Chapter 0: Prologue
“Frosti!” Pyrrahette hollered, running down the stairs and into my room. Loud huffs echoed each and every breath. “Big bwuther come home tomorrow!”
“Ugh… It’s six in the morning, Pyr.”
“Frosti! Wake up! Big bwuther come home tomorrow!”
“Shit! I mean fuck! Heck!” I quickly pulled myself out of bed, giving Pyrrah one of those looks that tried to clearly indicate: ‘Don’t repeat what I just said, or I’ll let the monster under your bed get you,’ She clearly didn’t notice me… she was still at the age where she couldn’t exactly do anything about a monster being under her bed. “Pyr. You understand that since big bro is coming back… that I’ll be gone for three years, right?”
“Fro…Frosti go to school now too?”
“Yeah.” I saw her look down at the floor. “Tomorrow morning… just before big bro comes home.”
“You no celebrate with us?”
“Sadly, I can’t… that’s just how the school operates.” I replied. I glanced at the family picture. She’d been younger than five years old when my big brother, Thermian Snow, went in. I was twelve when he left. The year he left was the year I’d exited my ignorant bliss that I may never see him again… so I tried to make up a lot of time with him… much to his discontentment. I’m now sure if he realized that with the odds stacked against him… that he wouldn’t see me, Pyrrah, Mother, or Father. Not after the three years. The school had a high mortality rate. High enough that I couldn't even fake confidence that I would survive. If you went based on the individual classes, I had a solid chance. If you went with the whole group; I'd have better chances to get the winning lottery ticket at the mall. Not to mention how bad it'd be for everyone without a cold-based affinity. The school I'm being sent to is on it's last legs. The universe would end after my class graduates. A few sixteen year old's, several fifteen year old's, and plenty of fourteen and thirteen year old's. Nobody younger than thirteen ever got in earlier than that. “Y…You know that I…”
“Yes Frosti?”
“I…” I hesitated for a bit longer. I wasn’t exactly sure about the procedures for telling an eight-year-old that she may never see me again? Thermian never attempted to give me a proper farewell. All I’d gotten was a simple: “I guess this is goodbye for now.” I thought for a moment more. “I love you; you know.”
“Me knows very muches.”
“You gotta start using more proper English soon… or else the monsters under your bed and in your closet will be able to snatch you up. I wouldn’t want you to go missing while I’m gone.”
“Okie, I’ll try, Frostine.”
“That doesn’t mean use my name over your little nickname, Pyr.” I muttered, wrapping her up in a hug. I probably hugged her a bit too tightly because she scrambled to pull herself away. I saw her look at me with a sort of blissful happiness that didn’t quite understand that tomorrow could be the last day I had to live. I mean, practically nobody dies on the first day… though it’s not unheard of. Especially when you randomly blink in a mundane born who only just got the ability to maintain mana. She scrambled up the stairs after a wave for me to follow her. Mother, Dad, and I hadn’t exactly discussed it with each other… but we’d all been on a merry-go-round about the whole Thermian probably not making it out ordeal. Of course, I wouldn’t know that until I got out. If I did. I sat there for a few more moments, trying to stop each and every streak of tears from rolling into existence. I’d spent every single moment of the past three years either trying to make my mark on Pyrrha’s life, or trying to work at my own spell craft to ensure I got a chance to ask if Thermian made it out alright. Maybe I was trying to amend how shitty of a kid I was at her age. My parents had always been trying to train and prepare me for my inevitable turn on the chopping block. And with that thought I couldn’t stop myself. I couldn’t hold back the barrage of tears and the sudden urge to sniffle.
“Good morning, Snowflake.” Mother said, I slumped into my chair. Father and she had gone all in with breakfast this morning. I presumed that lunch looked something like Potato Soup… one of my favorite meals… and then for dinner: my all-time favorite meal… squid ink risotto with shrimp on the side. Sounds a bit strange for a fifteen-year-old American kid, right? “Oh my Snowflake... You know you shouldn't tear up.”
“Y…Yeah. Just stressed, Mother.” I murmured as Mother swatted away my tears with a napkin.
“It's okay. I understand” Mother replied. I knew with every ounce of my soul that she did. Every adult wizard did. All of them had been forced to go through the trial. Whether it was a trial to sort out the weak and stupid… or just some accident a circle of wizards set in motion, and nobody actually knew how to stop it from barreling on. Our population had gone down drastically since the school opened two hundred and fifty years ago. I’m pretty sure they had no idea exactly how dangerous it’d get… except that it’d help them develop some rather strong warriors to help them win wars… Now? Wizards didn’t exactly help mundanes with wars anymore. They used to fight each other during the wars… but that hasn’t happened since Vietnam. “There you go. Over easy eggs, chorizo, the fluffiest of pancakes, chocolate milk, and an English muffin. All for you, Snowflake.”
“Thanks, Mother.” I said, staring at the dish for several moments. There wasn’t much you could do to make a better breakfast. Sure, the chocolate and syrup on the pancakes toned down the healthiness of it… but when this could be the last good breakfast that you’d eat for three years… on top of the fact that it could very well be the last breakfast you’d ever eat again? You weren’t expected to stick to the healthy side of things. I saw mother put a way a bit of the dishes she’d kept out. “I…I am an adequate daughter, right, mother?”
“Oh, little snowflake… you’re one of the greatest daughters a parent could ask for.” Mother said, she pulled up a chair behind me, her hands carefully caressing my hair, her fingers moving locks of my hair. Twisting, bundling and soothing. Each finger demanding perfection, yet unwilling to put the pain in to get there, and yet with her soft fingers I knew she would. I opened my eyes as the finished off the plait. Not my usual style… but she always liked to do unusual things with my locks. And I didn't exactly dislike it either. “Y…You’re one of the best equipped wizardlings that will touch that school. Especially with your affinity… and you’ve tried for the past three years to be there for your sister. Your father and I are so proud.”
“You’ve done much better on that front than that brother of yours.” Father called, stepping into the kitchen. He set the rolled-up newspaper down and took a sip of his mug. “He practically ignored us until his last day… then tried to spend the entire day with us.”
“Oh! Your father is just trying to be a bit hyperbolic about that. He spent plenty of time with me…”
“Honey, if you’re making this into a competition, I’ll have you know that Frostine has spent two hours more with me than she has with you.”
“T…That’s not…”
“Well, our time together must’ve been much more meaningful, then.”
“W…Wait…”
“Well, maybe that could be true. But I’d reckon I know her much better than you do.”
“Frosti loves me the moistest!”
“That’s true.” I said, cutting through their little debate… I looked at them, all of them were giving me wry smiles. “I crown her the champion of my time.”
“Darn.”
“Well, it’s only to be expected, dear.”
“I win!”
“Just know… whatever happens in the next three years… we’re so proud of you.” Mother whispered into my right ear.
“You making it in makes me even more fucking proud of you than her.”
“Honey!”
“Aghk! This is between me and Frostine.” Dad grunted, before leaning into my left ear a bit more. “But if we don’t see you out in three years, just know I’ll be a little bit mad.”
“Honey! You’ll scare her!”
“What? I’m just saying the truth!”
“Thanks dad,”
“Hey! What secwets you hiding!”
“Oh nothing, you little gremlin.” Father said, lifting Pyrrah up into a fireman’s carry. “You’re getting too heavy!”
“Just know… if you meet someone in there… and both of you make it out… we’ll want to meet them.” Mother said, finishing off the plait. I smiled, then mouthed ‘yuck.’ Mother gave off a stifled snort at that. “Don’t you just look prim and proper now… well except your eyes… but time will come by to fix that.”
“I’m not that sa…” I stopped as a swarm of mana started to swirl around me. “M…Mom?”
“Hey what’s going on in there no magic before lu… dear lord!” Father dropped Pyrrha on the couch and ran over to my side. With the fear in his eyes, I could tell what was happening. “Frostine. I know you’ll make us proud. Knock it out of the park! I love you!”
“What your father said. We love you. I’ll have all your favorite fruits ready for you to snack on… and I’ll make a list of everything you missed out on so you can keep up to date with the older kiddos!”
“B…But if I’m going early… d…does that mean...”
“We don know kiddo… t…try not to think too much about him.”
“Whut’s happening? Why is she sparkling?”
“Pyrrah… I love you so much… please stay safe! I’ll see you when I come ho…” And that was it. Due to some abnormal circumstances, I was being whisked away a day early. Too early. Everyone else would be whisked away too early… But I’d planned out my final goodbye being tomorrow morning. Right before I left! “Fuck… Fuck. Fuck!”
