure she wanted to know.

A small smile tugged at her lips despite herself.

At least someone had managed to sleep peacefully.

With a quiet sigh, Isla slipped out of bed and walked toward the window. The dream lingered in her mind more stubbornly than usual. It wasn't the first time she'd dreamed about the ice. But lately, the dreams were changing.

They felt sharper.

Closer.

Almost real.

She rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the lingering chill. Maybe it was just the stress of a new school, new people and a new life. She held on to that explanation because it was the only one that made sense. Even if a small part of her no longer believed it.

An hour later, Isla stood in the dining hall line wondering if it was socially acceptable to disappear before breakfast.

Poppy had talked the entire walk from the dorm.

"...and then she told him she was allergic to commitment."

Isla blinked.

"Who?"

"The girl."

"What girl?"

"The one from the story."

"What story?"

Poppy stopped walking and stared at her in disbelief.

"Were you even listening?"

Isla smiled, just a little.

"No."

"Rude."

"I'm honest."

Poppy pointed at her as though making a very serious accusation.

"You know what your problem is?"

"I have several."

A grin spread across Poppy's face.

"You're funny."

"No, I'm not."

"You absolutely are."

Thankfully, the line moved forward before Poppy could continue proving her point.

The dining hall was even larger than Isla remembered from the campus tour. Tall windows filled the room with soft morning light while enchanted lanterns floated overhead, glowing warmly despite the bright sky outside. Every table was crowded. Some students laughed over breakfast, others hurried through last-minute assignments, and a few looked as though they regretted choosing an eight o'clock class.

Those were the people Isla understood immediately.

She picked up a tray and followed Poppy toward an empty table. Before they made it halfway across the room, someone called Poppy's name. Then someone else waved. Another student smiled and stopped to say hello. Isla looked at her.

"Do you know everyone already?"

Poppy shrugged as though it were perfectly normal.

"Not yet."

"That's... concerning."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

By the time they sat down, Isla had been introduced to six different people. She remembered exactly one name. Mostly because the girl had introduced herself three separate times.

Poppy, meanwhile, looked completely at home.

She slipped into conversations as easily as breathing, laughing with people she'd only met yesterday as though they'd been friends for years.

Isla couldn't help admiring that.

She'd spent so long trying not to be noticed that she wasn't sure she'd remember how to make friends even if she wanted to.

A sudden wave of excitement rolled through the dining hall. Conversations quieted and heads turned toward the entrance.

Poppy sighed into her drink.

"They're here."

Isla didn't need to ask.

"The Frosthawks?"

"The Frosthawks."

A group of hockey players walked into the dining hall, laughing as they nudged one another and made their way toward the serving area. They didn't seem to be asking for attention. They didn't have to. The room gave it to them anyway.

At the center of the group was Caspian Blackwood.

Unfortunately, Poppy had been right.

He was even more attractive in daylight.

It felt unfair that one person could have talent, popularity, and good looks without seeming to struggle for any of it. Someone really should have made him choose.

Caspian laughed at something one of his teammates said. Then, almost absentmindedly, he looked up.

His eyes met Isla's.

The smile faded from his face.

For a brief moment, he looked at her with the same quiet intensity as yesterday, as though he were searching for an answer only she could give.

The feeling settled uneasily in her stomach. She had never met him. She was sure of it. So why did he keep looking at her as though he recognized her?

A teammate bumped Caspian's shoulder, drawing his attention away.

The moment passed.

Around them, the dining hall returned to its usual chatter.

But Isla couldn't shake the feeling that something had just happened. She simply didn't know what.

Her first class started ten minutes later.

Magical Theory.

The name sounded far more exciting than the lesson itself.

Their professor, a stern woman named Professor Aldridge, spent the first part of class explaining magical energy channels, then moved on to magical history before finishing with a long list of classroom rules. By the time she finally paused, half the class looked as though they were fighting to stay awake.

Isla wasn't doing much better.

The practical exercise, however, woke everyone up.

"Today," Professor Aldridge announced, "you'll demonstrate basic elemental control."

A quiet murmur spread through the room as students took turns stepping forward.

Small flames flickered above open palms.

Gentle gusts of wind danced through the air.

Tiny droplets of water floated before disappearing again.

Nothing extraordinary.

Nothing that drew too much attention.

When Isla's name was called, she walked to the front of the room, reminding herself to breathe. She didn't need to impress anyone. She only needed to blend in. That had been her goal for years.

A tiny snowflake formed above her palm, spinning slowly before drifting through the air and melting into nothing.

Professor Aldridge gave an approving nod.

"Very good."

Isla returned to her seat with a polite smile, though she couldn't help feeling the words were undeserved.

Once, creating a single snowflake would've been effortless compared to what she could really do. Three years ago, she could have covered the entire classroom in ice without breaking a sweat. Now she celebrated being forgettable. It was strange how quickly survival could change someone's idea of success.

After class, students poured into the hallway, their conversations filling the corridor with liveliness. Isla let herself relax as the crowd carried her toward the exit.

For a brief moment, everything felt normal.

Then the temperature dropped.

The cold slipped beneath her coat so suddenly that she stopped walking.

It wasn't the ordinary chill of winter.

It was sharper.

Colder.

The kind that settled deep beneath her skin.

She looked around.

The hallway was still crowded, yet no one else seemed to notice. Students kept talking, laughing, and hurrying to their next class without so much as a shiver.

A knot tightened in her stomach.

Then she heard it.

"Isla."

The whisper was so soft she almost thought she'd imagined it. She turned quickly. There was no one behind her. Only students passing by, completely unaware.

The voice came again.

Closer this time.

"Find me."

Her pulse quickened.

This wasn't like the dream.

She was awake.

She knew she was.

Which meant the voice was real.

And somehow, it knew exactly who she was.

A hand landed gently on her shoulder.

Isla flinched so hard she nearly lost her balance.

"Whoa."

Poppy looked at her with wide eyes.

"You okay?"

Isla forced herself to smile, though it felt unsteady.

"I'm fine."

Poppy didn't look convinced.

"You look like you've seen a ghost."

Isla wished it were something that simple.

That evening, Isla sat beside the dormitory window with an open textbook resting on her lap.

She'd been trying to study for almost half an hour.

Trying, being the important word.

Every few minutes, her eyes drifted away from the page and toward the frozen lake outside. Her thoughts refused to stay on magical theory for long. They always wandered back to the strange whispers, the dream, and the way Caspian Blackwood kept looking at her as though he recognized someone he wasn't supposed to.

None of it made sense.

She hated not having answers.

Outside, snow drifted quietly across the lake while the lights from the academy shimmered against the frozen surface. The peaceful view almost managed to calm her.

Almost.

Movement near the edge of the lake caught her eye.

Someone was standing there.

Perfectly still.

Watching the dormitory.

Watching her window.

A chill crept through her body as she slowly lowered her book.

The figure didn't move.

Didn't leave.

Didn't look away.

Isla rose carefully from her chair, her heartbeat growing louder with every step she took toward the glass.

Moonlight spilled across the frozen lake.

Slowly, it illuminated the stranger's face.

The breath caught in Isla's throat.

The girl staring back at her...

was her.