WHITE
"The worth of a person is not measured by their position, but by their acts of kindness and compassion."
The concert hall of the magnificent and idealized city of Atlas was filled with bright lights directed towards the stage. The excited murmurs of the crowd filled the air, eager for the show they had come to attend.
"Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Weiss Schnee," a male voice said through the speakers.
The sound of footsteps from a beautiful young woman with silver hair echoed on the polished marble floor. Weiss emerged from the shadows at the side of the stage, drawing gazes with her elegant and sober demeanor. Her silver hair, smooth as silk, fell perfectly behind her head, tied in a ponytail. Strands cascading over her forehead shimmered with white highlights under the spotlight, complementing her pale and delicate porcelain-like complexion.
Her attire was as elegant as she was. An immaculate suit in shades of white that graduated into blues, almost grays, the closer it reached the hem of her skirt. The young woman exuded a cool and distant elegance. Her snug, well-tailored outfit accentuated her slender figure and upright posture, as if every gesture were meticulously calculated to convey power and authority.
She kept her eyes closed for a moment, then opened them to gaze at the crowd that had come solely to see her. Clear eyes, the color of ice, stared intensely at the audience, revealing determination and a hidden purpose behind her apparent calmness.
As she advanced toward the center of the stage, Weiss projected a magnetic presence, capturing the attention of everyone present who applauded for her. The applause gradually quieted down as she stood in the spotlight, ready to perform. The piano began playing the first notes, and Weiss closed her eyes again, focusing on the melody.
She let the notes flow into her ears and then began to sing. Her clear, melodious voice began to fill the concert hall. She felt a mix of nervousness and determination; this was her moment to shine, to prove that she was more than just a surname. This was her final step after so many to break free from many shackles that had been imposed on her and to fulfill her dream.
Mirror…Tell me something
Tell me, who's the loneliest of all?
Enormous screens towered throughout the city, all displaying only Weiss Schnee, almost as if to conceal that problems loomed over the skies of Atlas.
A team of special forces was in full operation. Their Bullheads hovered over the city, just meters above the buildings. They were on a search and capture mission. It had been shortly after an event that no one could have imagined would ever occur; the event's secrecy and confidentiality were at the highest level, so even they were unsure of the target to capture. They only knew it was fleeing and crossing the Atlesian airspace.
"Echo here, Target spotted at twelve hundred," announced one of the soldiers over the communicator. "We'll leave the rest to you."
"Copy that. Contact in T-minus ten," responded the pilot.
"Ace Ops, moving out," ordered a male voice.
Inside the aircraft were five people besides the pilot, all dressed in white suits and masks with specialized goggles.
The aircraft's hatch opened, revealing the luminous city. The five Ace Ops waited; their leader stood at the front, still without visual of their target.
"Contact!" he exclaimed.
Mirror, tell me something
Tell me, who's the loneliest of all?
The five of them then saw their target: a humanoid entity with four appendages resembling a mixture between bat wings and moth wings, flying at considerable speed.
One of the Ace Ops created translucent appendages on their arms that glowed golden. Acting like tentacles, they lashed out towards their target, managing to latch on.
They weren't the only ones to catch the target. Their captain also did, using a peculiar weapon resembling a fishing rod. He hooked onto the creature's right leg, and together they pulled.
The creature couldn't react in time and was lifted into the air. The third member aimed their rifle and fired. But the bullets passed through it, and the spectral appendages and fishing rod simply fell away, as if the creature had suddenly become intangible.
They watched as their target folded its wings and plummeted towards the street, complicating the pursuit.
"Oh, you're not getting away!" exclaimed the smallest member of the team. She had an exoskeleton on her arms and wasted no time in jumping.
"Wait!" shouted the leader, but his words fell on deaf ears.
As she freefell, her legs were covered in rays, and her sensory ability increased. She used her skill to ease her landing, running down the facade of a building and pursuing her target that way.
Mirror, what's inside of me
Tell me, can a heart be turned to stone?
Barely distracted by the enormous screens showing Weiss show, the winged creature maneuvered deftly through the obstacles in its path. Each turn and glide was calculated to maximize the distance between it and its pursuers. The city was a labyrinth of skyscrapers and complex structures, but that didn't stop the speedster from catching up to it.
As the smallest member of the team chased the creature, her exoskeleton-armed limbs propelled her gracefully through the urban landscape. She moved swiftly around corners and leaped effortlessly between buildings.
It was when she managed to position herself above the creature that she jumped, fist ready to strike.
The impact happened, slamming both of them into the ground. The creature bounced and skidded while the Ace Ops member hit the ground with a punch, cracking it.
Weiss's melodious voice echoed through all the streets and alleys of Atlas, creating a peaceful atmosphere that contrasted with the fight taking place in the alley.
The creature barely managed to get up when it received an uppercut from the Ace Ops. She managed to throw it off balance with that, and she wasted no time continuing her attack, launching a series of precise and rapid blows at her opponent. Her movements were fluid, each attack designed to incapacitate the creature.
However, it demonstrated surprising agility, adapting to her attacks, beginning to dodge the blows or deflect them with slight touches of its four-fingered hands. The Ace Ops didn't notice, too focused on attacking, but everything around her was slowly being covered by a layer of frost.
The temperature plummeted, and only when the cold began to affect her mobility did she realize. Her boots slipped on the ice forming under her feet, but she wasn't going to stop. With a shout of determination, she launched a final punch with all her strength, but the creature, with a quick movement of its wings, moved backward, dodging the blow and leaving the Ace Ops off-balance.
Trying to regain her stance, she lunged forward, but the ice under her feet betrayed her. She lost her balance and, with a cry, went straight into a dumpster with a crash. The impact momentarily stunned her, leaving her unable to do anything to avoid a mist exhaled by her target.
She tried to cover herself with her arms, but only managed to get frozen in that position. Except for her head and one arm, her entire body and everything around her were frozen solid.
"Damn it!" she exclaimed, watching as her target escaped.
She tried to break the ice, which was deceptively resistant.
"Harriet! Are you okay?" From above, her teammate, the one capable of creating spectral appendages, dropped into the alley.
"What took you so long!? Get me out of here!" she shouted angrily.
Mirror, mirror, what's behind you?
Save me from the things I see!
The Ace Ops' bullhead flew over the area near the confrontation, quickly encountering their target again.
"Contact reestablished!" shouted the pilot, pointing towards a group of skyscrapers to the right. The creature appeared, emerging from among the structures with impressive speed.
"I'll go," one of the Ace Ops still aboard the aircraft spoke up. She was the largest among them, and her weapon was the most destructive. She drew a hammer that transformed into a missile launcher and jumped out, positioning herself above the aircraft's roof. Her legs were covered in a golden glow, and her feet seemed firmly planted on the metal.
She took a deep breath and aimed; that thing was fast and had a skill that made it invulnerable; she had to be precise. She waited patiently; the aircraft would take a little longer to reach it to get a shot. Just a little longer.
I can keep it from the world
Why won't you let me hide from me?
When she could see its green eyes, she fired. The missile sped towards the creature, but it evaded it. The projectile hit a building, raising a column of ice in its place.
She didn't stop and continued firing, but still missed. The creature changed direction, ascending higher and higher, evading the missiles, which only ascended and got lost among the clouds. Just as the creature did.
She cursed, and the glow of her pieces disappeared, being pulled back by the wind but managing to get back into the aircraft.
"Up now!"
Mirror, mirror,
tell me something
The pilot nodded and moved the controls, raising the craft, heading towards the clouds and passing through them. However, they didn't expect their target to be waiting for them. The pilot opened his eyes and tried to perform a series of evasive maneuvers to avoid a collision. However, the creature proved to be not only fast but also strategic. In a bold move, it positioned itself directly in front of the bullhead, spreading its wings fully, creating a pocket of air like a parachute, slowing its movement and becoming intangible just in time for the aircraft to pass through it.
The pilot and the remaining Ace Ops inside watched in astonishment as the creature simply phased through everything, leaving absolute coldness in its wake. Due to this, the controls began to fail. They had frozen completely.
"We're losing altitude!" exclaimed the pilot, alerting the Ace Ops. "We're going to crash into civilians!"
Who's the loneliest of all?
The team leader hurried to the pilot's cabin. They needed to do something to prevent this from turning into a disaster. He removed the pilot from the seat and tried to manipulate the altitude controls, but they were frozen. The ground was getting closer and closer. He needed to act before it was too late.
The unexpected happened. The team leader saw it, saw how their target dove and positioned itself in front of the bullhead with arms spread wide. He believed it would be futile; the creature might be strong, but it couldn't bear the full weight of the aircraft.
When they collided with the creature, it grunted, exerting its utmost effort. Then he realized. It wasn't trying to stop the landing; it was trying to lift them. He saw it face to face, separated only by glass. He could almost grasp it. Almost.
The creature managed to stabilize the aircraft. Although it was still losing altitude, it was enough for a more optimal landing. Once again, it descended to the ground and began to exhale. Its breath flooded the street, catching the attention of pedestrians who couldn't understand what was happening until a bullhead pierced the mist and began to glide over what could only be described as an ice ramp.
The aircraft passengers held on as best they could until they touched down on the asphalt, but the craft slid for several more meters.
The captain made sure his teammates and the pilot were okay before rushing out. Once again, he saw his target.
I'm the loneliest of all
Its wings spread wide and its huge green eyes stared at him. A brief exchange of glances, mere seconds, before the creature moved swiftly and darted away through the buildings.
Weiss was at the climax of her song. The crowd was captivated, mesmerized by her talent and stage presence. The final note resonated in the air, and Weiss opened her eyes to receive the thunderous ovation from the audience. As she bowed, she noticed a few snowflakes falling around her and looked up. She knew the stage's dome was open at the top, revealing the shattered moon shining brightly that night. But in addition to seeing the destroyed moon, she saw something else. A hooded figure whose green eyes glowed almost as brightly as the moon itself.
She observed, noticing how the person's breath condensed and formed snowflakes. Weiss was paralyzed, trying to discern the mysterious figure, but the darkness and distance made it impossible to see more.
The unmistakable sound of Atlesian ship engines alerted the figure, who then spread a pair of wings and left.
Weiss just lowered her gaze, unsettled by what she had just seen. The audience's ovation quickly brought her back, and she smiled and waved at everyone present.
A few days later.
In a bustling train station, the employees worked diligently to ensure all shipments were in order so they could depart without any issues, while passengers from all over boarded their cars or bid farewell to their friends and families before embarking on their journey.
"The shipment for Vale is secured! We can depart!" exclaimed a burly man dressed in overalls.
"Last call! The train to Vale is about to depart!"
Amidst the hustle and bustle of boxes, people, and luggage, no one noticed a small green light boarding a train, hiding among the shipments headed for Vale.
The train soon began to move, leaving the station and heading towards the kingdom of Vale.