Snowstorm

Late at night, snow began to fall. Hesta wrapped herself in a coat and hurried along the main road toward Industrial University.

Few pedestrians carried umbrellas. Everyone hurried along, instinctively raising their collars to cover the lower halves of their faces.

Hesta's gaze shifted back and forth between the road ahead and the opposite side of the street until she caught sight of Ksenia.

As she quickened her pace and ran toward Ksenia, Ksenia spotted her too.

"Good evening!" Hesta called out from seven or eight steps away. "Why did you—"

Ksenia had already thrown her arms tightly around her.

The sudden embrace left Hesta dazzled for a moment. She staggered back two steps, then caught Ksenia steadily.

Grain-like snow fell onto their hair, swiftly melting into tiny droplets.

"Don't apologize," Ksenia said softly. "Neither of us should waste time on that sort of thing."

"...All right."

"How far is your apartment from here?"

"Fifteen minutes on foot."

"Then let's run!" Ksenia seized Hesta's hand. "I have so many questions to ask you."

With urgency and solemnity, Ksenia pulled Hesta into a wild run. On this night of thickening wind and snow, she suddenly sensed a storm gathering behind her. She knew that countless people in the digital world were launching a vile siege at that very moment. She knew someone would probably be driven to the brink of collapse tonight. Such things had happened countless times before and would never cease in the future. Yet strangely, all of it seemed to fill her with endless courage, making her suddenly determined to break through every visible and invisible shackle and trust her instincts.

Hesta's mind was blank as she ran. She had no time to think of anything, swept dizzy by a joy she had never imagined.

Once they entered