Story Time: The Princess of the Ice The cabin sat like a lone ember in a vast ocean of white, its smoke curling softly into the frigid Canadian air. Surrounded by towering pines and jagged cliffs, the small log home faced the crystal-clear expanse of Echo Lake. Beyond the lake, the cliffs rose like silent sentinels, their faces etched by time and frost. This was home for Elias Marron, a man in his early fifties with greying hair and calloused hands that told stories of creation and grief. It had been ten years since the avalanche had taken his wife, Alina. Ten years since the laughter and warmth had drained from his life, leaving him with nothing but the cold embrace of memory and the sound of the lake whispering against the shore. Alina had loved this place. To her, the icy expanse wasn’t harsh or unwelcoming but radiant and alive. She had always been fearless, venturing out in storms that would send most people running for shelter, and finding joy in every snowfall. To Elias, she was the Princess of the Ice - an indomitable force of beauty and strength. Her death shattered him, but it also drove him to create. Over the years, Elias poured his grief into a monument to her: a sculpture of her face, colossal and serene, carved directly into the cliff overlooking the lake. Her likeness was flawless, crowned with jagged icicles that gleamed like a tiara in the pale sunlight. The Echo of Her Presence The days in Echo Valley were short and quiet, but the nights were endless. Each evening, Elias would sit by his cabin’s window with a mug of strong tea, staring at the statue. The frozen lake below reflected the sculpture perfectly, creating a ghostly double of Alina’s face in the stillness. Sometimes, he swore he felt her presence. It wasn’t anything tangible - just a fleeting sensation, a shift in the air. On windless nights, when the world was unnaturally silent, Elias would hear faint whispers, like the rustle of falling snow. They weren’t words, but they carried the same comforting tone Alina used to have when she encouraged him to brave the cold or try something new. He knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Or so he told himself. A Visitor in the Snow One morning, Elias awoke to an unfamiliar sound: footsteps crunching in the snow. It was rare for anyone to venture this deep into the valley, especially in the heart of winter. He stepped outside to find a young woman standing near the edge of the lake. She was dressed warmly but carried no gear that suggested she was a hiker. Her face was pale, her eyes a piercing grey that seemed to take in everything at once. “Are you lost?” Elias asked, his voice echoing slightly in the crisp air. The woman shook her head. “No. I’ve come to see the Princess.” Elias felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. He glanced at the sculpture, its frozen gaze fixed on the lake. “How do you know about her?” The woman smiled faintly. “People talk about it, far from here. A statue carved in love, in memory. They say it’s the most beautiful thing in the frozen north. I wanted to see it for myself.” Her words felt rehearsed, like she’d said them before but couldn’t recall where or why. Elias invited her into the cabin to warm up. Over tea, she asked him questions - about Alina, about the sculpture, about why he stayed here alone. Her voice had an odd familiarity, a cadence that made Elias feel like he was speaking with someone he’d known for years. When the tea was finished, she stood to leave. “Thank you,” she said. “You’ve done well to keep her here, where she belongs.” Elias blinked. “What do you mean?” But she only smiled and stepped out into the snow, vanishing into the forest. The Changing Ice That night, Elias couldn’t sleep. The woman’s words lingered in his mind, blending with the whispers he often heard from the lake. He went outside, hoping the cold air would clear his thoughts. The statue seemed different. The moonlight illuminated it as usual, but there was something more - an aura, a glow that wasn’t from the ice or snow. For the first time, he noticed how lifelike the sculpture seemed, as if Alina’s spirit had seeped into the stone itself. Elias approached the lake’s edge. The surface was frozen solid, but deep within the ice, he thought he saw movement. Shapes swirled beneath the surface, indistinct but mesmerizing. A voice, soft and clear, broke the silence. “Elias.” He froze. It was Alina’s voice. He looked around, but the forest and cliffs were still. Then he realized: the sound was coming from the statue. Heart pounding, he stumbled back to the cabin, locking the door behind him. The Final Vision In the days that followed, Elias became obsessed. He spent hours staring at the statue, waiting for something to happen. He even tried speaking to it, asking questions, begging for answers. One evening, as he watched the sculpture from his window, the ice crown began to shimmer. The air grew warmer, and the lake’s frozen surface cracked. Elias stepped outside, his breath visible in the cold. The mist rising from the lake coalesced into a shape - a figure, faint and ethereal, but unmistakably Alina. She stood on the water, her icy crown glinting in the moonlight. “Why did you leave?” Elias whispered. Her figure tilted its head, smiling softly. “I never left.” Before he could respond, the mist scattered, and the lake froze over once more. The statue returned to its usual stillness. The Question Elias never saw the strange visitor again, nor did the statue speak to him after that night. But something had shifted. The whispers in the air grew louder, more frequent. The lake’s reflection of Alina’s face seemed clearer, more vibrant. He began to wonder: had his grief manifested something real? Or had the mountains themselves, ancient and powerful, absorbed his love and sorrow, giving him back this fleeting connection? He didn’t know. And yet, as he stood by the lake each evening, staring at the statue, he felt certain of one thing: Alina was there. Whether she had always been there, or whether he had brought her back, was a question he could never answer.
This is absolutely stunning! The music is so peaceful and calming, it's the perfect way to relax and unwind. The winter ambiance is so immersive. I feel like I'm actually in a snowstorm. Thank you for sharing this beautiful and relaxing music.🌺🤍🪽🌈🌍👍🌍🌈🪽🤍🌺
A blissful soundscape for winter nightstands,workouts and holiday season keeping one warmth with its delightful and serene notes. Thanks my friend for new addition.
Thank you so much. It is majestic, emotional, and shimmering as the fallen snow!!! So wonderful {Mr. Orlando Awesome}, truly magical. YES!! LAPLAND, Santa Land!! ❤💚👏👏😊😍
“Sweet, adorable Elias, my hand upon your sorrowed brow as you slumber, Nurtured and cocooned is this undying love, Open your eyes and see with thy grieving heart, Weeped and shed enough tears, your beloved watches with an ache, Falters and questions the disillusioned mind, A timeless kiss trickles through eternity, Lay thy exhausted head upon my lap, Let me soften those forlorn lines with the ethereal lullaby."
I hope you're enjoying this one, your presence and support means a lot : - ) You can support in the following ways: ∞ Download my music + artwork: orlandoorsen.gumroad.com/ ∞ Send a much appreciated Tip - ko-fi.com/orlandoorsen ∞ Become a member - ruclips.net/channel/UCheV4WZ9HmCPHHyGDhsmkggjoin ∞ Like + Subscribe to my channel - www.youtube.com/@etherealodysseymusic?sub_confirmation=1 ~ ⌾rlando ♡ ∞
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Story Time:
The Princess of the Ice
The cabin sat like a lone ember in a vast ocean of white, its smoke curling softly into the frigid Canadian air. Surrounded by towering pines and jagged cliffs, the small log home faced the crystal-clear expanse of Echo Lake. Beyond the lake, the cliffs rose like silent sentinels, their faces etched by time and frost.
This was home for Elias Marron, a man in his early fifties with greying hair and calloused hands that told stories of creation and grief. It had been ten years since the avalanche had taken his wife, Alina. Ten years since the laughter and warmth had drained from his life, leaving him with nothing but the cold embrace of memory and the sound of the lake whispering against the shore.
Alina had loved this place. To her, the icy expanse wasn’t harsh or unwelcoming but radiant and alive. She had always been fearless, venturing out in storms that would send most people running for shelter, and finding joy in every snowfall. To Elias, she was the Princess of the Ice - an indomitable force of beauty and strength.
Her death shattered him, but it also drove him to create. Over the years, Elias poured his grief into a monument to her: a sculpture of her face, colossal and serene, carved directly into the cliff overlooking the lake. Her likeness was flawless, crowned with jagged icicles that gleamed like a tiara in the pale sunlight.
The Echo of Her Presence
The days in Echo Valley were short and quiet, but the nights were endless. Each evening, Elias would sit by his cabin’s window with a mug of strong tea, staring at the statue. The frozen lake below reflected the sculpture perfectly, creating a ghostly double of Alina’s face in the stillness.
Sometimes, he swore he felt her presence. It wasn’t anything tangible - just a fleeting sensation, a shift in the air. On windless nights, when the world was unnaturally silent, Elias would hear faint whispers, like the rustle of falling snow. They weren’t words, but they carried the same comforting tone Alina used to have when she encouraged him to brave the cold or try something new.
He knew it was just his mind playing tricks on him. Or so he told himself.
A Visitor in the Snow
One morning, Elias awoke to an unfamiliar sound: footsteps crunching in the snow. It was rare for anyone to venture this deep into the valley, especially in the heart of winter. He stepped outside to find a young woman standing near the edge of the lake.
She was dressed warmly but carried no gear that suggested she was a hiker. Her face was pale, her eyes a piercing grey that seemed to take in everything at once.
“Are you lost?” Elias asked, his voice echoing slightly in the crisp air.
The woman shook her head. “No. I’ve come to see the Princess.”
Elias felt a chill that had nothing to do with the weather. He glanced at the sculpture, its frozen gaze fixed on the lake. “How do you know about her?”
The woman smiled faintly. “People talk about it, far from here. A statue carved in love, in memory. They say it’s the most beautiful thing in the frozen north. I wanted to see it for myself.”
Her words felt rehearsed, like she’d said them before but couldn’t recall where or why.
Elias invited her into the cabin to warm up. Over tea, she asked him questions - about Alina, about the sculpture, about why he stayed here alone. Her voice had an odd familiarity, a cadence that made Elias feel like he was speaking with someone he’d known for years.
When the tea was finished, she stood to leave. “Thank you,” she said. “You’ve done well to keep her here, where she belongs.”
Elias blinked. “What do you mean?”
But she only smiled and stepped out into the snow, vanishing into the forest.
The Changing Ice
That night, Elias couldn’t sleep. The woman’s words lingered in his mind, blending with the whispers he often heard from the lake. He went outside, hoping the cold air would clear his thoughts.
The statue seemed different. The moonlight illuminated it as usual, but there was something more - an aura, a glow that wasn’t from the ice or snow. For the first time, he noticed how lifelike the sculpture seemed, as if Alina’s spirit had seeped into the stone itself.
Elias approached the lake’s edge. The surface was frozen solid, but deep within the ice, he thought he saw movement. Shapes swirled beneath the surface, indistinct but mesmerizing.
A voice, soft and clear, broke the silence. “Elias.”
He froze. It was Alina’s voice. He looked around, but the forest and cliffs were still. Then he realized: the sound was coming from the statue.
Heart pounding, he stumbled back to the cabin, locking the door behind him.
The Final Vision
In the days that followed, Elias became obsessed. He spent hours staring at the statue, waiting for something to happen. He even tried speaking to it, asking questions, begging for answers.
One evening, as he watched the sculpture from his window, the ice crown began to shimmer. The air grew warmer, and the lake’s frozen surface cracked. Elias stepped outside, his breath visible in the cold.
The mist rising from the lake coalesced into a shape - a figure, faint and ethereal, but unmistakably Alina. She stood on the water, her icy crown glinting in the moonlight.
“Why did you leave?” Elias whispered.
Her figure tilted its head, smiling softly. “I never left.”
Before he could respond, the mist scattered, and the lake froze over once more. The statue returned to its usual stillness.
The Question
Elias never saw the strange visitor again, nor did the statue speak to him after that night. But something had shifted. The whispers in the air grew louder, more frequent. The lake’s reflection of Alina’s face seemed clearer, more vibrant.
He began to wonder: had his grief manifested something real? Or had the mountains themselves, ancient and powerful, absorbed his love and sorrow, giving him back this fleeting connection?
He didn’t know.
And yet, as he stood by the lake each evening, staring at the statue, he felt certain of one thing: Alina was there.
Whether she had always been there, or whether he had brought her back, was a question he could never answer.
True Love never dies, neither did she - what a beautiful story 😪
This is how drinking a glass of cold water after brushing your teeth sounds like
🪥🚰
😂@@etherealodysseymusic
So accurate
spectacularly beautiful, transportive, dreamy 🎶 thank you for your lovely creations, warm hugs and love to all 🩷❤️🧡💙💚🩵 XO
Same back to you! Thanks for the support
This is absolutely stunning! The music is so peaceful and calming, it's the perfect way to relax and unwind. The winter ambiance is so immersive. I feel like I'm actually in a snowstorm. Thank you for sharing this beautiful and relaxing music.🌺🤍🪽🌈🌍👍🌍🌈🪽🤍🌺
Thank you for your kind words, they mean a lot
A blissful soundscape for winter nightstands,workouts and holiday season keeping one warmth with its delightful and serene notes. Thanks my friend for new addition.
It’s my pleasure, hope you find some time to unwind this winter !
Thank you so much. It is majestic, emotional, and shimmering as the fallen snow!!! So wonderful {Mr. Orlando Awesome}, truly magical. YES!! LAPLAND, Santa Land!! ❤💚👏👏😊😍
Time to get cozy : - )
This like eating a halls black and taking a nice deep breath.
Indeed : - ) haha
“Sweet, adorable Elias, my hand upon your sorrowed brow as you slumber,
Nurtured and cocooned is this undying love,
Open your eyes and see with thy grieving heart,
Weeped and shed enough tears, your beloved watches with an ache,
Falters and questions the disillusioned mind,
A timeless kiss trickles through eternity,
Lay thy exhausted head upon my lap,
Let me soften those forlorn lines with the ethereal lullaby."
Beautiful my friend !
I closed my eyes, and it felt like I was in a magical forest. Stunning!
: - )
Beautiful and magical, anytime i feel sad, i come to your music, the visuals and the sounds bring peace and calmness to the anxious mind.
That’s so nice to hear. Happy to bring some tranquility to your life : - )
It's spiritual mystery and fascination. Very cool.
Thank you my friend. Glad you enjoyed the atmosphere !
A very calming and relaxing experience, quite apt for this time of year too! Nicely done Orlando! 🙌🙌❤❤
Indeed, it’s getting chilly out there : - )
SUPERB !!!
Thank you my friend !
Wonderful, Orlanando :) Thank you! Great work ❤
Thank you my friend, have a wonderful week!
Such inner peace
: - )
Ouah ❤ toujours aussi magnifique merci pour vos créations ❤
Merci beaucoup : - )
I hope you're enjoying this one, your presence and support means a lot : - ) You can support in the following ways:
∞ Download my music + artwork: orlandoorsen.gumroad.com/
∞ Send a much appreciated Tip - ko-fi.com/orlandoorsen
∞ Become a member - ruclips.net/channel/UCheV4WZ9HmCPHHyGDhsmkggjoin
∞ Like + Subscribe to my channel - www.youtube.com/@etherealodysseymusic?sub_confirmation=1
~ ⌾rlando ♡ ∞
perfect atmosphere for this time of year
Thank you for this, it is truly incredible- keep up the good work!
It’s my pleasure, thanks for listening : - )
It's the opposite here in Australia
It's hot though we both stay inside this time of year
Indeed : - )
@etherealodysseymusic stay warm, and I'll stay cool 😎👍
Thank you