FROST
Chapter 43: A Kiss of Balance

Chapter 43: A Kiss of Balance

Silvermist’s consciousness wavered between waking and oblivion, her body heavy, her thoughts sluggish. She was moving—no, she was being carried. A steady grip held her close, firm but careful. Her mind, clouded by exhaustion and pain, fumbled for clarity. Who was it?

Sebastian? It could be. He had that effortless charm, the kind that could mask concern under a frown. Or maybe Ezekiel—he always had a way of handling things with gentleness. But something felt... off. Different.

The arms around her were strong, but there was a certain restraint in the way they held her. Not too tight, not too loose—just enough to keep her steady, like she was something fragile but not breakable. She wanted to ask, to confirm, but her lips barely parted before the fog in her mind swallowed her voice.

Then, a glow emerged in the distance. A soft, pulsating light that shimmered against the cavern walls. As they stepped closer, the light reached up to them, illuminating the sharp angles of her carrier’s face. And in that moment, her tired eyes widened ever so slightly.

West.

The cavern before them shimmered, its ceiling adorned with droplets of liquid light, frozen midair like suspended stars. They pulsed softly, casting everything in hues of violet and silver, painting West’s features in shifting shades of light and shadow.

She wanted to say something, to acknowledge the moment, but her voice failed her once again.

Silvermist let herself sink into the warmth of West’s hold, too drained to argue, too weary to care where he was taking her. For the first time, she felt something unfamiliar yet oddly comforting—trust. It made no sense, not with West, of all people. And yet, here she was, resting against him as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

Then the pain struck, sharp and sudden. She winced as her wounds burned all at once, as if her body had just now remembered its suffering.

She had almost forgotten about them, the gashes across her waist and limbs, the slow, steady trickle of blood that had long since left her feeling lightheaded. Or perhaps she had simply lost so much blood that she was beginning to grow numb to it.

Forcing her heavy eyelids open, she glanced ahead and stiffened.

The water before them shimmered with an ethereal glow, stretching out like a living, breathing mirror of the cavern’s light. The air thrummed with energy, thick with the soft hum of unseen forces.

Strange, bioluminescent creatures flitted through the air—some resembling fireflies, others like tiny, otherworldly beings she couldn’t quite name. The scene was breathtaking, serene, almost too perfect.

And that was exactly why it unsettled her.

"A-Are you trying to dispose of my body?" she muttered, forcing a weak smirk through the exhaustion.

West sighed, adjusting his grip on her. "I’m not. But since you gave me the idea, maybe I’ll try that instead." His voice was flat, but there was a flicker of amusement beneath it, hidden just enough that she almost missed it.

She wanted to respond—maybe throw some sarcasm back at him—but the ground beneath them shifted. The moss-covered stone was slick, and for a second, she half-expected West to slip and send them both crashing down. But he moved with careful precision, stepping into the water without hesitation.

And then, without warning, he took her with him.

The cold hit first, shocking her system, but before she could struggle, something else replaced it—relief. A gasp escaped her lips as the pain that had been gnawing at her for hours dulled into nothingness.

The wounds that had burned with each breath now merely tingled. The unbearable weight pressing down on her body lifted as though the water itself was drawing the pain away.

Her grip on West’s shirt tightened as she looked up at him, eyes wide with disbelief. "What... is this place?" she whispered.

West didn’t answer right away. Instead, he just held her there, half-submerged in the luminescent water, watching as the glow wrapped around her like a healing embrace.

"The Water Spirit’s nest," West muttered.

Silvermist, still clinging to him, turned sharply at his words—only to find their faces mere inches apart. Her breath hitched. The closeness sent a jolt of warmth through her, and before she could stop herself, she immediately pulled away, cheeks burning.

"H-How do you know about this p-place?" she stammered, scrambling to regain her composure. "From the way you and the others reacted when we stepped onto this island, this has to be your first time here."

West didn’t answer right away. His gaze drifted across the shimmering waters before settling back on her. With a quiet sigh, he finally spoke.

"You can move now, right?"

Silvermist hesitated, then flashed an awkward grin. "Y-Yeah, but I-I can’t swim..." She laughed sheepishly, sneaking a glance at him.

"You have nothing to worry about. This water is called Seraph’s Tears. You can submerge and still breathe."

West’s explanation made Silvermist’s brain short-circuit. She blinked at him, then at the water, then back at him.

"Let go now," West muttered. "I’ve done so much already."

"N-No, I-I can’t—"

"C’mon! I said let go!"

West was already trying to pry her off, but Silvermist clung to him like a barnacle. It wasn’t just a struggle anymore—it was a full-body event. He looked less like he was shaking her off and more like he was exorcising his own soul.

West braced himself for a full swing, determined to shake her off once and for all. But fate—or sheer misfortune—had other plans.

The ground beneath them crumbled without warning, betraying them both. In an instant, gravity took over, and with a startled yelp, they plunged straight into the shimmering water below.

In pure, unfiltered stupidity, Silvermist latched onto West again the moment they hit the water. If this had been any ordinary lake, they’d both be long drowned by now.

But, true to West’s words, the water wasn’t normal. The instant Silvermist accidentally inhaled, instead of choking, she felt... fine. She could breathe. The realization hit her like a brick, and her panicked thrashing stopped.

Slowly, she turned to West, wide-eyed with wonder.

West, meanwhile, was floating in front of her, arms crossed, exuding the unmistakable aura of someone deeply, profoundly exhausted. He rolled his eyes so hard she was surprised they didn’t get carried away by the current.

Silvermist’s anxiety spiked, and for a brief moment, she was ready to kick herself to the surface—by sheer willpower and desperate prayers if necessary.

But then she saw them.

Gliding through the crystalline depths were creatures unlike anything she had ever imagined. Ethereal fish with translucent fins that shimmered like liquid starlight, serpentine beings with glowing eyes weaving through the currents, and clusters of tiny, winged creatures that fluttered through the water as if it were air.

Her panic melted into awe. The world beneath the surface was alive with magic, and for the first time since plunging in, she forgot to be afraid.

West caught the glimmer of happiness in Silvermist’s eyes, and for some inexplicable reason, a small smile tugged at his lips. The moment he noticed, he immediately wiped it away, as if it had never been there.

Yet, despite himself, he found his gaze lingering on her—watching as she marveled at the magical creatures swirling around her. There was a childlike wonder in her expression, so pure and unguarded that he almost forgot where they were.

Then, without warning, Silvermist’s body jolted. A sharp gasp escaped her, followed by frantic flailing.

West’s instincts kicked in instantly. How’d she absorbed much mana in such a short time?!

He grabbed her hand and propelled them both toward the surface.

However, Seraph’s Tears had a price—its added weight clung to them, making Silvermist heavier than before. The moment West attempted to lift her from the water, his footing failed him. He slipped.

Silvermist went down like a sack of enchanted bricks.

West, moving on pure reflex, caught her head just before it could meet the unforgiving ground—preventing what was left of her brain cells from being sacrificed to the dirt.

Then realization struck.

He wasn’t just holding her head. He was on top of her.

West froze.

Silvermist blinked up at him, wide-eyed. The gravity of the moment settled in—awkward, inescapable, and undoubtedly orchestrated by some mischievous cosmic force.

Suddenly, she winced, but this time, it wasn’t from her healing wounds—it was something far worse. A deep, overwhelming ache spread through her veins, an unbearable pressure that made her body tremble. It was mana overdose, a tragic fate even West couldn’t decipher, no matter how many solutions he tried to apply in his mind.

Pinned beneath him, Silvermist’s body shook violently, her eyes locked onto his in silent desperation. She was barely holding on.

West narrowed his gaze. His grip on her tightened ever so slightly as he transferred all his weight onto the arm cradling her head, keeping it from slamming against the earth. His free hand moved instinctively, tilting her chin upward.

"I told you," he hissed, voice low and laced with something unreadable. "You’re goddamn weak."

Silvermist barely registered his words. The heat coursing through her veins was unbearable, her body teetering on the edge of losing control. She sucked in a shaky breath, but before she could even protest, West’s voice dropped into something softer, almost resigned.

"If you’ll excuse me," he muttered, his thumb brushing against her jawline, "I’ll take some of it out before you cause havoc in this sacred sanctuary."

Then, without another word, he leaned down.

Silvermist’s breath hitched as their faces drew impossibly close. The world around them—the sacred waters, the glowing creatures, the very air itself—seemed to still.

West was deliberate, slow, as if giving her a moment to understand what was about to happen. His dark eyes flickered with something unreadable, something deep and unspoken. And then, his lips pressed against hers.

The moment they touched, a surge of warmth spread between them. Not just from the contact, but from something deeper—something beyond the physical. It was a pull, a connection, as if the mana within her was answering him, flowing through the kiss.

His lips were firm yet careful, not demanding but steady, like he was guiding her through the storm raging inside her. His hand remained on her chin, holding her in place, while the other still cradled her head, shielding her from the cold ground beneath.

Silvermist, despite the overwhelming sensation, felt herself relax. The unbearable weight in her chest lightened, the violent storm of mana settling as West drew it away.

For a moment, it felt like everything else faded. Just the two of them, locked in an intimate exchange of power, breath, and something neither of them dared to name.

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