The first thing I noticed was the silence.
Not the kind of silence you get in the forest, where birds are hiding from the cold and snow dampens every sound. This was heavier, more oppressive. Like the whole village was holding its breath at once.
Lanterns lined the square, swaying in the winter wind. Their orange flames danced against the walls of wooden houses buried deep in snow. Smoke curled from chimneys, only to vanish instantly into the night sky.
And then… the people.
Dozens of them. Maybe more. Kneeling. Heads bowed, foreheads pressed into the icy ground, as if the snow itself demanded their worship.
I stood at the back of the crowd, the crunch of my boots in the snow sounding too loud, too human. Beside me, the two strangers— the man with his sly grin and the woman carrying the unconscious girl looked entirely at ease.
"This is creepy," the man muttered, folding his arms. "Whole village, bowing to nothing. Don't tell me they do this every winter."
The woman shot him a look. "Shut it. You'll attract attention."
But he just smirked. "What? It's hilarious. Look at that guy—stick some spiky hair on him, boom, instant Shikamaru. And the one with the bandana? Diet Kakashi. Honestly, this is starting to feel like a Naruto knockoff."
A nervous laugh nearly slipped out of me, but I swallowed it down. I wasn't sure if I was more unsettled by the villagers' devotion or by how casually these two mocked them.
The villagers didn't react. They were too deep in their fear.
At the very front stood a hunched elder, draped in a heavy fur cloak. His staff was planted firmly in the snow, and the way his voice carried, rough and cracked, silenced even the howling wind.
"Tonight," he rasped, "the prophecy shall be fulfilled. The Winter Demon… shall descend upon us."
The crowd trembled like a single body. Some pressed their foreheads harder into the snow. Others whispered frantic prayers.
I felt my stomach twist.
Not because of the elder's words. But because they rang true in a way I couldn't explain.
The Winter Demon.
The figure they feared, the one their legend promised would return.
Somewhere inside, I already knew. They weren't waiting for a monster to come down from the mountains. They were waiting for me.
But before I could spiral too far into that thought, a voice broke the silence.
"Pathetic."
I turned, startled.
A girl stood in the middle of the square. Unlike everyone else, she wasn't kneeling. She wasn't even trembling. Instead, she crossed her arms, glaring at the elder as though daring him to challenge her.
Her red scarf whipped in the wind, standing out against her snow-dusted coat. Her dark hair, pulled into a short braid, framed sharp, defiant eyes.
"I don't care about your legends," the girl said, her voice loud and steady. "If this so-called demon shows up— I'll kill him myself."
Gasps erupted across the square.
An old woman hissed, "Blasphemy!"
Another villager shouted, "You'll doom us all with that mouth, Akari!"
But Akari didn't flinch. She stood taller, chin lifted.
I couldn't look away.
Beside me, the man gave a low chuckle. "Well, well. She's got more guts than the rest of these sheep combined. Almost makes me want to stick around for the show."
The woman adjusted her grip on the unconscious girl. "Don't underestimate village fanatics. Defiance rarely ends well here."
Still, the man grinned wider. "Maybe. But I like her spirit. Reminds me of when I first left home."
The elder's staff struck the ground, cutting through the murmurs. *Thud.* The sound echoed across the square.
"Silence!" the elder barked. His cloudy eyes swept over the villagers, then locked on the girl. "You mock tradition? You dare challenge prophecy? You would face the Winter Demon with bare hands?"
"I would," Akari snapped back without hesitation. "Because kneeling here won't save you. Cowards waiting for death deserve exactly what they'll get."
The elder's jaw clenched. He raised his staff, and for a moment I thought he might strike her where she stood. But instead, he turned back toward the crowd.
"The ritual begins!"
A shiver ran down my spine.
Around us, the villagers started chanting. Low, trembling voices at first, but slowly gaining strength. The sound of dozens of throats calling in unison, echoing against the snowy mountains.
I hugged my arms to myself, fighting a sudden chill that wasn't from the wind. The words meant nothing to me, but the effect was undeniable. The air thickened, heavy with anticipation.
And then… it started.
Frost crept outward from the elder's staff, spiderwebbing across the ground. Lantern flames wavered, flickering blue before returning to orange. The villagers' breath came faster, puffing white clouds into the night.
My heart hammered.
Because I could feel it. The pull. The recognition. The ritual wasn't calling something from above— it was calling something inside me.
I clenched my fists, my breath coming too heavy, too sharp.
Not now. Not yet.
I couldn't let it happen. Not here. Not in front of all these people.
But the chanting grew louder, pounding against my skull. The elder's voice rose above it all, rough but commanding:
"Winter Demon! Descend upon us!"
The wind roared. Snow lifted off the ground in a swirling dance. Frost clawed at the edges of my vision.
And inside me, something ancient stirred.
A pressure in my chest. A weight in my blood. A hunger I didn't recognize.
I staggered, clutching my ribs. The world tilted, breath tearing out of me in white clouds.
Beside me, the man blinked. "Hey, you okay, kid?"
The woman frowned. "He looks pale. Did the ritual get to him?"
Pale? My skin felt like ice. My fingertips ached, white frost creeping up my nails.
No. No, no, no.
They can't know.
They can't see.
Not yet.
But the villagers were already stirring. Some turned their heads toward me, whispers slipping through the chanting.
"Who is that boy?"
"Was he here before?"
"His breath—it's heavier than the rest…"
The defiant girl's eyes locked on me. For a moment, the noise fell away.
Her gaze wasn't filled with fear like the others.
It was sharp. Curious. Almost… suspicious.
I forced a shaky smile, but my lips cracked from the cold. Frost formed in the corner of my mouth.
*Damn it.*
The elder's staff struck the ground again, sending another pulse through the air.
And I knew.
If this continued, I wouldn't be able to hold it back.
That the Winter Demon would answer their call...
Through me.