When they arrived at the foot of the bridge, a car was waiting for them.

  “Good morning.”

  Tesus stuck his head out of the window. The air was cold and refreshing, and his breath became visible in the air, white and misty.

  “Good morning. It’s cold today.”

  “On the day of the snow festival, it’s always especially cold,” Tesus said, smiling. Ivy and Alma got into the car, and from inside, they saw Tabby approaching, carrying a paper bag.

  “Morning. The matron of the dormitory made me bring this to share with you all.”

  Tabby held out the bag to Ivy, which contained preserved apples and boiled eggs seasoned with herbs.

  “My mother gave me bread to share with you too.”

  Ivy smiled and showed his own paper bag. Everyone got into the car, and the driver rang the bell above his head. The car rumbled to life and started moving. A few other cars were also heading in the same direction on the road.

  “Look, a train, over there.”

  Alma, who sat opposite Ivy, pointed out the window. As the car turned onto the mountain road, they saw a train with a red engine puffing smoke between the houses below. As the view moved backward, Ivy leaned forward, gazing out the window, then looked back. The train passed over the bridge that connected Parkhill and Wilder, made a gentle curve, and faded away. The train gleamed in the morning sun, shining brightly. Beyond it, the sea stretched out wildly, dotted with small islets. As the car turned a corner, the view was blocked by houses, and soon disappeared from sight.

  After a while, the car climbed the mountain road, which became steeper. The surface of the mountain was now blackish and smooth, a stark contrast to the earlier rugged, whitish terrain. There were no houses around now; it seemed they had completely entered the mountain road. The sun was dull overhead, and the calls of birds echoed through the trees. Below the road, there seemed to be a stream, though it was hidden by bushes. Ivy imagined he could hear its murmur.

  “The landscape is somewhat different from that of Wilder.”

  Ivy was starting to feel chilly, so he closed the window and reseated himself to face Alma. His fingers even felt a bit numb.

  “The geological features of Nomad Prefecture and Ymot Prefecture are different, don’t you remember? The rocks of Ymot are softer and brighter in color than those of Nomad. We learned about it last week, didn’t we?”

  “Oh, we did.”

  The teacher might have mentioned it, but Ivy had no interest in geology whatsoever—he had just been staring out the window during the class. He hid his embarrassment with a smile.

  “You don’t listen to the lectures at all.”

  Alma leaned back in his seat, looking amazed.

  “To get to the shrine, do you have to go through such a mountain road?”

  “Yeah, kind of.”

  Tabby answered, resting his chin on his hand.

  “Since the mountain road to the shrine was built by the government with a large budget, it’s much wider and more sophisticated.”

  The road was narrow, barely wide enough for a car. Ivy had been concerned about what would happen if another car came from the opposite direction—it made him nervous.

  “Mt. Lecti, the mountain where the shrine is located, is the highest in the Lecti district. From up there, you can overlook the town below and even see the sea when the weather permits. Around the shrine, there’s a vast field covered with grass.”

  “Sounds amazing. I want to be there.”

  “Do you want to go back?”

  “Well, I do.”

  He replied to Alma with unexpected honesty.

  “But I can’t help it. He’s busy with his duties as a priest, and the shrine isn’t a place I can visit just to hang out.”

  He opened the bag of apples, picked one, and put it into his mouth. Then he held out the bag to Tesus, who sat opposite him without a word. Tesus took the bag, ate one, and then handed it to Alma, who passed it to Ivy. The conversation stopped. The car rumbled on the mountain road. Everyone fell silent, gazing at the scenery outside in a comfortable drowsiness under the dull sunlight. Ivy’s mind wandered to an image of a shrine in the landscape before him. He imagined climbing to the top and reaching a vast field covered in grass, where a beautiful shrine stood. In the center of the field, a priest in unfamiliar attire stood. While he was thinking about this, the road curved sharply, revealing a wide river below. Tesus pointed to it.

  “That’s the river Callitrax,” he said. “It’s part of a different water system from the river lys.”

  The Callitrax river appeared twice as wide as the Lys river, which ran between Wilder and Parkhill. A faint white line floated on its surface. Ivy wondered what it was and looked closely. He realized that it was a line of lys petals, blown by the wind and drifting on the river’s surface, forming a white carpet. It looked like a cluster of stars from his dream.

  “It’s beautiful,” Alma murmured.

  Looking to the side, Ivy noticed that Tabby, who had been quiet for a while, was now asleep, his forehead pressed against the window pane. The car descended the mountain slope and continued along the river upstream. On the opposite bank, there were a few houses, just like on this side.

  “Quite idyllic,”

  “Yes. There are factories lining the coastal part of the town, and lots of people, but once you go deeper toward the foot of the mountain, it becomes very quiet. There are even a few farmers here.”

  The scenery suddenly changed from the yellowish trees and bushes to a bright white color. It was a field of lilies in full bloom.

  “This area used to be the castle town of Parkhill. And over there is the venue for the snow festival,” he said.

  From somewhere, he heard the joyful sounds of flutes and drums. There had been only a few cars passing by, so he had felt the town was empty, but now many people were gathering by the river. A wide bridge stretched across the river ahead. The green surface of the water reflected the white, elegant bridge upside down. A balloon seller and a crepe vendor walked up and down the bridge, attracting children who wanted to buy from them. On the riverbank, many wooden tents were lined up, decorated with green, white, red, and yellow ornaments. Above the roofs, ropes adorned with colorful glass ornaments stretched across the venue, giving the place a surreal atmosphere. The driver knocked on the window of the carriage.

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  “Are you getting off here?”

  The driver asked them, and Tesus nodded. The car then approached the foot of the bridge.

  Alma and Ivy got out of the car first, then Tesus.

  “Look, that’s the castle over there,” Tesus said, pointing to the hill where a white, grand mansion stood in the middle. As Ivy’s mother had described, white stairs led up to the mansion, and a fountain splashed water in the yard. The sunlight made the water droplets sparkle, and a small rainbow appeared and disappeared.

  The mansion was surrounded by lys in full bloom.

  “Everything is white. The bridge, the castle, everything—see?”

  “As the snow festival became famous, the castellan was said to have turned everything white.”

  “Tabby, we’ve arrived. Wake up.”

  Ivy shook Tabby, who had no intention of waking up. He had to drag him out of the car eventually. They thanked the driver, and as the car disappeared into the distance, they began walking toward the bridge. Unfamiliar music—perhaps foreign—reached their ears. On the opposite side, a small stage stood, with a band playing music. All the band members wore strange outfits. The melody stirred something in him.

  “Let’s go.”

  Ivy almost started running, ushering the others, who were walking at a much slower pace, to hurry up.

  “Festivals don’t run away.”

  Tabby said this to calm Ivy down, but it didn’t help. The bridge was wider than Ivy had expected from a distance. The white floor was so bright, reflecting the strong sunlight, that it was hard to keep his eyes wide open. Along the handrail, multicolored foreign cloths were spread out, and unique artifacts were displayed for sale on them. Some people stopped to inspect the items, others walked past without a second glance, and some children cheered as they spotted balloons from the balloon vendor, asking their parents to buy them one. Ivy looked around while walking. There were many people coming and going, all joyfully enjoying the day. The temperature was low, but in the sunny spots, it felt warm. Though he was fully awake, the scene before him was so surreal that it felt like a dream or a painting. He looked up and saw the hill in the distance. At the top of the hill stood the white Parkhill Castle, its blackish rocks exposed here and there behind it. Above, a watery blue sky stretched, dotted with thin white clouds.

  Tesus and Ivy waited at the far end of the bridge while Tabby stopped at the crepe stand, and Alma browsed the pretty necklaces displayed on a nearby carpet.

  “On a day like this, I somehow feel like I want to hold onto every bit of this scenery, like I could breathe it in and keep it inside me. I hope you understand what I mean.”

  Tesus said, taking a deep breath. Ivy felt exactly the same way and smiled with delight.

  “I do understand. I really do! I want to take a piece of it and keep it inside me.”

  Alma, apparently unable to choose, crossed the bridge with nothing in hand. Tabby, who had obtained a crêpe, caught up with them, and they all headed toward the band stage together. As they got closer, the sound became clearer. What cheerful music, Ivy thought. The music played at the funeral had been cheerful too, but this was the kind that shook something deep inside the body, somehow encouraging him to break into a run.

  Each band member wore an identical hat with a unique shape and held a drum, guitar, or trumpet, playing while their bodies swayed with the music. On both sides of the stage, some dancers were performing in beautiful costumes. Looking around, Ivy saw the audience excitedly watching the band, swaying their bodies, stepping in rhythm, and humming. Ivy clapped his hands to the beat. Tabby closed her eyes, humming and swaying slightly to the music. He met Tesus’s gaze as they watched Tabby and let out a small laugh. The dancers’ feet tapped on the floor, and in their hands, they held long, thin cloths that flapped rhythmically, their long hems fluttering. It looked as if colorful flowers were blooming in this otherwise white world. Alma began to imitate the dancers. As she had said she was good at dancing, her steps were light and graceful. Ivy would have danced if only he knew how.

  When the performance ended, the band lined up on stage and bowed deeply to the audience. Ivy clapped with all his might.

  “That was really fun! I admire them for making and playing such great music,” Ivy said, sighing. His heart was still beating hard with excitement.

  “I’ve always looked forward to seeing the band. They come from a distant town deep in the mountains in the northern part,” he added.

  “Indeed, music is amazing. Maybe I’ll join a band,” Alma said, her cheeks flushed.

  “By going to a distant town deep in the mountains?” Ivy asked, smiling.

  “Oh, you don’t know? The big city has a music school too,” Tabby replied teasingly.

  Alma huffed and shot back, “What about a dancer? You danced really well.”

  “A dancer? That’d be nice too,” Tabby said, smiling.

  While chatting, they reached the alley of food stands by the riverside. They were starving now, and the delicious smells made their cravings even stronger. Colorful tents sold a variety of food. The vendors shouted cheerfully to attract passersby. There were multicolored fruit candies, popcorn, fried fish, and more—far more than at the harvest festival in Wilder. Ivy and Tabby bought a package of salty pancakes, which Tesus had recommended, while Alma bought a bowl of tiny donuts. They ate their food while sitting by the riverside. The salty pancakes, with bits of fish and vegetables, tasted really good.

  “It’s getting cloudy,” Tesus said, looking up while wrapping the empty snack bag in his lap.

  “Yeah, the weather was so nice this morning.”

  Ivy looked up at the sky. The sun was now obscured, and the sky had turned a heavy gray.

  “I hope it’s not going to rain. A circus is about to start near the castle. It’s the best part of the festival.”

  Circus! Just as he was about to cheer, the ground beneath him started vibrating with a deep rumbling sound.

  “An earthquake!”

  Tesus and Tabby shouted at the same time. Goods were falling from the stands to the ground. People screamed and shouted in panic. Nearby, a vendor selling toys held up the spine of a tent to keep it from collapsing. The sky suddenly darkened.

  “Oh no, is that a thundercloud?”

  Alma said in a worried tone. Thick black clouds had completely hidden the sun.

  “What are we going to do?”

  Ivy tried to stand up, but the shaking of the ground prevented him from doing so. This earthquake was much stronger than the previous ones. Alma reached out and held his hand tightly. Ivy squeezed it back.

  “How long will this last?”

  Tabby said, her voice tinged with irritation. Ivy, for the first time, realized how frustrating and unsettling it was to feel the earth beneath him so unstable for such a long time. While they leaned on each other and waited, the vibrations finally started to subside. The squeaking of the tents gradually weakened, and only the small goods hanging from the tent remained swinging. Soon, they stopped as well. Ivy could hear all the people around him exhale in relief. The sky began to brighten again, and Ivy looked up, feeling a sense of relief.

  From the sky, beams of light poured down to the ground in shades of purple, pink, and rainbow colors. It looked just like the scene he had seen in his dream. What is this? He wondered. It’s beautiful. After an earthquake, do these kinds of lights appear? Ivy stood there, mesmerized.

  ‘I’m scared. It’s getting darker still.’

  ‘We should go home now. The river might overflow. I’m worried about my house. Everything inside could be ruined.’

  ‘I wanted to watch the circus.’

  Upon hearing the conversation, he was surprised and looked back at them. They were all staring up at the sky with anxious expressions, but in Ivy’s eyes, there was a bright, beautiful light pouring down.

  Am I the only one seeing a different scene than they are?

  ‘There’s a bus stop over there. Let’s skip the arranged car and take the bus home.’

  Tesus pointed to the foot of the bridge, and the others followed him. Everyone was now headed toward the bus stop to go home. This was no longer a moment for a festival.

  ‘The weather’s awful.’

  ‘It looks like thunder’s coming.’

  People were complaining about the sky. But in Ivy’s eyes, the beautiful lights were still falling. He had no doubt he was seeing something different from the others. He didn’t have the courage to say anything and just kept quiet, his heart pounding as he followed them. Above his head, a high-pitched cry echoed. In the light shower, the bird—the symbol of the shrine—flew by, its wings spread wide across the sky.

  ‘That bird!’

  Ivy cried out, and the others looked up too.

  ‘What bird? I don’t see a bird.’

  ‘You mean a kite?’

  ‘It’s not a kite. It’s much bigger, with a very long tail.’

  ‘There’s no such bird. The kite is the largest bird we can see.’

  The others couldn’t see it because of the darkness. They didn’t pay much attention to what Ivy said and quickened their pace toward the bus stop. He gave up on the topic, stopped where he was, and took a closer look at the bird once more. It was circling above him. He felt as though it was watching him, trying to tell him something. He couldn’t help but start running.

  ‘Ivy! Where are you going?’

  Tesus called out, surprised.

  ‘Uh, I… I forgot something. You all go ahead, I’ll catch up later.’

  He called back as he pushed through the crowd. He saw Tesus try to chase after him, but he disappeared into the crowd.

  ‘I’m okay. I can go home myself!’

  Ivy shouted to Tesus as loudly as he could. The bird stopped circling, turned its back on Ivy, and flew off in another direction. But when Ivy couldn’t keep up, the bird veered back toward him. He believed it was waiting for him. Despite his usual inability to run, he didn’t feel tired nor did he have any pain in his side. His footsteps were light, and he felt like he could go anywhere, as far as he wanted. He was getting out of breath but didn’t stop to rest. If he paused, he felt the bird would never return.