The Demons of Shadow Moon

Part 5.5 - A Day in the Snow

This additional chapter was inspired by one of CharacterHub's writing prompts about waking up on a cold morning, so a big thank you to them for the inspiration! Go check out my character's on there with the link below:

https://characterhub.com/profile/lunalightfoot/

After discovering Yurika's midnight ventures, we decided to stay with the Adachi family. We wanted them to feel like a family. Akira and Echo always did the same for me... so I'll make sure I give back the love I was nurtured with! I won't abandon them like I was...

The next day...

In Cold Stone's frosty embrace, I reluctantly woke up, the chill of the morning nipping at me. A yawn escaped me as I threw off the cosy warmth of her bed. With a burst of energy, I leapt out of bed, shaking off the remnants of sleep.

"Morning, Echo!" I smiled as I walked into the hallway and the living room with thick, comfy clothes that I had borrowed from Yurika since I wasn't prepared with my own.

There, Echo was hunched over her sketchbook, wearing her usual non-warm clothes, intricate designs taking shape beneath her skilled hands.

"Afternoon," Echo returned, not looking up from her artistic endeavour.

"Ah hah. It's too cold to be awake early," I claimed.

"We live in the mountains; it's cold no matter what time it is. Which is just fine by me," Echo smiled comfortably.

"Mmm, it's not fair. You have sun magic; you never get cold! And we've never lived in the mountains before... I'm still not used to it," I playfully complained, a pout forming on my face.

"Why don't you try doing some fighting practice? That will warm you up," Echo suggested, a mischievous glint in her eye.

"Fighting practice... outside? In the snow?" I repeated with narrow eyes.

"Why not? Yurio seems to do it all the time," Echo casually mentioned, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

"Yeah, I don't know how. He seems to never get cold either!!" I complained as the front door opened, revealing Yurio's figure.

"Speak of the devil," Echo muttered, seeing Yurio walk in the door.

"Hey, Yurio. Did you just finish training?" I asked, her eyes brightened.

"No, I just got back from camping outside the night," Yurio explained, dropping a sizable bag with a thud.

"You camp outside?" my concern was palpable.

"Sometimes," Yurio confirmed calmly, unfazed by the chill surrounding him.

"Why? Isn't that dangerous? It's so cold at night," I voiced my worry, eyes widening.

"Yeah, but it helps me get used to my ice magic," Yurio mentioned.

"Hmm. I guess that's true. Hah. You're amazing, you know that? Maybe I should train more, too," I thought.

"That's what I just said," Echo added, eyes still latched onto her sketchbook.

"Uh... glad I can motivate you. Leo and Mom don't seem to have the same reaction. They just worry," Yurio let out a little awkwardly, still feeling quite shy around me and Echo.

"I wonder why," Echo rolled her eyes.

"Well, anyway, I'll be heading back out after some breakfast. Maybe we can train together," Yurio suggested with a warm smile and a slight blush.

"Oooh, yeah, that would be amazing!! You can teach me some fighting moves I can use with my magic!" I giggled excitedly.

The front door suddenly opened, blowing in the cold from outside.