(Two days later...)

The storm continued to rage relentlessly on Mount Frost, as if the world itself wanted to challenge Edel at every turn. Despite this, the young dragoness decided that it was time to meditate, to find calm amidst the chaos and use that state to better focus her ice powers. She sat at the entrance to her shelter, her eyes closed and her mind trying to connect with the serenity she had learned from her father.

The freezing air did not affect her physically, but the constant presence of wind and snow was a reminder of the inhospitable place.

"This is not just a test of physical endurance," she thought, "it's mental. My father overcame this... I can do it too."

As she tried to achieve a state of concentration, she felt a change in the storm. A familiar presence, soft and warm, emerged among the roars of the wind. She opened her eyes, and there, among the blizzard, she thought she saw a familiar figure: her mother. Eira.

"Mom?" Edel whispered, before quickly standing up and running towards the figure that seemed to be moving away, as if inviting her to follow.

"Wait! Don't go!" Edel shouted in desperation, her voice torn. But the figure continued to move away, merging with the storm until it disappeared. Edel fell to her knees, feeling her heart break once again.

Memories flooded her mind like an avalanche, taking her back to the day her life changed forever.

(Flashback)

One day like any other in Lunaville, a little dragoness Edel noticed that something was not right. Sybilla and Cynthia, her mother's best friends, had arrived with serious faces. They had detected a dark presence lurking nearby, a threat they could not ignore.

"It's too dangerous" Sybilla said, clearly worried.

"We still don't know what we're dealing with" Cynthia added. "It might be one of the dark army's elite soldiers. We need more time to plan."

But Eira, with the determination that always characterized her, shook her head.

"We can't risk it getting here. If I don't do something, we might regret it later. I'll go."

"Eira, you can't go alone!" Sybilla protested.

"Then take care of Edel while I'm gone," Eira said in a firm but loving voice. That phrase was engraved in the mind of the little dragoness, who listened to everything from behind a door.

Edel ran to her mother, tears in her eyes.

"Don't go, Mom!" she shouted, hugging her tightly.

Eira knelt down to be at her daughter's level, gently stroking her head.

"Edel, my little one, I must do this. It's for your safety and for the safety of everyone who lives here. You are my greatest treasure, and nothing in the world will make me change that."

"But you might not come back!" Edel sobbed, clinging to her.

Eira smiled tenderly at her, though her eyes were filled with sadness.

"I will, I promise. And you won't be alone. Your father will come back someday too, and when he does, he'll be so proud of the dragon you'll become. You'll also have friends who will be by your side always. I know this, because you're someone special."

Edel tried to smile through her tears, but fear kept growing inside her.

"What if you don't come back?" she finally asked, her voice shaking.

Eira hugged her daughter one last time.

"If that happens, I'll always be with you, in your heart, Edel. You'll never be alone."

And with those words, Eira said goodbye. Little Edel watched her leave, her silhouette fading into the distance, under a sky covered in dark clouds. She waited for days, months, but her mother never came back.

(End of Flashback)

Edel woke from her trance, tears in her eyes. The pain of that memory was as vivid as the cold surrounding her. She hugged herself, trying to calm herself.

"It's not real," she told herself. "What I saw in the storm... it can't be her."

Yet the wind seemed to whisper her name, and the feeling of being watched would not leave her. Deep within the storm, something waited, something that knew exactly how to play on her emotions. Something that now saw Edel as its next prey.

Lost in her thoughts and submerged in the relentless cold of the storm, Edel barely noticed the silhouette moving through the flurries of snow. A sudden blow tore her from her reflections: long, rickety claws struck her hard, throwing her backwards.

"What... was that?" she muttered, shaking the snow off her body and putting herself on guard. She looked around, trying to find the attacker, but only the storm surrounded her.

Suddenly, through the blizzard, the figure of her mother appeared again. Eira, with her warm smile, was advancing towards her.

"Edel, I'm here to protect you. Everything will be okay, my little one," said the figure in a soft, reassuring voice.

"Mom!" Edel shouted, running towards her, ignoring the danger. But just before reaching her, something invisible moved quickly and hit her again, this time in the side, making her fall to the ground.

"What's going on?" Edel gasped, getting up with difficulty. A second blow, faster than the last, made her stagger. The attacks kept coming from unpredictable directions, each time stronger. Unable to identify her attacker, Edel was unable to defend herself. Her claws barely grazed the empty air.

Finally, a direct blow to the back threw her against the frozen ground. There she lay motionless, breathing heavily as the snow began to cover her body.

The thought of the end

"Is this the end for me?" Edel thought, feeling her energy leaving her. Her body was shaking, but not just from the cold; it was from fear, from the hopelessness of not being able to keep the promises she had made.

"I'm sorry... I couldn't keep my promise. I couldn't go back..."

As the snow covered her body, a memory came back strongly, like a ray of light in the darkness.

(Flashback)

A quiet night in Lunavillage... The moonlight filtered through the clouds, illuminating the small room where Edel and Eira were preparing to sleep. Little Edel, still excited from the talk they had had during the day, looked at her mother with a smile.

"I'm glad you're always with me, Mom," Edel said as she settled down next to her.

Eira, gently stroking her head, answered her in a motherly tone full of wisdom.

"Edel, we won't always be able to be physically with our loved ones." There will be times when we part ways, but that doesn't mean we're not together in spirit.

Edel frowned, confused.

"What do you mean?"

Eira smiled, looking up at the moon.

"True love, Edel, never goes away. It will always be with you, even if you can't see it. And one day, you'll find someone who will be with you physically, someone who will defend you with all their might, like your father does for me, like I do for you."

Little Edel closed her eyes, her thoughts filled with dreams of bravery and love.

"I promise I'll never forget you, Mom."

Eira kissed her forehead, whispering,

"And I'll always be with you, my little snow flower."

(End of Flashback)

That memory of her mother brought an unexpected warmth to Edel's heart, a warmth that contrasted with the cold that surrounded her.

"My mother will always be with me," she thought, and her mind focused on another moment, this time more recent. She saw the image of Johnny charging into battle against Simian, using his incredible firepower to protect her.

"He risked his life for me," she thought. "And my father, Cyril, never gave up, even in the worst conditions. They are here for me, in the present. I cannot hold on to the past forever."

The snow continued to cover her body, but Edel, with renewed determination, began to move. Her inner strength burned with an intensity that not even the icy wind could extinguish. She slowly stood up, her eyes shining with a determined light.

"I can't stay here. I can't give up. I have to move on."

Edel stood with a determination as cold as ice itself. The wind howled around her, but this time, she did not ignore it or fear it. She closed her eyes, let her breathing match the heartbeat of the storm, and focused on what truly mattered.

"The storm is not my enemy," she thought. "It is my ally. I am part of it, and it is part of me."

She let her mind clear, ignoring the illusions that had plagued her. Her mother's voice was only a manipulated echo, and she could no longer control it. Instead, she turned her full attention to what lay hidden between the snow and the wind. "I will find you."

Suddenly, the storm began to respond. Drawn by Edel's growing power, the icy wind swirled around her in an ever-increasing whirlwind. The snow danced as if alive, forming a swirling barrier that followed the beat of her will. Then, between the gusts, something was exposed.

There it was. A grotesque creature, tall and hunched, with long, spindly limbs ending in razor-sharp claws. Its skin was pale and translucent, as if eaten away by the cold, and its eyes glowed with a sickly blue fire that contrasted with the storm. Great curved antlers crowned its head, and its jaw extended grotesquely, revealing sharp teeth. A dark halo emanated around its body, an unnatural energy that made it even more fearsome.

The Wendigo roared, a sound that was a mix of hurricane wind and a scream of agony, as it tried to advance towards Edel. But now she was ready.

With narrowed eyes and an air of resolve, Edel extended her claws and began to focus all the energy of the storm within her. She could feel the ice and snow responding, molding to her will. From the gusts of wind and snowflakes emerged a majestic figure: a gigantic dragon of ice and snow, bright and pure like a newly formed crystal.

The dragon roared, a deep sound that echoed throughout the frozen valley. Its eyes glowed with a blue intensity, a reflection of Edel's soul.

Edel raised a claw, and the dragon, as if it were an extension of herself, launched itself at the Wendigo with overwhelming speed. The creature tried to defend itself, but it could not escape. The storm itself swirled around the dragon, increasing in strength as it engulfed it in an unstoppable whirlwind.

The impact was devastating. A deafening boom echoed throughout the mountain, like an avalanche collapsing on itself. Snow rose in a gigantic explosion of icy energy, obscuring everything from view. When the storm finally calmed, the Wendigo was gone.

Edel breathed heavily, her chest rising and falling as she looked at the spot where the creature had been. Nothing remained, not even its dark energy. She could feel it: the Wendigo had not fled. It had vanished completely, removed from existence.

With a sigh, Edel dropped her claws to the snow, feeling a strange mix of tiredness and peace.

"I did it," she thought, looking up at the clear sky for the first time since she had arrived.

For the first time, Edel could breathe easy. The storm had ceased, both outside and inside her.