[PP-F04] Stars Beneath the Snow

[Scar 0]

The wind of Floor Four cut through him like glass, sharp and clean, carrying the scent of frozen pine. Snow fell in slow, endless spirals from a sky the color of steel. Jack adjusted the collar of his coat, his breath turning to mist as he stepped out from the teleport gate. The sound of the portal faded behind him, leaving only the soft crunch of his boots against packed snow.

Ahead, the village of « Snowfrost » shimmered like a pocket of warmth in a world of white. Smoke curled from chimneys, flickering lamplight glowing behind fogged windows. The laughter of children echoed faintly through the streets, chasing one another across a frozen stream that cut through the heart of the town.

He watched them for a moment, a faint ache threading through his chest. It reminded him of something distant and human, of peace, maybe, or something close enough to it.

The last message he'd sent to her lingered in the back of his mind.

I miss you. I hope I can see you again.

Weeks had passed since then, the words still hanging unanswered in the inbox like an echo trapped in glass. He couldn't blame her. After everything that had happened, the fever, the forest, the confusion between dreams and memories, maybe silence was safer. But still.. he missed her. The way she'd brush his hair back. The way she'd say his name like it was something soft instead of something broken.

He hesitated near a lamp post, brushing snow from his gloves. The light flickered faintly, illuminating the message menu as he opened it. His thumb hovered for a long moment before he began to type.

Scar --> Alinta: It's been a while. I've been keeping my head down, taking things slow. But.. I'm on Floor Four now. The one covered in snow. There's a place called the Starglades, they say the sky looks endless at night. I'd love to meet you there, if you're free. No pressure. Just.. It'd be good to see you again.

He read it over twice, then hit send. The icon blinked once, and that was it, the message vanished into the cold, quiet world. He exhaled softly, half a laugh, half a sigh. "Well," he murmured, "No turning back now."

The path north led out of Snowfrost's cozy streets and into the forest, a vast sprawl of snow-laden evergreens that rose like frozen giants. He passed a few traders on his way out, their breath steaming as they packed sleds with furs and wood. One waved; Jack returned it absently. The air grew quieter with every step, the warmth of civilization fading behind him until the only sound left was the whisper of wind and snow.

He didn't mind the solitude. After everything, it almost felt like a kindness.

The forest deepened, shadows twisting long across the ground. Slowflakes clung to his coat as he walked, glittering faintly in the pale light. The silence wasn't empty, it was alive. The creak of ice. The sigh of branches bending under weight. The soft, rhythmic crunch of his own footsteps. Somewhere distant, a wolf howled, low and long, before the sound vanished into the folds of the trees.

By the time he reached the clearing, night had fully fallen. The trees parted around him in a wide circular glade, their heavy branches framing a sky ablaze with stars. « The Starglades ». For the first time in a long while, Jack let himself stop and simply breathe.

The snow glimmered faintly under the starlight. No monsters. No sounds of battle. Just peace, the kind that felt undeserved, but welcome all the same.

He lowered himself onto a half-buried stone, the cold biting through his gloves. His fingers twitched toward the message menu again, but he resisted. He'd said what he needed to say. Now all that was left was to wait, whether for her, or for the quiet to swallow him whole.

I'd love to see you again. The world's been a little quieter without you in it.

He exhaled slowly, letting the words drift through the crisp air. For the first time in a while, he smiled, faint, genuine, beneath the drifting snow.

* * *

Spoiler

Level 33:
HP: 660/660 | EN: 104/104 | DMG: 23 | MIT: 20 | ACC: 1 | BH: 7 | LD: 5 | True Tier 4

skills

Spoiler

| skills

mod count: 0/5

• KATANA | RANK 5/5
  • [BASE: Proficiency] +7 DMG
  • [ADDON: Ferocity] +2 DMG
  • [ADDON: Precision] +1 ACC
• COMBAT MASTERY: DMG | RANK 3/3
  • [BASE: Proficiency] +6
• CLOTH ARMOR | RANK 5/5
  • [BASE: Proficiency] +20 MIT
  • [ADDON: Athletics] +1 DMG
• ENERGIST | RANK 1/1
  • [BASE: Proficiency] +10 EN
• BATTLE HEALING | RANK 1/5
  • [BASE: Proficiency] Restores +1% of max HP per turn.
• SEARCHING | RANK 5/5
  • [BASE: Proficiency] +5 LD; +5 SD
• SURVIVAL | RANK 1/1
  • +10% received healing. Immune to environmental attacks and effects.

| expenditure

Spoiler

TOTAL SP: 165 | SPENT: 125 | UNSPENT: 40

1. SKILL: KATANA (30)
   1. ADDON: FEROCITY (4)
   2. ADDON: PRECISION (2)
2. SKILL: COMBAT MASTERY (13)
3. SKILL: CLOTH ARMOR (30)
   1. ADDON: ATHLETICS (4)
4. SKILL: ENERGIST (8)
5. SKILL: BATTLE HEALING (4)
6. SKILL: SEARCHING (30)

 

equipment

Spoiler

basic clothes [#000000] | TIERLESS | VANITY
[desc.]: What every new adventurer wears.

basic leggings [#000000] | TIERLESS | VANITY
[desc.]: What every new adventurer wears.

 

 

[Alinta 0]

2 Weeks Ago

He had messaged her…Alinta received the message during one of her walks around the Town of Beginnings. He wanted to see her…there was a pang of yearning in her heart at that - it had only been a few days since she fell asleep next to him after whatever he experienced in the forest. Nursed him back to health…only to wake up to find herself cuddled up against him in bed. She wasn’t sure how she got there, but guessed she had crawled in next to him at some point. Alinta longed to stay there, soaking up his warmth. The beat of his heart against her fingertips - but he had asked her to leave…and it would have been selfish for her to stay. So with a final kiss against his forehead she had slipped out of the room. Hoping he would reach out again.

 

Hearing nothing; Alinta bit the bullet and told him how much she had missed him, and for him to respond…

 

It meant more than she realized.

 

Alinta wanted to get something for him, a treat, a way to bridge the gap that had formed between them. So she headed to the teleport plaza - Tolbana…Tolbana had a place that had lovely cakes.

Arriving at Tolbana, Alinta caught something she wished she hadn’t seen.

Scar, undeniably Scar - his presence, warmth, quirked smile. A single step forward to reach out to him, he was here…She could talk to him she could-

“ReD RoSe, rED RoSe~”

Her heart stopped, seeing the other woman clinging to his arm. Wasn’t that…Alice? 

Wasn’t she… in the field with him that day, when he had tried to invite Alinta to a - what she thought was a date. Why was she here? Why was she hanging off of Scar?

“S-Scar?”

The two disappeared.

 

Alinta stood there, in the middle of the gate, staring at the space where he had been. They were supposed to be partners right? Although after that night Alinta hadn’t been sure. She wanted to be able to talk to him about it. But…

It felt like a shard of glass had been jammed into her gut. She felt like she was choking, what did she just see? There had to be an explanation right? All she had to do was message him and clear up any misunderstandings, right? So why? Why couldn’t Alinta bring herself to do so? Because she was terrified of what the answer would be.

He looked…happy at least…
 

Alinta wasn’t sure how long she had stood there for, she knew several people had asked her to move, but it wasn’t till she felt the chill of night that she finally turned heavy footsteps away from the plaza.

 

Present.

 

A message from Scar had the woman drop everything she had been doing to get to Snowfrost, dressed in her usual attire, no time to change into something fancy or flattering - but wearing a thick warm coat that suited the floor. The woman was practically running toward her destination. Wanting to see Scar again. Wanting to wrap her arms around him and squeal in delight as he smiled and offered her all the sweetest words and softest kisses.

 

But…by the time she had left  Snowfrost -almost arriving at her destination, Alinta realized… she shouldn’t  be rushing to see him. Right? The last time she saw him… he had that other woman on his arm. Her steps slowed in the snow till she came to a stop. 

 

The clearing was just up ahead. Starglades…. Wasn’t…that supposed to be a romantic spot? Was he naive? Or just cruel? “Damn it Alinta…” She muttered to herself. “You’re better than this.”  She was sick of being the lovesick fool. Chasing after everyone and everything.

 

Alinta → Scar: I’m not making that mistake again.
Alinta → Scar:You can’t lead me out to another trap.
Alinta → Scar: I saw you with Alice. I truly wish you happiness, but please don't play with me like that anymore.

Her heart constricted as she sent the message, the star glades were only a few feet away. Past the next line of trees and she could see him. She could see the person she missed so dearly. But… who was to say that Alice wouldn’t be there too? That she’d be singing and dancing and shouting - Alinta had been hurt so much in the past before, tricked, denied, and lied to. She had hoped Scar would be different, maybe he was - Maybe she was wrong.

 

But…could she risk it?

Standing there, in the still of night, shivering from the cold Alinta stared at the Starglades. Despite her cold words there was a strong desire to continue forward. She sniffed, bringing a shaking hand up to wipe her face. Why?

Why couldn’t she bring herself to turn around and go back to the safety of the city? Why was she stuck here? Ankle deep in snow, unable to move forward or backward.
 

“I…I just want to see you again…”

WC: 832