Emma blinked, her thoughts breaking as she turned to him a little too fast, surprised he’d even spoken. His voice had been a rare thing today.

  “No, nothing,” she said quickly, brushing the edge of her skirt as if to ground herself. “Just... thinking.”

  Ron nodded slowly, not asking more. His breath fogged the air before him as he took another step, and Emma followed beside him. Together, they picked up their pace again to catch up with the rest of the group.

  Ahead, Jett had already slowed her steps, glancing back at them from time to time, her dark hair catching small clusters of snow. She waited quietly and patient..

  As they walked, the silence lingered between Emma and Ron, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. The sound of snow beneath them became rhythm again.

  Then Emma turned her head slightly toward him.

  Her voice was gentle but curious.

  “Ron... this might come out rude,” she said, watching her steps carefully as they moved around a jagged rock partially hidden beneath the snow. “But I really want to ask.”

  He didn’t look up, just kept walking quietly beside her.

  She continued.

  “Why did you sneak out of Xin to follow your sister?”

  The question hung in the cold air between them.

  “I mean…” she paused, brushing back a strand of silver-white hair that blew into her eyes. “Didn’t you know how dangerous it would be? You’re... small. Heh, though I know I'm younger physically, and also I don’t think you have any powers to protect yourself.. So why leave the protection of Xin just to follow her?”

  She kept her eyes on him now, observing the way his arms were tucked close to his chest, the faint pink across his cheeks might not be from the chilling wind but perhaps shame...

  It’s not like I don’t understand, Emma thought. I came out here too... but at least I had a reason. I want to learn Transmutation Magic. I want to heal Anna. That’s different, isn’t it? I have something to fight for... and some power to keep myself safe.

  Ron still didn’t answer.

  He kicked a small patch of ice with the edge of his boot, watching the way the frost scattered, then vanished under the snow.

  Seeing that he seemed hesitant, Emma added quickly, “If it isn’t something you can say... you don’t have to force yourself.”

  She didn’t want to push. But the question was still real.

  Ron didn’t speak for a few seconds. Then he stopped walking entirely.

  Emma slowed beside him.

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  “No, it’s not that...” he said, his voice softer now, like the wind might carry it away if he spoke too loud. He looked down at his hands, exhaling a sigh that curled up and vanished like mist.

  “I... I just thought I was doing something right,” he said.

  Another pause. He gave a small, dry laugh that didn’t quite reach his eyes.

  “But now that I see it... it was only right in my eyes.”

  His boots shifted in the snow. His fingers twitched at his sides.

  “I shouldn’t have gone. If I didn’t come, I wouldn’t have been a burden to my sister.”

  His voice was calm, but something tight hid underneath. A quiet guilt that didn’t need to be shouted to be heard.

  Emma watched him for a while, then turned her gaze forward again, the mist beginning to thin just enough to show more of the slope ahead.

  The light she had seen earlier didn’t return.

  But somehow, after that small moment, everything felt a little clearer

  ***

  The wind curled across the jagged path, trailing through the frozen air like an invisible serpent, hissing softly against the stone. The snow beneath their feet gave way with a muffled crunch, soft but constant, a rhythmic echo of their slow ascent. And as Ron's earlier words still lingered in the space between them, Emma found herself glancing at him... his face, tilted slightly down, looked so much smaller against the expanse of the pale sky and misty peaks.

  His eyes weren’t moving, but they weren’t still either. Like he was watching something inside himself.

  Emma’s steps slowed, boots pressing deeper into the snow, her gaze gentle as it settled on him. The cold nipped at her cheeks, brushing them pink, but she didn’t mind it.. because she didn't feel it, as she had already manifested a temporary cold resistance..

  If it were me, She thought inwardly, the wind blowing passed her calmly as she continued in thought. And my elder sister Ellie was going on some mission.. something dangerous, and I didn’t know what might happen to her… I would’ve followed her too... No matter what. I wouldn’t just sit and wait.

  Ron glanced up. The pale gray of his eyes shimmered faintly beneath the overcast sky.

  “I understand,” she spoke finally, and this time she turned fully toward him. “But… I don’t think your sister has ever seen you as a burden. Not even for a moment.”

  She spoke slowly, her words matching the pace as they began to walk again... Her voice didn't waver.

  As she said that, her eyes found Jett’s figure up ahead, standing just a short distance away, her black hair stirred by the breeze as she waited silently for them to catch up. Emma studied her for a moment, the outline of her shoulders, the way her stance was firm even as the wind pushed past her.

  “She cares for you,” Emma continued, softly. “Deeply. I don’t think there’s anything she wouldn’t do for you. She’d probably throw herself into danger just to make sure you’re safe.”

  Her words hung in the air, barely touched by the wind.

  Ron didn’t reply right away. But he glanced at her, brows slightly raised, and the corner of his lips pulled upwards, just faintly, not quite a smile. He let out a tiny breath, something close to a laugh hidden beneath it.

  She doesn’t talk like a girl her age, He thought to himself, his eyes moving from Emma to the path ahead... She sounds more mature than I am...

  He didn’t say it out loud, but the look on his face was softer now, less heavy than before.

  Together, their feet continued moving forward, the snow crunching under them with every step, and soon they caught up with Jett, who turned her head slightly but didn’t say a word. Just waited, calm and quietly.

  But just then...

  The wind shifted.

  It came from the right side now, carrying with it a colder edge, sharper, almost biting. The air grew thinner. The ground beneath them sloped a little more steeply, the stones beneath the snow jutting out at odd angles.

  But despite the chill and the tired weight in their legs, they kept moving.

  And finally… finally, after what felt like endless climbing and endless breathless walking, the world opened up.

  Emma stepped forward first, her boot crunching against a rock half-buried in snow, her eyes widening as the white mist parted slightly ahead of them. Her silver-white hair fluttered in the breeze, catching a glint of the pale light above.

  Her heart jumped... at first with joy. Relief. She let out a quiet exhale, something close to a smile tugging at her lips.

  They’d made it.

  The top. The pinnacle of the snowy mountain.