A Daughter of the Cold
As they arrived at the hall, Himari still had no idea that her bag was significantly lighter than it should have been. Neither she, Kiro, nor Reian spoke a word that morning. They moved like clockwork, driven by a quiet, focused energy. They ate their breakfast in total silence, the only sound being the clinking of utensils and the low murmur of other groups around them. Himari kept her gaze fixed on her plate, her mask perfectly in place, feeling strangely steady as she prepared for the long trek ahead.Himari sat back, observing her teammates. She felt surprisingly okay; her fever wasn't flaring as badly as the night before, and the seal on the back of her neck had stopped throbbing. She almost felt like her old self again.
As she waited for Kiro and Reian to finish their breakfast, she finally broke the silence. "How are we getting there?" she asked, her voice cool and steady. "Vehicle, or are we going by foot?"
Kiro glanced up, his expression unreadable. "No idea yet," he admitted.
Reian leaned in, lowering his voice. "I've been eavesdropping on the other groups. Apparently, our destination and the camping site are in a pretty high-altitude, cold region. From what I gathered, they're going to make us hike the whole way."
Himari gave a sharp, short nod. She didn't complain. If anything, the news of the cold climate was a relief—the freezing air might help keep her fever hidden.Himari leaned forward slightly, her voice low. "By the way... did you two notice, or is it just me? Everyone is way too quiet today."
Reian nodded, glancing around the hall. "Yeah, I noticed too. It's like the whole room is holding its breath."
Kiro didn't reply immediately; he just sat there, listening to the muffled sounds of the hall. He finally looked at Himari, his eyes serious. "Himari, my advice is to eat well," he said, gesturing to her plate. "Even if they take us there by vehicle, you're going to need the energy for setting up camp. Besides, we have no idea what kind of tasks they're going to assign us once we arrive.""Nah, I'm all good," Himari replied, pushing her plate away slightly. "Actually, I suggest you two eat less. You don't want indigestion on the trail. It's better for your health to stay light in the morning."
Reian just snorted, shoving another forkful of food into his mouth. "No way. I'm finishing my breakfast. I don't compromise when it comes to fuel."
Himari watched them for a second, thinking about how—despite the tension—Kiro and Reian were acting so normal. Her thoughts were cut short when she spotted movement at the entrance.
"Hey," she whispered, her eyes narrowing. "They're coming."
A group of soldiers marched into the mess hall. They were fully geared up for a brutal winter trek, their uniforms heavy and tactical. Following behind them were the other members of the Leo group—including Niel and Haru—who were already lugging their massive bags and equipment, looking ready for the worst.Everyone in the mess hall stood up instantly as the soldiers arrived—a silent, collective sign of respect from all the academies.
Niel, the Commanding Officer, stood at the front, his gaze sweeping over the students with a cold, professional sharpness. After the formal greetings were exchanged, he addressed the room.
"All students are to move from the mess to the main hall immediately," Niel commanded, his voice echoing off the walls. "Go to the counters and pick up your ration boxes. We are traveling on foot, and those boxes provide your lunch and snacks. Do not forget them."
He narrowed his eyes, his voice dropping an octave. "More importantly, be careful with your gear. If I find that someone has forgotten even a single item here, I will see to it that they face severe consequences. Am I clear? Now, move fast. Hurry!"
The room shifted into a blur of movement as students scrambled to obey. Kiro stood up, his face set in his usual grim mask. "Let's go," he said to Himari and Reian.Everyone stood in line, moving with disciplined precision. Himari took her ration box along with her teammates and stepped aside before heading to the main hall. She carefully tucked the box into the side of her bag, right next to her water container, her medication, and her other small essentials.
As they entered the hall, the transition began. One by one, soldiers approached each group, providing them with cloaks specific to their academy. When it was her team's turn, they were handed deep blue cloaks.
Himari pulled the garment on, feeling the weight of the fabric settle over her shoulders. It was surprisingly warm—thick enough to shield her from the mountain chill but light enough to move in. She pulled the hood up slightly, the blue fabric casting a shadow over her crimson eyes. For the first time that morning, she felt truly ready.Along with the cloaks, the soldiers handed out small badges that functioned as trackers. Each one was engraved with the name of their academy: ARTHFORD.
Himari took hers and pinned it carefully to her overall, just beneath the collar of her cloak. She could feel the faint hum of the tech inside it—a constant reminder that their every move on the mountain would be monitored by the instructors back at the base.
Beside her, Kiro and Reian did the same, the silver of the Arthford badges gleaming against the deep blue of their new cloaks. They looked like a cohesive unit now, ready to move out.Kiro had already pinned his badge and was adjusting his gear when Himari nudged him. She tilted her head toward the Leo group, her expression unreadable but her eyes sharp.
"Hey," she whispered, gesturing toward them. "Look at theirs. The way their academy name is engraved... it's actually kind of beautiful. Ours looks dead in comparison."
Reian glanced over, following her gaze to where the Leo group's badges caught the light. He gave a small, huffed laugh, but Kiro remained silent, his eyes fixed on the exit. Himari sighed softly, her fingers brushing her own Arthford badge. It was plain, functional, and cold—exactly like the life she was living.Kiro glanced at the other group, his voice steady. "Himari, their academy name is a lot longer than ours. That's why they have those oversized, decorative badges."
Himari narrowed her eyes, focusing on the five members of the Leo group. She finally caught a glimpse of the elegant, sprawling script engraved on their silver pins: Northern Aegis Division.
Compared to the simple, blocky letters of 'Arthford' on her own chest, their title sounded like something out of a legend. She looked back at Kiro, her expression flat. "Northern Aegis," she muttered under her breath. It was a name that carried weight, power, and a lot of arrogance.Suddenly, a piercing whistle echoed through the hall, signaling the official start of the mission. The students were immediately divided into eight groups. Each team consisted of five or six members, with the leadership split down the middle: four groups were assigned to Haru, and the other four fell under Niel's direct command.
Himari felt a slight chill that had nothing to do with her fever when she realized her team was in Niel's division.
"Stay focused," Kiro muttered, sensing her tension as they began to move.
They filed out of the warm academy and onto Trail One. The transition was brutal; the mountain air was biting, and the ground was already slick with a light layer of frost. As the trek began, Himari kept her head down, her blue cloak fluttering in the wind, focusing every ounce of her strength on keeping a steady pace.The cold air slapped Himari's face the moment they stepped through the academy gates. It was sharp, smelling of pine and frozen earth. Trail One wasn't a flat path; it was a narrow, rocky incline that twisted upward into the fog.
Under Niel's watchful eye, the groups began the climb. Himari felt the rhythm of the hike—the crunch of frost under her boots and the steady breathing of Kiro and Reian behind her. For the first thirty minutes, she felt okay. The "dead" Arthford badge on her chest felt heavy, but her fever stayed quiet.
However, as the incline got steeper, she felt the first sign of trouble: a small, sharp prick of heat at the base of her neck, right where the seal was hidden. She gritted her teeth, pulling her blue cloak tighter. Not yet, she thought. I have to make it through only 3 days yeah i can do this As they pushed further up the trail, the terrain became steeper and the wind picked up. The winter was truly "wintering" now—the cold was sharp enough to sting any exposed skin, and the air felt thin and icy.
Despite the harsh conditions, Himari was holding her own. She was experienced with this kind of climate; she knew how to pace her breathing and where to place her boots on the slick, frosted rocks to save energy. To anyone watching—especially Niel—she looked perfectly composed. Her blue cloak snapped in the wind, but her gait remained steady. She was a daughter of the cold, and she wasn't going to let a mountain trail break her "Ice Queen" mask on the very first day.But nothing stays smooth for long on a mountain. As the trail grew steeper, the group's steady rhythm began to break. Some students were gasping for air, their lungs burning in the thin, freezing atmosphere, while others kept slipping on the black ice hidden beneath the snow.
Niel and his junior soldiers were constantly moving back and forth along the line, hauling students up and barking instructions.
"Watch your steps!" Niel shouted, his voice cutting through the wind. "Keep your center of gravity low! If you lose your footing, you're a danger to everyone behind you. Be careful!"
Himari watched them from the corner of her eye as she stepped over a jagged rock. She felt a flicker of cold pride; while the others were being helped like children, she was moving in perfect silence. She didn't need a soldier to hold her hand. But deep down, the extra effort of maintaining her "perfect" pace was starting to make the seal on her neck feel uncomfortably warm.Himari glanced back over her shoulder to check on Kiro and Reian. To her surprise, they both looked unusually strained. Reian's face was flushed a deep red—likely from the sheer exertion of carrying the extra weight.
She was currently hiking behind a girl named Milli from the North Leo group, who was also part of Niel's division. Seeing her teammates struggle, Himari's "Ice Queen" mask slipped for just a second.
"Hey," she whispered, her voice laced with rare concern. "Are you two okay?"
"Watch your step!" Kiro barked, his eyes snapping to the trail ahead.
Because she had turned to look back, Himari's rhythm broke. Reian, head down and pushing through his exhaustion, didn't realize she had slowed down. He was about to step right into her. Himari scrambled to adjust, her boot skidding on the frost as she tried to avoid a collision without losing her footing on the steep ledge.In the span of a single second, Himari felt her heart drop. She didn't know how it happened so fast, but her foot lost its grip on the icy stone. As she felt herself pitching backward toward the steep rock edge, she closed her eyes, bracing for the impact and the end of her hike.
But the impact never came.
She didn't hit the ground. When she snapped her eyes open, she realized she was hovering just inches from the jagged floor. Milli had reacted with lightning speed, reaching back and grabbing Himari firmly by her bag and the shoulder of her cloak. The girl held her steady, her grip strong enough to halt the fall. For a heartbeat, everything was silent except for the whistling wind.Milli leaned back, her body forming a sharp right angle as she braced herself against the slope. With a sudden, desperate burst of strength, she hauled Himari backward with all her force.
Himari landed hard on her hip, the impact jarring her bones, but she was safe. Both girls ended up sprawled on the frozen ground. Because they were walking in a single-file line on such a narrow path, the entire trek came to a grinding halt.
Within seconds, they were surrounded. Kiro and Reian were the first to reach her, their faces pale with shock. Niel and the other students crowded in behind them, the silence of the mountain replaced by the frantic crunch of boots on snow and the sound of heavy breathing. Himari sat there on the cold floor, her heart hammering against her ribs, feeling every eye on the trail locked onto her.Himari sat on the frozen ground, her brain completely frozen. She was in total shock; everything had happened so fast that she couldn't even process the fact that she had almost fallen. For a few seconds, she just stared at the ice, her thoughts a complete blank.
Niel was the first to reach her, dropping to one knee. "Hey! Hey, are you okay?" he asked, his voice sharp with concern. "What happened? Did you slip?"
On the other side, Kiro was already helping Milli to her feet. "Thank you," Kiro said to Milli, his voice sincere and heavy with relief. "You saved her."
The sound of Kiro's voice seemed to snap Himari out of her trance. She realized everyone was watching her—the "Ice Queen" sprawled in the dirt. Her face flushed, she scrambled to her feet as fast as she could, ignoring the sharp sting in her hip.
"Yeah... yeah, I'm okay. Sorry," she muttered, her voice trembling slightly. She turned to the girl from the Leo group, bowing her head quickly. "Milli, thank you. I... I wasn't watching."Niel reached out, his eyes landing on her hand. "You're hurt," he noted, seeing the raw scrape where she had tried to grab the rock as she fell.
Himari pulled her hand back instantly, tucking it under her blue cloak. The sting was sharp, but her pride hurt more. "I'm fine," she insisted, her voice regaining its cold edge. "It's just a scratch. I can keep moving."
Niel gave her a long, searching look, but with the wind picking up, he didn't have time to argue. He stood up and turned to the rest of the line. "Everything is under control! Move now, fast! Watch every single step and hold onto each other if you have to."
As if the mountain heard him, a light dusting of snow began to fall, making the already slick trail even more treacherous. "If the ground feels slippery, alert the person behind you!" Niel barked.
Himari fell back into line, her hip throbbing and her hand stinging. She reached back blindly, feeling Reian's steady presence behind her. They couldn't afford another mistake—not with the snow starting to hide the "black ice" on the ledges.Niel raised his voice to be heard over the whistling wind and the soft patter of the falling snow. "Listen up! We only have a few more kilometers until we reach our location," he shouted, his eyes lingering on Himari for a split second before scanning the rest of the exhausted line.
"What you just experienced—the slips, the cold, the sudden danger—this is a normal day for a soldier. Now you understand that joining combat isn't easy. It's not just about flashy moves; it's about endurance."
He paused, his expression hardening. "Up here, only those who never give up will survive. If you want to wear that badge, you keep moving. No excuses. Now, let's finish this trek!"
Himari tightened her grip on her cloak, Niel's words ringing in her ears. Never give up. She felt the sting in her hand and the ache in her hip, but she forced herself to stand taller. She wouldn't be the one to break. Not under his watch.As they pushed deeper into the storm, the formation changed. Kiro took the lead, his large frame breaking the wind, while Reian took up the rear to guard their backs. Himari was now positioned in the middle, shielded by her teammates.
The trail had become a treacherous blur of white. The snow was falling faster now, settling onto the ice and making every step a gamble. To stay steady, Himari reached out and gripped the tip of Kiro's heavy rucksack.
She didn't like the feeling of depending on someone else, but as her boot skidded on a fresh patch of snow, she tightened her hold. The physical connection to Kiro gave her a shred of stability against the biting wind. Behind her, she could feel Reian staying close, his presence a constant shadow that ensured she wouldn't slip backward again. They moved like a single unit now, three blue cloaks fighting against the white-out conditions.The silence of the mountain was broken by the lead soldier's voice echoing back through the wind. "The location is in sight! We're almost there!"
The news sent a wave of relief through the exhausted line, but the danger wasn't over. They were currently navigating a particularly steep and narrow slope where the snow was at its deepest. Niel stepped out of the main line, walking along the treacherous edge of the path to inspect his division.
He paced back and forth, his eyes scanning every student to ensure they were still upright and moving. When he reached the middle of the line where Himari was, he slowed down. He watched her for a moment—her hand still gripped tightly to Kiro's rucksack, her blue cloak dusted with white. He didn't say anything, but his sharp gaze lingered on her as if he was searching for any sign that she was about to stumble again.
Himari didn't look at him. She kept her eyes fixed on Kiro's back, her knuckles white as she held on. She could feel Niel's presence like a cold weight beside her, but she refused to give him the satisfaction of seeing her struggle.As the fog thinned, the destination finally emerged from the white-out. It wasn't a cabin or a tent; looming ahead was a massive, wide dome that seemed to glow faintly against the falling snow. From a distance, it looked like a giant pearl dropped into the heart of the mountain.
The structure was sleek and imposing, designed to withstand the brutal winds and heavy snowpack of the summit. As the students drew closer, the sheer size of the dome became clear—it was a high-tech fortress, a sanctuary in the middle of the wilderness.
Himari stared at it, her breath hitching in her throat. The sight of the dome meant warmth, level ground, and a chance to hide her injuries from Niel's prying eyes. But as she tightened her grip on Kiro's bag for the final few meters, she wondered what kind of "soldier training" awaited them inside those curved walls. If the trek was just the beginning, the dome was where the real test would start.As Niel's division finally crested the final ridge, they saw that Haru's group had already arrived. The area around the massive dome was a hive of activity. Haru's soldiers and students were already busy, their blue and silver cloaks moving through the snow as they began staking down tents with their teammates.
The soldiers stationed at the dome's perimeter immediately began shouting orders to the newcomers, directing the flow of exhausted students.
"Arthford Group Four, over there! Northern Aegis, Section B!" the soldiers barked, pointing toward specific patches of cleared snow. "Get your tents up now before the wind gets any worse! Work with your teammates—don't wait for instructions!"
Himari let go of Kiro's bag, her legs feeling like lead now that the adrenaline of the hike was fading. She looked at the designated spot for their tent. It was just a flat, frozen patch of earth, but to her, it was the finish line. Beside her, Kiro and Reian were already dropping their heavy packs, their breath coming in thick white clouds as they prepared to build their shelter for the night.As they reached their designated spot, Kiro immediately took charge. He dropped his heavy pack and turned to his teammates, his voice low but firm.
"Listen up," he said, looking at Himari first. "Himari, first thing—patch up that scrape on your hand. Then, take your cloak off for a second and get dry. You caught a fever back there because of that fall in the snow, and we can't have it getting worse."
Himari opened her mouth to argue, but Kiro moved on to Reian before she could protest. "Reian, go and collect whatever wood or fuel the soldiers are handing out. We need a fire going immediately. I'm going to confirm our exact location and check the official orders for the camp setup. Once that's done, we'll pitch the tent together. Got it?"
Kiro's leadership was steady, giving them a clear plan of action. Despite her pride, Himari felt a wave of gratitude. She was shivering now that they had stopped moving, the cold mountain air finally sinking into her bones. She nodded silently, reaching for the small medical kit in her pack to tend to her bleeding hand while the boys jumped into their tasks.Himari watched Kiro walk away, a scowl deepening on her face. "He didn't even give me a real task," she muttered to herself, feeling a sting of annoyance. She wasn't used to being the one "taking it easy."
Still, her body was screaming for a break. She unclipped her heavy, snow-dusted cloak and draped it over her pack, which was already sitting on the frozen ground. Standing there—since the snow made it impossible to sit without getting soaked—she reached into her side bag. She pulled out her water bottle and took a long, shaky drink, her throat feeling parched from the fever.
Once she'd finished the water, she pulled out the small medical kit. She crouched down low, shielding the kit from the wind with her knees. Working quickly, she managed to wrap the bandage around her left hand using her right. But then came the problem. When she tried to switch to the scrape on her right hand, her fingers felt stiff and clumsy from the cold. No matter how she twisted her arm, she couldn't get the bandage to wrap tight with only one hand.
She bit her lip in frustration, her vision blurring slightly as a fresh wave of heat from her fever washed over her. She was the "Ice Queen" of Arthford, and yet, she couldn't even manage a simple bandage.Himari looked to her left—everyone was busy with their own gear. She looked to her right—the soldiers were occupied with the other divisions. Taking a deep breath, she realized she had to do this herself. She gripped the end of the bandage with her teeth, pulling it tight against her right hand while she used her left to tuck the end under. It was a rough, messy knot, but it held.
Just as she finished, Reian reappeared, his arms piled high with heavy wood. He was breathing hard, but he looked satisfied with his haul. He spotted Himari standing there and gave her a quick nod.
"Himari," he said, shifting the weight of the logs. "Go over to those trees and collect some pine cones. Make sure you find the dry ones under the lower branches. They catch fire easily and will help us get the blaze going fast."
Himari didn't argue this time. Collecting pine cones was an easy enough task to keep her active without straining her hip or her fever. "Fine," she muttered, pulling her gloves back on over her messy bandages. She headed toward the treeline, her eyes scanning the snowy ground for the dry brown shapes of the pine cones.Himari moved toward the edge of the forest, passing a few girls from other teams who were also scavenging for supplies. She kept her head down, carefully sifting through the snow. Most of the pine cones were soaked through, but she managed to find a few dry ones tucked deep under the brush.
Distracted by her task, she didn't realize how close she had drifted toward a massive, ancient tree. Its gnarled branches looked like twisted claws reaching out into the gray sky. Just as she bent down to grab a particularly large cone near the trunk, she felt a sharp, sudden pinch on the back of her neck.
She gasped and spun around, her hand flying to the nape of her neck. "Who's there?" she whispered, her voice cracking.
She stared into the dark shadows of the forest, but there was no one. The girls from the other teams were several yards away, still busy with their own work. She checked the area again—nothing but the whistling wind and the creaking of the old tree. A wave of pure, creeping dread washed over her.
Shaken and feeling a strange, cold vibe from the shadows, she gathered what she had and hurried back toward her team, never realizing that someone—or something—was watching her from the darkness behind the trunk.