Prologue

A bitter breeze filtered in through the trees, sharply blowing the loose strands of auburn hair across her reddened cheeks. Her feet crunched softly in the snow as her father led her forward, her tiny mitten hand fitting snugly in his. Her eyes settled on the figure hurrying on ahead, holding a curious gleam to them as they followed the path where a stray cluster of snowflakes danced in her wake.

"Mama!" She called out, but her voice was carried away by the wind. "Wait for us!"

The figure paused mid-step, craning her neck back to look at her daughter. "Hurry Maka, we don't have much time," she called back before continuing along the path, kicking up clouds of snow.

Her feet stumbled as her father picked up his pace, pulling her along with him as they closed the gap between them and her mother. Maka exhaled through her mouth, watching the warm air change into cold white puffs that tickled her face, and she released a cheerful giggle.

Despite the snow, Maka's tiny feet were able to traverse the thick powdery bumps and mounds with the help of her father's urgent tugs, and they caught up to her mother in two large bounds. Her hand reached out for the long, red scarf billowing behind her mother's back, but the woman gripped her hand instead, sharing a look with her father at the sudden echo of a cry for help.

Maka's ears perked up at the sound but her mother's sudden change of direction distracted her and she almost tripped over her feet, feeling her mother's fingers bite through the material of her mitten. "Where are we going?" She asked anxiously as the mood turned sour, fixating her green eyes on her mother's back.

The sound of snow crunching under boots filled the silence, and she didn't answer until they were far away from the noise, far away from home as they stopped before a group of upturned roots and snow covered rocks somewhere deep within the forest.

"Maka," she felt her mother's hands on her shoulders. "Let's play a game of hide and seek, yes?" Her voice cracked ever so slightly.

"A game?" She repeated, eyes wide and confused.

"Mama and I will be 'it'." Her father knelt down beside her, still holding her hand. "You need to stay hidden," he said as he hugged her close, making her stomach churn with unease. She didn't like the way his voice sounded. "You need to stay right in this spot, Maka. Don't come out until we come back." He pulled away, reluctantly releasing her hand. "No matter what you hear, promise me you won't move from this spot," Spirit urged, moving her so that she was hidden behind a tree.

A strong gust blew around them, jostling her pigtails and throwing up a blanket of snow, turning her vision white as she felt her mother's lips press against her cheek.

"We'll be back before you know it," she heard her say, hurriedly rubbing her eyes to clear away the snow. She hadn't promised them yet.

But by the time it cleared they were already gone, and she watched as a new shower of snow blanketed the earth, covering any tracks left behind of their presence.

"Hurry back," she whispered, worry evident in her voice, resting her head against the cold trunk of the tree. The frost numbed her feet while her mind whirled in fear, recalling her mother's tearful eyes and her father's creased brow as they had left their home in a hurry. She didn't understand the circumstances.

The wind howled suddenly in the distance, bringing forth the screams of a chorus of voices with it as it soared past her ears, making her heart pound against her chest. She was scared.

In her fit of panic she felt a wave of heat blaze across her palms, hearing her breath leave her in short, shallow rasps as she witnessed her mittens go up in flames, crumbling into charred balls of soot in her tiny hands. Her vision burst with a bright orange glow and an immense heat washed over her like a suffocating wave as the fire burst from her being, hearing it crackle with her own ears.

It was overwhelming.

A blue aura clouded her senses, seeming to battle against the fire within her until a cold hand settled around her wrist and drew her out from the orange abyss, into a unfamiliar embrace.