Jack opened his eyes.
To his left, Aos was cutting a piece of bandage. To his right, Mila was lying down next to him, sleeping soundly, resting her head next to his chest.
"You're awake."
Ao's voice echoed into the room.
"Here, give me your arm."
Aos grabbed Jack's arm, unwrapping the old bandage.
His arm burned due to ice, red and rashed.
"Just what did you fight for your arm to turn like this…"
Aos sighed in frustration.
Jack looked at him, his mouth slightly curling upwards.
"Thank you, Aos."
Aos nodded.
"It's fine. By the way, tell me about her."
Aos wrapped a new piece of bandage over Jack's arm. Jack grunted.
"Ouch."
Aos looked at him calmly.
"I know her name isn't Arya."
Jack scoffed, letting out a small giggle.
"You saw right through me, huh?"
Aos laughed.
"Actually, I could hear you two fighting. Right after, she left the shed. I told her to stay at the lodge for now."
Jack's eyes turned wide.
"Oh…"
"I'm sorry about that…"
"I don't want any of you to get hurt."
"The other villages are in danger. I need to leave again…"
Aos nodded.
"I understand…"
Jack looked at Mila with a warm smile, her eyes still closed.
If it's them… it's okay.
"Her name is Maya."
Jack spoke.
"She is the daughter of the Monarch of Spring."
Aos nodded.
"That makes sense."
"So that's why you were hiding her identity."
"Why did you two fight?"
Jack looked at Aos, facing him.
"She wanted to come and look at the villages nearby."
"He might be the one causing this, Aos…"
Aos looked curiously.
"Who?"
Jack answered somberly.
"My uncle."
"The Monarch of Winter."
"He is the one that killed my parents."
"Now I know for sure they died that night."
"I fought him, you know."
"Turns out the Yeti was good all along."
"It was the Monarch that made him try and attack me."
Aos finished placing the bandage, sitting on the bed next to Jack's.
"How about we rest for today?"
"Just keep sleeping. I will take care of your wounds, as I said."
Jack smiled.
He moved his gaze to Mila once again.
"Are you going to stop pretending now?"
Mila kept her eyes shut. Jack looked at Aos and spoke jokingly.
"You want to eat already, Aos?"
"We said dessert today, right?"
Mila opened her eyes wide.
"Dessert where?!"
Aos and Jack laughed abruptly. Laughs echoed in the small shed.
Mila looked at Jack furiously, hitting him in the chest with her fists.
"You don't joke with dessert!"
Jack grunted once again.
"Ouch!"
"Okay, okay! We can have it tomorrow."
"I promise."
Mila gave a proud look.
"That's what I thought."
Then she hugged Jack from the side.
"Don't get hurt like this this time…"
Jack hugged her sideways, keeping his bandaged hand away.
"I will do my best."
Mila interrupted as if remembering something, her eyes now wide open.
"Oh!"
"And say sorry to your girlfriend. I don't really understand what you did."
"She's not my girl—"
Jack flustered. Mila interrupted again.
"But I'm sure it's your fault."
Jack hugged her tighter.
"Fine."
Mila lifted her finger.
"A researcher wouldn't do something without reason."
Jack and Aos both held their laughs at the last statement.
So… she doesn't fully understand what happened.
The shed, shining in warm light, was quiet that night. The snow turned stronger.
Maya was in the lodge, resting quietly in the same cotton loose shirt, grabbing a pillow tightly. Her cheeks slightly red.
She, too, was trying to keep her mind at ease.
***
In the morning, Jack, despite his physical healing, trained precision in ice. Jack made spikes again and again, exhausting his cold energy.
Now each time is more polished than before. The ice spikes are now smooth in an ice-blue color, the same as his eyes.
Aos helped him tend his wounds.
Both Jack and Maya didn't talk to each other for three days.
Maya secretly trained inside the house. She got dirt and started creating plants again and again, each time faster, filling the lodge with plant pots with beautifully made flowers. The chimney always on, helping her absorb heat energy.
Jack was finally left to depart. Aos and Mila were gone. They had gone fishing…
Jack went towards the lodge, looking for the map that showed the way towards the villages.
Now his glide seemed smoother than before, he had improved strongly after his fight. Yet only now polishing his skills in the past three days. His cold felt stronger and more complete. His traces after the glide fell shorter.
His mind more at ease. He began commanding it with much less concentration.
There he glided across the village, finally in front of the lodge. His heart raced as he approached the door. Maya was inside…
Jack patted his face with the palm of his hands.
You should've done this before.
Come on.
Jack gathered courage and nervously knocked on the door.
Opening the door was Maya. She was wearing a similar shirt to the last time, only this one white and covered with dirt. Her hair messy and not taken care of.
Jack's mind was thrown back.
What was she…
He brushed off the thought. Jack blushed slightly and bowed.
"Sorry…"
"I didn't mean what I said."
He looked up. She crossed her arms. Her face was pouting.
"Took you long enough."
Jack straightened back up.
"But being honest… I would still prefer you not to go."
"Really?!"
Jack stared with slight confusion.
"Well… Yes."
Jack peeked behind her, noticing a splash of color inside. His eyes turned wide at the sight of dozens of flowerpots lying in the lodge, a flower coming out of each, some intertwined.
Jack spoke quietly, raising one eyebrow.
"What are you—"
Maya took a step to the side, covering his eyes.
"Nothing."
"Just take it."
Maya took out a map from her pockets, giving it to Jack.
"How did you know?"
She looked at him with a small tear of sweat falling from her face.
"Well, I saw it on the table."
"And I kind of took a look."
"When are you leaving?"
Jack dismissed her weird behavior.
"At night."
She abruptly spoke.
"Really?"
Maya bit her lip nervously, her cheeks red, and her eyes as if they were panicking. They shook.
"Okay bye!"
She closed the door on his face strongly.
She blushed. Her mind was crashing.
God, why did I make it so weird. I'm not good with secrets.
Jack stood outside, bewildered.
Well… That didn't go as I expected… Did I do something wrong?
Jack glided away towards Ao's house to prepare for the night. His mind was lost in thought.
Maya opened the door again, Jack now away from sight.
"Come in!"
She shouted.
In a tree nearby, Aos got out, this time holding a giant square covered in a brown coat tied to his back. It almost looked too heavy for his body.
Aos walked towards her.
"Did he say when he's leaving?"
Maya nodded.
"Yes, at night."
"Good."
"I already left Mila at Michael's house. They will take care of her for now."
"Although she was extremely against it."
"Get ready. We will wait for him there."
***
Jack got ready and he grabbed all his things.
His mind echoed.
I couldn't say goodbye to Aos and Mila…
Why are they taking so long…
Damn it, I need to go already.
Nicholas said every second counts.
He gritted his teeth, yet decided to finally go despite not being able to say goodbye.
Jack grabbed his dark cloak and investigated his map, ready to go towards the direction of the village.
With a slight hint of regret on his face.
Sorry.
Jack neared some trees, gliding through the snow.
Behind them, two figures appeared quickly out of the shadows.
One was of a young woman with emerald green eyes, her hazel hair tied behind her back. The other a young man, brown hair, dark eyes.
Maya and Aos were waiting for him there.
Aos spoke.
Jack's eyes widened. He stopped his glide abruptly, staring at their attire.
Maya was wearing a white coat similar to the one she used before, although this one seemed to prioritize the possibility of quick movements. Her hands covered by dark gloves with small pieces of metal in each of her knuckles.
Aos, on the other hand, was the one that caught his eyes the most.
Not his brown cloak—rather, it was what was behind his back.
A dark sword. A dark sword that almost doubled his size was behind him. The body of the sword black but with intricate spiral designs surrounding it, from far away slightly unnoticeable. The hilt was just as dark as the rest, the top lightly covered in white snow all tied by a brown belt that combined with his cloak.
Ao's voice echoed in the snow.
"We said we'd understand, not that we won't help you."
Jack gave them a sigh.
His lips slightly curled upwards.
"Fine. I can't say no anymore... I don't really have much time."
His eyes determined.
"Let's go"