In the south, in sunny Ketam-Ai, on the eve of the Winter Whirlwind, children are told another wondrous tale.
Long ago, in an icy valley where the winds compose their chilling ballads, a young sorcerer's apprentice named Kyle desperately tried to rekindle the Fading Crystal—the very heart of the Winter Whirlwind. But Kyle's magic was weak, and the Crystal, which for centuries had given light and hope in the longest night, was almost extinguished.
In desperation, he searched the old tower and found not a powerful artifact, but a forgotten relic: a worn velvet cap embroidered with a fir tree. It had once been worn by a great mage, but now it lay unused, and everyone considered it just dusty junk.
And then Kyle had the idea to fill it with warmth. He quietly hummed old guild hymns, hung personal talismans of his friends on his lapels, and tied a shard of moonstone to his waist instead of a pompom.
On that decisive night, he faithfully laid not a cap, but the quintessence of shared memories at the foot of the Crystal. And the impossible happened: the memories of unity, labor, and faith that he had so carefully gathered merged into a blinding river of pure light. The Crystal flared with a power the mages had never seen before.
Since then, the Archmage's cap has been kept under glass as the greatest relic. It reminds everyone that the most powerful magic lies not in ancient scrolls, but in the connecting threads between human hearts.
