Now, if I had decided to live in my castle for the rest of my life, then this would be it. The story would end here. Luckily, I had more sense than that. All I needed was a push in the right direction. And who better to give me that push than the person who I loved more than anything else in the world?

But people don't change that easily. I speak from experience when I say that change is a very difficult thing to do, especially when it involves the people you love. But, in a strange sense, these very same people can also help the process move along, even when things seem impossible. While I was up in my castle, I thought for sure that things were never going to change, that I would forever be a secluded queen in my own imaginary kingdom.

Luckily, I had my sister to prove me wrong.

The sound of knocking reverberated throughout the castle halls.

Immediately, I jolted up straight. It had been around thirty-six hours since I had started living in my castle. Already the subtle force of boredom was getting to me; I had spent the past few hours in a trancelike state, lying absentmindedly on my bed while creating random snowflake designs on the ceiling above me, scattering the light that was being given off by the chandelier. The last thing I had ever expected would be a person knocking at my door.

I threw my legs over the edge of the bed and sat for a while, debating with myself whether or not I should go downstairs to meet this stranger. How did he - or she - manage to find me? I had created my castle in the most secluded place imaginable. The only way someone could possibly find me here, was if they already knew where I was.

But before I could come up with any paranoid theories, a different sound reverberated throughout the air. It was a low, deep grumble, like something heavy was being moved. Immediately, my eyes went wide, and I stifled a gasp. Whoever was down there had somehow managed to open the doors, which meant that they were currently making their way into my castle.

Immediately, my brain went on full alert mode. The debate in my head renewed itself as strongly as ever. I should stay up here, I thought, trying to calm myself down. Whoever is down there will probably go away on their own...

But at the same time, my mind was burning with curiosity. How did this person manage to find me? And how did they make their way all the way up here? Most importantly, who in the world would be crazy enough to scale the North Mountain, come across a mysterious castle made of ice, and think it would be a good idea to enter it? I couldn't be seeing anyone right now, not while I was still trying to get used to my new life. Whoever was down there, I had to politely ask them to leave.

I tentatively stood up and quickly ran a hand through my hair before making my way towards the stairs. As I walked down to the first floor, I mentally practiced what I was going to say to this stranger.

Hello. I see you've found my palace. I am Elsa, the Snow Queen. I'm sorry, but I can't allow you to stay any longer. You have to leave now. It's not your fault, it's just...I prefer to live this way. Or no. I, um...I don't want to hurt you. I mean, I'd never do it intentionally, but...ugh, why is this so hard?

"Elsa?" came an all-too familiar voice from the main hall. "It's me, Anna."

I stopped dead in my tracks, my heart skipping a beat as my train of thought grinded to an abrupt halt. Anna? What was she doing here? How did she get up here? Was she alone? How did she even know I was here? Her presence answered one question, but raised so many more...

Before I could get too caught up in myself, I forced myself to go down the rest of the stairs. Before I realized what I was doing, I called out her name. "Anna?"

I stepped onto the landing and scanned the main hall from above, eager and anxious at the same time. Sure enough, there she was, struggling to stay upright on the icy floor. She was clad in bunad gear, which included a long blue skirt, a pair of blue mittens, a fluffy pink bonnet, and a warm magenta cape that was generously draped over her shoulders. As soon as she heard me, she looked up in surprise. And then she just stared at me, a look of wonder forming on her face, expressive as always. For a split second, I wondered why she was looking at me like that. Then I realized, with no small degree of self-consciousness, that this was the first time she was seeing my new appearance. With my new hairstyle and dress, I was lucky she recognized me at all.

"Whoa, Elsa," she remarked, her voice full of awe, "you look...different." Then, catching herself, "It's a good different. And this place, it...it's amazing!"

I smiled down at her. I guess I always knew how to impress her. "Thank you. I never knew what I was capable of." I silently admired my work as my nervousness began melting away.

"I'm so sorry about what happened," Anna said, making her way up the stairs. "If I had known-"

"No, no," I interrupted her, my anxiety abruptly returning. I was no longer concealing my powers; who knew what would happen if she got too close? "You...you don't have to apologize." Then, although it pained me to say it, I continued, "But you should probably go. Please."

"But I just got here," she replied, her bubbly voice hiding any disappointment she might have felt.

"You belong down in Arendelle," I replied, backing away further. I could tell that she wasn't going to leave without some persuasion.

"So do you!" she responded, trying to sound convincing.

"No, Anna, I belong here," I said, slowly walking towards the banister, my eyes shifting between my sister and the castle's translucent walls, which gave off a pale blue glow. "Alone. Where I can be who I am...without hurting anybody." I stopped myself before my voice could catch in my throat. For a split second, memories of Arendelle flashed through my mind - the terrified faces of the citizens when they had discovered my secret. I shut the image away before I could get too caught up in it.

I wasn't sure what to make of the hesitant expression that formed on Anna's face. "Actually," she said, her voice careful, "about that-"

"...fifty-eight, fifty-nine, sixty!" came an unfamiliar voice from the main entrance. Immediately, my pensiveness was replaced by alertness.

"Wait," I said to Anna, my eyes darting towards the castle doors. "What is that?" Was someone else here?

I scanned over the main entrance to see if I could find the mysterious newcomer. What I saw shocked me beyond belief.

It was...a snowman. A living snowman! And it was merrily skipping into the room, acting like it was perfectly normal for snowmen to walk and talk. I put my hand in front of my open mouth, barely managing to suppress a gasp.

Yet, though I was certain I had never seen a living snowman before, the little guy looked familiar, evoking a vague, cloudy memory from a time long forgotten...

"Hi!" said the snowman, his loud, bubbly voice echoing throughout the main hall, "I'm Olaf, and I like warm hugs!"

I paused. The name sounded familiar. "Olaf?" Where have I heard that name before...?

He happily bounded onto the staircase, then stopped next to Anna, suddenly shy. "You built me," he said bashfully, clasping his hands together. "Remember that?"

I thought back to the night I left Arendelle, the night when I decided to let everything go. Yes, I did remember building a snowman back then, as a sort of test for my powers. But there was one big difference between then and now. "And you're alive?" I asked, addressing the elephant in the room.

"Y-um..." Olaf stuttered, studying his arms as if he doubted their existence. "I think so?"

I stared at my hands in awe, realizing just how much power I had inside me. Did I really create life...? Who knows what else I could do?

Anna knelt down next to the snowman and put her hand on his shoulder. "He's just like the one we built as kids," she said as she and Olaf looked at each other lovingly.

Despite my uneasiness, a small grin made its way onto my face. "Yeah," I replied, remembering when we would play together and build snowmen. It was such a simple time, one free of anxieties. I could tell Anna missed those times just as much as I did, if not more. Olaf's appearance only intensified the nostalgia, and I found myself longing, more than ever, to somehow restart my life. To have a fresh start with my sister, just so we could be together again.

"Elsa, we were so close," Anna continued, looking up at me entreatingly. "We can be like that again."

Just then, my heart fluttered in my chest. This was my chance. My chance to start anew with Anna, and repair our relationship. I could feel a new sense of freedom rising within me, a kind I had never felt before. But before I could open my mouth to say yes, images from long ago played themselves in my mind. I suddenly remembered that autumn night thirteen years ago, the night when my life took a turn for the worse. The scene played itself with devestating clarity.

"Catch me!" Anna squealed, jumping from peak to peak.

"Slow down!" I yelled out, reaching out to form a cushion of snow for her to land on. But instead of hitting the ground, my magic flew straight through the air and hit Anna square in the head. Her laughter ended abruptly as she fell to the ground, as limp as a broken bird.

I held my sister in my arms, watched helplessly as a white streak formed in her hair. "Anna!" was all I could manage to say, as my voice had caught in my throat.

"No," I found myself saying, "we can't." I desperately wanted to tell her about that night, to let her know why we could never be reconciled, so it wouldn't seem like I was just pushing her away. But I couldn't bring myself to say anything. Even after thirteen years, I was still too ashamed of my mistake to tell Anna the truth. I turned around, heading for the second-story staircase. "Goodbye, Anna."

Anna advanced up the stairs, following after me. "Elsa, wait-"

"No, I'm just trying to protect you!" I interrupted her, scared and frustrated at the same time. Why can't she understand? I didn't want to look back, to see the disappointment that would invariably show itself on her face. Instead, I pressed forward, heading up the stairs and ignoring Anna's pleas.

"You don't have to protect me, I'm not afraid!" Anna replied, her voice still optimistic despite the circumstances. "Please don't shut me out again!"

I forced myself to continue climbing the stairs as Anna followed close behind. All the while, she kept pleading to me, yet somehow retaining her usual bubbly tone. "Elsa, I finally understand why you've acted the way you did! It was to protect me, right? Having magic...that's a pretty big secret. But I know you can't hide it forever, Elsa. Come with me, and we'll make things right again! We'll head down this mountain together! Please Elsa, you don't have to live like this anymore."

I reached the top of the staircase and retreated into my living quarters. Anna, stubborn as always, was right on my tail. She stood at the doorway, smiling innocently. "Elsa," she said in an almost singsong voice, "for the first time in forever, we can be together again!"

I wrung my hands uneasily. Clearly, Anna believed that there was still a chance that I could go back to Arendelle with her. I admired her optimism, but it was proving to be most troublesome at the moment. I had to turn her down, but I didn't want to break her spirit. So I turned around and put on my warmest smile.

"Anna," I began, trying to adopt my gentlest tone, "please, go back home. You still have so much to live for! You finally don't have to worry about me every day. You can live life knowing that every day is yours. And you're finally engaged! Isn't that wonderful?" I tried to ignore the bitter taste left in my mouth by the thought of Prince Hans. "And the gates. Oh, Anna, the gates are finally open. You can finally enjoy the life you've always wanted - a life outside the castle. You really don't have to wait for me. I'll be fine. Go out, enjoy the sun, and open up the gates! Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Well, yeah, but-" Anna replied, the same hesitant expression from before showing up on her face.

But I wouldn't hear it. "I know you mean well," I interrupted her. "And I appreciate you coming here. It must have been difficult. But please, leave me be. I'm perfectly content living up here. Unlike you, I have nothing left to live for-" I stopped abruptly when my words caught in my throat. I quickly turned around and headed to the balcony to get some fresh air. Anna must have caught my break in tone, because she followed me outside.

"Yes," I continued, looking out at the mountainous horizon, "I suppose it gets rather lonely up here. But I'm finally free! I don't have to worry about hiding my powers from anyone. And Anna...that's what I've always wanted." I noticed Anna standing behind me, her face twisted with worry. I turned and headed back inside. "Just stay away from me, and you'll be safe. The people of Arendelle will be better off, too."

Anna hesitated for a while. "Um...actually, we're not."

I abruptly stopped walking and narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean, you're not?" I asked, turning around to face Anna.

Anna approached me cautiously. "You mean...you mean you don't know? 'Cause that's the vibe I'm getting here."

I threw my cape to the side. "What do I not know? Out with it, Anna!"

Anna seemed afraid to say what was on her mind. She clasped her hands together, almost flinching at her own words. "Arendelle's in deep, deep...deep...deep...snow."

Something coiled tightly in my chest. "What?" was all I could manage to say.

Anna winced. "You kind of set of an eternal winter...everywhere."

My eyes went wide, and an unpleasant, cold feeling built up in my chest. "Everywhere?" A few small snowflakes started falling from above.

Anna was quick to change her tone. "But that's okay, you can just unfreeze it!"

I held my hand in apprehension. Did she really think it was that easy? "No I can't, I don't know how!" My legs felt so heavy, I felt like I had to sit down.

"Sure you can," she replied cheerily. "I know you can!"

Anna kept speaking, but her voice seemed to fade away. In fact, all noise started to fade away. Strange, white shapes started dancing across my vision. My heart was pounding in my chest, sending painful waves of icy magic coursing throughout my body. The world around me faded out of existence. The one thing I could focus on was my thoughts.

I'm such a fool. Why did I ever think I could get away from this curse? There's no escape. I'm bound to this monster for as long as I live. I can't control it. Why can't I control it?! I imagined the people of Arendelle, desperately huddling around tiny fires in a vain attempt to stay alive. The town was frozen over, and it was all my fault. I felt like running away, but to where? There was nowhere left to run to. I was trapped. I folded my arms over my chest - nothing felt safe anymore.

It was then when I noticed that a powerful blizzard was swirling around the room, spurred on by my increasing panic. The strong gust drowned out any other sounds, and the flurry of snowflakes replaced my vision with an undulating wall of white. No! I can't be losing control again! Not after I worked so hard to control myself. I thought I was past that...

"Elsa!" I heard Anna call out through the storm, though her voice was very faint. "You don't have to do this to yourself! We'll work this out together!"

"Anna, please!" I yelled into the storm. "You're only making it worse! Go away now, before you get hurt!"

I was scared. So scared of everything. Of my situation, my powers, of myself. I looked at the glasslike walls, seeing my reflection - the reflection of a monster.

"Elsa, don't panic!" Anna called out, holding up her arms to protect her face against the snowflakes that relentlessly buffeted her. "Together we'll fix this!"

My breathing grew heavier, and my head throbbed painfully. Why can't she understand? I just want her to leave me alone!

"Anna, you're not safe here!" I cried, though I wasn't sure she could hear me.

Anna kept talking, but the powerful winds gradually drowned out the sound of her voice. My vision grew blurry, and my legs felt like they could no longer hold me up. Between my sudden loss of control, the pain that my magic was putting my body in, the realization that I had jeopardized Arendelle, and Anna's words of encouragement (which were doing more harm than good), I felt like I was going to faint. My consciousness seemed to be as blank and nebulous as the wall of white that surrounded me.

"Please!" I barely heard Anna say, her voice muffled by the storm and my fading consciousness. "We can change this winter weather! We can fix everything! Just...please come home with me, Elsa!"

And then suddenly, it was all too much to handle. Acting purely on instinct, I held my hands up to my head and forced the blizzard to retreat into a solitary point in my chest. An intense, searing pain wracked my entire body, caused by the dangerous amount of magic I had just taken in. Everything - the pain, the stress, the fear - became stronger and stronger, until it completely robbed my body of all feeling. And then, even then, it continued building relentlessly, intensifying more and more until...

"I can't!" I screamed, letting everything out. All my pain, my fear, my sorrow, my frustration - it was all unwittingly released in a bright blast of icy magic that radiated in all directions. In that one, excruciatingly painful moment, I spent every ounce of emotional energy left in me.

A few seconds of silence. And then, there was nothing.

Where there was once an intense fear that had relentlessly gripped me, there was absolutely nothing left. Just a cold, black emptiness that pervaded the void in my heart. For a few seconds, I stared at the floor, breathing heavily as I tried to reorganize my thoughts. Gradually, the world around me started feeling more and more concrete, like I was returning to reality.

That was when I heard a small whimper of pain come from behind me.

I turned around, suddenly remembering that Anna was in the room with me. But what I saw caused the painful coldness in my chest to rise again. My sister, clutching her chest, was down on one knee, her head hung low in agony. I gasped as my heart tumbled in my chest.

Did I really just...?

I was about to run to Anna and ask if she was okay, but I was cut off by an unfamiliar voice that came from the hallway. "Anna!"

My eyes darted towards the door to see a strange man run into the room. Behind him, Olaf followed closely behind, his expressive eyes filled with worry. The stranger knelt down next to Anna and helped her up. "Are you okay?" he asked, his voice full of concern.

"I'm fine," Anna replied, trying to put some weight into her words. But even from across the room, I could see that her strength was failing her.

Meanwhile, I couldn't draw my attention away from the stranger. Who did he think he was? "Who's this?" I asked protectively, almost instinctively. Then, remembering what had happened with Hans, I stopped myself from getting too caught up in my emotions. "Wait, it doesn't matter. Just...you have to go." I clasped my hands in front of my chest, backing away from my sister.

"No," Anna replied determinedly, refusing to give up hope. "I know we can figure this out together-"

"How?!" I pleaded as my emotions diffused into the air and transferred into the room, manifesting as black, intimidating spikes that grew within the walls. "What power do you have to stop this winter? To stop me?"

Anna only looked at me miserably, unable to come up with the right words. Meanwhile, a deep rumble echoed throughout the room as the shadowy spikes spread throughout the walls.

The stranger looked around nervously, at the menacing blackness that was quickly enveloping the room. "Um, Anna," he said apprehensively, wrapping a protective arm around my sister, "I think we should go."

But Anna shrugged him off and took a step towards me, trying in vain to appear strong. "No," she said resolutely. "I'm not leaving without you Elsa."

At that moment, I knew that mere words weren't going to persuade Anna to leave. I had to use force. As I noticed Olaf, hovering anxiously by Anna's side, I had an idea. But could I really do it? I know I've created life once before. I'm not quite sure how I did it. But if I could just do it one more time...

"Yes," I replied, trying in vain to steel myself, "you are."

I concentrated on my magic and directed it into my arms. Then, I threw my hands towards the ground in front of me, and let my powers take care of the rest. A bright wave of magic shot forth from my hands and hit the ground, causing a small explosion of snowflakes. Immediately, a pile of snow formed on the ground, surrounded by a spinning vortex of snowflakes. My creation swirled around chaotically as the snow joined together to form distinct shapes. And then, with a deep grumble, my creation rose: a twenty-foot tall golem that towered over everyone present. It stood perfectly still, silently waiting for me to give orders.

Anna and the mysterious stranger stood frozen in fear, looking up at the monster I had created. Meanwhile, Olaf spread his arms out in a hug, smiling at the hulking behemoth. "You made me a brother!" he squealed excitedly. "I'll call you Marshmallow!"

"Take them away," I ordered, turning away from my sister. Immediately, the colossal titan rumbled to life and looked down at Anna threateningly.

"Wait, Elsa, no!" Anna called out before the golem scooped her (along with her two friends) in its gigantic arms. "Oof-hey! Let me go!"

"Wow," Olaf said, his voice strained. "You really know how to give a guy a hug, don't you? I can practically feel my body being crushed in your intense grip. I think you should dial down the love there, big guy..."

Without wasting a second more, the great behemoth slowly lumbered out of the room, carrying Anna, Olaf, and the stranger. All the while, Anna kept complaining loudly, twisting helplessly in the golem's relentless grip, while her two friends enjoyed the ride in silence.

As Anna's voice receded into the distance, I found myself all alone once more. Silence surrounded me on all sides. But it wasn't a peaceful silence, the kind which I had enjoyed many times before. This silence was emotionally charged, filled with unbearable tension. It reminded me how lonely I really was. Once I was certain Anna was gone, I fell to my knees, unable to take it anymore, and wept, my tears falling unceremoniously onto the castle's icy floor.

Once again, I had put my sister's life in danger. But this time, there was nothing I could do about it.

That night, I found myself pacing frantically around the main hall, my mind an unorganized mess of emotions and thoughts. The castle's walls glowed an eerie red, reflecting my growing panic.

"Get it together," I said to myself, crossing my arms over my chest nervously. I could feel my own heart pounding furiously as I continued pacing around the castle, unable to keep still.

My head was still reeling from the events that had played out a few hours before. Did I really freeze her heart? Though I wanted to deny it, the truth was right in front of me. All the facts were against me. Anna was clearly clutching her chest when I had struck her. And I wasn't even paying attention to where I was aiming my magic. I just let it all out, not thinking about what - or who - it would hit.

I thought back to the night I froze her head. That time, we were lucky. Mama and Papa were able to take my sister to the trolls (whose existence was a mere legend that few people knew about), and they were able to save her life. This time, though, Mama and Papa weren't around to save Anna. And I couldn't go out there and take her to the trolls, either. I knew that if I came anywhere near Anna, I would only end up hurting her, making things worse. No, I belonged right here, in this castle, where I couldn't hurt anybody.

I remembered something the troll chief had said that night, after he had examined Anna. He said that we were lucky that it was only her head that was frozen, and that a frozen heart is "not so easily changed." What did that mean? Was he saying that a frozen heart could never be healed? If that was the case, then there was nothing I could do for my sister. She was doomed to die. Tears sprung to my eyes as I furiously denied the possibility. Yet, I knew that it could very well happen.

At that moment, a certain memory came to mind. It was something Papa had told me long, long ago, during my years of isolation. He said he had read up on the subject of magic, and that he knew the dangers of a frozen heart. "You must never use your powers, Elsa," he had told me sternly. "If you freeze your sister's heart, the magic will consume her from the inside out. She will freeze to solid ice, and she'll be gone forever." Looking back, I knew he had only said it to scare me from using my powers, but it was a pretty scary thing to tell an eight-year old how she could kill her sister.

"Control it," I rebuked myself out loud, trying to force down the cold numbness that was rising in my chest.

How could I protect Anna? There was nothing I could do to save her. And no one could take her to the trolls, as their existence had been forgotten long, long ago. Those who did know about the trolls didn't believe they actually existed. It looked like Anna couldn't rely on magic to save her this time. But then who else could she rely on? A doctor? That, too, was impossible, as Arendelle was frozen over, and the only people who could help her were too busy trying to survive the eternal winter I had unleashed.

Oh, Arendelle. I had forgotten that Anna wasn't the only one in danger. At the foot of this mountain, there was an entire town of people who were suffering the consequences of my actions. My father had entrusted the kingdom to me, and I had cursed it with my powers. It was my job to protect it, but instead I had doomed its people to die. I had failed as a queen.

"Don't feel...don't feel," I whispered, wringing my hands nervously. How could I let this happen? It wasn't my fault. None of this was my fault! From revealing my powers to Arendelle, to being secluded in my room, to accidentally hitting Anna with my magic - I never brought any of those incidents upon myself. It was these cursed powers. This undeserved burden that I had constantly had to live with since the day I was born. What did I ever do to deserve them? My whole life, they'd been nothing but a liability. I once thought, long, long ago, that I could use them for good. But now, I was trapped in my own creation, my kingdom was frozen over, and my sister, who I loved more than anyone else in the world, was about to die. And it was all my fault.

"Don't feel," I repeated, holding my hands up to my throbbing head. "Don't feel!"

Just then, a deep rumble echoed throughout the giant walls that towered above me. I stopped my pacing and nervously checked my surroundings, my eyes widening in fear. Without my knowledge, my powers had overflowed from my heart and diffused into the walls of the castle. Before I could do anything to stop it, wide masses of jagged icicles formed on the walls, growing larger and larger until they surrounded me, pointing at me threateningly and enclosing me within my castle. It was as if my own powers were turning against me.

This wasn't freedom. This was confinement.

And then, at that moment, I remembered something else the troll chief had told me. It was a warning against losing control of my powers.

"You must learn to control it," he had said to me. "Fear will be your enemy."

As I stood by myself in the dark red hallway, surrounded on all sides by my own creation, the true meaning of his words became painfully clear.