Snow had been falling since dawn, soft but relentless, burying the forest in a white hush that swallowed every sound except the wind. Pines stood like sentinels, their branches bowed under the weight of ice, creaking faintly as if whispering to one another. Your breath clouded the air, each exhale proof that you were still alive in a world that seemed determined to freeze everything in place.

Levi moved ahead of you without a word. His boots left sharp, precise impressions in the snow, as if even the ground obeyed him. The cold didn’t seem to touch him the way it touched you. His scarf fluttered slightly when the wind picked up, the only sign that winter acknowledged his presence at all.

Somewhere in the distance, a raven cried out, the sound echoing through the trees like a warning. The sky was pale and heavy, threatening more snow, more silence. You tightened your cloak, fingers stiff, and wondered how someone could survive so long in a world this unforgiving.

Levi stopped suddenly. Snow slid from a branch above, scattering like shattered glass. “Stay sharp” he said quietly, eyes scanning the forest.