CHAPTER 17
1060 Words
(Aira’s POV)
Hindi pala umaalis ang takot kahit tapos na ang banta.
Nagbabago lang siya ng anyo.
Sa mga sumunod na araw matapos ang pagpupulong ng elders, bumalik ang Winterfang sa itsura ng normal—may patrols, may training, may tawanan sa kusina. Pero sa ilalim nun, ramdam ko ang pag-iingat. The way voices lowered when I entered a room. The way footsteps slowed when frost crept unconsciously along the floor beneath my feet.
Hindi nila ako tinataboy.
Pero hindi rin nila ako tinatanggap.
Sa umaga, pinapanood ko ang snow mula sa bintana ng silid na ibinigay sa akin. Hindi na ako nakakulong—pero may bantay pa rin sa labas. Courtesy, sabi ni Mara. Protection.
Parang kulungan pa rin.
The frost inside me stayed quiet. Too quiet. Hindi na siya umaabot sa balat ko, pero ramdam ko siyang gumagalaw sa loob—parang nag-iipon ng lakas, parang may hinihintay.
At ang mas nakakatakot…
parang may naaalala siya.
“You’re pacing,” Cassian said from the doorway.
Napalingon ako. Hindi ko namalayang paikot-ikot na pala ako sa loob ng kwarto. “Sorry. I didn’t realize.”
He stepped inside, presence filling the space like always. “You haven’t slept.”
“You too,” sagot ko.
A flicker crossed his eyes—approval, maybe. “True.”
Tumigil ako sa harap ng bintana. “Parang may kulang,” amin ko. “The Snow Court left… pero parang hindi talaga.”
“They didn’t,” he said calmly. “They’re observing.”
“Like predators.”
“Yes.”
Huminga ako nang malalim. “Then why do I feel like prey?”
He didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he moved closer—still not touching, but close enough that I could feel his warmth grounding the cold inside me.
“Because they taught you to feel that way,” he said. “And we’re unlearning it.”
Unlearning.
Hindi ko alam kung posible ‘yon.
Biglang kumirot ang ulo ko.
Hindi matindi—pero sapat para mapapikit ako. Kasabay nun, may bumuhos na imahe.
Snow-covered steps.
Bare feet.
Blood dripping, freezing before it touched the ground.
Napahawak ako sa gilid ng mesa.
“Aira,” Cassian said sharply. “What did you see?”
“I don’t—” nanginginig ang boses ko. “It’s like… memories. But not mine? Or maybe… buried.”
He swore under his breath. “They’re surfacing faster than expected.”
“Because they’re close,” bulong ko.
“Yes.”
Before I could say more, a sharp knock echoed.
Mara entered, expression tight. “Alpha. We’ve got a situation.”
Cassian straightened. “Report.”
“A scout from the southern ridge spotted unfamiliar tracks,” she said. “Not Snow Court.”
My heart dropped. “Then who?”
Mara looked at me. “Human.”
The word sent a chill deeper than frost.
“No ordinary human walks that close,” Cassian said. “Describe them.”
“Purposeful,” sagot ni Mara. “Like they knew exactly where they were going.”
I swallowed. “Liam.”
The name tasted bitter.
Cassian’s jaw clenched. “You’re sure?”
“Not yet,” sagot ni Mara. “But the scent pattern… obsessive. Focused.”
Cassian turned to me. “You stay here.”
“No,” sagot ko agad. “I need to know.”
“You need to be safe.”
“I need to stop running,” sagot ko, meeting his gaze.
A long silence stretched between us.
Finally, he nodded once. “You don’t leave my sight.”
---
(Third Person POV)
Elsewhere — Beyond the Border
The snow did not recognize him as an enemy.
That annoyed Liam.
He stood at the edge of Winterfang territory, boots crunching softly against ice, eyes fixed on the treeline. The cold bit into his skin, but he welcomed it. Pain meant he was close.
“She’s here,” he murmured.
The voices had been clearer lately.
Not the Snow Court’s—not yet. But something older. Something colder.
They whispered her name like a promise.
Aira.
“She thinks she’s safe,” he smiled. “She always did underestimate how far I’d go.”
He pulled his coat tighter, fingers brushing against the charm hidden beneath his shirt—an icy sigil etched into bone.
A gift.
Or a leash.
“Soon,” he whispered. “They’ll all understand. She belongs to the snow.”
---
(Aira’s POV)
Training grounds were quiet when we arrived.
Too quiet.
The pack gave us space—instinctively. The frost inside me stirred, reacting to their unease.
Cassian scanned the area. “He’s testing boundaries.”
“Like the Snow Court,” sabi ko.
“Yes,” he agreed. “But less patient.”
My chest tightened. “He won’t stop.”
“I know.”
“Cassian,” I said softly. “If he gets close—”
“He won’t,” he interrupted. “Not while I’m breathing.”
Those words again.
Anchor words.
Biglang may naramdaman akong kakaiba.
The frost… recoiled.
Parang may malamig na presensyang hindi Snow Court, hindi pack—something distorted.
“Cassian,” bulong ko. “He’s not alone.”
His eyes sharpened. “Explain.”
“I can’t,” sagot ko, panic creeping in. “But something’s wrong. His presence… it’s twisted. Like ice that doesn’t belong.”
Cassian swore quietly. “They’ve touched him.”
“Snow Court?”
“Yes.”
My stomach dropped. “Then this isn’t just about me anymore.”
“No,” he said grimly. “It’s about war.”
The wind shifted.
Snowflakes began to fall—slow, deliberate.
Not natural.
I felt it then.
A pull.
Not toward Liam.
Toward the north.
The Snow Court was watching again.
“Cassian,” I whispered. “The snow remembers me.”
He looked at me sharply. “What does that mean?”
“I don’t know,” sagot ko honestly. “But I think… they built something into me. Something that wakes when others like me are near.”
Silence.
Then, quietly: “Then we’ll tear it out,” Cassian said. “Together.”
I believed him.
But deep inside, I knew—
The snow never forgets.
It only waits.
And whatever I was before I escaped the Snow Court…
was waking up.
- Writer
