༺ Noah's POV ༻
I awoke to an endless expanse of white.
Everywhere I turned, snow fell in a slow, relentless cascade, blanketing the ground, the horizon—everything.
There were no landmarks, no shadows.
No sound except the whisper of the wind as it carried the snow across the void.
My body was bare.
Vulnerable against the cold that seemed to press in from all sides.
Yet, strangely, the chill didn't bite.
I wasn't shivering, even though I should've been freezing to death.
"Where... am I?"
My voice was hoarse, the words dissolving into the vast silence.
The snow swirled harder, obscuring everything around me.
And then I felt it—a presence.
Arms wrapped around my torso from behind, and I froze.
They were soft and warm, a stark contrast to the frigid expanse.
Their embrace wasn't hostile.
It was intimate, as if I belonged to whoever held me.
I felt strands of hair brushing against my bare shoulders, impossibly long and feather-light.
The arms, as well as the hair, were white—no, not just pale, but white.
A color so pure it blended seamlessly into the world around me.
From the softness pressing against my back, I knew the figure was a woman.
Her breaths were steady against my ear, warm and gentle.
As if we were lovers standing together in a snowstorm.
"You are mine..."
She whispered, her voice a haunting melody, soft yet commanding.
A shiver ran through me, not from fear but from something deeper—
An instinctual, primal sense of possession.
Before I could reply, before I could even process the meaning behind her words, the world cracked.
---
I jolted upright, gasping for air.
My eyes darted around, taking in my surroundings.
I was in the academy's infirmary, lying on a stiff cot.
The air was cold but slowly warming.
As though a storm had just passed.
My chest heaved as I tried to calm my erratic breathing.
The memory of that white place lingered, vivid and real.
And I could still feel the warmth of her arms, the ghost of her whisper.
"What... was that?"
I muttered to myself, pressing a trembling hand to my forehead.
A yellow holographic window materialized before me.
The faint hum of the system pulling me out of my thoughts.
「Player is awake 」
「RUNNING CHECK-UP...」
Lines of text scrolled rapidly, detailing my vitals, condition, and recent events.
My heart pounded as I waited, a knot tightening in my stomach.
『 You Have Received A Stigma! 』
[CURSE OF THE FROST QUEEN ]
The words glowed ominously on the screen.
『DETAILS』
「The Frost Queen has bestowed her love upon you, binding you to her through the Sin of Envy.」
「This curse prevents physical contact with others. Any living being who touches your body will suffer frostbite and shatter irreparably.」
「Additionally, magic attacks directed at you will be nullified, frozen, and rendered inert. Weapons that make contact with your body will shatter.」
The explanation was clinical.
Devoid of emotion.
But the weight of it was crushing.
"No one can touch me..."
I whispered, my voice hollow.
The memories of her arms around me, her warmth, were now twisted into a nightmare.
I looked to the small table beside my cot, where a plate sat with a butter knife resting atop it.
My reflection wavered in the dull blade.
My pale face and sunken eyes staring back at me.
I hesitated for a moment.
The knife hovering inches from my neck.
My hand trembled, sweat beading on my forehead.
"Do it..."
I muttered through gritted teeth.
With a surge of determination, I pushed the knife toward my skin.
Crack!
The blade shattered upon contact.
Fragments scattering across the bed and floor.
My heart raced as I stared at the broken pieces, disbelief and despair washing over me.
"..."
I breathed, my voice breaking.
It's always tied to love and envy—"
"Shut up..."
I snapped, my voice icy.
Mari flinched, her eyes wide.
"Y-yes, young master. I'm sorry."
I swung my legs off the bed, letting them touch the cold floor.
The chill seeped into my skin, but I ignored it.
My movements were sluggish, and as I tried to stand, my knees buckled.
"Damn it..."
I gritted my teeth, reaching out instinctively to steady myself.
My hand landed on Mari's shoulder.
She froze.
For a moment, her face was blank, and then she erupted.
"AHHHHHHH!"
She screamed, jumping back dramatically.
"Its happening!
I can feel it! My body's freezing!
My arm's going to fall off!"
I blinked, stunned by the outburst.
Mari stumbled backward.
Clutching her shoulder as if it were already crumbling into ice.
"Young master, I'm dying!
This is it!
Please tell my family I loved them!
Oh, why did you touch me?!
I should've known better!"
Her dramatic wails filled the room, echoing off the walls.
I sighed, pinching the bridge of my nose.
"Mari, stop."
"How can I stop?!
I can't even feel my arms.....Wueeeeeehhh!"
"It's like I'm being chiseled into a statue!"
"Mari."
I said, louder this time, irritation creeping into my voice.
"You're not dying."
"Yes, I am! I can feel it—"
"If you don't stop screaming, I'll finish the job myself."
I deadpanned, my tone sharp but tinged with sarcasm.
She froze mid-scream, her mouth hanging open in exaggerated horror.
I gave her a pointed look.
"You're annoying."
Mari blinked, her hands still clutching her shoulder.
Slowly, she straightened up, her dramatic demeanor fading as realization dawned.
Her wide, tear-filled eyes darted to her shoulder and then to me.
"...Wait."
She flexed her arm, her fingers trembling.
"It's... cold, but..."
She touched her shoulder again, her expression shifting from panic to confusion.
"It doesn't hurt... and nothing shattered."
I stared at her, then looked down at my own hand, the one that had touched her.
I opened and closed it slowly, frowning.
"Wait..."
I murmured, the gears in my mind turning.
"It doesn't take effect if I'm the one doing the touching?"
Mari tilted her head, rubbing her shoulder thoughtfully.
"That... actually makes sense..."
She said slowly.
"The curse is bound by the Frost Queen's love and envy, right?
So maybe it's more about protecting you than harming others.
If you're the one initiating contact, it wouldn't need to...punish them."
I narrowed my eyes, still skeptical.
"Or maybe the curse is just selective."
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Mari brightened, her usual cheer returning.
"Young master, that's a good thing! It means you're not completely untouchable!"
"Doesn't make this situation any better..."
I muttered, sitting back on the bed.
Mari smiled softly, her relief evident.
I didn't respond.
Staring at my hand as thoughts swirled in my mind.
The Frost Queen's curse... love, envy, and protection.
It seemed there was more to this curse than I understood.
'Another nail to add on my pain...'