Chapter 28
Chapter 28
The story of Shimotsuki had come to an end.
To be honest, while Yoren could understand her pain, he could not truly empathize with her. The suffering she endured was too distant from the life and world he had once known.
"Frost Moon, what happened next? Have you never seen Frost Nova since then?"
Shimotsuki's expression had returned to its usual calm. The memories that once left her bruised and battered now seemed to have numbed her completely.
"I knew there was little hope. Frost Nova was very young at the time, and she was infected with Oripathy. Even if, by some miracle, she survived like I did, it would have been difficult for her to make it to adulthood."
"So you believe Frost Nova is dead?"
"I didn't give up back then. After speaking with the other infected, I searched for a long, long time... until finally, I had to accept the truth."
Her voice was unsettlingly calm, as though she were speaking of something mundane.
"I failed to save her. Stripped of everything, I never even had the chance. I can't even remember what she looked like as a child anymore. And the cruelest irony? In the depths of my despair, my body awakened its most powerful Originium arts. I buried the Ursus soldiers stationed in the ice and snow, burning away what remained of my already broken body. For most, such a power would be an untouchable dream. But for me? With this infected body, I can wield Originium itself, bending nature's laws at the cost of my own existence. Ursus stole my only family away from me. So it was only natural that I should return the favor."
Yoren had expected this conclusion. He did not know why Frost Moon, an infected, had lived so long—perhaps she had discovered a way to prolong her life, or perhaps the sheer weight of her hatred kept her frail body moving forward.