Emma’s gaze lingered on the soft orange flicker of the created campfire. The light brushed over the edges of her silver-white hair, casting a delicate glow across her features. Her eyes, uniquely white and luminescent like glass reflecting snow, flicked upward toward Jett.

  She leaned forward slightly, her tone quiet, curious but filled with a softness that didn’t beg for attention.

  “…Jett,” Emma called lightly, her voice barely disturbing the still air between them, “when you’re creating something… what do you do for the thing to be created? I mean… for it to take form?”

  Her fingers twitched slightly with the hem of her dark ash skirt as she asked, as though trying not to sound like she was pressing too deeply into something personal.

  Jett, who had been focused on the soft swirl of glowing particles floating above the campfire, paused. Her fingers, which had been guiding the shimmer of light around the sizzling bread and fish, stilled in mid-air.

  There was a faint crease between her brows.

  “Hm…” she hummed thoughtfully, tilting her head a bit. “That’s… not that hard to explain.” She shifted her weight, sitting a little straighter..

  She turned to Emma, her expression honest, unguarded.

  “I just… imagine it.”

  Emma blinked. “You imagine it?”

  Jett nodded slowly, her black hair swaying softly with the motion. “Yeah. I picture what I want to create. Not just what it looks like… but what it feels like. I imagine it being real in my hands, even before I finish the thought. Like I had already held it once… even if I never had.” She glanced down at her own hands as if seeing them in a different light.

  “That’s how I create all this,” she added, her voice calm and steady, as her eyes drifted to the small display of food hovering just above the fire.

  The fish had turned golden, their sides crisp and glistening faintly in the light. The scent, savory and thick was no longer subtle. It filled the cave now, chasing out the cold bite of the frozen air and replacing it with warmth, comfort… and the undeniable promise of food.

  The bread had browned perfectly. Its edges puffed, soft yet dense, as steam curled gently from the top like a whisper of magic still clinging to its shape.

  “It’s done already,” Jett muttered to herself, a soft smile tugging at her lips.

  She reached out carefully, her fingers tracing the warmth as she began to gather each piece. The fire hissed softly beneath the food as she assembled them, each roasted fish nestled within the fold of a warm brown loaf. It wasn’t elegant. It wasn’t fancy. But it was homey, real, and more importantly… it was theirs.

  The first one, she handed to Ron. The boy’s gray eyes lit up immediately as he received it, both hands grasping the food like he’d been waiting years rather than minutes.

  “Thanks!” he beamed.

  Then, Jett picked up two more. She passed both to Liz, who gave one to Dan without even glancing at him. Her other hand clutched the one meant for herself, eyes bright with anticipation.

  Dan, as expected, barely offered thanks. Just a grunt of acknowledgment.

  “You're welcome,” Liz muttered under her breath sarcastically, her eyes rolling as she bit into hers.

  Finally, Jett turned to Emma and extended the last one.

  Emma reached out with both hands, taking it with quiet grace.

  Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

  “Thank you,” she said, her voice light but full of sincerity.

  Jett gave a small nod, settling back into her spot as she unwrapped her own share.

  There was a lull as the five of them sat in a soft, unspoken rhythm, cold air outside, firelight between them, and warm food in their hands.

  Emma looked down at the simple creation in her grasp, the toasted brown bread, slightly crisp at the edges, hugged the roasted fish within. The aroma drifted up to her nose, and she couldn’t help but let her lips curve into a small smile.

  She lifted it slowly, brought it close, and took a bite.

  The moment her teeth sank in, her eyes widened just a little.

  A soft crunch from the bread met the juicy tenderness of the fish. The taste was rich but not overwhelming. It held a smoky, earthy flavor that matched the snowy wilderness they were surrounded by. A tinge of salt teased her tongue, maybe from the fish itself but it balanced everything perfectly.

  She chewed slowly.

  Then a little faster.

  Her lips parted as she took another bite.

  It’s… tasty, she thought in quiet amazement. A little salty, yes, but it was a good saltiness, the kind that made your stomach feel like it was finally being listened to.

  The warmth from the food spread inside her like light into frozen cracks. For a moment, the snow didn’t matter. The winds outside could scream if they wanted. Inside this cave, with bread and fish, flickering firelight, and the low hum of conversation and laughter around her, Emma felt a rare kind of calm.

  Not from answers.

  But from something simpler.

  Presence.

  And she didn’t know it, but her fingers were holding that food a little tighter, as if she didn’t want the moment to slip away..

  ****

  Soon after, their little gathering had fallen into silence, an easy, calm silence brought about by full bellies and flickering warmth. One by one, the others settled in. Dan leaned back against a frozen rock, arms crossed, eyes half-lidded but still watching the flame. Ron curled up close to the bunny creature, fingers gently brushing over its soft pink fur as if hypnotized by its glow. Liz lay with her back on a smooth slab of ice, both hands resting under her head, eyes tracing the thin cracks in the cave top.

  But Emma... Emma remained seated on her small, slightly raised patch of frozen stone. Her legs were still folded beneath her, her posture calm but upright. The ice beneath her shimmered faintly in the light, and the edges of her skirt clung gently to the curves of the rock, the cold stiffening the fabric slightly though it didn't affect her.

  Her unique white eyes were fixed intently on her open palms, fingers slightly parted, as if she expected something to happen there, something to bloom from between them.

  She wasn’t really staring at her hands. She was looking into them.

  “Jett said she imagines it,” Emma whispered under her breath, her voice almost silent, breath fogging lightly in the cool air. Her thumbs twitched slightly against the pads of her palms as she focused. “But I… don’t just imagine. I admire. Even if I’ve never seen it before. Even if I don’t know what it is…”

  Her voice trailed into her thoughts, and her eyes slowly narrowed in concentration.

  “I desire it,” she continued inwardly, “not because I understand it, but because I feel something… beautiful in it.”

  The moment clicked. A soft exhale escaped her lips, gentle and long, as if she’d been holding her breath without realizing. Her fingers curled slightly, then relaxed again.

  Is that the difference? she wondered. Between Ash Of Creation… and mine?

  There was no arrogance in her question. Only reflection. Only curiosity.

  Her head tilted down slightly, silver white hair spilling softly across her shoulders, catching the dim glow of the firelight like strands of falling stardust. The cave felt hushed. Quiet. As if the frozen walls were listening too.

  Luna… her thoughts stirred again. You didn’t tell me outright. You let me come here. You let me find it myself.

  Her heart tightened faintly, and her lips formed a small, grateful smile.

  I get it now…

  She closed her hands gently, clasping them together as if holding something precious between them.

  My manifestation ability… it’s not just similar to the Ash Of Creation. Her thoughts moved with precision now, sharper with each heartbeat. It’s born from it. But it isn’t just a copy. It’s different. A version of the Ash Of Creation that is unique… to me. Like it twisted itself to match my existence.

  Her breath grew calmer. Softer. Purposeful.

  Maybe it’s more than a twist… maybe it’s something else entirely. Something I’m only beginning to touch.

  The cold nipped gently at her skin, but she didn't shiver.

  I don't know yet but I'll know more once I keep using it...

  She concluded in her thought, deciding to test something as she stood up..

  Slowly, Emma placed her hands against the frozen ground and rose to her feet. Without making a sound, she stepped forward, one foot at a time, toward the soft pink glow that pulsed gently near the center of the fire.

  Jett’s gaze shifted subtly, watching her from the corner of her eye.

  Emma walked closer, stopping just beside the little creature, the Bunny Heart Jenka, whose fur rippled gently as it sensed her presence. Its ears twitched once, then again, as if acknowledging her without fear.

  Emma lowered herself to the ground once more, this time kneeling into a seated position, her knees folded beneath her as she sat just beside Jett and the small magical bunny...

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