Compensation θ ~ I might be late for reincarnation, but since I was born as the talented eldest son of a prestigious noble, I might be on the winning side.

The day was different from usual.

Just a moment ago, I had been gazing up at the canopy at the top of the room, but now, my eyes were closed.

For some reason, my eyelids wouldn’t open, and I couldn’t move my body.

Lying there, unable to do anything, the bed that had always provided a firm support suddenly began to yield like jelly, and my body sank inexorably, as though being swallowed up by the ground.

Oh, this might be a dream in the state between waking and sleeping, a lucid dream, perhaps.

I thought so, and as that notion crossed my mind, I drifted off into a pleasantly drowsy state.

This was perhaps the most comfortable I had felt in a long time, possibly since coming to this world. It might have been the first time here.

I didn’t resist, but instead relaxed my entire body, surrendering myself to the tranquility. Even while floating in a shallow sleep, the sensation of sinking endlessly persisted.

In my previous life, there were times when I would experience pseudo-floating sensations, like floating in space without stars, especially when I finally managed to sleep after a sleepless night.

It was rather enjoyable, feeling like I was traveling through the starless universe with just my body.

However, when I was exhausted, my body would stiffen, and I would fall into sleep paralysis, which was a bit scary. I would be conscious but unable to move a single finger. It felt as if countless unknown hands were crawling and caressing all over my body, exploring and tickling, creating a horror-like situation –

Just like what I was experiencing now.

My eyes remained closed, yet, somehow, I can see my surrounding and it was blue.

As far as I could see, it was an endless expanse of blue. It wasn’t the light blue of the sky; rather, it was a deep blue, transparent yet carrying a sense of weight, like being at the bottom of the water.

The sensation of my body sinking had already disappeared.

The sensation of being touched had finally subsided, and now, it felt more like something small was gently stroking the surface of my body, a ticklish feeling.

There didn’t seem to be any malice in whatever it was. So, I wasn’t afraid at all. What I felt was pure goodwill, curiosity, or perhaps playfulness.

Yes, it was like playfully bothering someone to catch their attention, clumsily trying to get closer to someone you were interested in. It felt like that for some reason.

This inconsistency was likely a hallucination seen in a sleep paralysis state, I thought. And when I did, the touching finally stopped.

In the serene blue, where no sound could be heard, I felt a bit perplexed and somewhat tense about the situation. Then, changes began to occur in my field of vision.

Countless translucent little fragments began to fall gently from above.

Was this snow? No, it was smaller than that. It sparkled as if reflecting light. Perhaps it would be better to call it fine ice.

At first, I thought it was cute, but it seems it wasn’t going to be that simple. These tiny pieces of something fell relentlessly from the sky, like a shower of rain that would trigger a city-wide alarm. They collected, swirled, and formed whirlpools, increasing in density as they surrounded me.

As I focused my attention, each of these fragments transformed into larger, more beautiful crystalline shapes. There were six-petaled flowers, fan-like structures, dendritic patterns, fern-like shapes, and tabular crystals.

In the world of dreams, these crystals seemed unusually large.

Various forms of snowflakes, or rather, ice crystals, were wriggling around me.

Although they weren’t insects, the term “wriggling” seemed fitting. Their density was too high to describe them as drifting, and they appeared restless, lacking any semblance of calm.

Despite how they look, they felt warm. Could this be the manifestation of that mysterious power?

The warmth resembled the enigmatic healing power that had saved my life in critical situations multiple times.

Gradually, this presence became more prominent, more… pronounced somehow. I wondered what was about to happen?

Waiting patiently, a prominent ice crystal with a striking presence appeared.

It had three intersecting needles with a radiant hexagram in the center. Delicate ornamentation adorned the needles, resembling frosted leaves or wings, while the tips of the needles extended into sharp branches like tridents.

It was a spectacular combination of dendritic flowers and tabular crystals.

In my past life, I had a fondness for ice crystals, collecting photo albums and field guides dedicated to these natural wonders. They were the accidental creations of nature, and their astonishingly artistic forms were filled with a sense of mystery that evoked admiration and awe.

Now, before my eyes, was an ice crystal of a breathtaking elegance, adorned with ornate patterns that I had never seen before, leaving me utterly enchanted by its beauty.