After finishing the cold tea in his cup, Yihan tossed it far away. The cup traced a graceful arc before vanishing into the icy ruins. He breathed out a puff of white vapor.

The girl, who perfectly understood his thoughts, stood up too, arms crossed over her chest. "Looks like you've made your choice."

"Mm."

"Still unwilling to give her up? Even if she hates you?"

"Better than her dying alone in the frozen mountains. No one would remember her. No one would mourn. Her hatred doesn't matter—as long as she lives, we can fix this."

Yihan kept his tone light and casual, but secretly hoped for Carola's reaction. Sealing Lia would be impossible without this Witch Hunter's help.

Hearing this, the girl silently lowered her head in thought. Yihan didn't rush her, waiting quietly beside her. If Carola refused to help, he'd slip away in shame. But judging by the situation, she'd probably lend a hand...

"Let's go. Since that's what you think." After just five or six seconds, the girl sighed, her face showing resignation and a headache. "Convince her, and I'll help you seal her here."

"Thanks..." Yihan said sincerely, scratching his head. "Actually, I have a question..."

"Ask."

"You Witch Hunters can seal witches to control their powers. Why hunt them down relentlessly?"

Carola snorted, wrinkling her delicate nose. "It's not that simple," she said slowly. "First, the seal isn't 100% successful. Even sealed, a witch might not control her power. Second, it's like handing your life to her—which witch would accept that? That's why I need you to convince her. Third, performing the seal causes backlash. It drains our power badly. In serious cases, we lose memories from that time and can't recall them later." Her face turned serious.

So that explained it. No wonder she always said she couldn't remember, getting headaches whenever she tried. Even his traces were erased. Yihan recalled their chats, nodded, and understood.

"Will you... forget all this?"

Carola thought a moment, then smiled silently. "Not everything. But most precious memories will fade."

"It might include you." She lifted her azure eyes to gaze at him, filled with sorrow and reluctance.

Yihan ruffled her hair firmly. "If you forget me, I'll find you and bring those memories back. If I can't, we'll create new, beautiful ones."

"Promise?" The girl pulled a small smile, her cheeks pale and pure.

Yihan nodded hard and held out his pinky finger, earning her curiosity.

"What does this mean?"

"A pinky promise. For a hundred years, no take-backs."

"Is this a tradition from your side? Quite novel," she remarked, teasing. Yet she happily extended her slender pinky, hooking it with his and swaying it a few times.

"Then, I'll wait for you."

…

Crossing snowy mountains at night wasn't easy, especially in this blizzard. Thick snow covered the slopes, deep enough to swallow knees.

Yihan and Carola were wrapped tightly. Wool scarves hid their mouths and noses; under bear-fur hats, only their eyes showed. Still, the biting wind mixed with snowflakes made progress hard. They slipped and fell repeatedly on the steep path.

Yihan constantly thought of the dwindling time. He shouted to Carola, "Are you sure we're not lost? This path keeps getting steeper!"

Dense snow forced Carola to yell back, "Haven't you noticed the road's slippery? Covered in ice!"

"What does that matter?"

"It means the Witch passed here. Her heat melted the snow into streams, but the cold froze them solid. That's why you keep falling on your face."

"That last part was unnecessary!"

Joking aside, Yihan admitted she made sense. He also saw abnormal changes—not just the path. Ahead, a dense forest had a huge gap burned through it. Her speed and flames had instantly destroyed century-old trees. Farther off, thick orange-red light glowed from a valley, like a hundred campfires burning together.

Carola removed her bear-fur hat. Nearer the glow, the temperature rose. Snow melted underfoot, leaving soft, muddy ground. Patches of cedar forest stood lush and green, jarringly out of place against the snow-covered wilderness.

"She's there." Carola's sharper eyes spotted Lia quickly.

Yihan nodded, breathing heavily.

"Have you figured out how to convince her?"

"Don't worry. She'll listen to me."

"That confident tone annoys me. How far have you two gotten anyway?" Carola scowled, raising an eyebrow. Cracking her knuckles, her expression turned grim. "Since you're ready, let's move. Remember—this seal only has one chance."

"Okay." Yihan grew excited and nervous. He licked his numb lips and jumped down the steep slope first, moving swiftly like a charging porcupine.

Closer to the orange-red glow, the heat intensified. Yihan had discarded his wool scarf and coat earlier. Even in thin clothes, sweat poured from his body. He heard trees crackling as flames consumed them. A sizeable jungle blazed fiercely ahead, making him worry: if Lia's power wasn't controlled, would it spark a wildfire?

He sped up, enduring the scorching air to push deep into the burning forest. Carola, following closely, couldn't stand it. She quickly cast a water barrier around him.

"Thanks."

"Focus ahead. Is she there?"

Yihan whipped his head around and skidded to a halt, staring uncertainly at the mountainside.

It barely looked like a mountainside anymore. A ring of fire over ten meters wide had burned a massive hole through the thick rock wall. The ground and cliffs were baked hard. Blazing light spewed out like a fallen miniature sun.

Amidst the inferno stood a trembling girl. Lia faced away, her clothes tattered. Large patches of snow-white skin revealed eerie patterns. Unlike last time, they glowed brilliantly—like red-hot snakes crawling over her glistening body, ready to spring alive.

Yihan froze, stunned. "Lia—" he shouted in disbelief.

The girl in the flames looked back with broken eyes, her gaze dazed. After a moment, two tears streamed down her cheeks.

Lia moved her crimson lips. Yihan read her meaning: *Run.*

Carola stepped out from behind him, grim-faced as she watched Lia teetering on the edge. She growled through gritted teeth, "She's losing control."

"Yihan—tell her now. If she wants to live, she must accept the seal."