Original: 2,070 words.

Edited: 2,717 words.

Darkness.

All she could see was darkness in this vast, dark void. Seemingly without any light for her eyes to see.

Experiencing the fear coursing from her heart to her body. She could not tell anything but her beating heart and the fear-induced state of mind she currently has as she floated in this dark void.

What is this? Where am I? How am I here? Why am I here?

These thoughts. Her thoughts that rang throughout her expense. Unpleasantly feeling all of these with no one around for her to seek comfort for.

Moving and unmoving.

Floating in this dark void, she could not know what it is and what is what for the umpteenth time she had been in this place. Not knowing what it truly was.

Alone.

Her thoughts reached to a conclusion that she was alone. With no one around to keep her company. Unknowingly reaching out for someone to come for her.

This space. This void.

She hated it. She feared it.

Never before had she experience this in all of her life. Constantly gnashing at her, as if the void itself was telling her that she doesn't belong here. That being the case, which is true in a sense of the word.

But in doing so, she could not remember how she got here.

Unable to remember. Unable to recall any event that got her here in the first place. Unable to come to a conclusion as to why she was here. Unable to find what it was that truly happen before coming to this dark void.

Feeling the darkness crushing her. The girl struggled to break free from the dark void that surrounded her.

Heart racing to a degree she hadn't experience before. Tears falling from her eyes at the intensity thereof that her feeble heart couldn't take.

She could faintly remember that she had been crying for many times on a single day. In that single day, she lost so many things she cherished.

Slowly, but steady, the darkness began its way to envelope her in its grasp.

Swallowing her. Drowning her. Locking her. Binding her.

Struggling, she attempted to break her of it but to no avail. Mocking her as if she wasn't strong enough to do so in her endeavor. Making her efforts useless.

She remembered someone told her she was strong, strong enough to carry that person who had been paralyzed after using a power that certain someone wasn't used to in the first place. Someone who had been her friend. Someone who had taught her things she didn't know about.

Memories flooding through her mind like a broken dam bursting out water.

The happy moments she cherished. The memories she loved so dearly. The recollection of her time before entering the void.

Those memories were reminding her that she wasn't alone. She wasn't hated, but that she was loved dearly by everyone around her.

A certain person reminded her.

"It's not your fault. It wasn't your fault that black thing dropped from the sky and hit me. It wasn't your fault that everyone had to leave. It wasn't your fault that you left the Princess room from that day. Besides, if you hadn't, I wouldn't have met you, Fortuna-san, Archi-nii, Braun-sensei, Kuro and the other villagers all those months ago. I would've gotten myself lost in the forest if I hadn't found you hiding under the bush from me."

"Subaru…"

She uttered the person's name in a soft, whispered tone. The name of her friend had brought her comfort.

Remembering the moments that she had with him. The time spent with him throughout the months she first met the human boy. Who had been aimlessly wandering the forest with no destination in mind.

The reassuring tone he used when they were running away from the Black Serpent. Telling her that it wasn't her fault that everything changed since the two strangers arrived out of nowhere.

Before she could return to her mindset that it was all her fault again. She heard a familiar voice of someone she called a friend calling out to her.

Emilia!

"Subaru."

She uttered in response to the calling. Unsure why he was doing it.

Why is he calling her?

Then, in an instant, she remembered what had truly happened.

They were running away from the Great Mabeast when she and Archi noticed a black hole in front of them. With Subaru telling them it was safe to go through.

She didn't know why and how he said it was safe, but she trusted him enough to follow what he said.

As they come closer, she remembered Archi doing what she thought he wouldn't do.

He picked both her and Subaru up and throw them at the portal.

She wondered at the time why he did that. And he even said goodbye to them.

Then she saw a wall of Shadows forming behind him, blocking those black tendrils from piercing through Archi. Saving him from certain death.

Then he was thrown by an invisible force at them. As if something grabbed him and made him go toward at them through the black hole.

After that, she was trapped in this dark void since then.

Now that she remembered what had happened, she felt something shaking her. As if trying to wake her up.

Emilia!

She heard Subaru calling to her once more. Like he was trying to find her in this darkness.

Before she could do anything in response of Subaru's calling to her, an unknown woman's voice said to her. Almost whispering.

"Please, help him."

With that, a white light covered her entire view without warning.

"Emilia!"

Squinting her eyes, Emilia had barely been able to recognize the silhouette of the person calling out to her. With audible concern in his voice.

"Subaru…"

She said with her view of him becoming clearer and clearer by the second as she managed to see him release a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Emilia. I was starting to get myself worried over you not waking up."

"What… happened? And where are we?"

Emilia asked him as she sat up while she rubbed her eyes. Feeling the air colder than what she remembered it to be.

Then she saw with her amethyst eyes that they were in a forest in a middle of a winter season. With snow covering the tress and the ground beneath them. Witnessing the world around them in White. Similar to the surroundings where the Seal was located.

The Half-Elf couldn't believe what she was seeing right now. And it was something she hadn't seen in all her life until now.

Snow.

She was seeing snow for the first time. Winter.

Since Elior Forest was filled with Spirits that constantly made the forest stay the same season all year long. Emilia didn't have the opportunity to see actual snow during the entirety she lived in Elior Forest.

That is, until now.

"I don't know." Subaru said, breaking her thoughts off just to hear him what he was about to say. "But, I don't think you'll like it."

Confused by what the boy said, the Half-Elf asked.

"Why? What do you mean by that?"

In response, the boy grimaced as he turned his attention to his left hand. Which Emilia followed his gaze and saw what it is.

"Subaru, your—"

"Don't worry, they're just… weren't like this before. No biggie."

Looking at his face, with the look he had that betrayed what he said. Emilia nearly shouted.

"Subaru You dunderhead! Your fingers are twisted!"

True to her word, she saw three fingers of his left hand, from his pinky to his middle finger, broken. With one of the fingers even looked out of place. And she grimaced at the sight of the latter.

"It's nothing." He said which further aggravated the young Half-Elf. "It was something that happened after we got out of the portal… well, more like it spat us out that is. And I happen to be at the wrong landing spot. Same goes for Archi-nii. But he got the better spot compared to mine."

He explained while scratching his head sheepishly but grimaced as he felt the pain of his left hand's fingers lit up once more. Which made the Half-Elf girl frown at the circumstance her friend had to feel right now.

"Also." He says once more. "If I hadn't caught you with my body, I'm pretty sure that you'd be feeling something painful by now. Especially how much Archi-nii puts in his arms to throw us at the portal."

Emilia immediately realized what he meant by that and frowned even more at that.

"I'm sorry, Subaru."

"Nah, don't be like that, Emilia. I'm just glad that we've managed to get ourselves out safely, even with a few broken fingers. Archi-nii is okay, though he lost his foot. See?"

He pointed at the fallen unconscious form of the blond Elf a couple meters away of them. With face planted on the snow-covered ground.

"Overall, we're alive and okay, right?"

He asked his friend who nodded at the positives he had just said to her.

"But, Fortuna-San and the others..."

He lowered his head, with Emilia hearing him grit his teeth at the memory she wasn't aware that he knew.

With Fortuna's sacrifice to keep the intruders at bay, they have managed to get to the portal but at the cost of losing someone that both dearly loved and the village they knew fondly.

The mental image of Fortuna running toward the intruders flashed suddenly in Subaru's mind. With Emilia recalling the appearance of the pair that appeared out of nowhere was still fresh in her mind.

Those unforgettable moments were forever etched in their mind for the rest of their lives.

What Fortuna did, they knew it was the best she can think of. But the thought of losing her and the rest of the Elves was simply unacceptable for the two. Especially when they were supposed to safe from the bad things that wasn't to be happening in Elior Forest.

Now that she was gone, the Half-Elf girl and the human boy didn't know what to do, except to wake up their unconscious companion who selflessly tried to help escape which ended up him being saved by an unknown entity. Especially when they are in a middle of a snow-filled forest, with nothing familiar in sight.

Suddenly, the appearance of a certain Quasi Spirit came to their sight the moment of their uncertainty

"Kuro! Man I'm glad to see you."

Subaru said to his contracted Spirit, happy to see it here and now assured of their safety as well.

Emilia was glad by its appearance too. Ever since she came to acknowledge Kuro was Subaru's contracted Spirit a month ago, she was happy they have something like the Quasi Yin Spirit to be in company with.

Kuro, in response to its' Contractor's words, was seemingly elated to it. As if it found joy in what Subaru said.

"Ngh... what happened?"

"Archi-nii is waking up!"

True to his word, their blond Elf companion, who was their older brother figure, groaned as he stirred himself back to consciousness. Repositioning himself so he could get a better view of his surroundings.

"Subaru... Emilia... you guys. You're safe!"

The moment Archi was fully aware of himself, he was soon met two children throwing themselves at him. Tackling him with a force strong enough to sent his back at the ground. The pair giving him a hug while they themselves were in near tears.

"Don't do that again, Archi-nii! We thought we'd lost you because of that stupid act of yours!"

The boy shouted at their older companion, who was initially confused by what he said until he remember what he did earlier.

"Yeah! Don't do that ever again Archi!"

The girl gave her own piece at him. Conveying to the blond Elf that what he done earlier had nearly cost him his own life.

The two gave their response toward Archi's dared attempt in saving them from the Black Serpent. The Elf being moved by their heartfelt words for him.

"I..."

He couldn't find the words to tell them what he really feel. It felt awkward enough, he, instead, said.

"Yeah... I won't do that again."

Archi smiled at the two children. The human boy grinned at his response while the young Half-Elf child simply giggled at his response.

They let go of the Elf from their hugs. Letting Archi regain his composure as he stared blankly at his missing foot.

"I remember that happened."

He said as he continued to look at the stump. The pain now nonexistent but the missing foot seemed to annoy him somehow.

With that out of the way, Kuro the Quasi Yin Spirit appeared near Subaru.

"What is it, Kuro? Did you found something?"

Subaru asked the Quasi Yin Spirit. With said Spirit moving in ways someone wouldn't understand what it meant except for his Contractor.

Although both Emilia and Archi did not know what Kuro said, since the former remembered the human boy telling her that it was something between a Contracted Spirit and Contractor that allowed them to understand each other perfectly. So, she understood what it meant to the Quasi Spirit as it conveyed to Subaru that it was very important.

The boy nodded, understanding what the Yin Spirit told to its Contractor.

But, Subaru had taken a serious expression after he gave a final nod to Kuro before said Quasi Spirit disappeared from their sight.

"Subaru." She called out to her friend, knowing something important had been said based on the boy's serious look on his face. The same thing could be said to Archi as he too noticed the boy's expression. "What did Kuro say?"

Concerned by the seriousness of this, she asked that question specifically because she knew that there was something that cannot be taken lightly. Especially in an environment they don't know about.

With a grim look, Subaru answered to his companions.

"Kuro says he saw Ice Statues up ahead." He pointed at the direction deep inside the forest to where it was. "And what I'm about to say, I know you guys wouldn't like it. Not one single bit."

Now, this was worthy of concern. Archi looked at the Half-Elf girl with a concerning expression at her.

Emilia herself was scared at what it all meant, but she wanted to know. She wanted to know what it was.

"What is it? What were the Ice Statues Kuro said it was?"

He placed both her hands on her heart. Fearing for what Subaru is about to say.

The boy bit his lip, not enough to bleed, but enough to convey it was of utmost importance that cannot be undermined in all circumstances.

"Those Ice Statues… Kuro said they were all of the elves in the village… he says they're still alive, trapped in the ice. And for how long, we're going to find out soon enough."

Thus began the trio's journey in this new unknown land.

And cut!

There it is, a new arc has arrived! And I hope you guys enjoy reading this chapter, and this is going to be interesting. Hehehe.

Before I end this, I would like to give my thank to you guys for supporting this fic so far. And thanks to all of you, this fic managed to reach more than 200 Follow count goal! Which made me appreciate this fic more and more.

Also, could someone, please, make something that I would use as a new cover pic for this fic. Please!

That is all for now, this gabrielchiong11, also known as user/ Mamon Ramon from Reddit, and see you all next time.