Chapter 1 "Glimmers on the Ice"
February 20, 2026 at 7:41 AM
Bright rays of sunlight were the first thing you saw when you opened your eyes. Nearby, your mother’s voice called you to the table for breakfast. You lazily rubbed your eyelids and instinctively looked around.
The sofa bore visible cuts, the blanket that had covered you was ragged and torn. The television… shattered. Antennas broken, buttons smashed, screen cracked in a web of fractures. You remembered that the fight with Tenna had hardly ended on a positive note. The Knight had severed his arms and, as a bonus, chopped off his head while he was still trying to recover from the wound.
You took a deep breath and slipped your hand into your pocket. Inside lay a small ball of trash, and among it you found a tiny black shard of glass. Unlike the Shadow Crystals, this one absorbed the light around it. It felt like you were holding pure darkness in your hand. You tucked the shard back and walked to the table. Toriel and Susie were already seated.
You desperately tried to focus on the conversation, but… the Parasite refused to let you. Your mother’s and friend’s words flew past you. You nodded mechanically while your legs carried you to your room of their own accord. You fought the urge to rip the Soul out of your chest, the way you had done several times before. At the same time, you knew you couldn’t last long without it. Deep down, you understood — sooner or later, you would shatter the Parasite when its control weakened. But right now, while it was still needed in the plans, all you could do was obey.
“Well, we’re here,” your mother said. You snapped your eyes up, realizing you were standing at the entrance to the main church hall. Right. Today was the service. “I need to prepare for the choir. Kris, show Susie around, alright?” You nodded, finding yourself alone with Susie.
“I guess we need to go through that big door,” Susie said. You silently pushed it open, stepped into the hall, and sat on the farthest pew.
Susie was clearly interested in what was happening. Her gaze kept drifting to the stained-glass windows, to Father Alvin’s book in his hands… and to Noelle, standing by the organ. Without realizing it, you clenched your teeth, remembering what had happened that night. You knew it had only been a game and Noelle hadn’t been with you in the Dark World, but… that did nothing to lessen what you had done.
Unnoticed by yourself, beneath the choral prayer to the Angel, you closed your eyes. Sleep tugged at you, but no matter how hard you tried, the realm of Morpheus refused to take you. Images of the battle with the Knight flashed before your eyes again and again. His devastating attacks, the deep wounds on Susie and Ralsei, and… your own body that barely felt the blows. You clenched your fist. Yes. You were still conscious and felt yourself squeezing something… soft?
You opened your eyes and saw Noelle’s surprised and slightly frightened face right in front of you. Her hand was caught in yours. You quickly released it and looked away.
“Um… Are you okay?” Her voice trembled slightly. Of course you could have named the reason, but you didn’t say it aloud. The accelerated beating of the Parasite said everything for you. You gave Noelle a short nod. “Um… Listen. You… and Susie… Would you like to work on our group projects… together?”
You raised your eyebrows in surprise. Noelle rarely took the initiative, and in light of recent events… It made you uneasy what the Soul might want to do. You tried to shake your head, but Susie, who had just walked up, gave a decisive “We’re in.” She still wanted to find the bunker code to fight the Knight and rescue Undyne from his grasp.
“G-great! I’ll take Dad back to the hospital,” she said, stepping away from you and hurrying toward Rudy.
“Cool. See you later,” Susie waved goodbye and turned to you. “That was way too easy. High-five!” She swung her hand out, expecting you to meet it, but you didn’t move, which made Susie genuinely surprised. “Uh… You okay?” You waved her off, forcing a smile. “Um… Okay. Let’s just go.”
You silently followed Susie. Your gaze kept catching on details: the closed library door, your own footprints leading toward the hospital entrance. Right in front of them, you stopped.
“What’s up?” Susie noticed your glassy stare fixed on the hospital doors. “Wanna go in?” You nodded quickly and, without waiting for her, stepped inside Berdly’s ward.
Even the Parasite loosened its grip slightly, watching the situation with interest. You slowly approached Berdly. The bird was breathing heavily. His chest rose and fell slowly. Understandable—he was wrapped in several blankets. You touched the cloth on his forehead—cold, almost icy. Your other hand brushed his wing—equally cold.
The nurse had told you his life was no longer in danger. But only you could say with certainty that he wouldn’t wake up anytime soon. You noticed him wince slightly. Your hands automatically turned up the heater nearby and replaced the compress on his head. The Parasite protested in annoyance, but you only smirked.
“Hey, Kris, you gonna be long in there? Noelle’s here,” Susie called. You tapped your foot twice on the floor. “I’ll take that as a yes.” You looked at Berdly one more time. His expression had relaxed a little.
Like hell I’ll let you kill my friends, you thought, stepping out to Susie and Noelle.
You stepped out of the ward and saw Susie in front of you. Noelle stood beside her. She was saying something to your friend, but Susie was half-listening, stubbornly studying the pattern on the floor.
“Oh, finally back,” Susie said, handing you a half-empty cup of coffee. “You took forever, so I helped myself to something refreshing. Noelle?”
“Huh? Y-yes? W-what is it?” The reindeer was visibly nervous, a faint blush on her cheeks.
“Want some coffee? There’s a machine around the corner.”
“Y-yeah, sure,” Noelle replied. Susie left the corridor, leaving you two alone.
Silence stretched between you. Neither dared break it. You could see Noelle wanted to say something but couldn’t bring herself to. And you clearly had no desire to open your mouth—who knew what the Parasite would make you say.
“Um… Kris…” she finally said. Her hands fidgeted with her sleeves. You looked at her questioningly. “What you said today… but…” She didn’t get to finish.
You covered her mouth with your hand. Your limb was shaking, just like the rest of your body. You felt like you might collapse any second. The Parasite sensed the weakness and seized the moment. Slowly, you removed your hand and stepped back, staring straight into Noelle’s eyes. She finally exhaled, coming out of shock.
“Kris… What’s wrong with you?” Her voice trembled. She reached toward you. You caught her hand, placing your palm over hers.
“Night. Day. Darkness. Light. Dreams. Reality. Familiar words?” Noelle flinched in horror. She recognized that voice. The intonation cut straight into her heart. The Soul rejoiced—you could feel it. Your fleeting moment of dominance had turned against you.
“Kris… You…” You took a step toward her. She stepped back.
“Susie told you it was just a dream. A simple fairy tale for a tired mind so it could sleep soundly, right?” The voice was too even. Too perfect. Too ideal to be yours.
Her gaze lost focus on you and darted to the ward door behind you. Berdly lay there. The one who probably wouldn’t wake up again. Fear gripped you. And the Parasite understood that better than anyone—it felt every shift in your consciousness.
“But… you know the truth,” you tilted your head and smiled.
Against every instinct, you smiled while something inside you cracked. You tried to bite your tongue, your cheek, twist a finger—useless. The Parasite had locked your body and wouldn’t let you interrupt.
“You remember how beautifully they sparkled? How city lights reflected on their bodies? The poses they froze in, not even realizing they were dead?” You stepped closer, leaned to her ear, and whispered: “How frost settled on their faces? You just waved your hand, and the world became so clean. So quiet.”
“Kris… Please…” You could almost physically feel her body trembling. She whispered the words, but they dissolved against the hum of the ceiling lights.
“You liked it, didn’t you?” At that moment, you heard the approaching thud of heavy boots. The Parasite heard it too and instantly jumped back several steps from Noelle.
A few seconds later, Susie returned, holding two cups of coffee.
“I’m back!” She handed one to Noelle and turned to you.
A bright smile lit her face, but it didn’t last. Sensing the chilled atmosphere, her expression shifted.
“Uh… Did something happen between you two?” You shook your head. Anything to keep Susie out of your problems with the Parasite. “O-okay then. Let’s go,” she said and walked out again, leaving you alone once more.
You looked at Noelle. The cup trembled in her hands. A fountain of hatred began to bubble inside you. The Parasite felt it and, as if smirking, fed on it. You wanted to approach her, hug her, apologize, say it was a joke—but instead, you only clenched your fingers and silently walked outside, shivering.
The walk to Noelle’s house felt like unbearable torment. She trailed behind you, stepping exactly in your footprints. You kept turning around to look at her.
Forgive me, Noelle. I… I can’t do anything about it, you pleaded silently as you entered the house.
You sat down on the couch, looking at the plate of snacks. The silence lasted only a few seconds.
“So… um… what are we going to do?” Susie asked, tossing a handful of nuts into her mouth.
“We could work on our group projects… but… we’ll need paper and pens,” Noelle said, looking at you. “Kris… could you bring them from my room? They’re in there.”
You gave a short nod and headed straight to her room.
“Kris. I’ll distract her, you go find the bunker code,” Susie said, flashing you a radiant smile. You nodded and climbed to the second floor.
The Parasite inside you was delighted. It had never been in Noelle’s house before. Because of that, the original destination suddenly shifted to the room above. It belonged to Miss Carol and was locked. You smirked unnoticed. Who knew what she might be hiding in there.
You descended back downstairs and slipped into the bathroom. Your feet carried you to the mirror. In the reflection you saw a pale copy of yourself. Dark circles under your eyes, the red pupils slightly dulled, your sweater worn thin. You felt a light prick in your chest. That was how the Parasite showed its superiority.
You clenched your fist, gritted your teeth, and slammed your hand into your chest. Everything inside contracted instantly. The Parasite thrashed desperately as it felt your grip. With a heavy exhale, you tore the Soul from your body, clutching it tightly in your palm.
“You filthy thing… I hate you!” you shouted, hurling it into the trash bin.
Every impact against the walls echoed with pain, but you didn’t care. You clenched your teeth harder and began smashing the bin around the room. Strike after strike. Kick after kick. A high-pitched ringing filled your ears, your vision started to blur, but you kept going. Just as you were on the edge of consciousness and raised your arm for another blow… someone knocked on the door behind you. You froze, straining to catch every sound.
“Hey, Kris. You okay in there?” Susie’s voice, genuinely concerned. “Noelle got tired of waiting and went to her room herself.”
“H-okay…” you answered quietly, pulling the Parasite out of the bin.
“Um… If you need anything, I’ll be in the living room.” The footsteps faded away. When they were gone, you let yourself collapse to the floor, exhausted. The Parasite hovered near your face, as if mocking you.
“No one will hear your despair, Kris. No one will remember the real you. Stop resisting.” You flipped it off. The voice echoed in your head, but you knew exactly who it belonged to. The Soul blinked a couple of times, then flew back into your chest.
The consequences of the blows hit you all at once. Your whole body ached, a dull roar thundered in your skull. The Parasite pricked you again, forcing you to your feet. You took a few steps toward the door but lost balance and fell again. You clenched your fist; tears streamed down your face involuntarily. It hurt like hell, but that pain was nothing compared to what Noelle was going through right now. Gritting your teeth, you stood up once more and forced yourself to go back to Susie.
She was talking rapidly about the code and some important clue she’d found. You tried to listen, but every sentence turned into a stream of incoherent noise.
“You got that?” Susie asked, grabbing your shoulder. “Stay here with Noelle and don’t go anywhere. I’ll be back soon.” You barely registered the words before she ran out the door.
“She didn’t even notice. What a wonderful friend,” the Parasite chuckled. Or maybe it was you. It was hard to tell anymore. One thing was clear—you needed to recover.
Your legs slowly led you… not to Noelle’s room, not back to the bathroom. You cautiously entered the storage closet full of gift boxes. Once again you reached in and ripped the Soul out. It blinked dimly, clearly displeased. You didn’t care. A short swing—and the Parasite flew to the very bottom of the box, disappearing among wrapping paper and soft foam. You closed the lid, tied it with a ribbon, and left the room, shutting the door behind you.
Finally. The long-awaited freedom you had craved. The Parasite would surely try to break free, but even a few minutes’ delay would be enough to talk to Noelle alone. But before going up to her, you quietly slipped into her sister’s room and hid the guitar in the wardrobe behind the clothes.
***
Soul
Kris thinks he can stop me with such a pathetic trick? I won’t lie: his courage bordering on stupidity genuinely impressed me. And the fact that he’s started resisting much more often… earns him a certain respect from me. Soft foam beneath me, rolls of wrapping paper above. Everything enclosed in six cardboard walls. He clearly wanted to buy himself a little time. If that’s what he wants—fine. Taking control of him again won’t be difficult. I blinked a few times; the knot on the lid loosened. I slowly rose above the box, letting it fall to the floor. Too easy for Kris. He must have planned something bigger. So why not follow him? Just in case, behind the empty box I noticed an open ventilation grate. Carried by the cool airflow, I swiftly explored the surroundings through the closed slats. Kitchen, living room, bathroom, Carol’s room… and now this is interesting. The room next to Noelle’s belonged to her sister—Dess. No one knows where she went. Even if Kris knows, he keeps that secret deep under his ribs. Though he often forgets that I’m right there with him. He wouldn’t keep secrets from his own heart, would he? I circled the room several times but found nothing. For a second it seemed as though someone had deliberately hidden everything, but there were no traces on the carpet or at the entrance. The conclusion was obvious—the Holiday family, particularly the mayor herself, was hiding something very important from me. And who has the most contact with her? Exactly—her own daughter, who is currently sitting with Kris. Looks like I’ll have to show Kris again that disobedience is severely punished. I flew back into the ventilation and, riding the current, quickly reached Noelle’s room. She was sitting close to Kris. A few seconds later I noticed his outstretched hand. It was snow-white. A moment more and I realized she was bandaging him. Well done, Noelle. Accept my sincere gratitude. Without you, Kris would hardly have been able to do anything to you, but now he’s calmed down a bit and—I’m more than certain—has already poured his soul out to you, telling you all about me. Hm? What’s that, Kris? Did you notice I’m nearby? Oh, don’t look at me like that. I haven’t done anything bad to you. Quite the opposite. I made all of you stronger so no one could hurt or wound you. Don’t you think you could stop a Titan with words and pleas for mercy? But no matter how many arguments I gave, the result stayed the same. Kris drilled me with his crimson gaze while Noelle bandaged his other arm. Those eyes burning with rage… so adorable to watch. However, I have slightly bad news for you. Noelle cut off the excess bandage and tied a neat knot on his shoulder. Your “few minutes” are up, Kris. And I don’t like leaving things unfinished, so… time for me to come back “home.”***
Kris
Damn Parasite… you hissed quietly as Noelle tightened the bandages. She didn’t see the Soul, didn’t know what was happening above her head, while you… simply didn’t have time to warn her. The moment you opened your mouth to tell her about the Parasite, everything inside contracted. For an instant the world lost some of its color. The air in your lungs turned to liquid nitrogen. Noelle didn’t notice and went to put the first-aid kit away while you, silently, writhed in pain. I… was too late, the doomed thought flashed through your mind as your friend returned. She simply couldn’t know that the person sitting in front of her was no longer you, but a puppet under control. “Um… Kris. I wanted… to say thank you,” she began uncertainly. You wanted to drop to your knees and make her stop, but you couldn’t. “Back then, when you came at night and asked for forgiveness… and when you returned my watch… I… I couldn’t even answer you.” Noelle moved a little closer while you, teeth clenched, pushed yourself back from her. “But… even despite my silence, you… kept telling me it was just a dream. That Berdly would be fine. That it was… just a silly prank.” She came even closer. There was nowhere left to retreat—your back hit the armrest of the sofa. The Parasite clearly enjoyed the unfolding scene while you screamed inside your mind. “And… honestly… hearing your voice again… felt really nice! Yes, you looked exhausted and I was afraid you’d collapse, but… you still managed to calm me down.” She looked into your eyes and… you couldn’t quite understand what you saw there. Her gaze was genuinely grateful, but at the same time… strange. “So, Kris, thank you. Again. Not for scaring me so much yesterday and today at the hospital, but for managing to calm me.” She moved even closer and reached for your hand. And that was when you realized the Parasite had noticed the difference. Right now, when you had almost broken yourself trying to distract Noelle from the horrors of the Dark World. “By the way… I’d also like to thank you for pulling the splinter out of my finger…” Through the cutting pain, you covered her mouth with your hand. Your head drooped slightly. You tried to hold back from screaming at the top of your lungs. But Noelle gently removed your hand, smiling softly at you. “Relax, Kris. It’s just the two of us here,” you lifted a frightened gaze to your friend, silently shaking your head in denial. “What? It’s just you and me. Who else could hear us?” “I could.” A cold, low, bone-chilling voice echoed through the room. Noelle instantly pulled away from you, eyes wide. A trembling smile spread across her face. “Kris… your voice, it…” she laughed quietly. “This is… just another joke, right?” You felt your hand begin to shake. This voice… back then… in the hospital… and in my dream, it… Noelle’s thoughts raced, trying to suppress the growing panic. “It wasn’t just a dream. And you know it.” She recoiled in horror, pressing herself into the back of the sofa. You could see her chest heaving with rapid breaths. You felt how the Parasite inside you craved more. “Kris, did you say something? Sorry, I didn’t hear you,” you felt your hand slip into your pocket, searching for something. Impossible. This can’t be real. This voice… it can’t read… my thoughts. “But I can hear them. They’re too loud not to.” You found what you were looking for and slowly moved closer to Noelle. “W-what are you talking about, Kris? I… I was silent!” “Denial is pointless. Nothing is impossible.” You smiled. Terribly perfect for a teenager. For a moment Noelle froze. You couldn’t tell what she felt right now beyond all-consuming fear and panic. If… if this is really true… and you can read my thoughts… say “Red”. “Red,” you moved closer. Say… “Black”. “Black,” another step. Only a couple dozen centimeters separated you from Noelle. Say… say it didn’t happen. Say I didn’t kill anyone! You felt the smile widen. “It happened.” You pulled the object from your pocket. In your fingers was a thin, long splinter. The smile became unnaturally wide while your eyes tried to signal Noelle to run. “Noelle is becoming stronger.” “Kris? What… what did you just say?” Come on, Kris. You wanted to ride the Ferris wheel with Noelle so badly. You’re more than just friends. What are you waiting for? Put it on. The Parasite rejoiced. You slowly rose from the sofa and approached Noelle. Trapped against the backrest, she didn’t immediately realize she was cornered. “Kris? What are you…” Her eyes locked onto the splinter. “This isn’t… this isn’t the Thorn Ring, is it?” You took a step. “Kris? Answer me, please.” “Proceed.” A brief pause of a few milliseconds. You realized your hand was tightly gripping Noelle’s ring finger. She tried desperately to pull away in horror, but it was futile. The Parasite had already won and raised the splinter above her head. Your strength wasn’t enough to stop it. So you silently watched as your friend once again turned into the same will-less puppet as you. “Kris… what about… the words from that night? Didn’t you… want to protect me?” For a moment the Parasite hesitated. You felt the control loosen slightly. “Protect… I will make you stronger. Strong enough to stand up for yourself.” You felt a single tear roll down your cheek. The only one that truly belonged to you. “Kris?” The instant the splinter’s tip touched her skin, Noelle’s scream choked off. You felt an invisible wave of cold spread from her finger through the room. It wasn’t like metal. It was like a living thing burrowing into bone. Thin black veins instantly appeared under her skin, spreading from the ring to her wrist like frost patterns on glass. Her eyes didn’t just glaze over—they were covered with a thin layer of ice, reflecting only your frozen mask instead of a friend’s face. You saw her shoulders slump under an invisible weight, her hand in yours turning deathly cold. She didn’t lose consciousness—no. She simply… went out. As if someone had snuffed out the candle inside her soul, leaving only an empty shell bound by thorny chains. You saw her lively, fearful gaze slowly turn into a bottomless well. The ring didn’t just sit on her finger—it fused with her, displacing everything human. Noelle didn’t cry out. She only let out a short, broken sigh, and that sound etched itself forever in your memory as the sound of the end of her childhood.
