“The world is quiet here.” -- Lemony Snicket

    The world was frozen, quiet and still. The leaves shifted, as if wanting to move, but unable to so much as shiver. His breath slid out of his mouth silently, a cloud that hung in midair before dispersing. He was hunched over, staring at the frozen pond in front of him.

    Even if there was any reason for him to get up and leave, he couldn’t bring himself to do anything. It was too quiet, too still, and he had the feeling that if he even made a single sound, it would all come crashing down.

    Fragile, it was. Far too fragile. His silver hair reflected the color of the snow, his skin as pale as the ice around him, and it felt like he was fragile, too. He watched a bird on the ground near him, hunched over and as still as he was. It, too, seemed to sense the fragility of the moment, and his mouth twitched into a smile in response.

    And so he sat, staring across the pond at anything and everything. The very air around him was icy-cold and pale, and he knew that the thin coat he wore couldn’t protect him from the chill that he could feel creeping through his bones and around his fingers. It was so fragile, so hushed, and if he moved he could change everything in an instant.

    He mused to himself that the others may be looking for him, now, especially since he had never shown them this place. But it was no matter. He couldn’t move if he wanted to. He could die here, alone and silent, frozen like the world around him.

    “Yugyeom.”

    And at that word, the world melted. Warm fingers slid around his face as the bird turned and chirped, flying towards the trees. The leaves fluttered in the sudden breeze, tinkling like a thousand wind chimes. He turned halfway on the bench, eyes finding a warm smile.

    “Yugyeom, let’s go home. You must be cold.”

    He finally found his voice. “How did you find me here? I never showed this place to anyone.”

    The voice laughed, and the sound slid like warm honey through his body, chasing away the ice. “I’ll always be able to find you.”