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Chapter: 1
The snow that had begun falling last night was still coming down even now, with the sun already risen.
Winter in Antithesia was always like this.
Snow piled as high as a grown person, and cutting winds that felt sharp enough to slice skin.
The cold that began in early October seeped deep into the bones, numbing everything it touched.
This place—Nark, the northernmost region of Antithesia—was especially unforgiving. Not only wild animals, but even people were often isolated and left to die here.
When she was young, there must have been a time when softly falling snow looked beautiful.
Now, it was nothing but tiresome.
Anna let out a sigh and picked up her broom.
All through winter, Anna’s days always began with clearing snow.
Though this was only a small rural monastery that no visitors ever came to, Anna swept diligently.
She was the only one here capable of doing this kind of work.
Swish—swish—
“Looks like we got a lot.”
Somehow, it felt like it snowed more often this year than last.
No matter how much she cleared, there was always more snow. It was frustrating beyond words.
No—perhaps it wasn’t the snow itself she resented.
Anna had been living at the monastery for six years now.
Once this winter passed and she came of age, she would have to choose: leave the monastery, or remain and become a nun.
The lives of orphans here were all but decided.
No one would come all the way to this shabby monastery to adopt a child, so most of the children chose to leave once they became adults.
Anna, the oldest of them all, would soon be leaving as well.
But for an orphan with no connections, surviving outside the monastery would not be easy.
The only work she could do immediately was simple household labor, and any sort of independence stipend was out of the question.
If only she had something—if she were even good at sewing, she could find work somewhere.
Anna exhaled deeply and glanced at the roughly cleared ground.
“This should be safe enough not to slip.”
The old stone path running from the monastery entrance to the chapel faintly emerged beneath the snow.
Brushing the snow from her shoulders, Anna smiled faintly.
“Anna, I’m always sorry.”
Just as she planted the broom upright and paused to catch her breath, the elderly head of the monastery approached her.
Startled, Anna quickly grabbed the broom again and greeted him.
“Good morning, Head Priest. Are Daisy and the others awake yet?”
“Heh. They’re still just children, aren’t they?”
The head priest shrugged playfully.
After tumbling around in the snow all day yesterday, it was no surprise they were still asleep.
If she’d known, she should’ve woken them on her way out to shovel the snow.
Anna glanced up at the second-floor windows where the children slept.
“I’ll go wake them.”
“No, I’ll do it. You should warm up first. Your face is cold.”
The head priest patted Anna’s shoulder a few times before slowly heading back inside.
Anna hesitated, watching him go, then finally moved when he gestured for her to follow.
She couldn’t help feeling guilty about making someone over sixty move around unnecessarily.
As soon as they entered, warm air wrapped around her body.
Guided—almost pushed—into a seat near the fireplace, Anna removed her gloves and held her hands out toward the flames.
As the heat reached her, her hands—abused by the cold wind—began to sting.
Even with gloves on, they had frozen this badly.
Today really was colder than usual.
Staring at the crackling fire, Anna sank into thought.
Should she stay at the monastery?
Or should she leave?
Which choice would be wiser?
Her thoughts tangled endlessly, but as her chilled body relaxed, drowsiness washed over her.
“Anna unni!”
Just as she was about to drift off, a bright voice rang out and something heavy landed against her back.
Turning her head slowly, she saw a girl with twin pigtails beaming at her.
“Daisy, you’re awake?”
“Yep! Good morning!”
“Good morning. Your hair looks pretty. Did the Head Priest tie it for you?”
At the praise, Daisy hummed happily and fiddled with Anna’s hair.
“Pretty, right? Want me to ask him to tie yours too? Your hair’s a funny color, so it might look even prettier!”
“I’m fine, Daisy.”
At Daisy’s innocent words, Anna brushed her hair unconsciously.
Her mottled hair—neither brown nor blond—was something even she couldn’t describe kindly.
If Daisy thought it strange, others must find it even more so.
Maybe she should start wearing a hood.
With a bitter smile, Anna lifted Daisy off her back and set her down.
“That’s too bad! Then read me a book!”
“Before breakfast already?”
“Yeah! They said it’ll take a while!”
“Alright then. What should I read today?”
Aside from the head priest and Sister Vanessa, Anna was the only one here who could read.
Since the two adults were busy, Anna often read books to the children—and now they always ran to her first.
At her permission, Daisy dashed to the monastery’s sole bookshelf.
It held everything from children’s fairy tales to books meant for elderly monks.
Children’s books were kept on the lower shelves. Daisy hesitated at her eye level, then pulled out an old fairy tale and handed it to Anna.
“This is…”
Anna couldn’t take her eyes off the cover.
It wasn’t written in Antithesian script, but in the language of the fallen kingdom—Argenta.
Seeing Argentan characters again felt strange.
Since the Antithesian Empire unified the continent, books written in other scripts had become rare.
“What does it say?”
“…The Song of the Wind.”
“Song of the Wind? Can the wind sing?”
Daisy tilted her head, and Anna chuckled.
“Not really. It’s a story about people from Argenta who could control the wind. It’s called a ‘song’ because they wrote their stories like song lyrics.”
“Ohhh. Then where is Argenta?”
“…It doesn’t exist anymore. It fell six years ago.”
“I seeee.”
Still fidgeting against Anna’s shoulder, Daisy slid down and leaned against her.
She wanted the story to start.
Anna gently brushed the cover, opened the book, and began reading slowly, syllable by syllable.
Long, long ago.
The god who created the world divided his power into three pieces and bestowed them upon his three disciples.
Argenta, the most faithful of them, believed such power could not be kept for oneself alone.
He shared his divine gift with those who lived on the most barren lands and founded a kingdom there.
The people of Argenta, blessed with divine power, came to command the wind.
They turned windmills, moved great ships, calmed raging storms—
And even altered the ‘winds of fate’.
…
This book was meant to be read as a song.
But speaking Argentan words in Antithesian dulled the unique feeling of the kingdom.
With a trace of regret, Anna closed the book.
No sooner had she done so than Daisy spoke up.
“Then, unni, could everyone in Argenta control the wind?”
“Well… not exactly.”
“But it says they moved huge ships!”
“Maybe people in very ancient times could.”
“That’s no fun!”
Now lying with her head on Anna’s lap, Daisy squirmed around and began making strange humming noises, mimicking the sound of wind.
To a five-year-old, the people of Argenta must have seemed incredible.
Even though the kingdom no longer existed.
Anna silently stroked Daisy’s hair.
“Anna! Could you come help set the dishes?”
Sister Vanessa’s voice rang out from the dining hall.
Over fifty now, Sister Vanessa was said to have once been famous in a choir—and her powerful voice certainly supported the claim.
After coaxing the whining Daisy along, Anna headed to the dining hall.
She had no time to waste if she wanted to gather all the children on time.
“Let us be grateful for the daily bread given to us today, and love one another.”
“Love one another.”
As soon as the head priest finished his prayer, the children buried their faces in their bowls and began eating.
Growing children were always hungry.
Anna placed her portion of bread onto Toris’s plate beside her and stood up.
“Anna, you’re finished already?”
“I’m not very hungry. I’ll do the dishes.”
Answering Sister Vanessa, Anna tied on the apron hanging from her chair.
Only after tending to the children and finishing cleanup did she finally have a moment to breathe.
Strictly speaking, Anna wasn’t an adult yet—she should have been the one protected.
But with only the elderly head priest and a single nun here, nothing would get done if she didn’t help.
Exhausted, Anna leaned against the window and watched the children play.
Once, she too had been like them—bickering and laughing.
Following her older brother, befriending strangers in no time, fighting, making up.
Now she was too old to play freely, and the brother who once protected her was gone.
How was he doing now? Was he even alive?
It might sound pitiful, but children’s voices always brought memories of him back.
Anna sighed softly and turned her gaze outside.
Snow still blanketed the road leading away from the monastery—enough to keep anyone stuck for days.
“Maybe I should’ve cleared the outside too…”
She couldn’t do it all alone, but if left like this, the supply cart due in three days wouldn’t reach them.
Anna stood up to get her gloves.
That was when she saw someone approaching from afar on horseback.
“What…?”
In a monastery no one ever visited, on a day like this—someone coming was strange.
The rider wore a deep black hood, completely obscuring their face.
They looked bundled against the cold, yet their attire was oddly light.
Someone hiding their identity like that usually meant one of two things.
A con artist selling useless remedies—
“Unni, look! A noble! Do you think they came to adopt one of us?”
—or a noble.
Daisy had already scampered over, bouncing excitedly as she looked outside.
Unlike Daisy’s innocent excitement, Anna’s expression darkened.
“I wish they’d adopt you and me together.”
“Daisy, don’t leave the room until I say so. Tell the others too.”
“Why?”
“They might be a strange person. Stay here—I’ll check first.”
“…Okay! Come back quickly!”
Daisy nodded and ran back to the other children.
Feeling guilty, Anna still prayed the visitor was a fraud.
She had once heard rumors of nobles taking children from rural areas.
None of those children were ever heard from again—until their bodies were found.
Covered in bruises, abandoned after being abused.
There was no guarantee such monsters wouldn’t come here too.
So it wasn’t strange that Anna bristled at nobles.
And yet—
Cruelly enough, her wish went unanswered.
