The Awakening of the Flame

The snow was falling slowly and silently onto the rooftops of the houses, in the parks, along the streets, and across the grass. The entire city of Ottawa was covered in snow. The lights of the Christmas trees, with all their sparkling ornaments and decorations, glowed warmly behind the closed windows. Inside the houses, families were celebrating, wrapped in an atmosphere of joy and serenity. Outside, however, the streets were now deserted: at that hour, and especially on Christmas Eve, no one went out anymore. The air was cold and sharp, the kind typical of winter evenings. In the distance, the moon could be seen shining surprisingly green: a rare phenomenon that made the Christmas Eve night even more special and mysterious. No one, however, noticed it, because everyone was inside celebrating: families were unwrapping glittering presents, laughing and exchanging warm hugs, while the smell of freshly baked cookies and Christmas sweets filled the kitchens. Tables laden with delicacies, sparkling lights, and Christmas carols created an atmosphere of joy and warmth that made people forget the cold and the silence of the empty streets. But beyond the glow of the Christmas lights, silent shadows began to move. Thin, quiet figures walked through the night, faintly brushed by the warm glow of the lights hanging from the houses. The figures, which at first glance looked human, stopped. One of them whispered in an icy voice: “She is near…” The snow kept falling, white and slow, covering everything. This Christmas Eve was about to turn into something very different for a girl who, on that cold holiday, found herself wandering alone. Her life, without anyone imagining it, was about to change forever.