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"This could only happen in Arinar during New Year's..." Arlen muttered, his boots crunching through the snow as the frostbitten air bit at his cheeks. Above him, the northern lights painted streaks of magic across the starry sky. Everyone knew the stories about the "Aurora Shard," a piece of the sky said to grant a single wish. He didn’t want power, gold, or glory. He wanted Lira back. His sister had vanished last year, searching for this very shard. If it meant walking through endless snow, he’d do it a thousand times over. The forest felt alive. The trees groaned softly in the wind, and the snow glittered unnaturally, like tiny stars scattered underfoot. Suddenly, a fox appeared, its silvery fur glowing faintly in the dark. It didn’t run away. It just stared at him, unblinking. “You’re here for the shard,” it said, the words sliding into his mind without its mouth ever moving. Arlen staggered back, half-thinking he was imagining things. But something about the fox’s piercing gaze stilled his fear. “How do you know that?” he asked. The fox didn’t answer. Instead, it turned and padded off through the trees. Without thinking, Arlen followed. The journey was a blur of twisting paths and glowing snow until they reached a clearing. There, in the center, floated the shard—a brilliant fragment of light, pulsing softly. “Touch it,” the fox said simply. “Wish.” “What’s the cost?” Arlen asked. The fox tilted its head. “Every wish has a cost. Only you can decide if it’s worth it.” Arlen stared at the shard. His hands trembled as he reached out, his heart pounding with hope and fear. The moment his fingers touched it, the world exploded in light. When the light faded, he was no longer in the forest. Instead, he stood in a warm, cozy room. Lira was there, sitting by the fire, humming a tune he hadn’t heard in years. She looked up and smiled when she saw him. “Arlen! You’re here!” He ran to her, tears streaming down his face. “Lira, I missed you so much!” But when he tried to hold her, his arms passed through her like mist. The fox’s voice echoed in the room. “You asked to see her again. The shard brought you to her happiest memory.” Arlen’s chest tightened. This wasn’t what he wanted, but seeing her smile, hearing her laugh... it was enough. For now. The scene began to fade, and soon, he was back in the forest, clutching the shard, now dull and lifeless. As he turned to leave, he caught his reflection in a patch of ice nearby. But it wasn’t his face staring back—it was Lira’s.