The Frosted Void

The world had changed. The age of war—a relentless tide that swept across nations—had reshaped lives, erasing innocence and birthing legends. But in the quiet village of Bridgestone, nestled in the northwest corner of Avelon, life had remained simple. Until now. Jack stood at the edge of a new beginning, the weight of the world’s conflicts just beginning to press on his shoulders. The path ahead was uncertain, fraught with danger, but he couldn’t afford to look back. Not now. Not when everything was about to change. Beside him padded a massive wolf with a crimson underbelly that pulsed faintly with each breath. They made an odd pair, one that would attract attention even in a city accustomed to the unusual. And that city—Orenia, the heart of Avelon’s military—was their destination, where the National Institute of Defense awaited, promising a future Jack could scarcely imagine. “We should be just a few minutes away, buddy,” Jack said, glancing at Crimson. “Now remember, this isn’t Bridgestone, so we need to keep a low profile. I know that might be tough, but let’s try to move forward without drawing too much attention. I know we are not used to it yet—but we'll be coming across all sorts of people here, let's try to take it all in, one day at a time?” The wolf grunted in agreement. He thought. “Man, I’m wiped out. We’ve been on the road for over two days straight. I bet those rich folks from the capital don’t have to walk this far” he looked at his wolf “but something tells me you wouldn’t be thrilled about that idea anyway. I couldn’t exactly justify why I’m traveling with a wolf taller than most people to a train attendant either.” He exhaled, shaking his head. “Nope, it’s better this way. At least we’re almost there. Speaking of, how am I going to explain your being here to the academy’s administration? One thing at a time, I guess. And look at you, still going strong. What are you made of?” Both kept going, in their final stretch toward Orenia—soon, they reached the top of a hill overlooking Orenia. Winter had only begun and the northern city was starting to feel the temperature drop—the streets were covered in snow flakes as they slowly fell, the winter clouds were masking the barely available sunlight. Off in the distance, the northern mountains kept frozen and snow covered peaks. The city Orenia persevered, it people going about their day to day lives even amidst the cold that crept in through like a thief in the night that stole summer The city of Orenia persevered, its people going about their day to day lives even amidst the cold that crept in through, the slightest cracks on their doors or the slightest tear in their clothing. The smell of coal hung in the air, mingling with the different noises coming from the various factories. The sight spoke of a people unafraid to get their hands dirty. The dark smoke from the coal mines clashed with the ever- falling snow, painting a stark contrast. Orenia was a world away from the humble coastal village of Bridgestone. Jack paused, taking in the cityscape before him. For a brief moment, he allowed himself to slip into the abyss of his past life, if only for a few seconds of nostalgia. “‘Look, kiddo,’” he recalled, “‘I only stepped in to make sure your fate stayed in your own hands rather than dictating it myself. So try to live a life you wouldn’t regret decades from now. I’ll sit under a summer peach tree and watch your story unfold. Make me proud.’” He took a deep breath and slapped himself back to reality with both gloved hands. “So this is Orenia,” he said, surveying the city. “The noises from those factories aren’t going to be easy to get used to, but we’re not here for a vacation, so we’ll just have to accept them as part of our training. Right, buddy?” The wolf growled softly in agreement. “Now then” Jack mused “she said, to reunite here all those years ago, remember? Honestly I didn't really wanna cut my training short for military service but training here in these frigid temperatures isn't such a bad idea. I wonder how much she has grown, guess we will find out when we meet her…” He started jumping around in excitement before he started making low growls, clearly disturbed by something. “I know, I know,” Jack continued, looking sympathetic. “Your hypersensitive ears aren’t going to like it, but maybe it’ll get better the further we move from the city center. The NID is on the northern side, so it might not be as noisy there. Hang in there, okay?" He gave a low growl, as if to say he would power through. “I have to admit, though, the city looks even cooler from this view.” Jack continued “Boy, am I glad we didn’t take the train; we would’ve missed this. Take it in, boy. We’re going to be spending a lot of days and nights here. This is where our promise to her begins. We can’t afford to take it easy, okay?” He barked, jumping around in excitement. “That’s the spirit,” Jack said, grinning. “I think our destination is on the northern outskirts of the city—apparently it's this massive complex, perched atop a mountain so we can't miss it. We could head straight there using the mountain path, since we’re already on the west side of the city but I’m feeling a little hungry, and I know you are too. Plus, I want to see the city up close, I have never been to a major city before. So, let’s go! To Orenia!” The wolf skipped around in excitement, howling loudly, as he and Jack proceeded forward with a child-like sense of wonder. Orenia, the northernmost city on Avelonian soil, experienced winter-like temperatures for most of the year. It was home to the working class, with coal, lumber, and steel as its most profitable sectors. The day was particularly cold, with snow slowly falling to the ground. Jack gazed at the bustling city streets, marveling at how the people seemed unaffected by the cold. “Look at this place,” he said. “It must be freezing, but people are just going about their business. This feeling—it brings me back…”He trailed off, lost in thought. Powerful snow covered winds blew violently outside, the entire landscape including all vegetation buried in snow—inside the mouth of the cave, icicles hung in spikes fused to the rock formations at the ceiling, shuttering to floor with every wind burst that passed through the entrance, as the temperatures continued to plummet, a young fellow lay passed out towards the walls, one of his legs heavily bandaged, his breathing slow and resigned, his eyes slowly flickered open—landing on a strange furball, frantically breathing, sitting a few centimeters away from the young man’s face, as he continued licking his forehead. “‘Hey, little buddy,’” the young man said, not sure about what he was seeing—his vision blurry, “aren’t you a little too small to be a lone wolf? Where’s your pack? Maybe I am still dreaming, what is a little dog like you doing this far out—a strange looking puppy that's for sure.” His low energy voice continued, echoing on the hollow walls of the cave, until it trailed off—with it his consciousness, once more. He would wake up once more, this time the entire cave had gone pitch black—a void from which darkness reigned, the winds had slowed down, mostly because the entrance was mostly blocked by the layers of white. “How long was I out? Is it night already?” He asked, still making sense of what was. “I see, so you don’t have anywhere else to go, huh? Well, you can stay with me, though I’m not sure what we’re going to eat. As you can see, I’m not in the best shape, so I can’t help you hunt for meat—we wouldn't be very effective hunting in the middle of the night anyway… The small puppy slowly came towards him, sitting in front of his face once more—the young man almost willed himself to a sitting position, the deep blue eyes staring at him catching his eye. “Wow, you were a blur earlier—I never realized how cool you look, though to be fair the only thing I can see is your eyes.” he mused with a smile on his face “I have never seen a puppy like you—are you even a puppy though? Ah who cares, at least I made a new friend” He would collapse back into a sleeping position, clearly still healing from his injuries, his strange new friend just staring and not moving. “Here you go” He handed him an apple, he slowly pulled out of his pocket, as he continued talking. “I really am sorry” he said between breaths, his look softening. “This world is an unforgiving place…sometimes you are faced with choices that will either force evolution upon you or extinction, you should always seek to evolve…” His words clearly too mature to have come out of his own mouth, seemed to linger in the void, the walls reverberated and echoed them, as he continued. “...at least that's what my mother used to say. My name is Jack” he added “I guess you have a path to choose” he said with a smile slowly forming on his face. “Either you go against your instincts and evolve, or you stick with primal nature and go extinct…So, which is it going to be, buddy?” Jack sighed, shaking off the memory. With the two having already made it into the heart of the cold city, built from brick and lumber, baptized in steel and frostbite. The buildings stood tall at least more so than what they had ever seen— street hawkers, wore layers hawking the goods to potential customers— those in construction wore their overalls, hitting hammers—mixing concrete and pushing wheelbarrows—those in the higher echelons of society walked into the city from the station as they knocked off, Orenia was a hub, Jack and his furry companion just watched as the city went about its life.