Nightmare Assassins

𝐎𝐍𝐄. 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐦𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Crystal Winter Frost

People said that when you began to live out your destiny, history would repeat itself. My destiny unfolded when a forgotten memory came back to haunt me.

It's no surprise that this happened in an ice fortress that houses my family's memories—it's also the place that I call home. Ahtohallan exudes powerful magic, but it's lonely at the top of the world. When one has too much power, fate finds a way to take advantage of it.

That's what happened to me, and Mom, and Dad. One created an eternal winter, and one almost ruined Easter. Both of them gave in to fear but managed to triumph over it.

I wonder how long it will take until I can fight back against fear.

***

"Thanks for calling the Arendelle castle. This is Crown Princess Alanna Björgman speaking! How may I help you?"

"Alanna, you don't have to answer your own phone like that." My cousin never failed to make me laugh.

"I know, Crystal; but it's fun!" She protested. "What's up?"

"Can I stay over in Arendelle tomorrow?" I asked tentatively.

"Stay over?" Alanna squealed. "Hex, you could live here all year if you wanted to! Of course you can—stay as long as you want. I'll get the rooms ready right now. Mom and Dad will be so excited! Chef Olga has a new recipe that she thinks Aunt Elsa would really enjoy—"

"Hey, Alanna," I fidgeted with the hem of my dress. "I'm coming to Arendelle alone this time around."

Alanna gasped loudly. "Alone?! It's spring; how are your parents that busy?"

I sighed. I didn't want to burden my cousin with the truth, but she deserved to know. "My parents," My voice shook, a lump forming in my throat. "My parents are missing. They were supposed to return from their trip to Corona three weeks ago."

A deafening silence arose from the other end of the phone.

"Crystal," Alanna started, "Crystal Winter Frost. You do not wait three hexing weeks to tell me that your parents are missing."

"I didn't want to—I wasn't sure if they were—I was trying to find them on my own."

"No excuses!" Alanna's shrill voice erupted in my ear. "You should have told me the moment you felt something was wrong. Pack your bags and get here as fast as you can."

"Yes, ma'am." I sighed.

"Good. By the way, Crystal," Alanna spoke softly, "I'm here for you. We'll do everything we can to find them, alright? What matters most is that you're safe with us."

A lone tear rolled down my face. "Thank you."

"I'll see you soon, Crys. I love you."

"I love you too, Alanna."

Sometimes I wished Alanna and I were sisters. What I'd give to never spend my days alone at the top of the world, with nobody to confide in and understand you but the howling wind and layers of ice and snow. In Ahtohallan, all you had were memories, but they were ghosts that you could never get away from, surrounding you at every waking moment. Mom and Dad treasured these wisps of the past dearly, telling me tales of how the memories had saved their lives. I was skeptical—why focus on the past when a bright future awaited you?