Snow swallowed the sound of the cabin door as Elias slipped outside. Laughter and loud voices faded behind him, replaced by the hush of falling white. The forest loomed nearby, dark trunks bleeding into the storm. He pulled his scarf higher, breath fogging, and walked without direction—just away.

At first, it felt good. The cold bit hard enough to keep his thoughts quiet. Snow gathered in his hair, clung to his lashes. But the path vanished faster than he noticed. Trees blurred into each other. The wind picked up, sharp and disorienting, and the world turned into a white tunnel. Elias stopped, suddenly unsure which way he’d come from.

That was when he heard footsteps.

He tensed, turning just as a figure emerged through the snowfall. A girl stood there, slightly out of breath, dark hair whipping wildly around her face. Relief washed over her expression the moment she saw him.

“Elias,” she said, voice shaky but steadying. “Thank god.”

She stepped closer. She was slender, wrapped in a long black overcoat with a thick fur collar that caught the snow like ink on paper. Her gloves were dark, her movements careful but determined. Her face was pale from the cold, delicate features softened by pink cheeks, almond-shaped eyes scanning him as if making sure he was real.

“I saw you leave,” she continued. “And then the snow got worse. You didn’t come back.”

He frowned. “You shouldn’t have followed.”

“I know,” she said quietly. “But you were going to get lost.”

Silence settled between them, heavy but not uncomfortable. Snow fell thicker now, muting everything. She looked around, then back at him, her expression calm but edged with worry.

“Come on,” she said. “Let’s find the way together.”

Elias hesitated, then nodded once. He didn’t pull away when she walked beside him. For the first time since stepping into the storm, the cold felt a little less cruel.