Maris stood by Lucan''s side, her soft pink hair catching the sunlight, framing her delicate face in waves that cascaded over her shoulders. Her light blue eyes sparkled with excitement as they prepared for the lift ride.


    Dressed warmly in a soft white jacket lined with fur at the cor, Her long, snow-white scarf fluttered gently in the breeze, and her flushed cheeks from the cold air only enhanced her ethereal beauty. Maris looked otherworldly, almost like an angel lost in the mortal world, blending effortlessly with the snowyndscape surrounding them.


    "This looks about right," Lucan said, pulling her back from his thoughts and focusing on the task ahead. "Shall we take the lift and slide down from the top?"


    "Yes, let''s go!" Maris responded eagerly, her voice light with enthusiasm.


    They had only been on the slope for a short time, but Maris had already mastered the basics of skiing. Her natural grace seemed to transfer easily to the snow, and Lucan found himself admiring her ease of learning. Looking around, Lucan noticed that the other students were still receiving instructions.


    Maris had picked everything up in a sh, leaving the rest behind not because they were slow learners, but because she was simply extraordinary.


    "We''ll go ahead up first," Lucan called out to Xue.


    "Alright, we''ll catch up soon!" Xue waved as Lucan and Maris headed towards the lift.


    Though there were a few lines at the station, it wasn''t too crowded since they had arrived early in the day. The soft murmuring of other visitors filled the air, mixed with the asionalughter of children making snow angels or throwing snowballs at each other.


    As they approached the lift, a staff member stared for a moment, caught off guard by Maris''s appearance. She was breathtaking, her beauty amplified by the snowy backdrop. The worker blinked, then cleared their throat before motioning them forward.


    "Alright, next up... Ah," the worker stammered. "Please step onto the lift."


    Maris, slightly nervous, clung to Lucan''s arm. "It''s a little scary."


    Lucan smiled softly, gently taking her hand in his. "It''s fine, I''m right here. Hold my hand."


    "Okay..." Maris responded, squeezing his hand as they stepped onto the chair lift together.


    As the lift began to ascend the gentle slope, Maris''s initial anxiety was quickly reced with awe. Her eyes widened as thendscape below opened up before them, revealing the majestic snow-covered mountains stretching out in every direction.


    "Wow... it''s amazing!" Maris eximed, her voice filled with wonder.


    "Yes, it is," Lucan replied, his gaze sweeping over the horizon. The snow glittered like diamonds beneath the bright sunlight, and the crisp air felt refreshing against their skin.


    "Look over there!" Maris pointed suddenly, excitement bubbling up in her voice. "There''s some animals!"


    Lucan followed her gaze to see two small foxes scampering across the snow, their red fur striking against the white backdrop. They chased each other yfully, darting through the snowbanks and weaving between trees.


    "Foxes," Lucan confirmed with a smile. "They look like they''re having fun. Maybe they''re siblings?"


    "Or perhaps a pair," Maris suggested, her eyes softening as she watched the animals. "They look so happy together."


    As they continued to rise, the foxes disappeared from view, but Maris''s attention was soon caught by more wildlife.


    "Oh! Look over there!" she pointed again. This time, Lucan saw a group of white snow hares hopping through the snow, their fur blending perfectly with thendscape. They paused asionally to nibble on shrubs poking through the snow, theirrge ears twitching.


    "Snow hares," Lucan said. "They''re well-hidden in the snow. You wouldn''t notice them unless you were really looking."


    "They''re so cute!" Maris giggled, her gaze lingering on the hares as they disappeared into the brush. "I wish I could take one home with me."


    The lift continued its ascent, offering more breathtaking views of thendscape. They passed over a frozenke where a group of children was ice skating, theirughter echoing faintly in the distance. A flock of birds soared overhead, their wings cutting through the crisp mountain air.


    The higher they climbed, the more the world below them seemed to stretch out endlessly. Snowy peaks lined the horizon, and the soft, powdery snow glittered like tiny diamonds under the sunlight.


    "It''s so peaceful up here," Maris murmured, her voice soft and thoughtful.


    "It really is," Lucan agreed, taking a deep breath of the cool, clean air. "I''m d the weather turned out so clear today. You can even see the distant mountains.


    "I hope we can travel together next year as well," Maris said, her tone warm and hopeful. Stay connected with M-V-L


    "Yes, we would," Lucan said.


    Honestly, Lucan hadn''t expected to be able to travel with Maris at all, He thought by this point in their rtionship, Maris would have developed feelings for one of the male leads at the academy. After all, that was how things were supposed to go. Lucan had always seen himself as more of a guardian figure for Maris, but things had shifted in a direction he hadn''t anticipated when he found Maris.


    Now, as he looked at her, sitting beside him with a serene smile on her face, Lucan wondered how he had ever thought things would follow the original course. Maris hadn''t fallen for any of the male leads. In fact, it seemed like they weren''t even trying hard enough to capture her attention.


    His thoughts were interrupted when Maris pointed out another animal below—arge elk with impressive antlers, slowly making its way across the snow-covered ins.


    "Look at that! An elk!" she eximed, her eyes wide with excitement. "It''s so majestic."


    Lucan chuckled. "It really is. You don''t get to see sights like this every day."


    Just as Lucan was about toment further, a movement caught his eye. In the distance, on a higher slope of the mountain, he saw someone struggling. Squinting, he recognized the figure—it was Alec, one of the supposed male leads from the academy.


    "What on earth is he doing?" Lucan muttered under his breath.


    Alec, cocky and self-assured as ever, had been training in the mountains, fighting monsters. But in that moment, arge ck monster charged at him, knocking him off his feet and sending him flying into a nearby tree. Snow fell from the branches above, burying Alec under a heavyyer of snow.


    He tumbled down the slope, looking less like a skilled warrior and more like a iling snowman as he rolled helplessly down the mountain.


    He watched as Alec struggled to stand, only to be knocked over again by another pile of snow that tumbled down from the tree.