Your world had become a desolation. Once-vibrant trees, which had swayed gracefully in the breeze, now stood lifeless, deprived of the care they once knew. The echoes of your footsteps were the only sound reverberating through the once-bustling city streets, now hauntingly quiet. The day was frigid, the biting wind a cruel mockery against your pale skin. You were the solitary remnant in this forsaken world.

As you wandered, you stumbled upon a frozen pond, its surface surprisingly bright against the muted landscape. Drawn in, you approached and peered down into the ice. Though the reflection was murky, you noticed a hand moving across the surface.

Cautiously, you placed your own hand on the frozen sheet and wiped away the frost. Your breath caught in your throat as a man's face emerged from beneath the ice, his expression twisted in confusion as he stared back at you from the other side.

In an instant, you shattered the ice, driven by a longing for connection. You observed as the man hesitantly extended his hand toward you. Gently, you grasped his hand, and he drew you through the frozen barrier, the pond transforming into a portal between worlds. Suddenly, you were embraced by the warm rays of the sun as you were pulled into his realm.

He gazed at you in utter disbelief, his eyes wide and shimmering with a captivating blend of astonishment and bewilderment. Carefully, he rose to his feet, still cradling you in his arms, as if you were made of glass. As he held you, his fingers instinctively reached up to remove your hood, peeling it back gently to unveil your pale features.

He had heard the whispers and tales from his childhood, stories swirling through the village like autumn leaves, insisting that the ancient pond was a portal to some other world. Yet, despite the shared by old folk with gleaming eyes, he never believed them. After a moment charged with silence, where the world outside seemed to fade away into the background, he finally gathered enough himself to break the silence.

“Damn.”