A creak reverberated through the stone walls; they seemed to thwart just enough vibrations to leave only an elementary hum. As I stroll through the hallowed halls lined with candles, a moment of silence creeps into my ever-running mind. Brushing my hand against the stone bricks as I walked past as if to end the stillness; I shuddered softly. The dull brick wall had smoothed over through years of this process at late night. The memories of everyone I’d met and knowing they accommodated me, though I had no knowledge of the hearing world, brought a smile to my lips. The vibrations of that dull hum had calmed me.

My hands were no longer cold as that of the bright snow that lay out of reach. The warmth of the surrounding area enveloped me, and my eyes grew weary.

It seemed the snow balanced precariously on the edge of life just up ahead. Those snowflakes dancing just outside the glass-paned window fell to the ground, balancing on the other snowflakes, just as a ballerina would. A sigh escaped my lips, and the air turned into a cloud that vaporized into thin air. In the distance, a deep ringing resounded throughout the halls of Fischl’s castle, finally leading back to me. Midnight struck the clock with its flick, it appeared. I could feel a familiar footstep. That click-clack that banged against the floors seemed to pound on the door to my heart. Beating loudly inside, it appeared unwilling to steady. “Why?”

I questioned my heart, for this was an old friend of mine. Red fabric came into view, and I smiled brightly. I saw their face as they came into view around the corner, the bright smile outlined on their face. She had been my friend since I stumbled across Mondstadt. Through bushes and countless Hurlicurls, I came to a resting point. After a short while, as I got up to leave, a brown-haired girl in red, white, and brown clothing stopped me short. I looked up at her in a daze of mild confusion. She moved her lips as she was speaking. However, I could not hear a single thing. I cocked my head, outlining my confusion to her clearly and visibly. Then I snapped out of my daydream filled with memories. Silence filled the air against my will. I blinked once, my eyelids coating my eyes with water.

Tears swelled up in my eyes as I knew this story had only begun. I couldn’t just leave it to end there. Yet, I understood it was never a good idea to leap back into my old habits.