...

  She wasn't in the mood to wake up. Not after all the intense training she put herself through the week. Her victory in the Spider tunnels did wonders for her motivation. Hell, she even made amends with-

  "Sweet child. Have you brought your coat?"

  Those words struck her mind like an invisible dagger, prompting her eyes to pop open. She quickly surveyed the hut, searching for her roommate, but no sign of him. How uncharacteristic of him to wake up without loudly chanting about the fantastic day ahead of them.

  Now that her mind became clearer from the last remnants of slumber, the alarm had not gone off either. Was it that early? She was feeling too fresh for that possibility.

  Without care for her hair or clothes, she opened the hut's door. Rather than the overwhelming, canine chaos, the village's streets were... empty, lifeless, and...

  Cold. It was still spring yesterday, so what climatic anomaly was at play?

  A chill coursed down her spine.

  "You should not stay outside, dear. Lest you catch a cold."

  The voice came from... nowhere. And everywhere at the same time? It carried a sweet, motherly tone, something she was denied her whole, relatively short life. Perhaps it was why she had found it trustworthy, regardless of its unsettling nature.

  She stepped toward the village's center. Her surroundings were now caught on a dull, grey filter rather than the radiant sunshine. The sand beneath her feet was as coarse as always, with the added bonus of "blessing" her toes with a shivering chill. She had walked too far to return for her boots, opting to toughen up through this brief outing.

  Her body started to tremble, and her teeth clattered so rapidly that her gums stung. She braced herself, attempting to mimic the warmth of the one who had captured her heart.

  Speaking of, where was she? She wasn't the type to let a cold winter stop her from going outside. Although her mother might have convinced her otherwise. She guessed even captains could have a day off in winter.

  No, that couldn't be it. That pup was untameable, regardless of how the captain would insist otherwise. She must be sleeping - that was the only plausible explanation. But what about everyone else? Were they doing that thing bears do in the winter? Shit. What was the word for that? Her brain was freezing under this weather.

  She had reached the village's heart. A playground where countless pups came out to play and climb through-

  ...What happened to the trees? The mighty, tall, serpentine plants were now shriveled and brittle. They were perfectly fine earlier.

  Why was this previously vibrant and crowded place so-

  "Dead? I am afraid it is the fate of all things, my dear."

  The voice reappeared, and with it, her shivering slightly decreased. A wave of relief washed over her. Her heart, bravely fighting against the ruthless climate, slowed down.

  The voice might have the answers to this chilling enigma. However, when she tried to speak for the first time, her lips did not move. They weren't sealed, only not caring for her brain's commands.

  Her eyes widened in increasing panic. She needed to find her friend. She needed... Wait, why was her name eluding her? It was engraved on her memories for a month, but now she couldn't grasp it anymore.

  What was going on?! Was she losing her mind?

  The cold. It must be it. Going outside was a grave mistake.

  She needed to go back to the hut. She should've stayed coiled around her sheets.

  She willed her legs to move, but they sluggishly obeyed her, stiff as a pair of sticks. She needed to go. Now!

  Each step was a chore, taking longer and longer as she felt the sand on her feet less and less. At that point, she barely registered that her shivering was over, making her question her desire to move.

  Why bother moving if the worst has passed? She was becoming acquainted with the cold. She was at pea-

  No! Move, damn it! She had to reach the hut!

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  Tapping into the internal heat of her determination, she felt her joints slightly defrosting. She wasn't moving as well as she could, but it was enough.

  Arriving at her destination, she tackled the door open, collapsing on the ground soon after. She crawled and slowly closed the entrance. Finally, a little more heat for herself.

  She flipped, her back now touching the floor. Her thoughts shifted towards her roommate, her girlfriend, and the people she had warmed up with since her arrival at the village.

  Warming up, huh? How ironic...

  Gradually getting up to her feet, she closed her eyes and took deep breaths. Her numb fingers started to feel their own heat, and her heart resumed its natural pace.

  In. Out. In. Out...

  ...

  ......

  .........

  Then, all that effort went to waste once she reopened her globes.

  A woman with black, waist-length hair had her back turned at her. Alongside the intruder, two blocks of ice with vaguely humanoid shapes stood, radiating a chilling mist. One was considerably taller than the other.

  She had a mouth but could not scream.

  The woman touched an ice sculpture with each pale hand. "Do you remember them?"

  The voice! What stood before her was its source!

  More importantly, the more she stared at the blocks of ice, the more she was sure she knew who was trapped in them. Upon gazing at the shorter one long enough, her heart hammered with a bizarre longing and fear.

  "I will admit, Human. Your mind is more resilient than I gave credit for. However..."

  The "woman" slowly turned its head. The bulged eyes, shrunken lips, and the smooth surface where its nostrils lay all flared the mental alarm inside her head.

  A Yūrei, just like that hairy lady who used her packmate as a hostage. And all that ice... Wasn't the captain stabbed by an ice sword?

  Oh. The Monoke must be the one her roommate warned her about. The leader of the assassins...

  "You have lost the game the moment you started to play."

  A cadaveric white, skeletal hand burst from the ground. The girl's legs refused to budge.

  "When your guardian tries to wake you up..."

  Another hand burst a hole in the door and wrapped her neck with the arm it was attached to.

  "He will only see a stiff corpse."

  Each neuron in her brain agonized over the layer of ice forming around them. The synapses became less frequent by the moment.

  "Do not lament your fate, dear."

  The walking corpse approached her. The last thing she'd ever see was its dead yet rageful eyes.

  "This world is a better place without you in it."

  A mind-numbing mist came out from between its teeth and into her nostrils. Her brain accepted the outcome. Her heart beat only two times per minute.

  A few seconds later... She finally felt nothing.

  Total, absolute no-

  "I DON'T THINK SO, WENCH!!!"

  A wave of heat washed over her body, defrosting her limbs and somehow negating the hold of the ghastly hands on her.

  She regained her vision a few seconds later. The pale woman struggled against a blurry, large creature who pinned her on the wall.

  "Let me out, you moronic jester!" Even in distress, the Yūrei's voice wasn't showing much emotion.

  The beast retorted with a familiar tone. "Don't you dare order me around! Stay still!"

  As her vision cleared and her memory was stimulated by its words, her eyes widened as she quickly recognized the bizarre Frankenstein-like Monoke in front of her.

  "Gentō!"

  The Baku's trunk wrapped around the Yūrei's head. Then suddenly, both their eyes shone with a concerningly overbearing light, which flickered increasingly frequently, much to her senses' dismay.

  Her surroundings distorted and stretched beyond what was physically acceptable. Rather than when Gentō drank her dreams, the entire hut cracked like a glass mirror. The whole non-material plane shattered into countless shards, leaving a dark abyss where there was nothing but her, her savior, and...

  ...The Yūrei was gone.

  The Baku slowly rotated himself so his eyes could meet hers as if he were a slow, heavy tank. "So..."

  She met his level of awkwardness. "So..."

  Another voice reverberated through the darkness. "SO WHAT?! WHAT JUST HAPPENED?!"

  Hōkō? She had never heard him so unsettled before...

  Gentō gently stroked his head. "The allegedly powerful Yuki-onna showed how desperate she is." He chuckled wickedly. "Cunning as I always am, I've seized the opportunity and taken a peek into her mind! You have no idea what I've found..."

  The Wolf elder hummed in thought. "Stop fooling around in her mind and return. I'll contact my fellow elders and all of Pantsti's captains."

  The Baku rolled his eyes. "Yes, yes. I'll join you shortly." He silently stood for a few seconds, probably waiting to see if Hōkō still lurked in the mindscape. After not a single word uttered, he sighed with relief. "Finally! This old coot is an irksome one..."

  She nodded slowly. "For sure..." She slowly stepped towards the dream beast. "Was she really going to kill me?"

  His eyes focused on her. "Yes!" He nodded. "Of course she was!"

  She swallowed hard. Brought to the brink of death for the second time. In her own mind, no less! When would this madness end?!

  After noticing her reaction, the Baku's trunk tapped her shoulder gently. "There, there. You're lucky you have me and that sack of fur watching over everyone's dreams. He never lets me eat yours, the bastard..." He growled.

  That made a smile tug slightly at her lips. "Thanks." She took a deep breath, fully aware of how pointless this action was under these circumstances. Still, it was effective at keeping her mind at ease. "I need some time alone. You can go."

  He smirked. "Very well!" A vortex of sparkly mist engulfed the giant Baku. "See you in the real world, Stella!" The foggy mass disappeared alongside him.

  Ah, Stella. Such a beautiful name...

  ...

  Fuck. That WAS the girl's name! How in the fuck-

  ......

  You know what? She would use her remaining time to stimulate her memory further. Whatever damage that cold whore has done in her mind, Stella wouldn't let this stand.

  .........

  Nevertheless, the gnawing dread loomed all over her being.