After two days of monitoring Mrs. Dulcie, her vitals remained stable, and she was recovering well. Thorne had also consulted with her daughters, who were eager to ensure she received proper care. Fortunately, teaching them wasn’t difficult, as one of her daughters worked in the medical field.
As I was arranging my things at the station, a soft voice interrupted me.
“Excuse me, are you Dr. Coffey?”
I looked up to see a woman with light brown hair. She was beautiful, bearing a striking resemblance to Mrs. Dulcie.
“Yes, can I help you?” I asked.
“I’m Debbie, Dulcie’s daughter. I just wanted to personally thank you for saving my mother,” she said with a warm smile.
“Oh, it’s nothing. I was just doing my job, no need to thank me,” I replied. “I’m happy to hear that she’s doing well. She’s stable now, right?”
Debbie nodded. “Yes, she is. Before I go, she wanted me to give you this.” She held out a small, old wooden box.
“She said you look like the strange white-haired girl who used to help her pick herbs in the North. Every sundown, a little girl would appear, silently assisting her,” she added with a smile.
I hesitated for a moment before carefully taking the box from Debbie’s hands. It was small, wooden, and slightly worn, as if it had been kept safe for many years. My fingers traced the delicate carvings on its surface—familiar yet unknown.
“That’s… interesting,” I murmured, my chest tightening at the strange familiarity in her words. “She said I look like her?”
Debbie nodded. “Yes. She always thought it was just her imagination, but the resemblance is uncanny.”
A shiver ran down my spine. A little white-haired girl at the North… picking herbs at sundown.
Could it be—?
I swallowed hard, my heartbeat quickening. “Did she ever find out who that child was?”
Debbie shook her head. “No. The girl never spoke, never stayed long. But my mother swears she existed.”
My grip on the box tightened. Could that girl have been… me?
I didn’t remember such a thing, but something deep inside me stirred, an inexplicable pull toward the mountains in the North.
I forced a small smile. “Tell her I’ll cherish this.”
Debbie beamed. “I will. And again, thank you, Dr. Coffey.”
As she left, I exhaled slowly, staring at the box in my hands.
I watched Debbie walk away before glancing back at the small wooden box. My pulse quickened as I ran my fingers over its worn surface. I was about to open it when—
“What you got there?”
I nearly jumped out of my skin.
“Caden!” I spun around to find him grinning mischievously behind me.
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence.
“Don’t sneak up on me like that,” I muttered, sighing.
He chuckled. “So, what’s with the box?”
“My patient, Mrs. Dulcie, gave it to me,” I said. “She told me I resemble a girl from years ago who used to help her.”
I hesitated. “I don’t know… but it feels like there’s a connection.”
Caden hummed thoughtfully. “And how do you feel about that? Do you remember ever helping an old woman when you were young?”
I frowned, trying to dig through the hazy fragments of my childhood. “No… maybe? The only memory I have from back then is being taken away by my aunt while my mother left me in a barn.”
Silence settled between us.
“That’s… deep,” he exhaled. “Come on, let’s keep talking while we go pick some herbs. Maybe getting some fresh air will help clear your mind.”
I managed a small smile. “Y-yeah, sure.”
A couple of minutes later, Caden and I roamed the forest, the cold biting at my skin despite the thick blue cloak wrapped around me. I carried a basket, carefully picking herbs as we walked. The silence was peaceful, only broken when I told Caden about my dream.
Of course, he was surprised.
“Now that we’re in Glacierbrook, what’s the plan?” he asked.
I raised a brow. “We?”
He nodded firmly. “I promised to help, didn’t I?”
I opened my mouth to argue, but he cut me off with a smirk. “Ah-ah, don’t even try. I already made up my mind. You’re my friend, and you carry way too much on your shoulders. Let me help.”
I sighed, shaking my head, but a small smile tugged at my lips. “Thanks, Caden. I owe you a lot.”
“Damn right, you do,” he said, grinning as he reached for an herb.
Caden plucked a handful of herbs and dropped them into my basket with a dramatic sigh. “You know, if I wasn’t training to be a doctor, I think I’d make a great herbalist. Or a forager. Maybe even a wise old hermit living in the mountains.”
I snorted. “You? A wise old hermit? You can’t even survive a day without complaining about the cold.”
He gasped, clutching his chest. “How dare you? I am a survivor! I’ve braved the harsh conditions of early morning classes, long duty shifts, and the horror of running out of coffee.”
I laughed, shaking my head. “Oh, the tragedy.”
“The worst kind,” he said, feigning a shiver before grinning. “But seriously, don’t you think it’s weird how we’re just out here picking herbs like we’re some medieval apothecaries? Should we start selling potions next?”
I smirked. “Yeah, and call it ‘Coffey & Caden’s Cure-Alls.’ Sounds legit.”
He laughed. “Exactly! We’ll scam—I mean, help people with our miracle herbs.”
I rolled my eyes, nudging him playfully. “You’re ridiculous.”
We continued joking, the weight in my chest feeling lighter with every laugh. But as I turned my gaze ahead, something in the distance caught my attention.
Nestled between the trees, partially hidden by overgrown vines and layers of snow, stood an old house. The wood was weathered, the windows fogged with age. A strange feeling twisted in my chest.
I stopped walking, my breath hitching.
Caden noticed my change in demeanor and followed my gaze. “Uh… Zaira? Why do you look like you just saw a ghost?”
I swallowed hard, my grip tightening on the basket. “Because… I think that’s my home.”
An old, rusty two-story house stood before us, its decaying exterior barely holding together. Some sections of the roof were missing, the wooden walls warped with age. Windows were either broken or boarded up, as if trying to keep something out—or in.
“You really found it,” Caden said, standing behind me.
“We can’t go there, Zai. That place is off-limits,” he warned, his voice low.
I turned to him, my chest tightening. “I know, but I need to.”
“Let’s go back and talk this through. This place is prone to winter wolves, and it’s abandoned for a reason.” He slowly grabbed my wrist, trying to pull me away.
“Caden, you said you were willing to help, right? This is your chance—help me sneak out,” I pleaded.
“Zaira, do you even hear yourself? You’re asking me to help you break every rule just so you can sneak into some cursed-looking house. What if something happens to you?” His grip on my wrist tightened slightly. “How about we tell the professor and—”
“No!” I cut him off, my voice sharper than intended. He fell silent.
“Not the professor,” I repeated, this time softer. “I don’t want to drag anyone else into this. This is my past, Caden. I have to face it myself.”
He crossed his arms, his expression torn. “Are you kidding me? And let you go out there alone? If something happens, I’d never forgive myself.”
I took a deep breath, my fingers curling into fists. “I can’t just ignore this. I finally found my home—how do you expect me to walk away?” My voice wavered, the weight of everything pressing on me.
Caden sighed dramatically, rubbing his temples. “You’re really testing my patience, you know that?”
“Fine! I’ll help you.” He shot me a glare. “But only because if I don’t, you’ll find a way to do something stupid on your own.”
I grinned. “That’s what friends are for.”
He groaned. “No, friends are for borrowing notes and buying each other snacks. Not sneaking into forbidden, wolf-infested, haunted-looking houses in the middle of nowhere.”
I nudged him. “You already agreed, no backing out now.”
He threw his hands in the air. “Yeah, yeah. But if we get eaten, I’m haunting you first.
I grinned. “Knew you couldn’t resist.”
He scoffed. “I swear, if you weren’t just a stubborn little snowball, I’d have left you already.”
I nudged him. “Oh, come on, you love this adventure.”
“Yeah, sure,” he muttered. “Nothing like sneaking into creepy abandoned houses and possibly getting eaten by wolves. Living the dream.”
I laughed, and despite the uncertainty ahead, for a moment, it felt just a little bit easier to breathe.
We came back yet I noticed that the people layed off, they still looked at me but some weren't they treated my like a normal person after what happened to Dulcie. We saw Arlo and Arthur as I put the herbs on the desk. 
“Where were you guys?” Arthur asked. 
“We got herbs just like you asked us” Caden replied. 
“Isn't it creepy right there, God I couldn't even step in the forest” Arlo shivered. 
Caden smirked, shifting slightly as he glanced at me. “Well, if Zai ever went missing, I’m pretty sure the wolves would adopt her instead.”
I raised a brow. “Excuse me?”
He shrugged. “I mean, look at you—pale, cold, always lurking around places you shouldn't be. You’d fit right in.”
Arthur snorted. “Yeah, I can already picture it. Zaira, Queen of the Winter Wolves.”
“At least I’ll be the queen of wolves. I can even tell my wolves to kidnap you and make you a sacrifice to the blood moon,” I said, trying to sound ominous as I loomed over Caden.
“Now you’re being weird,” Caden said, crossing his arms while Arlo and Arthur laughed.
“Sacrifice… I need your royal blood and flesh,” I continued, my voice dropping dramatically.
“Quit it, Zai.”
“Blood and flesh,” I chanted before lunging at him, grabbing his hair and messing it up as if I were a wild beast.
“Get away from me, you monster!—Guys, help me!” he yelled at Arlo and Arthur.
“We don’t want to be the sacrifice, Caden,” Arthur laughed.
Caden flailed, trying to escape my grasp as I continued to ruffle his hair like some feral creature.
"Zai, stop! You're ruining my natural charm!" he whined, attempting to push me away.
Arthur smirked. "Natural charm? Man, even the winter wolves would turn you down."
Arlo nodded sagely. "Yeah, they'd take one sniff and be like, 'Nah, we have standards.’”
I gasped dramatically. "You guys are so mean to my future sacrifice!"
Caden groaned. "Why am I even friends with you people?"
"Good question," a cold, familiar voice cut in.
The laughter died instantly.
I turned my head, my hands still tangled in Caden's hair, to see Thorne standing a few feet away, arms crossed, jaw tight. His piercing gaze flicked between us before settling on me, unreadable but unmistakably tense.
I stopped as I looked at him. 
“You shouldn’t be slacking while on duty,” Thorne’s cold voice cut through our laughter.
I turned to him, brows raised. “We’re on break.”
His gaze flickered between me and Caden, his jaw tense. “Then keep it down. If you’re going to flirt inside the tent, take it somewhere else. This isn’t a place for unnecessary activities.”
Flirting? I almost laughed. “Flirting?” I echoed. “Says the guy who’s all smiles with the village chief’s daughter while on duty.”
Thorne’s expression didn’t change, but I caught the way his fingers curled slightly at his sides. “At least I know when to do it. Not. On. Duty.”
I scoffed, heat rising in my chest. “Oh, right. Because laughing with my friend is a crime, but you chatting with her isn’t?”
His stare was sharp, but beneath the ice, there was something else. Tension. Frustration.
Caden cleared his throat. “Uh, I feel like I should clarify that I am not flirting with Zai. Pretty sure she’d punch me first.”
I smirked. “Exactly.”
Thorne’s jaw tightened. “Just don’t cause a scene.”
“You caused it first” I rolled my eyes, the argument already exhausting me. “Come on, guys. Let’s go.”
As I walked away, I could still feel the weight of his gaze on my back—hot despite the cold.
After the day had passed, Caden immediately got a map, a safe map where I could sneak in towards the house. I am alone at the students house since they're going to have dinner with the village chief. I don't want to see Thorne right now. He's still getting on my nerves. 
Caden went to the dinner so that our plan won't be suspicious at all. I packed light and used a black cloak to canoflodge myself from the night. 
I reviewed the map again while waiting for Caden when someone knocked on my door and I slightly opened it. It was Caden, surprised why he's too early. 
“Caden?” I asked. 
“Hurry I asked to go home early as if I have a stomach ache” he said. 
I nodded in response. We slowly sneaked out, our student houses were guarded by some knights.
Later on, We moved quietly through the shadows, keeping low and sticking to the edges of the village. The knights on guard were busy talking, not noticing us as we slipped past them. 
My heart was pounding in my chest, but I couldn’t afford to hesitate now. Not when I was so close to uncovering something that had been buried in my past for so long.
Caden was right behind me, his steps light, and his presence reassuring. Every so often, he’d glance around, making sure we weren’t spotted, but I could tell he was just as anxious as I was.
“You sure about this?” he whispered, his voice barely audible in the still night air.
“Yeah,” I muttered back. “I have to know what’s inside.”
We finally reached the edge of the woods where the house was visible in the distance—dark, looming, and eerie. I could feel the chill in the air, colder than it should’ve been. Something about this place always felt off, but I couldn’t back down now.
“Ready?” Caden asked.
I gave him a quick nod and pulled the hood of my cloak tighter around my face. “Let’s go.”
We started moving toward the house, careful not to make a sound as we approached the worn gate. The house looked even more haunting up close—its decaying wood groaning in the wind, the broken windows like empty eyes staring back at me.
I glanced at Caden, who was looking around, alert. “Stay close,” I said. “We don’t want anyone catching us.”
“I know,” he replied. “But you’re sure about going inside, right? It looks... well, kind of dangerous.”
“I’m sure. This is where I need to go.”
With that, we pushed open the creaky gate and slipped inside. The cold air seemed to thicken as we walked closer to the door, my every step feeling heavier. The house loomed over us, almost like it was alive, waiting.
As I reached for the door, I could feel a strange tension in the air, something that made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. Was I ready to uncover what lay inside?
The inside of the house was suffocating, the air thick with dust and decay. Broken furniture littered the floor, remnants of once-loved possessions now reduced to rubble. The walls were stained with soot, evidence of a fire long passed but never fully forgotten. It was all too familiar—the smell, the sights, the feel of the place, exactly like the nightmares I’d had for years.
“Is this you?” Caden’s voice cut through the silence, and I turned to find him holding a small heart-shaped frame, the glass cracked but the image still clear. It was a picture of my parents and me when I was a child, my face full of innocent joy. I hadn’t seen this frame in ages, and yet here it was, tucked away in the chaos of this decaying house.
I didn’t answer him immediately, my heart heavy as the memories came rushing back. The same room, the same house, the same eerie feeling. The stained blood on the floor—my father’s blood—pulled me further into the nightmare I was trying to escape. It was all too real. I remembered it all now, the vivid image from my dream.
“So, what do we need to find exactly?” Caden’s voice broke through my thoughts, and I snapped my gaze back to him. He was standing a few feet away, his expression unreadable, though there was a hint of concern in his eyes.
“Something that might explain why my parents wanted me,” I said quietly, my mind already drifting to the office where I knew there were answers. I needed to see it. I needed to understand.
I turned to move towards the door, eager to get to my parents' office, when something in the air shifted. A chill crawled up my spine, and I froze mid-step.
“I wouldn’t go there if I were you,” Caden's voice was different now—sharp, cold, and filled with an unsettling intensity. My heart skipped a beat.
I turned back to him, my stomach twisting. His gaze was no longer warm, no longer the Caden I trusted. There was something darker in his eyes now, something unfamiliar. He stepped forward, blocking my path with an almost predatory grace.
“What do you mean by that?” My voice trembled, but I couldn’t stop myself from asking. The shift in the atmosphere was too obvious now.
He smirked, his eyes gleaming with something I couldn’t place. “It’s really easy to deceive you with the kind, warm-hearted Caden you know. But now, we’re alone. And I’ve found you exactly where I needed you to be.”
My blood ran cold. I took a step back, confusion mixing with fear. “Okay, that’s funny. Drop the act,” I demanded, trying to steady my shaking hands, but the confidence in my voice was starting to crack.
Instead of backing down, he only smiled wider, the edges of his lips curling in a way that sent a wave of dread crashing over me. He whistled once, the sound hollow and eerie in the quiet space, and from the shadows, I saw them.
Ragged figures emerged, men in tattered coats and worn boots, their faces shadowed and twisted with malice. My heart stopped as I realized this wasn’t just some sick joke. This was real.
“Caden… what is this?” My voice was barely above a whisper, panic rising in my chest.
He chuckled, the sound dark and mocking. “I’m just doing my job, Zai. No hard feelings.”
Before I could react, everything went dark. The last thing I heard was Caden’s voice, distant and cold, as the world around me faded into nothingness.