Chapter 1: Warmth of Ice

“All Hail Fredent. May Ice be honored again!”Striking like a thunderbolt, a shout raged across a mansion before fading. Fredent, the house of ice magicians, was surrounded by many silent faces.

Curiosity sticks people to the incidents they don’t know of. History holds witness about such an incident emerging from Fredents’, named ‘the Calara Tragedy’.

Calara was the first daughter from the house of ice magicians, Fredents, a renowned family whose name was sung even outside the borders of Emphira Empire. Initially their glory was witnessed with great respect but what happened exactly 7 years ago had left an unsung mark on the history of the Fredent House.

Today marked the 7th year since the ‘Calara Tragedy’.

History had repeated itself. The same house, the same day, the same masses in similar clothes. But their demeanor expressed the hidden difference. The same curiosity had now turned to silence maybe due to certain troubles.

In a certain hall of Ice House, a man wearing prestigious badges, sternly declared, “Felora’s duty is decided. Hand down the responsibility of this task on her. I will take care of the consequences.”

Felora was the second daughter of Fredent. She was the newly elected Ice Knight slowly starting to climb the ladders of her own identity. She was given her first important task. It was not just important but a dangerous too.

The task was to free her older sister, Calara, from the cave named as ‘Evil of Ice’. Calara was that evil, abandoned by warmth and embraced by the coldness of malice.

The relieved masses witnessed a chapter, left unnoticed for 7 years, being finally closed in the books of history.

Felora’s each step towards the carriage wavered with countless doubts yet a fixed resolve straightened her back. Countless hopes traced her march settling along her thoughts as she entered the carriage. She set off to the ‘Evil of Ice’.

Thoughts weighed her mind in the silent whisper of merciless time. Each second felt like an hour threatening to soften her resolve. She sought solace in the Sunny day outside the window.

Sunlight rippled down the trees, embracing the fragrant ground. The carriage dashed through the flowery field, as magical colors lingered along its trail. Each flower represented a different form of mana, the guiding force of magic. Felora’s soft gaze examined each color like a fragment of past.

“Red radiates glory, blue opens secrets, and green heals a bruised heart…” A silent whisper made its way into her mind, a proverb of flowers from her childhood. Weight of memories pushed down her voice, a single word was let out, “Sister…”

Soon, silence ceased her actions, her mind was lost in another realm of her memories. Each tick of clock raised the burden that she carried in her heart.

Meanwhile, the carriage had made its way deep into the forest, and was put to rest just before the tall and large cave. Tall trees densely covered the forest’s sky, providing enough shade to erase any warmth or light beneath it.

“My Lady, we have arrived. To the ‘Evil of Ice’.” The man driving the carriage said, “I am afraid, I cannot go any further than this. I beg for your forgiveness.”

“Its fine, sir.” Felora replied awakening from her thoughtful slumber, picking her sword up, “I hope you reach home safely.”

The man nodded multiple times as he boarded the carriage and left the forest in a quick manner.

A strong pricking breeze sought Felora, turning her attention to the cave. She considered it as a greeting from Calara, and without a word, and unwavering eyes, proceeded into the cave.

Memories of past surrounded her heart. A promise to show Felora an ice castle was left unfulfilled. Warmth around the heart of Felora dulled her sword, hence she decided to abandon it and fulfill her duty as an Ice Knight. Her task was to eliminate the Ice Evil which has occupied this cave.

“Greetings, Sister. It’s been a long time, hasn’t it?” Felora shouted, as her words echoed multiple times across the cave. Her voice undoubtedly stirred something. Evil ones were not visible to eyes, to counter this advantage, Felora was leaking tiny bits of her magic into the air in an attempt to locate the Ice Evil.

Her words were not responded with words. Soon, a white fading figure lingered across the cave at high speeds. It ran through Felora like smoke, a cold sensation running straight through her spine. The response was an action. She, too, responded by drawing her powerful ice magic.

The air shook with sheer presence of mana, guiding the magic into the settled form of ice which was controlled by Felora by her will. Her actions forced Calara into a form of human, still covered with fog. Ice magic soon bloomed in the fading body of Calara, giving her a physical form.

The two magicians from the same house battled with all their might. Felora used destructive spells, followed by simple spells to conserve her power. Calara dodged all the spells directed towards her.

Cave gleamed with crystals of ice tracing the icy destruction. Spells destroyed, killing the beauty of cave into the scene of a terrible dance of ice.

Moments passed. The cave transformed into a place with tall and deadly spikes of ice.

None of the spells of Felora hit her sister. Calara’s face expressed a smile. She closed the distance between Felora and her.

Felora could not react, “Oh no…” She thought as she got no time to escape. But, to her surprise, Calara held her. She tapped her forehead against the one of Felora. Crystals gleamed through her eyes, rolling down like tears.

Calara rose up to the tall cave and stretched her hands open. Using all her mana left, she created a tall ice castle with intricate design. Just the appearance of castle threw Felora back in time.

Felora stood there, her eyes wide open to truth. She was confused and still. Warmth, which she blocked, continued to flow through her heart without stopping. Such warmth evoked an ache in her chest.

It was then that she realized. Every attack of Calara didn’t hurt her. Instead, it damaged her decision which blocked the warmth of her own heart. It was not the attack of malice, but of love. It was icy warmth. It was an attempt to embrace Felora, to satisfy the longing of Calara for her family.

Calara’s icy body reduced to particles, falling down the cave. The cave awakened with shimmering ice particles, gleaming with gentle luminance.

Calara left a gift for her sister. A flower curated not just by ice, but with memories and love, descended down the hands of Felora. She held the flower close, honoring her sister’s rest with her warm tears. Cave, though filled with ice, radiated warmth as if trying to console her in the aching silence.

Something unreal was brought to reality by love, the cold ice radiated calming warmth. What the world thought as a battle between good and evil was actually a farewell dance between two sisters.

Calara showed the world that even ice can reflect warmth. Her chapter finally closed by the changed title from ‘Calara Tragedy’ to ‘Warmth of Ice’, making an unwavering mark on the history of magic world.

Her Story was sung like a fairytale in every empire. Felora continued to climb the stairs of her own legacy. The warm gift of ice remained close to her heart bringing her hope. A hope that her sister is watching her from above, with love…