The Crimson Snow (A Realm of Chaos and Void #1)

Chapter 25

The Killing Fox

A human was granted eternal life,

But as the years passed, he grew cold, unmoving,

A shadow of the man he once was,

A danger to himself and all who crossed his path.

And so, the wish, or perhaps the deal,

Took on a life of its own,

A curse disguised as an immortal gift.

Retrieved from Ancient History of The Realms

by Malvrek W., Ch. 110, p. 2334.

Seraphine Ashcroft

Seraphine almost laughed at the thought of the Underworld. It seemed the rumors were true—she was an omen of death. She had asked Evren to leave her alone for a moment after that, needing time to process everything. Evren agreed that the other part regarding the deal could wait until she felt up to it.

Such a liar.

She sat on the bed and thought about the dream of the crimson-eyed woman. There was something about that dream and her. What she had said to her ears had seemed like a mere dream, but now, she needed to know for sure.

Maybe by touching the fox pendant again, I can bring back some memories.

She moved her hand and touched the necklace. Nothing.

Seraphine sighed, acknowledging that she needed to do some research, not just for Evren but for herself. She knew there were certain forbidden books about the Underworld. Maybe they could find something there.

Later that day, she asked Raggart for clothes and a pair of gloves. She wasn’t sure how to trigger that awful ability again, but she hoped covering her hands might prevent her from hurting others.

As she moved to the library, she spotted Evren. He was looking at a book, a mug in his hand. “You look great, Crimson Eyes,”

he said, glancing from the pages to her with something akin to wistfulness.

She rolled her eyes and moved to the other side of the desk.

“Ah, what an interesting choice of accessories.”

He motioned to the gloves.

“Better to keep my hands covered until we know for sure.”

“Whatever you say.”

“Do not mock me, Evren. I am here because there is a lot to talk about. I want to hear it all, prince. I want to know why I have been feeling like something wasn’t done properly with the deal. I asked for my heart to be frozen so I could stop feeling everything, but somehow, I am here feeling even more. And I want to know why they are looking for you. Certainly, you did not kill your brothers,”

she snarled.

“So you have been feeling more? Are you suggesting that you actually like me and—”

“Never in this lifetime!”

she seethed at him.

His mouth twisted as if he were tasting something bittersweet. “I see,”

he whispered, then closed the book in his hand and inhaled sharply. “I lied about the frozen heart deal.”

“That is such a surprise, you lying about something.”

She moved her hand, pointing at him. “Did you still fulfill the deal? Was this some trick you used to have me bonded to you so you could come here? Because if that is the case, you could have saved a lot of time and just asked me, you stupid jerk.”

“I told you that I would fulfill the deal, and I did. It was a pact, and you know that a deal spoken is a deal that cannot be broken. Otherwise, you wouldn’t be here under a blood pact with me,”

he said awkwardly, looking away.

Muddy, lying, deceiving wolf!

“Then?”

Seraphine spoke a little louder, slamming the desk with enough force that her fingers hurt.

Evren finally looked at her again, resignation in his eyes. “I lied about what a frozen heart deal is about. It is not to numb emotions, Crimson Eyes. It does numb due to the nature of the deal and for your body to adjust, but that is a secondary effect.”

“Then what is it?”

If he turned me into a creature, I will remove my gloves and—

“A frozen heart is a forbidden way to grant eternal life.”

Evren Wraithwood

“Are you telling me that I am now… immortal? Are you out of your mind? What benefit is that to you?”

Seraphine’s eyes widened.

Evren wanted to move closer to her, but he knew she was still uncomfortable. Yet, he couldn’t help but notice how dazzling she looked in those beautiful black gloves, like an elegant aristocrat. Plus, those crimson eyes ate at his soul with every single glance.

“Yes, remember the story I told you?”

he asked, hoping to pacify her.

She nodded and then narrowed her eyes at him. “That sweet tale about the hunter killing his beloved, prince?”

she said, and he couldn’t miss the little intonation whenever she used the word “prince.”

“I might use it as a reference for our twisted tale here, but this time, I may get to be the hunter and just purposely kill you.”

If Evren had been fascinated with her before, this enslaved him for life. Yet, little did she know she was already the hunter in this messed-up tale.

“Ah, I didn’t know you considered me your lover, Crimson Eyes,”

he mocked, and she shut her mouth, which only enticed him. “If I knew before, I’d definitely act kinder.”

Her eyes looked like fire, like crimson sparks ready to explode.

He laughed. “Easy there, Crimson Eyes.”

He stood up and looked around the bookshelves, taking a particular book.

“The tale has multiple twists and versions,”

Evren began, opening the book before her. “Maybe he did ask for a frozen heart, but there are two types of deals.”

He pointed to a quick note in the book. “One can ask for a frozen heart poison, which will freeze your heart and bones until death.”

Seraphine gasped. “Or, you can ask for a frozen heart deal, which can only be granted by one of the main arcane courts or—” He winked at her, and she rolled her eyes. “Someone greater like me.”

“It took most of whatever power I had left to grant this, Seraphine, since it’s forbidden. Centuries ago, it was something that would be granted to certain beings or humans as a reward. Eternal life.”

Centuries ago, some humans yearned to be more than humans—endless lifespans, countless opportunities to rebuild themselves, which turned out wrongly. “For better or worse, it does truly freeze your heart, which is why you felt so detached from them at first. But that effect disappears over time—it mostly stops your life clock.”

“Why? You could have offered another deal. Why go that far into making me...”

She didn’t finish the sentence, sounding curious, as if trying to decipher if this was something she could use to her advantage.

Evren felt terrible. He had pushed her to her limits, and the most terrifying untold truth of it all was she wasn’t fully human. He was unsure how the deal would evolve in time with this new information. “Because I was certain you’d accept it, knowing that it would offer some numbness. And it did numb you for a while, but that wears off.”

He knew he sounded like a deceiver, an untrustworthy wolf, but he couldn’t reveal the real reason. She had so much on her mind, and he wouldn’t add another burden.

Seraphine touched the book’s pages where the notes about the frozen heart deal were. Closing the book, she started tracing the different symbols carved on the cover.

You made those a long time ago.

Evren felt a pang in his chest. There was much of her here, but so much was still missing. A lot of her was new to him, and he couldn’t help but love all the versions of her.

“Captivating. Can I keep it?”

she muttered.

“The book’s enchanted. The only visible page is the one I showed you.”

“Just answer the question. Can I at least keep something?”

she said, her eyes sparkling, almost hypnotizing him.

He nodded, moving his gaze to another part of the library.

“You can keep it.”

You can keep everything.

Crimson Memories

“If you could wish for anything in this world, what would it be?”

the little girl with odd eyes asked the sentinel tree.

“I am a tree. It’s not like I can wish for more. Aren’t you late? What is this nonsense?”

“Not that late…”

she said, stretching and hugging her fox toy made of tree roots. She could barely climb a tree and thought the sentinel was very muddy, but she liked the idea of pushing its limits. “But yeah, Dorah is waiting for me.”

She started moving toward the entrance.

“Well, what would you wish for then?”

the grumpy and angry sentinel tree asked.

The little girl smiled at him. “I wish… I could be a snowflake.”

“Just that? You wish to be a simple thing meant to be forgotten?”

The sentinel tree seemed almost surprised.

She giggled. “Yes, I wish to be free as a snowflake, dancing and flying, free to roam between trees.”