''Mmm…'' Isaac moved his hand on his thigh and pulled out his phone. He opened the screen with unclear vision and blinked several times before sitting up in a hurry.
He felt cold sweat pouring down his back after seeing the number of calls and texts.
Most of the messages came from his family back in Snowstar and his grandparents. He forgot to mention to them that he was going to sleep.
Then, he felt something moving next to him. He looked to the side and saw the sleepy black-haired girl slowly waking up.
He turned back to the phone and quickly responded to the text messages. Well, he tried to. There were way too many spam messages and only a few that he could answer.
''Yawn…'' Luna yawned and sat up. She rubbed her eyes and looked around her. The room seemed rather odd and unfamiliar. Then, she remembered what had happened yesterday.
It was definitely the craziest day in her life.
Isaac sent a similar text to everyone. He accidentally fell asleep and woke up a minute ago. Then, he pocketed the phone and stood up from the bed.
He stretched his stiff muscles and dragged his feet behind him as he went to the bathroom.
There wasn't any way to brush his teeth. He only put the water running and washed his face in the sink.
Soon, he was done and felt his sleepiness disappearing. He stepped out of the bathroom and saw Luna neatly tidying the bed.
Isaac's focus was at first on her. Then, over her shoulder, he managed to see the clear blue sky. He walked past the black-haired girl and stopped in front of the large window panel.
The streets were messy, the water still running through, and the liquefied snow moved along. First time in a long time, there was a sign of grass growing around the forest areas and parks.
It was both majestic but also a messy sight. Isaac knew that it won't last. The snow falls down from the sky regularly. It might take several days before Winterland was again covered in the cold snow.
Then, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and sent a message to Sebastian to come to pick them up.
''Luna, Sebastian will be here shortly,'' Isaac said once getting a quick reply in return. He was obviously waiting for the message, perhaps the whole night.
Luna smiled and nodded. She quickly went to the bathroom, did her morning tasks, and returned with a rejuvenated look.
Her makeup was removed, but it didn't diminish her beauty. In Isaac's opinion, her natural beauty was what attracted him in the first place.
Isaac looked at the desk and saw the trophy. The trophy was the source of all their troubles, and he wished to throw it out of the window. But, it also had significant memories attached.
Isaac went and picked up the trophy. Once Luna was ready, they left the room, went to the elevator, returned to the lounge, and gave the keys to the receptionist.
The receptionist reacted to seeing them differently this time around. She gave a sneaky wink toward Luna and a thumbs up.
Luna blushed and quickened her pace to catch Isaac.
''Ahh, youth.'' The receptionist leaned on the desk and sighed in envy.
Once Isaac and Luna took a step outside. There was a black sedan waiting and a handsome man pacing back and forth anxiously.
Then, Sebastian saw them and sighed in relief, ''Young Master, you have put me in a tight spot.''
''You alright?'' Isaac asked after seeing eyebags under Sebastian's eyes. It was plainly evident that he didn't sleep at all.
Sebastian rubbed his eyes and nodded, ''Yeah… I think so.''
Isaac wryly smiled and stored the trophy inside the trunk. Then, he and Luna entered the backseat while Sebastian began driving the car.
Soon, they left the Layer of Tourism and rushed through the Layer of Feasting. The streets were very wet, and annoyed-looking citizens walked on the wet sidewalks.
Even the ones driving the cars had to be extremely careful.
The car left the Layer of Feasting and entered the Layer of Nobility. Soon, they entered the Whitelock Family's yard.
''Well… I will call you?'' Isaac looked at Luna while saying it with part-question.
''Sure!'' Luna nodded vigorously while smiling. Isaac leaned closer and gave a quick peck on her cheek. Her smile grew and waved as Isac slowly left the car and entered the mansion.
After seeing the kiss, Sebastian almost facepalmed, 'Young master Isaac… You are such a troublemaker…'
The car soon left the yard. Sebastian took Luna back to the Snowflower mansion, where many anxious faces were waiting for her.
Creak!
Once entering the mansion, Isaac slipped out of his shoes and jacket. Then, he joined the living room and saw his grandparents looking at him.
Madison gently smiled and trapped him in a hug. She whispered something that made Isaac's cheeks dyed pink.
Malcolm's face looked serious as he stood up. Once Madison was done hugging his grandson, he went toward him and gave him a hug and pat on the back.
Then, he leaned closer and whispered, ''You should know about her illness… And that she doesn't have a long time left, right?''
Isaac's face became serious, and his arms tightened, ''Yep…''
Malcolm nodded and separated from the hug. He gave another pat on the shoulder and returned to the couches.
For the next ten minutes, they shared idle chitchat. Then, Isaac returned to his temporary room and collapsed on the bed.
''Ahh… Sticky.'' He looked at his dirtied clothes that were sticking to his skin. He sprang to his feet, threw his dirty clothes into the washing bin, and enjoyed a long shower.
While in the shower. Heavy thoughts filled his mind. He leaned on the wall and stayed motionless as the waterdrops trickled down his skin.
''Haaahhh…'' Isaac raised his head and saw his reflection in the shower enclosure. The steam made the glass misty. Then, he moved his hand across the glass.
His misty reflection was revealed under the steam layer.
There was a slight glow in his deep gray eyes. A flicker of grayish flame with a tint of low-shaded red. This seemingly ordinary bathroom was the birthplace of his legendary tale.
His lip curved upward, and he looked down to gaze at his hands. The shaking of his hands stopped and was tightened into a fist slowly.