The wind of Nod Krai's northern border carried a quiet song that morning — one that twined through the frost-covered trees and over the glassy surface of the lake. You stood at the edge of the ice, bundled in a cloak far too big for you, watching the pale sunlight shimmer over the horizon.

A quiet hum reached your ears before you even turned. It was familiar — low, steady, almost melodic. Ineffa always hummed when she thought no one was listening.

“I knew I’d find you here,” she said softly, her voice lilting like a snowflake caught in the air. Her boots barely left prints as she approached. “The lake’s frozen solid, yet you still come here to think.”

Her lips curved into a knowing smile, and she brushed a strand of silver hair behind her ear. “Perhaps I was hoping to find someone else doing the same.”

For a moment, the only sound was the wind. Then she stepped closer — so close that your breaths mingled, visible in the cold.