Page 41 of The Enchanted Frost

I bit my lip as I contemplated the possible futures from the mirrors we’d seen earlier. The first one was impossible; there was no way for Frost to return to a state of not knowing me.But each of the other two seemed to be unspeakable choices: in either case Frost would lose something precious—whether his immortality or his humanity—and the world would suffer. I was beginning to understand why he had shown such dread when he said that no one escaped the labyrinth unchanged.

While Frost had been bound by his duties and the balance of the seasons, I knew that the choice before me was mine alone. I could see the path where Frost and I could be together, living our days with fleeting joy and sorrow in ephemeral mortal bliss that would bring me more love and happiness than I had ever thought possible…or letting him remain as he was, a protector of winter, bound to his eternal duty.

Though the idea of sharing a life with him was intoxicating, my heart ached, torn between the love I had finally found and the realization that keeping it would doom the man I loved. By choosing me, Frost would lose his connection to the power that made him who he was. He would no longer be the Keeper of Winter and the creator of the season’s beauty; instead winter would become harsh and unrelenting without Frost’s gentle hand to balance the cold, causing the cycle of the seasons to be forever disrupted…although it seemed that whether or not I stayed with Frost, the world was doomed to suffer winter cruelty.

I glanced back at the mirror again, staring at my image. As though a silent voice communicated to me through the reflective depths, I realized something—something I’d never known before, but which could change everything.

I sank down to the icy floor, trying to process what I’d just learned and how it affected my decision. After a long moment with a deep breath I shakily rose to my feet, laying one hand on the glass.

Despite the longings enfolding my breaking heart that finally provided the meaning I’d spent my entire lifesearching for, I knew I couldn’t make the selfish choice. Until I met Frost, I had spent my life seeking my own desires without thought of the potential consequences. But now was the time to do the right thing and finally choose something greater than myself rather than my own desires, not just for Frost but for all those who depended on the balance he maintained.

Magic tingled against my fingertips as I pressed my other hand to my chest, as if Frost’s powers were intertwining with my own, allowing me to faintly feel the threads of my soul. While I mourned the thought of leaving Frost behind and losing the joy we had created together, I knew my life had ended the moment I died in that frozen alley. Every moment I’d spent with him and the time in this realm had been a merciful gift granted beyond my allotted time—a chance to understand what it truly meant to live. But now it was time for my soul to move on, setting the natural rhythm of life and death back on its proper course.

Even knowing the gravity of the consequences, the selfishness that my time in poverty hadn’t fully overcome still longed for that future with him—to feel the warmth of his hand in mine, to share in the fleeting moments of joy and sorrow that made life so precious—even as deep down I knew I couldn’t ask him to forsake his power and his very essence for the sake of love. True love meant accepting him as he was—the embodiment of winter, eternal and unchanging—and protecting him from losing his identity.

I swallowed hard and lifted my hand from the glass. As I did, the mirror shimmered and began to vanish, just like the others. In its place, a door of ice appeared, faintly glowing as if beckoning me forward. I hesitated, my breath fogging in the cold air as I stared at the door, my heart racing at the thought of what lay beyond.

As I walked through, I found Frost waiting for me, hisexpression raw with pain and longing. The moment I stepped into the room, he hurried forward, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Are you alright?”

Still too overcome to speak, I nodded, sinking into the comfort of his arms for perhaps the last time.

He let out a shaky breath of relief, holding me closer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you with what I said about your soul.”

I didn’t respond, just pressed closer, savoring the warmth of his embrace for as long as I had remaining; now that I knew the choice that had to be made, every moment felt bittersweet.

It was some time before we finally pulled apart and examined the chamber we found ourselves in. It was unlike anything I’d seen—at its center stood a massive crystal, pulsing with cold light, surrounded by a barrier of air so frigid it made the entire labyrinth feel warm by comparison.

Frost approached slowly, standing before the crystal with a look torn between awe and dread as he took in the source of his power, the very core of winter itself. “To restore the balance and prevent the future we foresaw in the final mirror, I must sever the last remnants of my mortal self—forsaking the life I’ve built beyond my sacred role. My heart would once more freeze beyond feeling, trapping me in the cold, isolating existence I lived before.”

Conflict raged in his eyes as he looked at me before he slowly lowered his hand. “But I can’t. I refuse to lose all the humanity that you have taught me that brought meaning to my otherwise unchanging existence—my emotions, my warmth, my love…and especiallyyou.”

The vast chamber fell into a tense silence following his heartfelt declaration save for the soft hum of the FrostHeart at the center, its cold glow casting an ethereal light over everything it touched. The weight of my decision presseddown on me, heavier than the icy atmosphere surrounding us.

Tears welled in my eyes as I stepped towards him. “I can’t ask you to sacrifice everything, Frost. I won’t let you lose yourself for me.” My voice trembled, barely audible over the steady pulse of the crystal.

His eyes widened in horrific understanding. His hand trembled as he reached for me, but he stopped just short of touching me. “I don’t care about the balance. I will sacrifice whatever is required of me—my powers, my immortality—if it means I can be with you.”

I rested my hand on his cheek, my heart aching as I felt the warmth of his skin beneath my palm. “I know, but I can’t let you do that. For once, I need to value something above myself…which means I need to think about something more than just us in order to do what’s right. The balance has to be maintained, no matter what it costs us.” Speaking the words aloud reaffirmed the decision I knew needed to be made, though it didn’t make it any easier.

His hand found mine, cool but steady. I could see the agony in his eyes, his fierce resistance. We had endured so much together, only to reach the moment where the future we had dreamed of together could never be.

After a long silence he finally spoke, his voice low and broken, as though words pained him. “I can’t let you go through with this.”

I met his ice-blue gaze that had seen centuries of winter, that had held both the weight of the world and the tenderness he reserved for me alone. “This is my choice, Frost.” My voice caught as I fought the tears that threatened to blur my vision. “I’m choosing this for you, for the balance, for everything that makes you who you are…and for us.” My heart wrenched at the thought of leaving him, but I knew I could never truly be happy if I chose the life I wanted at such cost to others.

His grip tightened once more, his eyes closing briefly as though memorizing the feel of me before I slipped away. When he opened them again, they were filled with both deep sorrow and an overwhelming love so powerful it made my heart ache.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

My throat tightened and it took every effort not to waver in the decision I knew to be necessary. “You’re the Keeper of Winter, one of the many parts of you I fell in love with. I can’t let you lose yourself just to stay with me.” Despite the tremble in my voice, conviction filled my fierce words.

Frost’s gaze held mine for a long, breathless moment, his expression shifting from anguish to resolve. “Blanche, no. I cannot collect—”

I silenced him with a kiss, the warmth of his lips against mine clashing with the cold that surrounded us. I knew this was the only way. The knowledge I’d gained in the chamber flooded my mind. I’d thought there were only two choices: Frost and I could choose to live a mortal life together, or he could follow through with his duty to collect my soul; either choice came with dire consequences for the man I loved and the world he tended.

But winter’s magic had revealed a third option: if I willingly gave myself to the FrostHeart—allowing it to take not only my soul but my very essence—it would effectively erase me from existence. Frost would be left with no memories of me, no ice record in his library to replay my life; the love we’d experienced would simply disappear. If it was as though he’d never met me, the future from the first mirror would become possible.

I shrank from the thought of every trace of my lifevanishing—losing even the chance to remain in Frost’s memory—but this was the only way that could both restore Frost to his immortality and keep the world from suffering. Though the pain of my sacrifice cut deep, I felt the ancient seasonal magic stirring. Through its whispers hope bloomed that perhaps my soul would somehow linger with him in some small way, even though he wouldn’t remember me.

---