The wind was sharper on the mountainside, slicing through their coats and tugging at their hoods as they ascended slowly, step by careful step. Snow crunched underfoot, loose and powdery at first, but growing packed and icy the higher they climbed. The cold bit into their cheeks, flushed and reddened, and Adrian adjusted the scarf around his neck as he scanned the path ahead.
They had been walking for nearly an hour now, the village disappearing behind them and the jagged white peaks rising like ancient, unmoving sentinels above. The sky was a pale gray, flat and wide, casting a silver sheen over the landscape. Even in this silence, Adrian felt focused. There was no need for discussion. They had a job: find the flower Eirun's Veil. That was it.
The three white orbs nestled in their hands pulsed faintly—not glowing in any dramatic way, but giving off a subtle warmth, as if to say this way. Adrian held his close, palm open, watching as the orb's warmth intensified whenever he turned slightly to the left. It was a small cue, but clear.
The weight of the orbs in his hands felt heavier now, and his fingers tingled with the cold. He had no idea what they did, only that they were important. He wished he had a clearer sense of purpose, something to guide him through this strange world. But so far, there had been nothing.
"Maybe it's just not as... exciting as we thought it would be?" Sarah said, trying to sound upbeat, but her voice cracked with uncertainty. She looked around as though expecting something to leap out from behind one of the trees, but nothing did. Just more snow.
Adrian exhaled a long breath, trying to shake off the creeping sense of unease. "No, it's not like that. There's something off about this place. It feels... wrong. Like we're not supposed to be here."
Alice, who had stopped walking a few steps ahead of them, turned back, eyes narrowing in thought. "Yeah, I'm starting to get that vibe too. But we have to keep going. We're here for the flower. The Elder said it was up here, and I'm not about to turn back without it."
"But we've been walking for a long time, and I'm getting tired," Sarah pointed out, her voice tight with frustration. "And nothing's happened. This is... this is ridiculous."
Adrian led the way, his breath forming clouds in the freezing air. Every few steps, he'd glance down at his orb, adjust their direction, and press on.
Sarah huffed behind him, arms crossed tightly over her chest. "Can I just say, for the record… this is the worst kind of welcome quest."
Alice chuckled beside her. "You say that now, but if we were killing rats in a basement, you'd be bored in five minutes."
"Rats don't freeze my face off," Sarah snapped, though she was smiling a little. "Seriously. I thought we'd get like... cloaks or gloves or something. I'm gonna sue the old man."
Adrian snorted under his breath. "Good luck with that. He said he doesn't care anymore. Kind of hard to sue a retired saint."
"Watch me," she shot back. "I'll write a very stern letter."
"Should've picked the jungle village," Alice said, feigning regret. "Sweating would've been better than this."
"I told you this one had the best starter quests," Adrian said over his shoulder.
Alice narrowed her eyes playfully. "You also said this was going to be 'peaceful.'"
"I didn't say warm."
That got a soft laugh out of all three of them.
Despite the biting cold, the trail became easier once they found a rhythm—Adrian guiding, Alice keeping pace just behind, and Sarah mumbling dramatic complaints that made them laugh. The silence of the snowy world around them felt less harsh with their voices echoing through it.
Occasionally, Sarah would glance down at her own orb, checking to see if hers agreed with the route Adrian led. Alice didn't check as often—she simply trusted them, trudging forward with a soft determination in her eyes.
Sarah stretched her arms out with a groan. "Can we just… slide back down when we're done?"
"No sliding," Adrian said with a quiet smile. "Not unless you want to fall off a cliff."
Eventually, they reached a ridge with a break in the trees. The orb in Adrian's hand pulsed stronger now, like a gentle heartbeat. He raised it slightly and turned until the warmth flared subtly.
"We're close," he said.
Sarah leaned into Alice's shoulder. "If it's not glowing and singing when we find it, I'm throwing a tantrum."
Alice grinned and pointed. "Well… what about that?"
Down a little slope, nestled in a patch of wind-protected earth, was a lone blue flower. Its petals glowed faintly—not in the magical sense, but with the natural brilliance of something vibrant in a colorless world. Steam drifted lazily from its center, the air around it warm enough to melt the snow nearby.
All three of them stood there for a moment, quiet. Even Sarah.
Adrian took the lead again, walking carefully down the incline and crouching beside it. He brushed the snow gently from the surrounding earth. The stem was rooted deep in a mossy crack between rocks, despite the icy terrain.
"No monsters guarding it," Sarah said. "Feels… weirdly easy."
Alice folded her arms, her breath fogging the air. "Don't jinx it."
Adrian glanced at them, then back at the flower. He reached out and plucked it gently from its spot.
The second it left the earth, the warmth in their orbs vanished—gone in an instant, like someone flipping a switch.
They stared down at them. Adrian rolled his in his palm, but it remained still and cool.
"That's it?" Sarah asked.
Adrian nodded, wrapping the flower in a cloth he'd brought and sliding it carefully into his coat. "Looks like it."
Alice gave a thoughtful hum. "No fanfare. No update. Just… done."
Sarah rubbed her hands together. "Okay, well—if there's no end screen, I want hot food. Let's get down before I die."
They turned back the way they came, and the descent began.
The mountain looked different on the way down. Not easier, but familiar. They had carved a path with their boots, each step now slightly more certain. They spoke more freely now, the pressure off.
"I still can't believe this isn't a cutscene-heavy game," Sarah said, hopping down from a rock. "Feels like it should be."
"Yeah, where's my dramatic music and fade to black?" Alice added with mock sarcasm.
Adrian smirked. "Maybe we didn't trigger the right flag."
"Figures," Sarah said. "Bet if I had flirted with the old guy, he'd have told us more."
Alice stared at her. "You're not serious."
"I'm always serious."
"Gross," Adrian muttered, but there was a laugh hidden in it.
They reached the tree line again, where the slope grew easier. The sky had shifted from pale gray to a dull gold as the sun began to dip slightly. Their coats were damp from snow, their boots heavy, but the flower was safe.
Sarah let out a long breath as the village rooftops peeked through the trees. "Okay. I take back some of my complaints. That view's nice."
"It was kinda pretty up there," Alice admitted. "Quiet, too."
Adrian looked over at them both, then back toward the horizon. "Yeah. It was."
Their breath curled in the air, and the orb in Adrian's pocket tapped softly against the cloth-wrapped flower with each step.
He didn't think much about the weird monsterless mountain which this is supposed to be a place to kill beginner monsters. He didn't care if the old man was acting or truly living in this snowy place or if they had been given a quest, he's going to ask him a bout this strange village which wasn't like this when first played this game, even though he didn't start here.
That was enough for now.
As they crossed the final ridge back into the village, Adrian adjusted his coat, glanced back at the mountain once, and said, "Let's go give the old man his tea flower."
Alice cracked her knuckles. Hope he shares
"He won't." Sarah said, "but I will be skiing anyway."
They laughed again and walked the rest of the way there
But eventually, the steep trail gave way to a gentler slope, and the village slowly came back into view.
When they finally saw the Elder's cabin again—smoke rising gently from the chimney—none of them said anything. Just a breath of relief from Sarah, a long exhale from Alice, and a quiet nod from Adrian.
They walked through the village in silence, snow clinging to their boots, the flower still safe in Adrian's coat.
Nothing had changed.
They'd gone up a mountain, followed the warmth of a strange orb, and returned with a flower. No twists, no surprises. Just three people on a single task, following it through.
As they reached the Elder's door, Adrian raised a hand and knocked.
He was ready to deliver the flower.