Chapter 28
The story of Shimotsuki had come to an end.
To be honest, while Yoren could understand her pain, he could not truly empathize with her. The suffering she endured was too distant from the life and world he had once known.
"Frost Moon, what happened next? Have you never seen Frost Nova since then?"
Shimotsuki's expression had returned to its usual calm. The memories that once left her bruised and battered now seemed to have numbed her completely.
"I knew there was little hope. Frost Nova was very young at the time, and she was infected with Oripathy. Even if, by some miracle, she survived like I did, it would have been difficult for her to make it to adulthood."
"So you believe Frost Nova is dead?"
"I didn't give up back then. After speaking with the other infected, I searched for a long, long time… until finally, I had to accept the truth."
Her voice was unsettlingly calm, as though she were speaking of something mundane.
"I failed to save her. Stripped of everything, I never even had the chance. I can't even remember what she looked like as a child anymore. And the cruelest irony? In the depths of my despair, my body awakened its most powerful Originium arts. I buried the Ursus soldiers stationed in the ice and snow, burning away what remained of my already broken body. For most, such a power would be an untouchable dream. But for me? With this infected body, I can wield Originium itself, bending nature's laws at the cost of my own existence. Ursus stole my only family away from me. So it was only natural that I should return the favor."
Yoren had expected this conclusion. He did not know why Frost Moon, an infected, had lived so long—perhaps she had discovered a way to prolong her life, or perhaps the sheer weight of her hatred kept her frail body moving forward.
Time had passed, but even though Frost Nova was no longer in this world, Frost Moon's longing had not faded.
To her, Yoren was nothing more than a passerby, insignificant in her story. Even knowing he came from another time and space, nothing could change what had already transpired.
Frost Moon hated this world and everyone in it. If she wanted to, she could kill Yoren in an instant. There was no need to reopen old wounds by speaking of the past.
Revenge. Destruction. She could do whatever she pleased, and no one would stop her.
She had lost everything. She thought she had become numb. But when Yoren uttered the name Frost Nova, something within her stirred—something she had long thought frozen over.
Frost Nova had been everything to her. Not just a daughter, but her only beacon in the darkness.
Even though Frost Nova was gone, Frost Moon still longed to hear anything about her, even if it was just a trace of proof that her daughter had truly existed in this world.
After listening to her story, Yoren finally understood why she resented this world so much.
What she had endured was like a cruel script, as though some god above had crafted her fate to be as tragic as possible.
Counting the days in agony. Clutching onto a hope that was never meant to last.
Frost Nova's story could be summarized in mere words, but no one could truly fathom the torment she had endured in her heart.
The deepest love. The most unbearable hatred. The hope she refused to relinquish, only to be swallowed by the cold embrace of despair.
As Frost Moon spoke, Snowsant had curled up in the corner, hugging her knees. Her young face remained emotionless. Perhaps, in Terra, the suffering of the infected was nothing new. Just another tragic story among countless others.
But Yoren had made his decision.
He had to tell Frost Moon the truth.
He looked into her eyes, his voice solemn.
"Frost Nova is still alive."
Silence fell.
A bitter wind howled through the streets. Snowflakes drifted down, blanketing the ground in pale stillness.
A flash of cold steel.
The frozen blade of an ice-forged sword pressed against Yoren's throat. Frost Moon's hand trembled slightly as she held the weapon.
"You'd go so far as to lie just to save yourself?"
"I'm not lying. Frost Nova is alive."
"Shut up."
"Frost Nova is alive."
Frost Moon roared, her voice breaking.
"Shut up! Don't try to deceive me! You're just like all the other selfish, worthless people. I should never have trusted you. I should kill you right now!"
Yoren ignored the frozen blade at his throat and spoke once more, unwavering.
"Frost Nova is alive. I don't say this to save my own life. Whether you kill me or let me go, it doesn't change the truth. Frost Nova is still in this world."
The cold seeped into Yoren's bones. His fingers were numb from the ice spreading through the air. But he did not waver.
This was the Terra he knew. Three years from now, Frost Nova would become a central figure in the Reunion Movement. No matter how dire her past had been, no matter how close she had come to death, she had survived.
He met Frost Moon's gaze with unwavering determination.
"Believe me. Frost Nova is still alive."
Frost Moon's perception as a powerful caster was unparalleled. At this moment, she saw no deception in Yoren's eyes—only unshakable sincerity.
No one could lie before her.
He was telling the truth.
The sword fell from her hand, shattering into countless shards of ice against the frozen ground.
Frost Moon's eyes flickered as she seized Yoren's shoulders.
"How do you know? Where have you seen her? Tell me, now!"
"I haven't seen her in person. But I know she's alive."
"Then where is she now?!"
"I don't know exactly where. But three years from now, she will appear in Chernobog. She will be part of an infected uprising that will shake the world."
Frost Moon's breath hitched. She murmured in disbelief.
"Frost Nova… will lead a revolution? Why?"
Why?
Yoren didn't know the answer.
Perhaps, like Frost Moon, Frost Nova had believed she had lost the ones she loved. Perhaps vengeance against this cruel world was the only thing keeping her alive.
He took a deep breath.
"I can't explain everything now. But I promise you, Frost Nova is out there, somewhere in this world. Three years from now, Chernobog will fall, and the storm of fate will begin to spin. In that chaos, the people I care about will suffer, and many will lose their lives."
Yes. Many people he held dear would be caught in the storm.
Starting in Ursus, Rhodes Island would be dragged into the conflict. Then, the war would spread to Lungmen. The fragile illusion of peace would be shattered, and the world would begin its descent into ruin.
Until the very end, when Amiya would awaken Chimera, forced to walk away from the battlefield before she could ever realize her dream.
Whether it was the Reunion Movement or Rhodes Island, countless lives would be lost.
And Yoren? He had only one goal.
He would change fate.
The wind howled through the empty streets, cutting through the ruins like a blade.
"Look into my eyes," Shuangyue said, her voice trembling slightly. "I need to hear it again. Are you absolutely sure? Is Shuangxing really alive?"
Yoren met her gaze without hesitation. "Yes. She's alive."
Silence stretched between them, thick with unspoken emotions.
The dynamic between Yoren and Shuangyue had shifted.
To Yoren, she was not an enemy. She was a mother crushed by the cruelty of the world, left with no place to unleash her grief and rage. She had slaughtered countless Ursus soldiers, but it wasn't truly the Ursus army that had driven her to this—it was the entire world's rejection of the infected.
Unlike Vina, who saw only allies and enemies, Shuangyue saw only infected and non-infected, a black-and-white world painted in blood and sorrow.
Upon hearing that Frost Star was still alive, Shuangyue's icy demeanor cracked. A spark of life returned to her frozen expression, and for a moment, she seemed utterly lost, overwhelmed by joy. It was so unlike her usual cold composure.
She stepped toward Yoren. "Tell me more about Frost Star. What did she look like? How tall was she? Was she hurt when you saw her?"
Yoren's knowledge of Frost Star was limited to the main storyline of Arknights. He had seen very few depictions of her, aside from a single portrait.
He wanted to tell Shuangyue everything—about Tallulah, about what would happen in the future.
But this wasn't the time.
His presence here had no bearing on Frost Star's fate three years later. No matter what he did, history had already determined her survival.
What mattered now was finding Vina and the others, understanding what had happened in Mandel City, and more importantly—what was about to happen.
He glanced at the time. Midnight had passed. He recalled something the turbaned man had said earlier—something about a "major event."
Yoren turned back to Shuangyue. "I can't explain everything right now. But if we have time later, we'll talk. What's important is that your daughter is still alive. That means you haven't lost everything. You still have a reason to live. There are still things you need to do—things that don't involve throwing your life away in a meaningless battle."
For the first time, uncertainty flickered in Shuangyue's expression. Yoren's words struck something deep inside her. She had long abandoned the idea of survival—her body was already ravaged by oripathy, her life force slowly bleeding away. Living had lost all meaning.
But now, knowing Frost Star was alive…
Her fists clenched.
"I understand. But…" She hesitated. "Tell me about Frost Star—"
Yoren interrupted before she could continue. He understood her desperation, but he needed answers first.
"I will. But first, answer some questions for me."
Shuangyue exhaled and nodded. "Fine."
Yoren took a moment to organize his thoughts before speaking. "What is the name of your organization, and how many members does it have?"
Shuangyue had already let down her guard. Compared to her daughter, her organization was now secondary.
"I joined this group a year ago. It's called [Hessen]. Most of our members are Ursus. I don't know the exact number, but there are over 200 of us here in Mandel City."
Yoren processed that information, then asked, "Who leads your group?"
"Dark Crow," she said. "The same man who stabbed you earlier. He personally invited me to join [Hessen] a year ago."
Yoren raised an eyebrow. He hadn't expected the turbaned man to be the leader. The guy was slippery and fast, but he didn't seem particularly strong. Vina could probably take him out ten times over in a straight fight.
"Does Dark Crow have any special abilities?"
"He can use Originium techniques to become extremely agile and completely conceal his presence."
Yoren scoffed. "So, his special ability is running away."
He moved on. "What's your purpose here in Mandel City? Dark Crow mentioned some kind of plan earlier."
Shuangyue hesitated but then spoke. "You're aware that a natural disaster hit Mandel City ten days ago. Ursus' army will be arriving soon to mine Originium. Our goal is to infect everyone who comes here for profit."
Yoren frowned. "Turn them all into infected?"
"Yes."
Doubt flickered in Yoren's mind. "Even our Glasgow Gang uses protective measures when we enter a disaster zone. The Ursus army will be prepared. How do you plan to infect them all?"
Before she could answer, something clicked in Yoren's mind.
The infected corpses in the square.
His expression darkened. "You're not serious…"
Shuangyue's voice was quiet but firm. "You've seen them. The bodies scattered throughout the city. Those infected refused to fight. Maybe they were too kind. Maybe they were too scared. Either way, a month ago, we rounded them up and brought them here. I froze them to death myself."
Yoren's stomach twisted. "What are you planning to do?"
"Once all the greedy opportunists are inside the city, we'll detonate the bodies. The highly concentrated pathogenic particles will fill the air within minutes. After that, all we have to do is destroy their protective gear. Every single person in Mandel City will be infected. No exceptions."
A heavy silence fell over them.
Yoren's mind raced. This wasn't just an act of vengeance—it was a calculated extermination. Hessen had no intention of fighting the Ursus army head-on. They wanted to assimilate their enemies, to make them suffer the same fate as the infected.
If he, Vina, and the others didn't leave before [Hessen] triggered their plan, they'd all be infected too.
A faint smile crossed Shuangyue's lips, like an iceberg cracking under the weight of time.
"Whether this plan succeeds or fails doesn't matter to me anymore." Her voice had softened. "Now… tell me exactly when Frost Star appears three years from now. Will it be in the morning or afternoon? Where does she go afterward?"
She no longer cared about Mandel City. All that mattered to her now was her daughter.
But Yoren had no time for sentimentality.
"Shuangyue, I need to—"
A low voice interrupted him from outside the ruins.
"Frost Moon, why are you still here? Dark Crow is looking for you."
From the shadows, a man stepped forward. He wore a gray hooded jacket, his face concealed by the deep folds of his hood. A long, thin blade rested at his waist.
His eyes flicked to Yoren.
"Who are they?"
Shuangyue turned to face him, her expression turning cold once more.
"Hong Dao," she said flatly. "I have personal matters to take care of. I suggest you stay out of my way."