The Ursa Minor Constellation. Throughout history it was known for its importance in guiding the observer in their travels throughout the world. The five stars that constitute it form the shape of a ladle, giving it the name Little Dipper, but many find the Little Bear motif to be equally charming so the two names stuck. Of those stars, the one that illuminates the brightest is the one that does not sway from the planet’s rotation. Essentially, as the planet’s rotation moves our view of the sky around, two points remain fixed relative to the stars, and it just so happens that the tip of this Little Bear’s tail lies above one of these special points.

—The North Star, Polaris.

It is for this reason that the Ursa Minor Constellation—rather, the North Star, was regarded as a critical landmark among the starry sky to gaze upon. As if to offer a hand, the star guides those in need.

However, due to the laws of the Universe, its light travels at a finite speed bound by an upper limit. When one gazes at the North Star, they are in truth looking at what it appeared as four hundred years ago, due to its light taking four hundred years to reach the earth. No object can travel faster than light. It is the unbreakable speed limit of the Universe. A necessary four hundred year journey.

For an observer who couldn't care less about such details, it’s an insignificant triviality that barely crosses their mind. But to those that are unsatisfied with this realization and with a drive to seek more knowledge, learning the deeper secret guarantees destroying any hope of experiencing the outer world: the expansion of space. The Universe itself grows and matures bigger, but at a rate far too vast for the inhabitants inside to catch up. It is when this rate is faster than the finite speed of light is when traveling there becomes an impossibility.

This is… unacceptable.

Throughout human history, these stars were revered. Some thought of them as messengers to gods, others the gods themselves. As time passed and humanity progressed, the possibility of reaching and touching the door to these gods felt tantalizingly real. The undeniable truth that we cannot do so, that we are limited by the world itself is a spit to the face of every person’s efforts towards a greater future.

Rather than looking towards the future, we are merely looking at the past. The nebulous clouds of the Milky Way block the view of the stars even further—several hundred billion stars no longer attainable by sight. The mantra of the stars couldn’t be more opposite. The infinite opportunities of the future are more so distant, fading memories calling out.

If so, will humanity ever reach the stars?

Lying on a wooden wagon covered in a thin sheet of snow, a single girl looked on. The star she had gazed upon stood valiantly as it had when she first set her gaze on it.

・・・・・

It was an odd sensation.

Everyday was a new experience and every tomorrow promised a new adventure.

That drop of blood—that pungent metallic taste in her mouth was no different, yet the sensation felt oddly familiar.

“There’s no better way to put it, but this really isn’t the best home for you.”

Nagi looked towards the girl whom she had iced her wound and responded with a faint, bitter smile. The apples, now covered in dirt, reminded her of an incident where she accidentally tripped and spilt much of the cleaned clothes all over the floor when they just came out of the dryer. And everyone was counting on her too… Chastised by their caretaker, Rosalind had her on water fetching duty for the next three months.

“...” Memories are such a cruel mistress. There wasn’t any point remembering that now, especially in the face of the pounding stones behind that ice wall.

“So please…” The girl lowered her gaze. “Don’t let it bother you. It’s not your fault, Miss.”

Miss.

The faint light of a star sparked in Nagi’s mind. An image of her younger self—alongside someone much older manifested in a static flash.

“A home…”

All that she knew was the mill in a remote village far in the depths of the Scandia region. A lost, defeated child in the face of stagnation, ironing the fabric of her local community for days on end. The only excitement that she can get was through the odd errands barely outside the perimeters of the village. These uneventful days lingered on for so long.

“Don’t let it bother you.” That’s what Rosalind said that time.

I wonder how they’re all doing. Chloe, Tobias, Kerry, Rosalind.

The feeling was all too familiar to her, and yet there was another, tugging sensation of a world beyond what she knew. With every effort of her being as she clutched her cloak, Nagi peered into that distant star.

That’s right. She was content with not remembering every constellation in the sky. The information of every single detail was fighting for space in her sheltered mind against the constant, overwhelmingly new experiences of the world outside. Try as she might, she had preferred to live in the moment rather than prepare for the quiz that would eventually fall on her every night. There were much better things to look forward to. The far-stretching fields of Alkai, the rolling mountains and salty harbors of Scandia, the immaculate architecture of Chordia…

It was all utterly blissful.

Blissful?

How do I know this?

Another drop of blood fell to the stone road.

Suddenly, another image flashed, but it instinctively made her recoil backwards. The sharp smell of burnt flesh was the first sensation that made her grimace. The black, charred sight of a destroyed arm made Nagi’s breath catch in her throat.

“Khh…”

As fast as it had manifested, Nagi buried the image in the back of her mind. Despite her best efforts to grasp that awe-inspiring sensation again, the memory was far too hazy. It pained her to know there was something missing. Something dearly important.

The faint light flickered.

Aoi? A weapon of mass destruction? A horrific disaster? A deity dragon wielding the authority to wipe out everything? I don’t care about all of that. Just bring me back.

“I just… want to go back…”

To see a new tomorrow.

Nagi again clutched her cloak, only this time she set her focus outwards onto the ice wall keeping them safe from the mob’s rocks.

“—You there, stand back a little.”

“H—Huh?”

Nagi faced the ice wall and placed a hand on its surface. Her hand tensed the moment she felt the coldness seep into her palm, but it remained steady.

"Woah! Hey! Were you not listening? The folks here aren’t so keen on Aoi!” the girl exclaimed as she stepped forward, but Nagi shook her head.

“That’s exactly why I need to do this.”

That kind boy had saved her when she needed help the most. When those two took her away in Fallway, he was there. When she was trapped in that blizzard in that observatory, he was there. Before she woke this morning, he folded her cloak so neatly for her when she was recovering. Nagi had yet to thank him fully. Looking back at it now, he truly did shine like the light of that star.

Am I misremembering things? Was it the North Star or was it him?

Nagi chuckled in her mind. Either way, she needed to shine just like him that night.

This world, a chilling place yet at the same time so warm.

—The ice wall disintegrated.

Rocks continued their velocity, but years of dodging hot iron allowed her to dodge the lingering projectiles with ease.

“Hm?”

The townsfolk mob, who had been too engrossed in their efforts to drive out the invader, stopped their attacks once they noticed the crumbling ice shatter into pieces.

“Nagi. My name is Nagi.” She spoke resolutely. “An ordinary person. A normal human being from Scandia. As you can see, I’m not a threat nor do I have any intention of harming anyone here.”

It was a shot in the dark, sure, but she couldn’t move forward unless she herself was made known. For a moment, everyone’s eyes wavered with hesitation. Like they were afraid or even frightened. But the same man who had made the first remark kept his unimpressed expression.

“Scandia, eh? Didn’t even know they thought nothing of the disease that is Aoi among them.” The man, who at this point was tacitly leading the mob, scoffed with blatant disdain. “Any foreigner would’ve gotten the hint by now.”

Nagi felt the blood rush to her head, leaking a cold sharpness into her words. “The snowy mountains there are beautiful. You should go visit there sometime.”

“—I told ya. Ain’t our business. Shoveling snow might be your pastime, but I ain’t as hell gonna break my back every goddamn morning keeping the walkway clean.” He sneered. “Damn stargazer.”

Obstinately, Nagi cut him off. “What’s so different about me compared to you all? What about me is so scary? Is it my complexion, my voice, or this harmless power? How is rejecting anything outside your comfort zone going to help yourselves? If you all can shift your mindset ever so slightly and be open to change—maybe then…” She inhaled sharply. “I can have a home to come back to…”

Their expressions did not change. In the end, words weren’t enough to persuade them of the humanity she gained. But she had an idea. From what Nagi could tell, these people only fear Aoi itself, and the person behind it was the target to express that fear.

“It’s…” The man pointed to the trash bin next to a vacant stall. “...right there.” With a grin, he crossed his arms. “If you don’t like it, then go back to Scandia and bathe in the non-existent sun there.”

What a prick.

But she had an ace up her sleeve. Nagi put her hand out and concentrated. On the same flagstones that the wall once was, icy wind collected into a single core and conjured her signature creation: a snow fairy.

“Woah…”

Every single person in the square gazed at the newly manifested ice sculpture. It appeared the sculpture sparked an interest in the square as onlookers who didn’t want to take part in the mob suddenly stopped and looked.

“Color me surprised. Scandians know how art works.” The man tilted his head.

“That’s… really pretty, Miss.” Sparkles in the girl’s eyes gleamed as she took in the silvery blue form. With the sun overhead, its surface glinted at every corner. The snow fairy, having such a majestic appearance, could’ve been taken for the square’s centerpiece monument.

“But…” The man interrupted. “Do you really expect some snowman will help us plow all this snow? If anything, you just made the problem worse.”

Despite the grandeur of the ice sculpture, the novelty quickly wore off as the man reminded them of the hate they harbored. One by one, the townsfolk’s gazes of awe morphed into gazes of bitterness. Their fearful curiosity never once swayed.

“No… why?” Never once had she witnessed such hatred. A mutual understanding, seeing eye to eye, she had taken these concepts for granted when she ventured into that forest for the first time. The origin of their fear was justified, and yet she couldn’t help but feel conflicted. On one hand, she was responsible for the snow covering every surface in town, but on the other… that destruction that had wiped Sozuraka off the map had nothing to do with her. “Why does it have to be this way?”

Despicable. You’re the outsider. You’re the enemy. Go die already. Why hasn’t anyone gotten rid of that scary monster? You don’t deserve to have a home.

No, you’re wrong. You are all wrong.

I will create a home to go back to.

Were they still aghast by Nagi’s Aoi? Or is it the very fact that her appearance differs from them? A sigh escaped her lips. It was as if she held the exact opposite views of these people. While she had welcomed the outside world with open arms, they completely rejected anything foreign. Making a move when she was already mated was a fool’s errand.

At that moment, every member of the mob reached for a rock and locked eyes on Nagi. It didn’t take long for her to know what was coming next.

“Hope you brought an umbrella.”

“...I knew this wouldn’t end well.”

After a sigh, Nagi took the girl’s arm—but not before swiping every single apple off the flagstone and throwing them into the paper bag she had earlier—and bolted.

“M—Miss?! You didn’t have to!” the girl managed to blurt out over the sound of impacts.

“I need to help someone else for a change!”

“I think you need to help yourself first!”

Upon reminding Nagi of her injury, a drop of blood seeped into the corner of Nagi’s left eye—at which point blinded her enough to block her view from the impending pole. Consequently, the pain on her forehead emerged for a second time.

“Ow…”

Apparently, the town she found herself in contained hazardous poles in the middle of the walkways. Who puts these obstacles in the most inconvenient places? What was even the name of this place anyways? Not that it matters.

“If we’re gonna run, I know a good place to hide.” The girl said, gesturing her head to the nearby space between two buildings. Chordia, or at least this town, had a preference in building its cities with runaways in mind. That was what Nagi had found out when traversing through the maze of houses, fences, stalls, and bridges. Easy for her. She was used to running like this.

“What?! How did he—”

One turn later, that same man emerged behind a corner, baseball bat in hand.

“Thought the alleyways were a good hiding spot, eh?”

“You gotta be a real stalker if you're gonna stop two ladies in some alleyway like this. How can you be so shameless?”

“Shut up, kid. I just want that white-haired girl.”

That blood, exercised by the chase, rushed to Nagi’s head even harder. “Don’t you guys want me to leave? Are you trying to kill me?”

“Having a rampaging subhuman among the city will sully the purity of our home.”

“What is your—” In a split second, Nagi covered the stone ground in a sheet of ice. “—problem?!”

“Wha…?!” Losing control of his balance, he slipped and his head was met with a blow against a metal bucket. “Gwak—!” A couple seconds passed, and the two heard faint breathing coming from his limp body.

“Honestly, pretty sure it’s this dude who just has issues.” The girl sighed. Suddenly, they heard voices behind them. All shouting that same nonsense. “That… happens to be shared with a lot of other people.”

“...Let’s go.”

“R—Right.”

After a solid half hour of weaving around the multitude of buildings—all the while making sure not a single apple dropped from the bag, it appeared that the mob was no longer chasing them. Emerging outside into an open street, Nagi finally took a deep breath and collapsed to the ground.

“Finally… it’s over.”

“I was gonna say eyes on the road, but you really should’ve had eyes on your forehead.” The girl sighed. “Like I said, they’re not even on the hunt for me in particular, so you didn’t have to drag me along, Miss.” After reaching inside a pocket, she took out a handkerchief which she handed to Nagi.

“I wasn’t thinking straight, okay?” Nagi murmured, taking the offer. “And… thanks.”

“Either way, we lost the crowd. Never noticed how many rocks there are on these dang streets. The heck are the janitors doing?” This girl. Something about her reminded Nagi of that boy. Not personality, but appearance-wise. “Hey you know.” She paused before looking back at her. “That ice sculpture was very pretty.”

“...Oh?”

“I was surprised when you said you were from Scandia. When I was a kid, maybe around six or so, I once went there with a few friends.”

Those words made Nagi's heart flutter.

“It was hella snowy and goddamn did I have a runny nose everyday I was there, but it made me realize just how huge this place is.” She smiled faintly. “But I remember the best part of that visit was riding one of those gondolas. Watching the world go by without a care… I gotta go back there sometime.”

It was the first time Nagi ever heard anyone speak fondly of her homeland. Having been caught off guard, she tried to maintain composure and find the right words. In the end, the only thing she could think of was that blissful experience.

“Those gondolas are…” The image of a star illuminated. “...pretty fun.”

Oddly, as she wiped her forehead of blood and dirt, a sound of a distant tune on a piano played, or at least what Nagi thought she heard. The familiar melody of every faint note entered her consciousness, swirling it around like a soup of feelings about to overflow. She couldn’t discern the origin no matter where she looked, and the girl didn’t seem to notice either. She… must’ve been imagining it.

“Nowadays it’s harder to even set foot in another region.” Nagi looked around, not specifically for the piano this time, but to take in the scene around her. Kitzkirchen, the name came to her mind again once the masonry architecture of the streets and buildings reminded her that she was in Chordia now. To think that in another life, her eyes would drift over these structures the same way that she gazed up at the snow mountains surrounding her lonesome village. Had it been any different, perhaps she would’ve grown tired of Chordia and wanted to venture outwards.

Carving out a home in a chilling world, where it can also be warm.

Nagi stood up, dusted her cloak, and handed the bag of green apples back to the girl. “Even so, I’ll make it possible for all of us to ride those gondolas one more time.”