"Do you still remember how to tame descendants?" Carter asked, his gaze fixed on the mark on my wrist.
"I think so?" I shrugged, hastily pulling my sleeve down to cover it.
"What a terrible answer..." Carter sighed, rubbing the back of his neck as if searching for the right words to encourage me. "But I know you can do it, though."
"I have to." I tossed my hair back, exhaling sharply. "I need to go back as soon as possible. You know how weak Mother has become."
"I know how much this pains you, but you can't stop death. It's part of life."
"Easy for you to say—you’re immortal."
"If only you knew..."
Carter's voice dropped to a whisper, his expression darkening. He leaned against the wall, his silence stretching long enough for me to start studying him.
If my memory serves me right, I used to be as tall as him. So why the hell am I looking up at him now?!
My thoughts were interrupted by the creak of a door. Carter and I turned in unison, and the moment I saw Yuki’s gleeful face peering around the edge, a smile tugged at my lips.
"Holy crickets! It’s really you!" she squealed, rushing forward and enveloping me in a tight hug. "I knew you'd come back!"
I pressed my lips into a thin line, stifling a sigh.
"I never thought I would."
Yuki pulled back, her hands gripping my shoulders as she stared at me with those unsettling bluish-white eyes—so empty yet piercing, as if seeing straight through me.
"Didn't you miss your best friend?" She pouted, her perfectly shaped lips forming the most delicate curve.
"Of course, I did."
Yuki—my best friend, the ice princess.
For a moment, I was at a loss for words.
Lelith may be the goddess of beauty, but I had never seen anyone as breathtaking as Yuki. Her skin was as white as freshly fallen snow, her large almond-shaped eyes framed by impossibly long, bluish-white lashes that nearly brushed her elegantly arched brows.
Her nose was thin and straight, her lips full but as pale as her complexion. Her long, silvery-white hair cascaded to her knees, and her presence felt even colder than before.
"Hmm..." She took a step back, arms crossed. "I have so many questions, but first things first—did you really agree to tame the last descendant?!"
I flicked a glance at Carter before turning back to her.
"This is my only way to sever all ties here. I have to."
Yuki bowed her head, trying to suppress her frustration.
"You might get killed, you know that? And did you seriously believe they'd let you go, even after you tamed Aquarius?!"
"W-what?" My breath hitched.
Despite her pale complexion, Yuki’s face reddened.
"That descendant is no ordinary creature! He's—"
I cut her off, threading my fingers through her silky hair.
"I really missed you, and I want to go to our secret place!" I feigned innocence, but she wasn’t buying it.
"No! He’s—"
"C’mon!" I swiftly wrapped an arm around her and dragged her toward the door.
"Hey! I wanna come too!" Carter whined like a child, starting to follow us.
I shot out a hand to stop him. "I just said it’s our secret place, brother! I’ll hang out with you later, okay? Just stay with Kurama and the others for now. They were summoned back to their realms, but they’ll return soon."
Carter rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever. But you owe me dinner."
"Of course!" I winked and pulled Yuki out of the room.
The moment we reached the veranda, overlooking the sprawling garden, she wrenched herself free.
"Can we stop for a moment?!" she hissed, glaring at me. "Your brother doesn’t know about the last descendant, does he?"
I exhaled, exasperated. "No. If he did, he’d stop me for sure."
Yuki’s expression darkened. "What were you thinking?! Spencer told me you were warned, yet you still agreed."
"It wasn’t a warning—it was a reminder. They’re pretending I have a choice, but in reality, they’ve been planning to sacrifice me all along. You know what I am to this place."
Yuki’s lips parted in shock. "She wouldn’t—!"
I snorted. "That’s exactly what she would do. Nothing new."
We continued walking, heading toward the deepest part of the Enchanted Forest, where our secret place lay hidden beneath the towering Weeping Willow.
Yuki and I had planted it when we were kids.
As we passed through the grove, the trees swayed their branches toward me, showering us with blossoms.
"They still recognize you," Yuki giggled.
"I suppose," I murmured, smiling softly.
When we finally reached the Weeping Willow, I stopped in my tracks, awestruck.
It had grown massive—its drooping branches cascading like a waterfall of shadows, its thick trunk standing as an ancient sentinel in the moonlit night. Only the faint glow of pixie dust and the low-hanging full moon bathed the area in silver light, casting everything into an eerie yet breathtaking landscape.
The fireball guiding us had long since disappeared.
"Oh! Sorry..." Yuki snapped her fingers, and a cluster of wisps—glowing white and yellow—flitted around us, illuminating the space with their warm light.
"Wow! But how did you—" I caught myself and narrowed my eyes at her.
"Hmph! I trained them. Easy!" She smirked, puffing her chest out.
I chuckled. She hadn’t changed a bit.
I watched as she stepped toward the tree, leaving a delicate trail of frost in her wake. The long, white Lolita-style dress she wore pooled onto the ground, making her look every bit the goddess she was. Her snow-white curls were styled in an intricate updo, adorned with crystal leaves that traced from her left ear to her right.
"Come here." She gestured for me to join her at the foot of the tree.
Curious, I followed, watching as she picked something up from the ground.
Turning to me, she revealed a single, delicate weeping willow catkin.
"This is the only flower this tree has ever bloomed since the day we planted it," she murmured.
I watched, mesmerized, as she hovered her hand over the flower. A thin veil of ice formed around it, encasing it in a small, crystalline sphere—so small it could fit in my pocket without leaving a noticeable bump.
"Keep it," Yuki said, handing it to me. "I sealed a powerful spell inside. It can break even the strongest barrier in this land. You'll need it—especially now."
"Why?"
She hesitated, her fingers tightening into fists. "I just don’t trust those old hags. They’re too secretive."
"Geez, don’t worry so much. I’ll finish this job alive."
"You better," she scoffed. "Not even Aiden, ruler of the dead, can bring you back if you don’t."
I laughed. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever."