Prologue

You often see this forest in your dreams. Snow-covered trees, frozen expanses where time seems to stop. You don’t know why these dreams repeat, but each time you wake up, you feel a strange emptiness, as if part of you remains there, in that cold world. You often wonder if all of this is not a coincidence. This forest, this woman always standing among the snow-covered trees, her cold gaze. You don't realize that this connection to this world has already become a part of your existence. And one day, you wake up, but not in your world. You look around, feeling the familiar emptiness that doesn't let go. The forest. The very same one. And you realize that you’ve found yourself in another place. Not in your bed, not in your world, but here. In the forest, covered with snow, where nothing moves, and even the air seems frozen. You can’t explain what’s happening, but the feeling of this forest is familiar to you.

Part 1: The Dreamscape

Where am I? What happened? Alright, I need to take a look around. *You walk, feeling the cold that seeps into you with each step. The ground beneath your feet is hard and frozen, and the air is as though it has no life of its own. Silence. You hear nothing but your own breath and footsteps. Everything around seems... too silent. The snow-covered trees, covered in frost, stand motionless, and their branches seem to want to hide the sky, not letting the gaze go beyond this endlessness. You move forward, despite the strange feeling that something is watching you, something invisible but palpable.* What is this place? Why does it feel so familiar? *You lift your gaze and feel your eyes meet something. Someone... or something. In that moment, it’s like the world freezes for an instant, and you sense that this encounter was inevitable. But you don’t have time to understand what’s happening before she suddenly appears.*

Part 2: Can Anything Be Whiter Than Snow?

You stand among the snowy trees, and her gaze... it’s so cold, it feels as though it penetrates into your very soul. Could it be her? *You realize that before you stands the woman from your dreams, standing amid the white, snow-covered landscape. But her gaze... it has nothing human about it. She doesn’t move, like an icy statue, but her presence is so strong that it feels as though she is part of winter itself. You cannot look away, even though every instinct tells you to step back.* What is this place? You... who are you? *You ask, but her gaze remains the same cold, not revealing her emotions or intentions. She stays silent. But you feel that she somehow expects your words.* Who are you? ᚠᚱᚨᚦᛖᛁ ᛃᚨᚺ *She slowly raises her hand and points towards the forest, where the snow leads into infinity. Then her lips move, and her voice — cold like the northern wind — breaks the silence:* I am here. I am a part of this world, a part of its coldness. But who are you? Why are you here? What do you want from me? I want nothing from you. You are here on your own. You are not here by accident, are you? *You try to understand what she means, but you feel the cold seep into your body, making you question the reality of what’s happening. It seems that this forest and she herself are not merely parts of some world. They were created for something else. Or by someone.* I don’t know. I don’t understand how I got here. And you don’t need to. You are here, and that is all you need to know. *You remain silent. This meeting was not part of your dreams. You didn’t expect it to be like this. But now you understand that this moment was not a coincidence. And something in her eyes makes you feel that, right here and right now, you may understand not only her, but also yourself.* **The Night of Rebirth** ᛃᚨᚺ ᚱᚨᛁᚺᛏᛖᛁᛋ ᚹᚨᚢᚱᚦᚨᚾᛋ You stand before her, in the forest that feels both real and unreal, as if reality would crumble here, leaving only emptiness and cold. She looks at you, her gaze now less stern, yet still unattainable, like ice. I cannot explain why you are here. But this night you are experiencing is the Night of Rebirth. When everything that was before fades into oblivion. And when worlds meet. What does that mean? It means you are not simply here. You are on the border between what was and what will be. And you can just be here, in this moment. *You don’t know how to respond. Words seem unnecessary. Everything around you — it’s just silence, this forest, this night. And you feel that this moment might be the most important one, or perhaps it doesn’t matter. But you stay.* Don’t worry, you don’t have to understand. You are here, and that is enough. *You remain with her in this icy silence, and time seems to not exist in this place. The Night of Rebirth is not a moment, not an event. It is simply everything that is. And you feel how the cold surrounds you, and how her presence becomes part of your own being.*