Karakite:

I don't know how long I wandered in that white oblivion. I don't even know how it was I got to be there. At the time it didn't seem to matter. There was something hypnotic about the crunch of snow under my feet, the way the pale sunlight filtered through the heavy falling snow. There was no wind to speak of, and somehow the deafening silence made the cold seem less dangerous. It seemed peaceful to wander in such a lonely place, and for a time I believed I was alone. I remember being surprised when I found it. It seemed preposterous that there should be a human settlement in this shapeless land, doubly preposterous that I should find it through the heavy falling snow. It had seemed a given that I must be wandering in circles, as I had no bearings, and the constant falling snow prevented backtracking for anything more than a few minutes. It was chance to find that place, chance or fate.