Page 18 of The Enchanted Frost (The Christmas Chronicles)

CHAPTER 18

T he weight of the visions of Frost’s potential futures lingered, pressing against my shoulders like a heavy cloak—the fleeting joy of love and laughter alongside the inevitable cost of mortality, living a life with the man I loved but bound to a life of aging, suffering, and inevitable death.

I glanced at him for his reaction, but his expression remained unreadable, his icy mask firmly in place…even as I caught a glimpse of his unspoken thoughts hidden in his eyes.

“Frost?” I ventured, my voice barely more than a whisper in the frozen silence.

He hesitated, the faintest undetectable flicker crossing his face. For a moment, I thought he might not answer, but then his gaze locked onto mine, intense and unyielding. My heart skipped a beat, unsure if I was ready for whatever he was about to say.

“I didn’t quite realize all that I was risking when I chose not to collect your soul.”

His quiet words barely carried in the cold air, but they hit me like a sudden gust of wind. “But…I thought you were unable to collect my soul.” That anomaly had led him to bring me to his winter realm, allowing us to experience all we had together.

He exhaled shakily. “That was true in the beginning, but no longer…in fact, not for some time now. Your soul was initially tethered by unfulfillment, binding you in a life you subconsciously knew to be incomplete. But now having experienced love and learning to forgive yourself for your past, your existence feels complete, freeing you to move on. I believe the reason my powers have been fading is because I’ve been resisting my duty to claim you despite now being able to.” His voice faltered, and for the first time since we entered the labyrinth, fear filled his gaze. “That choice and what’s followed because of it is the reason the balance is tipping.”

My breath caught in my throat as the truth settled over me. From the moment I entered this realm, I had known I wouldn’t leave it alive, but to realize that the love I had sought my entire life and this beautiful connection we shared now jeopardized the balance left me reeling.

It took a long moment for me to find my voice, and even longer to push past the emotion clogging my throat. “If you’ve had the power to claim me, with all at stake, why haven’t you—”

Heartache filled his eyes as he cradled my cheek, his cool touch featherlight against my skin. “I…couldn’t. Even with the balance at risk, it seems inconsequential to an existence without you.”

A blizzard of conflicting emotions whirled inside me. Sensing my distress, he reached for me, but I instinctively pulled away, overwhelmed by this sudden, crushing realization. Not wanting him to see the tears already spilling down my cheeks, I turned and stumbled blindly as I tried to distance myself.

As if the magic filling the labyrinth sensed my need to be alone, a gust of icy wind rushed through the corridor, tugging at my cloak and pulling me into a chamber I hadn’t noticed before.

The room was stark and empty, save for a single mirror standing tall against the far wall. I recoiled, remembering the three visions we’d already endured, but unlike the others, this one wasn’t clouded with visions of the future, its clear glass reflecting only me standing alone in Frost’s vast, frozen realm that had become both deeply familiar and incredibly dear to me.

I stared at the mirror for a long moment, torn between curiosity and dread. But drawn to the glass, I finally took a tentative step forward, my fingers trembling as they brushed its surface. The mirror’s contents didn’t shift, but offered clarity as I stared into my reflection. Memories of my life played out in my mind across the stage of reminiscence, allowing me to once more re-experience my life through the lens of the growth I’d experienced since meeting Frost.

I closed my eyes, remembering the way my own heart had changed, releasing the bitterness I’d clung to and learning to care about others. Then my mind was flooded with images of Frost—the curious way he’d first watched me and how this emotion had slowly evolved into the deepest affection I’d ever experienced. His face had transformed from that of a cold immortal to a loving…human. But was humanity his true destiny when it meant losing the abilities that were integral to his identity?

I bit my lip as I contemplated the possible futures from the mirrors we’d seen earlier. The first one was impossible; there was no way for Frost to return to a state of not knowing me. But each of the other two seemed to be unspeakable choices: in either case Frost would lose something precious—whether his immortality or his humanity—and the world would suffer. I was beginning to understand why he had shown such dread when he said that no one escaped the labyrinth unchanged.

While Frost had been bound by his duties and the balance of the seasons, I knew that the choice before me was mine alone. I could see the path where Frost and I could be together, living our days with fleeting joy and sorrow in ephemeral mortal bliss that would bring me more love and happiness than I had ever thought possible…or letting him remain as he was, a protector of winter, bound to his eternal duty.

Though the idea of sharing a life with him was intoxicating, my heart ached, torn between the love I had finally found and the realization that keeping it would doom the man I loved. By choosing me, Frost would lose his connection to the power that made him who he was. He would no longer be the Keeper of Winter and the creator of the season’s beauty; instead winter would become harsh and unrelenting without Frost’s gentle hand to balance the cold, causing the cycle of the seasons to be forever disrupted…although it seemed that whether or not I stayed with Frost, the world was doomed to suffer winter cruelty.

I glanced back at the mirror again, staring at my image. As though a silent voice communicated to me through the reflective depths, I realized something—something I’d never known before, but which could change everything.

I sank down to the icy floor, trying to process what I’d just learned and how it affected my decision. After a long moment with a deep breath I shakily rose to my feet, laying one hand on the glass.

Despite the longings enfolding my breaking heart that finally provided the meaning I’d spent my entire life searching for, I knew I couldn’t make the selfish choice. Until I met Frost, I had spent my life seeking my own desires without thought of the potential consequences. But now was the time to do the right thing and finally choose something greater than myself rather than my own desires, not just for Frost but for all those who depended on the balance he maintained.

Magic tingled against my fingertips as I pressed my other hand to my chest, as if Frost’s powers were intertwining with my own, allowing me to faintly feel the threads of my soul. While I mourned the thought of leaving Frost behind and losing the joy we had created together, I knew my life had ended the moment I died in that frozen alley. Every moment I’d spent with him and the time in this realm had been a merciful gift granted beyond my allotted time—a chance to understand what it truly meant to live. But now it was time for my soul to move on, setting the natural rhythm of life and death back on its proper course.

Even knowing the gravity of the consequences, the selfishness that my time in poverty hadn’t fully overcome still longed for that future with him—to feel the warmth of his hand in mine, to share in the fleeting moments of joy and sorrow that made life so precious—even as deep down I knew I couldn’t ask him to forsake his power and his very essence for the sake of love. True love meant accepting him as he was—the embodiment of winter, eternal and unchanging—and protecting him from losing his identity.

I swallowed hard and lifted my hand from the glass. As I did, the mirror shimmered and began to vanish, just like the others. In its place, a door of ice appeared, faintly glowing as if beckoning me forward. I hesitated, my breath fogging in the cold air as I stared at the door, my heart racing at the thought of what lay beyond.

As I walked through, I found Frost waiting for me, his expression raw with pain and longing. The moment I stepped into the room, he hurried forward, pulling me into a tight embrace. “Are you alright?”

Still too overcome to speak, I nodded, sinking into the comfort of his arms for perhaps the last time.

He let out a shaky breath of relief, holding me closer. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overwhelm you with what I said about your soul.”

I didn’t respond, just pressed closer, savoring the warmth of his embrace for as long as I had remaining; now that I knew the choice that had to be made, every moment felt bittersweet.

It was some time before we finally pulled apart and examined the chamber we found ourselves in. It was unlike anything I’d seen—at its center stood a massive crystal, pulsing with cold light, surrounded by a barrier of air so frigid it made the entire labyrinth feel warm by comparison.

Frost approached slowly, standing before the crystal with a look torn between awe and dread as he took in the source of his power, the very core of winter itself. “To restore the balance and prevent the future we foresaw in the final mirror, I must sever the last remnants of my mortal self—forsaking the life I’ve built beyond my sacred role. My heart would once more freeze beyond feeling, trapping me in the cold, isolating existence I lived before.”

Conflict raged in his eyes as he looked at me before he slowly lowered his hand. “But I can’t. I refuse to lose all the humanity that you have taught me that brought meaning to my otherwise unchanging existence—my emotions, my warmth, my love…and especially you .”

The vast chamber fell into a tense silence following his heartfelt declaration save for the soft hum of the FrostHeart at the center, its cold glow casting an ethereal light over everything it touched. The weight of my decision pressed down on me, heavier than the icy atmosphere surrounding us.

Tears welled in my eyes as I stepped towards him. “I can’t ask you to sacrifice everything, Frost. I won’t let you lose yourself for me.” My voice trembled, barely audible over the steady pulse of the crystal.

His eyes widened in horrific understanding. His hand trembled as he reached for me, but he stopped just short of touching me. “I don’t care about the balance. I will sacrifice whatever is required of me—my powers, my immortality—if it means I can be with you.”

I rested my hand on his cheek, my heart aching as I felt the warmth of his skin beneath my palm. “I know, but I can’t let you do that. For once, I need to value something above myself…which means I need to think about something more than just us in order to do what’s right. The balance has to be maintained, no matter what it costs us.” Speaking the words aloud reaffirmed the decision I knew needed to be made, though it didn’t make it any easier.

His hand found mine, cool but steady. I could see the agony in his eyes, his fierce resistance. We had endured so much together, only to reach the moment where the future we had dreamed of together could never be.

After a long silence he finally spoke, his voice low and broken, as though words pained him. “I can’t let you go through with this.”

I met his ice-blue gaze that had seen centuries of winter, that had held both the weight of the world and the tenderness he reserved for me alone. “This is my choice, Frost.” My voice caught as I fought the tears that threatened to blur my vision. “I’m choosing this for you, for the balance, for everything that makes you who you are…and for us.” My heart wrenched at the thought of leaving him, but I knew I could ne ver truly be happy if I chose the life I wanted at such cost to others.

His grip tightened once more, his eyes closing briefly as though memorizing the feel of me before I slipped away. When he opened them again, they were filled with both deep sorrow and an overwhelming love so powerful it made my heart ache.

“I don’t want to lose you,” he whispered, his voice raw with emotion.

My throat tightened and it took every effort not to waver in the decision I knew to be necessary. “You’re the Keeper of Winter, one of the many parts of you I fell in love with. I can’t let you lose yourself just to stay with me.” Despite the tremble in my voice, conviction filled my fierce words.

Frost’s gaze held mine for a long, breathless moment, his expression shifting from anguish to resolve. “Blanche, no. I cannot collect—”

I silenced him with a kiss, the warmth of his lips against mine clashing with the cold that surrounded us. I knew this was the only way. The knowledge I’d gained in the chamber flooded my mind. I’d thought there were only two choices: Frost and I could choose to live a mortal life together, or he could follow through with his duty to collect my soul; either choice came with dire consequences for the man I loved and the world he tended.

But winter’s magic had revealed a third option: if I willingly gave myself to the FrostHeart—allowing it to take not only my soul but my very essence—it would effectively erase me from existence. Frost would be left with no memories of me, no ice record in his library to replay my life; the love we’d experienced would simply disappear. If it was as though he’d never met me, the future from the first mirror would become possible.

I shrank from the thought of every trace of my life vanishing—losing even the chance to remain in Frost’s memory—but this was the only way that could both restore Frost to his immortality and keep the world from suffering. Though the pain of my sacrifice cut deep, I felt the ancient seasonal magic stirring. Through its whispers hope bloomed that perhaps my soul would somehow linger with him in some small way, even though he wouldn’t remember me.

Our kiss ended all too soon, forcing me to withdraw from the comfort of his embrace. Before he could stop me, I stepped past him towards the FrostHeart, pulsing with unyielding power. I caught my breath at the shock of the freezing layer of air as my arm passed through it, but without hesitation I pressed my hand against the ice’s cold, crystalline surface, offering up both my soul and every other part of my being. The instant my skin made contact, a wave of icy energy surged through me. I gasped as I felt my essence being drawn from my body. Frost’s desperate voice echoed behind me, but his words were lost as the unstoppable process began.

The world around me blurred, fading into a haze as my soul slowly left my body. Through the fog, I caught a glimpse of Frost rushing forward, his face stricken with horror. He reached out, his hands trembling as they hovered over my chest, his touch so gentle and full of love, as though cradling the very essence of who I was.

Tears streaked his cheeks as he lifted his hand, faintly glowing with the frost-etched magic of winter. “I cannot risk any harm befalling you should the process go wrong,” he said softly, his voice trembling with emotion. “I will be the one to claim your soul. When I do, you’ll no longer be bound to the mortal world, but will become a part of me and of this realm.”

I couldn’t speak, couldn’t tell him that he’d forget me the moment the process was finished. Instead I fought to steady my breathing and offered him a small, broken smile. “I trust you,” I whispered.

With a deep breath, he gently cradled my face, his hands cool and comforting. I closed my eyes, leaning into his touch as if I could imprint the sensation of him into my memory forever. Even before he began I felt the pull of his magic, a soft tug at the very core of my being gently unraveling the threads of my soul.

“Blanche.” His voice broke through the stillness, low and reverent, as if he were murmuring a prayer. “I never wanted it to end like this, but I care too much for you not to respect your wishes. No matter how painful it is for me, after seeing the life you lived, I want you to finally have a choice of your own.”

My eyes fluttered open, and I watched as the ethereal glow of my soul gathered in his hands, a delicate wisp of silver light. I took a sharp breath as the warmth of my life flowed out of me but there was no pain—just a bittersweet peace. Frost’s gaze never left mine as he held the glowing tendril of my soul, cradling it as if it were the most precious thing in the world.

His trembling hand hovered over his heart, where the magic of winter thrummed within him. My soul flickered, as though it recognized the place where it was meant to go. Tears filled my eyes, but I held them back, my heart breaking and swelling all at once.

Frost’s face twisted in sorrow and love as he leaned forward, resting his forehead against mine. “I love you, Blanche. More than anything.” His voice cracked, his body trembling as he continued. “I’ll never forget you.”

A sharp pain stabbed through me as I realized he could not keep that promise, but I met his eyes. “And I love you,” I whispered, my voice thick with emotion. “I always will.” That was a vow I would keep for both of us .

His grip tightened on my soul, his other hand pressing gently against my chest where the last faint remnant of my mortal life remained. With a deep, steadying breath he pulled the final threads of my soul free, leaving me weightless, suspended between life and something else entirely.

An undulating light shone from the center of the FrostHeart, shifting between blue and violet, swirling light that seemed to pull at me from deep within. Frost glanced at it uncertainly before looking back at me, his eyes widening in alarm.

“Blanche!” He stepped forward frantically. “What’s happening?”

Caught between reality and oblivion, I couldn’t reply, but I sensed something happening to my mortal body, as though it was beginning to fade rather than simply lying lifeless.

“You’re…vanishing. Not only your soul, but all of you.” He stared at my blurring form in anguish before returning his gaze to the soul he so tenderly held.

But as my soul hovered in his hands, something unexpected happened. A light—brighter than the surrounding frost—began to glow from his chest, intertwining with the silver wisp of my soul. Our essences merged, and I felt a surge of power flow between us, binding us in a way that neither of us had anticipated.

“What’s happening, Frost?” My whisper was breathless as the warmth spread through me, mingling with the cold, until I no longer felt the frigid air.

His eyes widened with shock, his hands trembling as the light he cradled grew stronger. “I don’t know, but I can feel you. You’re not fading anymore; you’re returning.”

The light enveloped us, bringing with it a rush of clarity and strength. My soul wasn’t being lost to the winter realm—it was becoming part of it, part of him, our hearts and magic fusing in a way neither of us had foreseen. In that union, the pulse of winter’s power surged through me, mingling with my own essence so that I wasn’t just bound to Frost; I was becoming something new that belonged to this realm as much as he did.

“I’m still here,” I murmured in wonder. “With you.”

Frost stared at me in disbelief before with a breathless gasp of relief he pulled me into a tight embrace. “You’re still here.” His cold breath brushed my neck, warm with emotion.

He knelt beside me, his expression caught somewhere between relief and disbelief. His hands, cold yet comforting, held mine as the final remnants of the FrostHeart’s power ebbed away, leaving me feeling different—lighter, yet somehow more grounded, as if the weight of mortality had slipped from me like a discarded cloak.

I hadn’t expected this when I’d given my soul, certain that my destiny had reached its end, my final purpose in life to restore Frost to his true self. Yet here I was, not only still breathing and very much alive , but still at his side.

Confusion swirled within me as I gazed up at his dear face, now softened with joy and relief. “What just happened? Why am I still here after offering my soul?”

His wondrous gaze never wavered from mine as he brushed a stray lock of hair from my face, his touch lingering against my skin as though to reassure himself I was real. “I can hardly believe it myself. Though I’ve never witnessed this magic, I understand enough of the ancient power that formed this world for me to theorize that the moment you first entered my winter realm, you began to absorb its magic.”

I blinked, trying to grasp the enormity of his words. He continued, his voice soft but steady, like the hush of falling snow.

“The closer we became, the more you’ve been changing. Every time you touched my magic, wielded a portion of it, or stood by my side, it left its mark on you. Slowly, your mortal essence has been merging with something... more .”

My heart pounded with a mixture of hope and wonder. “What do you mean?”

“But it had to be more than that. Because you offered your soul willingly rather than me taking it like the others I’ve collected, the bonds that tied you to mortality were broken.”

I shook my head. “I was supposed to lose my soul and my very essence, so that you could return to the existence you were meant to have. That’s what I was told in the labyrinth.”

Frost’s icy blue eyes softened, his voice filled with quiet awe. “Yet because you obtained the heart of an immortal being, your soul has fused with mine. You’re no longer bound by the cycle of life and death, but your existence has become part of winter’s magic, healing the balance that was threatened by our love. The very love that jeopardized everything is what ultimately saved us—we were both willing to make any sacrifice necessary for the other’s good, and such a love is more powerful than we even realized.”

I stared at him, trying to process the enormity of his revelation. All the fears and anxieties about losing him and forcing him to choose between love and duty no longer loomed over us, dissolving like snow under the first warm breath of spring. The revelation washed over me, a deep sense of peace filling the space where fear had once been.

“Does this mean…” My voice trembled with a mix of awe and disbelief. “We can be together? Forever?”

Light filled Frost’s expression as he nodded. “We can.” Tenderness filled his voice as he cradled my face, his touch cool but filled with love. “We can rule together, not just over winter, but over the world we now share. Together we’ll do more than oversee the season—we’ll bring balance, not only to winter, but to all who depend on it. ”

My heart swelled at the thought. No longer was I an outsider in his world, nor was he trapped between love and duty. We were equals, bound not only by love but by the very magic that sustained winter itself. I smiled through my tears. “Winter will be more than just cold and darkness. We’ll bring something new to the season—something kinder, warmer.”

Frost’s lips curved into a rare, genuine smile. “With you by my side, I have no doubt we’ll create something beautiful.”

We embraced, the weight of our shared destiny settling around us like a blanket of fresh snow. As the light around us dimmed to a soft glow, the warmth remained—a testament to the magic that had recognized our shared hearts—and I felt a sense of profound rightness, as if everything had finally aligned. No longer was I simply a mortal trespassing in his immortal world; I was his equal, his partner, sharing the power of winter itself with him.

I rested my head against his chest, smiling softly. Through our sacrifice, we had gained something far greater—each other, forever entwined, with a future that now stretched beyond the limits of time.