The winter is bitterly cold, especially in the North Desert. When heavy snow falls, the northern winds howl fiercely, blanketing everything in an instant, piercingly frigid.
But all this is not as cold as a heart that has died. When the heart dies, everything burns to ashes, hope vanishes, and the path ahead becomes shrouded in fog…
The fierce wind weaves through the goose-feather-like snow, engulfing the entire mountain range. This extraordinary blizzard terrifies even the native inhabitants living at the foot of the snow-capped mountains, who dare not venture out to face it.
Yet, in this snowstorm that obscures the sky and buries all paths, a lone figure appears, staggering forward against the biting wind and snow.
Her heart is ashen. For her, death is the thing she yearns for most. In this harsh, freezing climate, she seeks death—to die in the white world she has always longed for.
When the snow stops, she will be buried by the pure white snow, like the white she loves most, dying in its embrace…
The north wind continues its frenzied howling, and the snowflakes still fall relentlessly. The solitary figure collapses…
The snow stops…
When did it stop?
She gazes in confusion at the clear blue sky, wanting to rise and look around, but she cannot move.
Oh, she remembers now—she had a dream like this once.
In the dream, she was a puppet abandoned in the snow, unable to move a single part of her body, unable to blink, and unable to feel the slightest chill of the snow…
No, that's not right!
She can feel it—she can feel that the snow nearly burying her is warm?!
And…
The tears falling drop by drop onto her cheeks are warm too…
In her dream, that snow-white fox was still crying—was it crying for her?
At this thought, she opens her eyes, her tears still wet…
Blue!
The same deep blue as the sky she sees now!
The moment she opens her eyes, she meets those same blue eyes from her dream. But those eyes are no longer crying; instead, they gaze at her with a mix of worry, sorrow, joy, and deep, profound love. The snow-white fur from her dream has turned into strands of silver hair, shimmering under the glow of the night fire.
She feels herself lying comfortably in a soft, warm, snow-white blanket.
She gives a desolate smile. She knows she is once again dreaming of the person she misses so deeply.
She had heard before that this is the beautiful dream people have before they die.
God is merciful and kind, granting her such a beautiful dream before her death, allowing her to rest in peace within it.
Her sorrowful smile adds a touch of heartache to the emotions in his eyes.
He cradled Mia's face in his warm hands, as if holding a fragile treasure. His usually melodious voice was now low and hoarse, drowned in sorrow, pain, and confusion. "You swore you wouldn't leave. Why did you leave so resolutely?"
This was Mia's final dream, she thought. With no more reservations, spurred by his anguished voice, she summoned all her strength to sit up and pull Arthur into her embrace.
For the first time, she broke down sobbing in his arms, clinging to him as she pleaded, "I love you. I fell in love with you from the start. I don't want to leave you—leaving you feels like a knife in my heart. But… but…"
"But what?" he asked urgently.
"I went to 'Stayheart'…" The memory of that place overwhelmed Mia with pain, tears streaming uncontrollably down her face. "I saw those portraits, and I saw the gravestone you erected—'To Stayheart's Beloved Spirit.' Your true love isn't me. I'm just someone who looks like her, a mere substitute… I don't want that! I don't want to stay by your side like this. I love you, and if you can't love me equally, I'd rather leave, rather die alone quietly…"
"Fool! Fool! Fool!" he finally understood, unable to stop himself from scolding her.
He grabbed her cold hand and pressed it against his burning chest. His face, his eyes, his heart—all were filled with deep, unwavering love for her. "You're not a shadow of the woman in the portraits. The woman in those portraits is you! I stayed at Stayheart for my beloved. Who is my beloved? There's only one, and she was late to appear, so I left my heart there, waiting for love. Then you came, my true love finally arrived, and I no longer needed to stay at Stayheart. Now, it's just a place of memories. But now you want to leave me forever—are you trying to make me stay at Stayheart again, to linger in memories, to wait for love again?"
"Me? It's me?" Tears streamed down her face as she gazed at him, feeling the chaotic rhythm of his heartbeat under her palm. "The woman in the portraits is me? The one you stayed at Stayheart for is me? The one you love is me?"
"It's you. Only you. Always you."
He kissed her cheeks, sipping away her tears, then pressed his lips to her pale ones. Their lips and tongues intertwined as he expressed, through his actions, how deeply he loved her.
And she believed him completely, because this was just a dream—a beautiful dream… She would carry his love with her into death.
His kisses were passionate and fervent.
She returned his kisses eagerly, casting aside all restraint, giving herself to him completely.
Sensing her intention, Arthur withdrew his tongue from her warmth, pushed her down onto the soft, warm bed, and kissed her fiercely once more.
When he finally pulled away, Mia was left breathless, her body limp from his intense, fiery kisses.
He gazed at her lying on the bed, panting, eyes misty, lips flushed. He smiled gently, full of love, his expression as refreshing as a spring breeze, utterly captivating. His sudden laughter made Mia's heart race, her body trembling.
Arthur leaned down, whispering in her ear, "I've thought of a way to make sure you can never leave me again…"
Before she could comprehend, his searing kisses rained down uninterrupted on her forehead, cheeks, and neck. When his kisses met the barrier of her clothing, Mia hurriedly shed it.
His warm hands were pioneers, clearing the path for his kisses, touching wherever they went. Wherever his fingers brushed, a wave of heat followed, and his scorching kisses landed deliberately, teasing and igniting her skin until it flushed even hotter.
As that place grew fiery, his kisses pressed deeper, deliberately teasing and exploring, further scorching her skin.
The last time, he had loved her so gently, afraid she'd be uncomfortable, afraid she'd hurt, afraid she'd cry.
This passionate, intense approach was a first. The places Mia had been kissed tingled with a slight numbing pain, heightening an indescribable pleasure. The sensation, coupled with her burning skin, overwhelmed her, drawing involuntary moans from her lips. Her flushed face eagerly anticipated his deeper, fiercer, more blazing passion…
He lifted his head again, gazing at Mia, wrapped in desire and surrounded by a rosy glow. His eyes, clouded with longing, turned into a deep blue ocean. Beneath him, she was utterly captivated, helplessly sinking into him, unable to resist as she offered her kisses, her heart, her everything…
Two devoted hearts burned even hotter with their boiling passion. There was no reason to stop, only a desire to burn completely.
Under the white gauze curtains, on the warm, snow-colored bed, they clung to each other, giving themselves entirely to one another without reservation.
Inside the room, the blazing fire in the hearth paled in comparison to the inferno of their passionate love. Their fervent emotions defied the endless cold outside, permeating the entire space…