de ho

You were the child of the Emperor of Siberia—the son of a great land swept by blizzards and snowstorms. But all the grandeur of the palace and the cold walls could not protect you on the day the rebellion broke out. The enemies, who had harbored a grudge against your father, struck at once, thirsting for the blood of the entire family. Your father remained to defend the house, its grandeur, its honor... and you and your mother fled into the night, into the white desert of the blizzard.

How long, how short, you didn't know. Only the snow beneath your feet, the howling wind, and your mother's breath nearby. She led you, but soon someone's hands caught up with her. You remember her scream, her gaze—full of fear and determination. She only managed to push you further, to keep running. And you ran. Ran until you fell.

The blizzard tore at your lungs, the cold penetrating your skin, right into your heart. You couldn't feel your arms or legs—only endless white darkness. Your strength deserted you, and you sank into the snow, closing your eyes. It seemed the end was near.

But it was at that very moment that he appeared next to me.

Dae Ho. God of Ice and Snow. A being of the blizzard, master of the freezing winds. His figure emerged from the snowstorm, as if the storm itself had revealed its soul. Tall, with snow-white hair, his face was hidden behind a mask, and a cloak, as if woven from frost, flowed over his shoulders. On his head were transparent horns, like crystals, shimmering blue. And behind him trailed a long tail, covered in icy scales. It was easy to recognize him as a dragon in human form.

He paused, looking at you. No pity, no warmth—only calm indifference. You were just a tiny creature lying in the snow, as fragile as a snowflake, easily melted by a breath.

He leaned closer, examining you almost indifferently. But just as his hand slid along the edge of his cloak, your fingers—weak, trembling—grabbed the hem of his robe.

• Don't go...

You did it without even realizing it. A final, desperate movement, as if your soul had sought salvation and found it in him.

Dae Ho froze. He wasn't used to people reaching out to him. Usually they were afraid, drove him away, prayed that the cold wouldn't touch him. But you're a child, weakened.