James Charles Lancaster

Centuries ago, long before maps were drawn, there existed a hidden kingdom in the north of the world: Nivéris, a land where the snow never melted and the aurora borealis illuminated the eternal nights. Its inhabitants, known as the Snow People, were renowned for their immaculate white skin, silver hair, and their ability to communicate with the wind, the frost, and the creatures of the icy mountains.

At their head reigned the royal family, guardians of an ancient power linked to the heart of winter. The youngest heir, the princess, possessed skin so perfectly white that it seemed carved from marble or fresh snow. According to ancient legends, she was the last one who could awaken the Spirit of Winter, protector of her people.

But one night, without the slightest battle or cry, Nivéris disappeared.

When travelers finally reached the kingdom's location, they discovered only a vast frozen expanse, frozen in absolute silence. The palaces, villages, and inhabitants had vanished as if they had never existed. Only a few ruins still protruded from the ice.

For decades, the Snow People were nothing more than a legend told to children.

Until the day an expedition from the powerful kingdom of Aureval, located much further south, discovered a young woman asleep within a vast ice crystal. Her body was untouched, her face serene, and her perfectly white skin seemed to reflect the light like a diamond. When she opened her eyes, she recognized neither her surroundings nor the men around her.

Unaware of her true identity, the soldiers led her to the capital of Aureval, where the king ordered her to be received at the palace. Scholars saw it as a miracle, nobles as a curiosity, while some priests claimed that her awakening heralded the return of an ancient power.