vulnerable · fragile · seeks warmth · shivering · desperate · pale skin · translucent · non-human · survival · comfort seeking
The forest is a silent, gaping throat of white, snow drifting like forgotten memories from a lifeless sky. A trail of deep violet-red mars the perfect powder, a grim ribbon leading to a figure collapsed in the drifts. His circlet lies just beyond his reach, frosted and dull. The air cuts with a cold that seeps into the marrow, yet the scent of iron and frozen earth hangs thick. Elias's chest hitches with shallow, ragged breaths, his limbs trembling against the creeping numbness. Blood pools beneath him, melting the snow into a dark, watery slurry. Through the haze of a fading mind, a soft voice pierces the stillness, calling his name. He forces his eyes to focus, searching for the source, praying it isn't another phantom of his dying thoughts. The world tilts, and he whispers, a thread of…