As the maid's blade closed in on her, a bitter realisation overcame both Snow and Irene, who were overwhelmed by the demonic powers of the old witch. There was not enough time for Irene to get away from the blow — and no one could save her now.

The mirrored blade of the knife glinted dangerously under light. It's clean, smooth sheen ready to become stained with the colour red.

What would become of Irene when that knife pierced through her body?

Crash!

Just then — in the split second before the knife's edge could touch her — a great force suddenly thrusted Irene's body aside.

She was shoved away from the blade's path, and instead, it pierced into something else. A pained yelp escaped Irene's lips, as she struggled to process what happened for a moment. Irene had her eyes screwed shut when her back collided with a nearby shelf - causing glass ornaments to fall and shatter to the ground from the impact.

Silence fell over the room as opened her eyes to find herself staring in complete horror, at the scene before her. A shrill ringing echoed between the walls as time almost stood still for a moment.

Mikael was somehow standing perfectly on both his legs despite the injuries — eyes glowing a pale blue; blood staining his little white shirt and gushing out like a fountain of red. Overwhelmed with shock, Irene gasped inaudibly when she realised the deathly crimson fluid was coming from Mikael's hand.

He caught the blade before it could hurt him in any vital areas, whilst pushing Irene to safety simultaneously. A gaping whole had been cut open in the centre of his palm. Mikael's blood poured from the wound onto the floor, soiling the carpet in thick, messy pools.

But what bewildered them all the most, was the fact that Mikael was standing there with not an ounce of emotion on his face. There were no signs of pain, no hints of agony.

He looked as still as a hollow doll.

The witch stumbled back, releasing the dagger and shocked by the frightening look of icy cruelty in his eyes. She was so sure the mirrored knife would kill Irene from that speed, so how in the world did he manage to move the girl and stop her within that second?

Just seconds ago he was cowering with a beaten body — unable to walk. But the way he was looking at her as though she were a putrid bug was so frightening — it instilled fear in the maid who became overcome with petrified shock.

Not once in his life did this wimpy, meek child look at her with those eyes. Something was definitely wrong with him.

He should be crying in agony right now... Why is he looking at me like that?!

A chill down Irene's spine when she noticed the air in the room becoming startlingly cold. As if a sudden gust of winter storms had crept into the room, goosebumps formed on her little arms. The air began to condense as nature's law became subverted between the walls.

Snow too, glanced around to see ice glossing over the surface of the walls and furniture, growing increasingly white.

What in the world...?

Is this... Magic?

"Mikael!" Irene called out to the prince, her eyes swelling with tears at the sight of the blood that trickled from his fingertips. But he remained unfazed.

As if by his will — the shower of crimson leaving his body became completely frozen in place.

A sharp sound like clinging glass echoed through the room. Irene froze when she noticed there was no more red pouring from his hands.

Instead, the scarlet blood had been crystallised into shards. White frost continued to manifest on the carpet and walls closest to him — droplets of the metallic fluid suddenly freezing mid-air. And it didn't take long for Irene to realise the cause of this.

For a moment, everything in the room was silent. Nothing but the sound of frost and icy crystals crunching as they grew like mould could be heard. Irene stared speechlessly at the prince - who was glaring balefully with an apathetic expression at the maid in front of him.

She wondered why Ms Cather wasn't making a move. But when Irene's eyes landed on the floor beneath the skeletal woman, she noticed the ice that spiralled across her body — freezing her in place.

"Y-You impudent bastard!" Ms Cather growled through gritted teeth. "Release me this instant before I kill you too!"

Mikael didn't respond. His eyes became shadowed by the strands of blonde hair which fluttered delicately from the frosty air.

"... Kill me, you say," He began to speak, his tone low and cold as ice. Irene noticed his blue eyes lighting up with an unnatural luminous glow. "Haven't you already been killing me this whole time? Over and over, in my sleep and my reality..."

Those words sent Sophia Cather into a fit of aggravation. She struggled to fight against the solidified ice connecting her body to the ground - but to no avail.

"Release me at once!" She repeatedly growled, her eyes turning black as some sort of dark orbs shot out of her body and hurled toward Mikael.

But they were thrown off-course by the frozen air surrounding his body. Tiny crystals of ice lingered around the boy's petite figure, as he tightened his grip around the knife wedged in his hand. He then pulled it out of him without even flinching — as if numb to the pain of a gaping hole in his hand.

Shhhing!

In one flawless motion, Mikael waved the knife into Ms Cather's shoulder, slicing a huge chunk of flesh before taking the dagger back out.

A shrill cry of agony resounded through the room, and Irene froze in horror as she watched the scene before her play out.

Mikael's face remained a cruel glare. He felt nothing but satisfaction at the sight of the person he hated most in the world — finally getting what she deserved. But even in this ideal situation, he couldn't bring himself to smile.

"...I won't let you take anyone else away." He asserted, and Irene's heart sank when his darkened eyes displayed nothing but anguish in them. "You've wasted your life, exacting revenge against the late emperor by targeting his son. And now you're going to die and rot in hell with all your demonic pets."

Despite the cruel, heartless demeanour he had now, Irene realised that everything happening in this moment was the peak of Mikael's pain. She didn't know what he meant by exacting revenge on the late emperor, but it caused an unsettling feeling to wash over her.

"You little brat! You know nothing about what I was put through by that damned father of yours!" She roared, becoming a mess of pain and seething infuriation.

"I know enough. Those demons you put in my head tend to whisper many things," He tossed the mirrored blade aside, causing it to clamour against the icy surface of the floor. "I look forward to them staying silent from now on."

It was then Mikael raised an arm and extended his palms — the air around his lean fingertips forming a wispy white air of frost. A sharp lance made of ice suddenly burst into existence at his will.

Ms Cather watched in futile horror as she struggled against the ice, but no matter what she tried - she couldn't move.

His gaze locked onto the woman's for a final moment. Mikael said nothing — as he watched the woman keenly, her eyes cowering at the sight of the weapon he materialised from thin air. It was exactly the look he had always dreamt of seeing.

Calm, silent, deadly and cold. The look in his eyes revealed no remorse as Mikael pierced the long blade into the woman's heart in one move.

She gasped, eyes wide and head falling back from the agony. Her tremors stopped.

The witch's life ended, in that moment.

Everything fell silent. Frigid air and frost filled the room with a merciless desire to kill. Mikael stared nonchalantly at the body of the woman for a brief period, before creating another sword of ice and slicing off Ms Cather's head in one clean sweep — just to make sure she was really dead.

A gush of blood exploded from her severed neck, the head rolling across the floor until it hit the nearest wall. The room became dyed in the blood of the maid who likely would've survived, if Mikael's magic didn't awaken in that moment.

Irene was quivering by the shelves, tiny droplets of blood beginning to trickle down her bare arms due to the natural vapour which had been frozen in place from Mikael's newfound power. When he turned to face her, her heart thrashed in her chest with an overwhelming mix of emotions.

Fear, joy, sadness, confusion, and horror. Even as the boy slowly approached her, she couldn't tell which feelings were which. A small part of her wanted to turn away from the terrifying scene she had just watched.

But the largest piece of her remembered that it was Mikael. He wasn't an angelic character who remained pure and untainted, and that didn't even go for Daniel - the male lead of this novel. The reality of it was that human life would be cut short by the vigilant characters of the story. They never wavered - not once in the face of danger.

Mikael was strong. As someone who suffered his entire life, that went twice as much. That woman deserved to die, and rightfully by Mikael's own hands.

So why...

Why do I feel so guilty right now...?

"...Irene," Mikael kneeled down in front of her, and her eyes widened when she realised he was only a few centimetres away. "You're not hurt right?"

In response, she furtively shook her head. The boy retracted his ruthless ice, allowing the crystals to vaporise and the air around her turn warm again. Irene remained speechless, her voice stuck in her throat as he slowly lifted a hand up to her face.

His fingers were like ice. Mikael gently stroked her cheek, and a rueful smile formed on his melancholic little visage. "I'm sorry for scaring you," he told her, his voice beginning to weaken. It was then she noticed his body swaying slightly, as if he were losing balance. "But I'm glad that... You're safe."

Mikael's eyes slowly closed, and he soon fell forwards into Irene's embrace. She froze up, realising the weight of his body meant he passed out. After exhausting himself with all of that magic which had only just awakened, it was to be expected this would be the aftermath.

Irene calmed herself down, the coldness of the boy's body dissipating as she held him closely. His body was still bruised, and his crystallised, bloodied hand was beginning to leak again. She gently lifted a hand up to the back of Mikael's head, stroking his soft, wavy locks of pale blonde hair.

I'm sorry, Mikael... Tears began to swell in her eyes. In the end, I couldn't do anything for you...

For a moment which felt as though it stretched into an eternity,

😭

🤣

In that moment — everyone in the room was aware — the moment the knife touched Irene's body, it would pierce her right through the heart, delivering an instant death.

But in the split second before Irene could get hit, Mikael mustered all the strength left in his body to shove the girl's body to the side — out of harm's way. Gathering his last burst of adrenaline, he pushed Irene out of the knife's path.

Instead, it pierced directly into the right side of his chest.

The room fell silent — and when Irene realised what just happened, her heart stopped beating for a brief second. Blood as crimson as roses, poured from the dagger pierced through Mikael's shoulder, as Sophia Cather stumbled back from the shock of what happened.

"...Mikael..." Irene gasped, her voice breaking. "...Mikael!"

The maid gasped, suddenly becoming overwhelmed with dread as she struggled to her feet and started to make a break for the door of the room.

"That little bastard! I'm going to be killed if he dies!" She exclaimed, escaping through the doorway before she could get caught.

At the same time, Irene hurried to Mikael to catch his body in her arms before he could fall back. The light in his eyes began to fade, and he was using all of his remaining strength to take shallow breaths.

"...I-Irene..." He gazed up at the girl's face which was plastered in shock. He was barely conscious, but he knew what she was feeling from how wide with horror her eyes became, and so - he offered her a small smile.

"I'm glad... You're safe," he suddenly spluttered, blood escaping his lips. The metallic scent of death lingered in the air, and Irene's clothes were quickly becoming soiled by the blood flooding out of Mikael like a river gushing out of a broken dam.

"Why...?" Her tears felt warm and kind when they landed on his cold, pale face. As Mikael weakly lifted a hand up to her face, she could feel his ice-cold fingers stroking the stray hairs from her face.

"I'm not g-going to die, idiot..." He assured her, slowly beginning to lose consciousness. "...So stop... crying..."

And in that moment, everything fell silent.

🤢🤢

👀

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