Winter Wonderland: The Powerful Locket (Completed | Revising)

Chapter 8: New Member?

Chapter 8: New Member?

JOSH

"Where are you headed?" she asked.

I hurriedly exited the house, feeling the forceful impact of the wind. It was already late in the afternoon, and the atmosphere had grown even colder. The surroundings had taken on a darker hue, and the scattered debris on the road became more apparent. I continued to walk, my hands nestled inside my coat pockets.

"Josh, I'm asking you."

Unbeknownst to me, Aira had quietly trailed behind me. I turned to her, meeting her gaze.

"You don't need to know where I'm going. It's better if you just head back home," I replied.

I was taken aback when I noticed tears forming in her eyes. The profound sorrow etched across her face was unmistakable.

"Josh, can you tell me... Am I the reason the dergons attacked Wonderland?" she inquired.

As she spoke, the vapor from her breath was visibly illuminated by the cold climate. I mustered a hesitant smile and shook my head.

"It's not your fault—"

"I'm asking if it's because of me."

"Aira, y-you're not the reason. Don't think like that. Everything will be fine, okay?" I gently wiped away the tears trailing down her cheeks. I playfully pinched her cheeks and offered a reassuring smile.

"You shouldn't blame yourself. We've known for a long time that the dergons might attack here. In fact, we had plans in place for this scenario. It's just that this wasn't the day we expected; their attack was sudden," I reassured her.

"I-I couldn't protect some of the wernals," she admitted, her tears flowing one after the other.

"Listen to me, don't blame yourself for what happened. They aren't your responsibility. You did your best to support and protect them."

I held her in a comforting embrace, gently rubbing her back. Her eyes were swollen, a testament to her continuous crying. It pained me each time I saw her in tears.

"Hush now, we're all proud of you. Don't cry; you're just wasting your tears," I said, breaking the embrace to look into her eyes.

"Don't feel bad. Maybe what happened earlier was traumatizing for you because that was the first time you experienced something like that."

I utilized my wind power to dry her tears and softly patted her head.

"Whether you believe it or not, we're no strangers to war. The dergons have harbored ambitions to conquer all of Winter Wonderland for a long time. But they won't succeed, as long as we wernals keep fighting," I conveyed.

"That's precisely why you all wanted me to discover my powers quickly. Not just to protect myself but to aid in the fight against the dergons," she stated.

"That's right. I also want to tell you not to think of yourself as weak or your powers as worthless. You have much to learn, and we don't need to worry because you're a fast learner," I reassured her, to which she nodded in agreement.