Elsa had lost her notion of time. Once again she found herself trapped between the four walls of her bedroom, the frost-bitten tapestry a sore reminder of the not-so-distant past. These walls overflow with memories, she thought, brushing the wall's surface with her palm. And none of them are pleasant.

Her magic had somewhat helped in repairing her wrists. Occasional sharp pains would still bring her soft whimpers, but she was functional; physically, at least.

The storm raged outside, the howling wind assaulting the castle remorselessly. She was afraid to approach the window, afraid she would catch a glimpse of her reflection and see the monster she had started to believe she was; the monster responsible for Anna's death.

She leaned against the door and sank to the ground, bringing her knees to her chest and holding herself tightly. It was easy to… forget the present, easy to fall back into the sanctum of her mind. If she listened closely, she was sure she could hear a soft scraping on the other side, the same sound that had tormented her through her teenage years. She could imagine Anna in a sweet, little green dress, her luscious auburn hair falling untidily in that adorable way of hers. She could see her eyes, her face bright and an aura of determination about her. Regardless of how many years passed, Anna kept her hopes alive. They both knew it would prove futile, in the end, but still Anna came to her door, well aware of the heartache that it would bring her each time her sister asked her to go. The hope to one day have my open affection outweighed the pain of my withdrawal, Elsa concluded with a sad sigh.

She looked up to the ceiling, that same ceiling she would stare at when, so many years ago, guilt-stricken thoughts of her sister kept her awake. She would wish, then, for a chance to make it up to her, and make it right between them. Then, she would glance down at her gloved hands and curse her gift, knowing she could never afford to let anyone in. Fearing she would hurt those she loved, she accepted her burden with a heavy heart.

You killed Anna.

The queen tore her icy orbs from the remorseful memories of the ever-watching ceiling. This room had once held comfort, and provided her a sense of security; now, it only reminded of the precious time she had lost and would never get back, time she could have spent with Anna.

Hans was right. She hated the man, but his words buried themselves deep into her consciousness. She was a monster and, in the end, she really did manage to hurt everyone she had allowed herself to love. She was as cold as her winter's ice; she had abandoned feelings somewhere along her lonely path. At this moment, she could not even love herself. She had failed and, unintentionally, she had made the wise old troll's prophecy come true.

There was then a soft knock and Elsa recoiled, her eyes stinging as memories she had tried to bury now found their way out of their shallow graves. Without a second thought, she threw the door open, for a brief moment imagining it was Anna, having come asked if she would like to help her build a snowman. For a second she almost believed it was real – wanted to believe it was real – and she felt her heart flutter and threaten to burst out of her chest.

Gravity brought her back with force as she came crashing into reality, realizing her sister would never again knock at her door. Hans spoke, his harsh tone laced with disgust.

"Get changed, it's time for the ceremony."

With that he left, his steps resonating in the vacant halls. She watched him disappear behind a turn, and for a second longer she stayed suspended between the two realms, balancing dangerously on the threshold of her sanity.

She felt empty, stripped of her will to live.

Quietly, she shut the door and sank back to the floor, burying her face between her hands. She sobbed but, to her surprise, she found herself unable to cry.

Just let me die already.