Chapter 38: When the Snow Fell in Summer
The first snow in centuries fell on the edge of Aqualis.
Children raced outside in wonder. The flakes shimmered in a silver hue. Not cold, not natural. They sang.
Catalyst had arrived.
She came cloaked not in war, but in curiosity. Her footsteps made no sound. Her breath stirred the silver particles in the air as if she carried a season within her.
Jaden found her alone on Harmony Ridge, gazing at the sanctum from above. Her white cloak danced in the artificial breeze, and in her hand, a crystalline orb pulsed with soft energy. The moonlight dome cast a pale halo around her slight figure.
"You’re younger than I expected," he said, cautiously stepping forward.
"You’re older than I hoped," she replied, eyes never leaving the cityscape.
Jaden chuckled softly, the tension in him unwinding just a little. "Why are you here?"
"To see what resists perfection."
He sat beside her, folding his knees beneath him, his hands resting on the dew-dusted grass. "You were born in silence. But the world you see is loud. How does it feel?"
She tilted her head. "Confusing. Beautiful. Terrible."
Her voice trembled. Not with fear—but with wonder.