THE COLDEST HEART
The story begins with voices calling for help. Sword sounds echo. Metal clashes. Vikings storm the village, murdering people without showing any remorse.
Inside one of the burning houses, a man hides his wife and child behind him.
"Whatever you want with me," the man begs, "but please don't touch my wife or child. Please take me without hurting them."
The Vikings laugh.
"Insolence," says one.
"What an idiot," says another.
They all continue laughing—until the Ice Viking enters.
He moved like a shadow carved from the cold itself—tall, silent, his eyes a piercing, unnatural blue.
The raiders chuckled nervously, but their voices faltered as he approached.
The man on his knees looked up, his face streaked with tears.
"Let them go," the Ice Viking says. He looks away and starts walking outside.
"What?" one of the Vikings asks. Slowly, they all stop laughing.
"We can't do that," says another. "That isn't the order of the warlor—"
He stops talking immediately when he sees the Ice Viking standing right in front of him. The Viking's eyes turn blue. The ground begins to freeze under his feet. The Viking stares in terror.
"I said," the Ice Viking growled, his voice now glacial, "let them go."
He casts a deadly glance at the Viking.
"You've gotten weak," another Viking mutters as they all walk away, leaving the Ice Viking and Vrokar behind his second-in-command.
Vrokar walks up to the Ice Viking.
"You know they ain't entirely wrong," he says. "You're getting soft."
"I have a son," the Ice Viking replies, then he sighed. "You wouldn't understand."
"So love has the power to thaw even the coldest heart, huh?" Vrokar says, giving a strange grin.
The hostage thanks the Ice Viking.
The Ice Viking giggles, but his expression suddenly changes. He turns and runs toward the hostage as a fire attack rips through the house. The flames destroy everything.
The Ice Viking looks around with anger. He pulls out his axe, flips it, and slams it into the ground to stop the fire's momentum. He looks down and sees the man burned on the ground. The wife is gone—she exploded while trying to protect their child.
The Ice Viking furiously freezes his axe and his hands, rising to attack—but stops.
He's suddenly covered in blood. He looks down in confusion.
With a dejected expression, he tries to move, but everything changes.
Now, he's in a snowy place. He looks around and sees people being killed. He drops his axe and clutches his head in agony.
Then he sees a man holding a boy's head.
The Ice Viking runs straight at the man.
But when he gets close, he realizes… the man is him.
He looks down at his own hands—and sees the boy's head there. He throws it away in terror.
He tries to back away but finds himself bleeding. He falls to the ground—and now sees himself standing in front of him again, the axe dripping with blood.
His vision begins to blur, Then—gasping—he jerks awake, drenched in sweat, heart pounding like war drums in his ears.
He runs to find his son.
Then—he sees his son. Sleep talking in bed.
The Ice Viking smiles.
He looks out the window.
He sees himself outside.
He closes and wipes his eyes. Then he Looks again.
But Nothing is there.
He walks over and quietly closes the window.
Morning broke gently over the quiet hamlet. The sky was soft with pale light, and the cold air smelled of snow and smoke. Akio stepped out of the house, rubbing sleep from his eyes. The villagers greeted him with smiles and nods.
He search for his parents around the village
Soon, he found them—his parents, out by the trees, chopping wood.
He ran toward them.
"Mama!" he shouted.
Mizuki looked up just in time to catch her son in a hug.
"Akio, aren't you up early?" she said with a smile.
Akio grinned. "Who's gonna help Dad with the woods? You know he's getting old."
Mizuki laughed as Varnok turned with a snort.
"Getting old, huh?" Varnok said, flexing one arm. "I could take on a bull with one hand."
"Yeah, but I'm stronger now," Akio said, dropping into a combat stance.
Varnok narrowed his eyes playfully. "You wanna go?"
Mizuki shook her head as she stepped away. "Breakfast will be ready soon."
Akio charged.
Varnok caught him mid-air with a laugh, tossing him over his shoulder. They fell to the ground, rolling through the snow as they wrestled. Akio swung a mock punch; Varnok grabbed his chest, pretending to fall back in defeat.
"You're pretty strong, Akio," he said, laughing.
"Told ya," Akio said, pausing for breath. "But I'm not as strong as you yet."
Varnok sat up beside him, placing a hand on the boy's back.
"One day, you will be," he said. "And when that day comes, you'll be the strongest."
Akio looked down at his hands. "I can't wait… though it feels like a very long one day."
Varnok smiled softly. "I love you, Akio."
"I love you too, Dad."
Varnok ruffled his son's hair as the boy giggled and stood.
"Come on," Varnok said. "Let's go feed the animals."
Side by side, they walked toward the barn, where the animals were kept.