Page 50 of HaL

It is the colors.

My quarters have been transformed.

The walls are still carved from the ancient, blue-white ice, but they no longer seem bare and severe. Soft fabrics now cover portions of the stone and ice, their deep blues, silvers, and faint violets creating warmth without diminishing the room’s frozen beauty.

My bed has been completely remade.

New coverings spill over it in thick, luxurious layers, embroidered with patterns that resemble frost spreading across a window. The blankets shimmer whenever they catch the light, as though tiny crystals have been woven into the fabric. At the head of the bed, pillows have been piled high, their edges trimmed in white fur.

And that is not the only place meant for resting.

In one corner of the room, enormous pillows have been arranged directly on the floor, forming a deep circular nest around a low table made from translucent ice. Someone has even placed small cushions along the inner edge, making the whole thing look ridiculously comfortable.

I stare at it.

Then at the rest of the room.

Several benches now line the enormous viewers, positioned so that anyone sitting on them has an unobstructed view of the frozen landscape beyond. The benches are carved from pale wood and capped with thick cushions, making them seem almost impossibly inviting against the cold.

I walk toward one of them.

Beyond the clear walls, snow-covered mountains stretch toward the horizon. Jagged peaks rise into a sky painted in shades of lavender and silver, while enormous flakes drift lazily past the glass. Far below, the ice fields glitter beneath the fading light.

Then I look upward. A new ice chandelier hangs from the ceiling. Dozens of slender crystals branch outward from its center like frozen flowers. Each catching the light pouring through the clear ceiling above and scattering it across the room in hundreds of tiny reflections.

Blue.

Silver.

Violet.

White.

The entire room sparkles.

It almost looks as though I have stepped inside a frozen constellation. I slowly turn in place, taking it all in. There are little touches everywhere now. Crystal lamps sit along the walls, glowing with a soft blue light. Frost-white curtains hang beside the windows, their translucent fabric moving slightly despite the complete lack of wind. Small shelves have appeared between the pillars, holding glass ornaments, carved figurines, and strange little pieces of ice that glow from within.

SAGE even placed a brazier near the bed.

Not a normal fire, though.

The flames burn a pale blue, giving off a strange warmth without producing smoke or melting anything around them.

I fixate on it for several seconds.

“What happened to my room?”

Dawn says nothing. I glance back at her. She merely smiles.

That smile tells me everything.

I turn back toward the room, suddenly aware that I am standing in the middle of something far more personal than a simple renovation. This is not just a room anymore. SAGE has made it an environment meant to be lived in and comfortable. A place meant to feel like home.

“SAGE, it’s freaking awesome! Holy hell, who would have thought you could make a freezer look inviting? But I should have never doubted you.”

When I say nothing, both of them turn toward me, and I can tell when the smile drops from Dawn’s face and she starts nibbling on one of her claws, that she needs me to say something.

“SAGE, this is quite …” I stall, trying to find the right word … “Life-changing, as it should be. I appreciate you doing all of this so please do not be discouraged by my silence, as I am simply running to catch up with all the changes the Lord of Light has thrown at me lately.”