A heavy stillness filled the air, thick and unrelenting. The silence was not simply an absence of sound—it was a weight, pressing down on everything. The dream-forged world, sculpted from endless ice and despair, stretched infinitely in all directions, barren and lifeless. The chilling red sun loomed overhead, its eerie glow casting elongated shadows across the icy desert. The entire world itself was a reflection of its creator’s mind—a frozen wasteland where grief, regret, and unrelenting sorrow reigned supreme.

  Arfrotian stood there, his head bowed, his figure rigid against the ceaseless cold. His piercing blue eyes, usually filled with an unshakable composure, were now hollow—emptied of light, drowned in memories too painful to bear. The crimson glow of the unnatural sun reflected off the frozen tears that trailed down his cheeks, glistening like liquid rubies before they solidified into ice.

  Eterna, standing in his embrace, could feel it all—the depth of his sorrow, the unbearable burden he carried, the weight of a past he could neither escape nor undo. Her heart clenched painfully in her chest. She had always viewed Arfrotian as an untouchable force, a being who manipulated the world like a masterful strategist, weaving events with such precision that even Zenian had become his plaything. He had shattered the ambitions of countless enemies, toying with them with nothing but the sheer brilliance of his mind. He had stolen the Ice Phoenix’s heart with ease, never breaking a sweat, never showing the slightest hesitation.

  And yet, here he was. Broken.

  His arms, wrapped loosely around her, were cold—so cold that even she, the divine consciousness of the icy omniverse, felt a shiver run through her form. His hands, resting on her waist, held no warmth, no strength. He was lost, drowning in an abyss that even he, the great Arfrotian, could not navigate his way out of.

  Eterna swallowed hard, tightening her grip on him.

  "How do I bring him back?" she thought desperately.

  A moment passed, then another, and she exhaled softly, lifting her hands to gently cradle his face. His head had been lowering, sinking further into despair, but she refused to let him fall any deeper. Slowly, she guided him downward, pressing her forehead against his, letting their cold skin touch.

  "If you cannot carry this alone, then I will carry it with you."

  She whispered to him, her voice soothing, a quiet plea in the midst of the storm.

  “It’s alright. You don’t have to bear all of this alone. You know that… right?”

  Her words wavered as warmth crept up her cheeks. What she was about to say next was something she had never dared to voice before.

  “Arfrotian… you know I’m your wife. You agreed to it. And…” She hesitated, biting her lower lip before forcing the words out, “isn’t it a wife’s duty to share her husband’s burdens?”

  For a fleeting moment, she thought—hoped—that her words would reach him, that his cold, distant gaze would soften.

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  But Arfrotian remained as he was. Hollow. Empty. Frozen in time.

  A sharp chill cut through the air, making her shudder.

  Her eyes flickered upward.

  The red sun.

  It had always been there, casting its cold radiance across this world. But now, it was changing. It was growing. Expanding.

  Its crimson light pulsed ominously, and with each beat, the cold intensified.

  "Wait... that sun..." Eterna's breath hitched, realization dawning upon her. "It's… Pandora’s manifestation, isn’t it? This world was forged from Pandora’s clashing with the Eternal Frostheart’s backlash, and now..."

  Now, the reason for the sun's swelling became terrifyingly clear.

  It was Arfrotian.

  His sorrow was feeding it.

  The deeper he fell into his grief, the stronger Pandora's presence became. The world was reacting to him, reflecting his pain, his agony. If this continued, if Arfrotian was swallowed completely, then Pandora would devour everything.

  Eterna’s pulse quickened. She had to act now.

  And then—she remembered.

  The last time she had been lost in grief, when her heart had felt like it was shattering into pieces, Arfrotian had pulled her back.

  He had kissed her.

  A deep, consuming kiss that had jolted her back to reality, making her forget everything except for the warmth of his embrace.

  Eterna's face turned crimson.

  No, there’s no time to think about formalities.

  This wasn’t about shyness. This was about saving Arfrotian.

  He had saved her. Now, it was her turn.

  With newfound determination, she lifted her trembling hands and cupped his face. His head was still bowed, his eyes unfocused.

  Eterna inhaled sharply.

  "Okay, it’s payback time now!"

  Before she could hesitate, she pulled him down and crashed her lips against his.

  It was unlike their first kiss.

  Back then, she had resisted, overwhelmed by the sudden intimacy.

  But now, she gave everything.

  She poured all of herself into it, hoping—praying—that he would feel it, that her warmth, her presence, would pull him back from the abyss.

  Yet… he wasn’t responding.

  His body remained still, unmoving, as if frozen in place.

  Eterna’s heart clenched.

  "This isn’t enough."

  She deepened the kiss, pressing herself against him, sliding her arms around his neck, pulling him closer. She poured more warmth, more of herself, desperate to reach him.

  And then—

  Arfrotian jolted.

  A shudder ran through him as if he had been struck by lightning. His cold lips slowly softened against hers, and for the first time, warmth seeped into them.

  His hands, once limp at her waist, tightened.

  A strong arm wrapped around her, pulling her flush against him, his body no longer distant, no longer lifeless.

  When they finally pulled apart, both of them were breathless, panting softly against each other. Their faces remained close, their foreheads pressed together.

  A long silence stretched between them.

  Then, finally—

  Arfrotian exhaled, his voice steady, filled with newfound clarity.

  “Thank you, Eterna. I was… too caught up in it.”

  Eterna, still flustered, crossed her arms and pouted.

  “Oh? 'Eterna,' is it now? What happened to ‘Honey’?”

  Arfrotian smirked, mischief flickering in his gaze.

  "Oh, my apologies, Honey. I was simply overwhelmed by the moment. But now that I’m back..." He slid his hands down her waist, pulling her closer. "Tell me, how did it feel kissing me? Was it sweet?"

  Eterna turned as red as a tomato.

  “D-Darling… I… I—”

  Arfrotian chuckled, but then his expression turned serious. His grip around her tightened, not in sorrow, but in understanding.

  “Even though I said I came here to control Pandora… that wasn’t the entire truth.”

  Eterna, still dazed, blinked up at him.

  "What? But I thought your only reason was to protect your people…"

  Arfrotian smirked, a sharp, knowing smirk that sent a chill down her spine.

  Eterna swallowed nervously.

  "Is there… something more?"

  His smirk widened.

  And in that moment, Eterna knew—whatever he was about to say next would change everything