My powers have returned, but in return, I have lost control over them. Normally, it would be easy for me to cancel my magic once I cast it. More specifically, anything that relates to the cold, I can cancel it.
I can feel it. The whole enchanted forest in frozen because of me. The sudden surge of energy just came out like a storm that I could not even control. I can feel it freezing almost everyone and everything in place.
I am ashamed of the damage that I caused in the forest. More than that, I hate myself because I keep causing problems and have no way to fix them.
Right now, I’m trapped in an ice cocoon that I can’t even get out of.
I feel empty. I don’t even feel the cold, even though there's cold vapor around me. I can’t tell what’s outside. I can just feel up to which boundary my powers have reached. I can even feel a little bit of disturbance, like someone trying to break the ice I created. I can even feel Chace trying to cancel my magic, but considering how thick it all is, it’s taking up quite some time. Hell, I can’t even do anything about my magic.
Custard, Javi, and Leo—I don’t know where they are, but I am guessing that Custard and Javi managed to protect them.
Would it still matter if Leo is alive even though Kellar is gone?
I feel bad for taking Leo here for nothing. I should take some responsibility, but how can I when I can’t even help myself out of my ice prison?
I swear, I tried. When canceling the ice did not work, I started to futilely use my hands until they bled. There are scratches and wounds on my hands that start to bleed and soak my clothes.
I felt tired and started to fall asleep. How long it has been, I don’t know. I can’t tell the time in this ice prison that I created for myself.
Ice prison. Yeah, I think that a prison would be the best place for me.
***
I wake up. I don’t feel cold, but I feel someone calling my name.
Who is that? More importantly, who am I?
I can vaguely hear someone desperately calling for me. Who is it? Why am I in an ice prison?
I want to get up, but I can’t move my body.
“...Stella…!”
Stella. What is a Stella—or who is Stella?
I groan. My head is spinning. I can’t seem to focus my gaze. Or more like, I don’t have any motivation to do anything.
“...you have to!”
I have to what? I can’t hear them. I don’t want them to do anything. I want them out.
I can feel the ice thickening outside. The thick vapor and my powers running are telling me that it’s what’s happening.
Finally, it’s quiet.
It seems like the ice and my prison are coinciding with my feelings.
But my peace did not last long because I soon started to hear that same voice calling for me once again. It’s becoming more and more annoying because I cannot sleep. More so than ever, hearing that voice makes my chest swells in guilt and pain.
“Stella, can you hear me?” The voice is clearer compared to the others because it seems like this person is thawing the ice as he speaks. “It’s me. Chace!”
This brings me into a sitting position.
“Leave.” My voice sounds broken and hoarse. I feel like my powers are syncing with my emotions because just as I ask for the person to leave, I can feel the ice drawing out my powers to thicken the ice that’s separating me from the individual.
“Wha—” The voice sounds distraught. I’m guessing that the ice starts to enclose them faster than he can thaw them. “Stella, stop! He’s alive. Kellar!”
Kellar? That name. It sounds familiar. Who is it?
“Kellar’s alive.”
Kellar…Kellar…Kellar…
The more I think about him, the more my chest and head start to hurt. A face begins to appear in my mind. Dark hair and ruby red eyes. There’s a kid behind the prison that I am in, offering me food and water. He smiles, despite the injury on his body, which he obviously got from constant abuse from his family.
The scene shifts to even as we seem to be running away from a castle where we fought together to protect it. The child killed someone. I think that someone might be close to him because it seems like he is no longer the same after that. I sense—no, I can feel—a sort of darkness in him that seems to swallow him. After that, he disappeared, and I kept searching for him over and over.
Ah, that’s right. It’s his brother. The person that this Kellar person killed was his brother.
The darkness coming from him—did it come from that?
“Stella.” I did not notice it before, but it seems like this Chace guy finally made it through the ice barrier. I feel him pressing his hand on my shoulder, making me turn back to him. “I have someone who wants to see you. If you can calm down and ease up your barrier, will you let him in?”
Who is him? I want to ask, but it seems like my voice doesn’t want to cooperate with me.
Looking into this guy’s eyes, I feel like I can trust him. Wordlessly, I nod.
The ice around us seems to have stopped regenerating enough that this ice fairy is able to disperse some of the ice and allow whoever is on the other side of the barricade that I created to enter. I see a massive wolf and a panther coming inside. The wolf is carrying a human boy with him. He looks so weak and pale. He’s sleeping. His condition doesn't seem to be going along with the cold.
For some reason, my body seems to move on its own as I head toward him.
I know this guy. It’s…
“...Leo.” The name quickly comes to mind. I turn to the ice fairy as my memories begin to return. “Chace.”
“That’s right.” He smiles and nods his head, heading towards me to pat my head.
“How…how long was I here? Kellar? What about him?” Questions start to pour out of me the moment I start to get my bearings.
“Not more than two days.” He answers, his expression softening, like he seems relieved. “I can take you to him if you want. But first, do you mind melting down the ice? I mean, at least this ice prison that you created.”
Normally, I would have been pretty confident, but considering how I lost control and succumb to despair…I’m not feeling all too great about myself. Chace immediately notices my hesitation and goes to comfort me.
“What’s wrong?”
“I…I don’t know what will happen if I use my powers again. They might…they might go berserk.” The instant I let myself succumb to doubt, I noticed how the ice prison was starting to thicken around us.
Chace shakes his head, and a slow smile starts spreading on his lips. “You sounded a lot like me before I met you. Do you remember what you told me then?” I shake my head. “You told me that I should stop being a coward because the more I fear my powers, the more they are going to consume me. You also added that it’s unbecoming for a prince like me to acts so arrogant but lacks the talents to control their own powers. Whining would not solve anything.”
“Wow. I sound like such a brat. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be.” Chace laughs. “It’s because you were so harsh that my prideful self won over my insecurity. Now, Stella, do you possess the same kind of pride I do to push away your insecurities, you damn coward?”
I know that Chace is only saying those words to provoke me, but I guess that I do have the same amount of pride as him. I certainly don’t like being called a coward, especially not by someone who used to be my student.
I slap my cheeks to steady my nerves and resolve. It’s time I stop being a coward and act like the genius I am, as the late King Luke used to call me. I let out a breath.
I thrust my hand out, feeling the cold air around us. I picture the ice melting and dispersing, willing them to follow my command and desire. The vapor rises from the ground and will soon surround us if I don't keep it under control. Those vapors are still under my control because, as long as I can sense cold particles, they're under my fingers.
Take control. Subdue it. Release!
In a matter of seconds, the ice prison evaporates, letting the bright rays of the sun kiss our skin.
I turn to Chace with a sly smile. “Who’s the coward, you loser?”