The blizzard roared over Kaishiki Village like a living creature, hurling fierce gusts that seemed determined to tear the rooftops away and devour the flames of the lanterns. The night was heavy, and the cold cut through the air like blades of ice.
Inside a small wooden house, a man watched through the window as the storm swallowed the world. His firm, deep voice broke the silence:
"Most of the Lagur Archipelago has already been taken by the humans..." he murmured. "The Kingdom of Noutri fell into ruins in the war against Minami, and the Church spreads through everything it touches."
A girl with blue hair, apparently thirteen years old, lifted her face, her eyes shining with curiosity like two small stars.
"Really, Dad?"
He smiled, despite the weight in his expression.
"Yes, my dear. But the North still exists..." His voice softened, filled with reverence. "A wild land where the Fire Archipelago begins. Humans still live there, but they're different... they respect nature as part of themselves."
Loona moved closer to him, excited.
"I want to go there one day!"
"And you will, Loona." He ran a hand through her hair. "There are beautiful magical creatures there. Lunar wolves, crystal birds... and forests that sing during winter."
They were about to embrace when a scream sliced through the storm like an arrow.
"Attack on Momonuseke Village! Run!"
The man went pale. Without hesitation, he grabbed Loona in his arms and ran outside as chaos spread through the streets. Houses burned despite the falling snow, the sky turned red, and the howl of the wind tangled with desperate screams.
In the Heart of the Forest
Far from there, in the center of the snow-covered forest, a small wolf pup lay beside the weakened body of its mother.
The pup was white—white as the full moon, white as pure silver—so small it couldn't even open its eyes.
The she-wolf bled from a deep wound in her belly, panting between shivers. Her ears lifted when heavy footsteps broke the silence.
"Stay back!" she growled, baring her teeth in one final attempt to protect her child.
But no hunters emerged from the mist.
Wolves did.
An entire pack stepped forward cautiously, led by an enormous gray wolf with four crossed scars marking his face.
"I am Scar, alpha of this pack," he said, his voice firm as stone.
The she-wolf gasped, warm tears mixing with the snow.
"They killed everyone... they killed everyone... We came from the North... fleeing..."
Scar approached slowly, lowering his head.
"Do not waste your final strength reliving the pain," he said respectfully. "You are children of the North, and my respect for you runs deep.Use what remains to say goodbye to your pup. I... will care for him as if he were my own."
The she-wolf cried—not from pain anymore, but from hope.
She licked the pup lovingly, cleaning him with the last remnants of her life.
Minutes later, her body fell still in the silent snow.
Scar stepped forward. His mate, Lyna, approached and lifted the tiny pup with all the gentleness in the world.
"I'll take him to our den," she said softly.
Scar nodded.
"Good. Send Ravik to me. We need to hunt... and find that man."
Lyna sighed, a touch bitter.
"I still don't understand why you trust humans so much."
"Because he was kind to us," Scar replied simply. "And kindness is something never forgotten."
She didn't argue. She simply turned and left.
When the sun finally touched the mountains, the flames had died. Kaishiki Village was nothing but ashes, smoke, and silence.
Among the burned remains, the man who survived held Loona in his arms, wrapped in blankets. His face was hardened by grief.
"I promise..." he murmured, his voice breaking. "I promise I will avenge them all."
Loona trembled, tears filling her eyes, her small body buried against her father's chest.
"Dad... I'm scared..."
"I know, my little one," he answered, holding her tighter. "But as long as I live, nothing will take you away from me."
And under the faint morning light, father and daughter embraced among the ruins—while, in the forest, a white wolf pup breathed his first day under the protection of his new pack.