The wind howled through the bare trees like it was really sad, a constant sound in the world Lumin had become. But inside the cozy, muddy wood cabins all bunched together by the lake, life held on tight. Thirteen years had passed since Grandpa Eldrin and Grandma Linnea, with their sons and families, had made this safe spot, a little bit of hope in all the ice.
For years, life in Frostlake Village was just about staying alive. They didn't have much food, they always had to watch out for danger, and they quietly remembered the good old days that were gone. Kids had been born in those government shelters before everyone spread out, and their first memories were of being scared and cold. But here, in their own little village, new babies were starting to arrive.
Seven years after Frostlake started, something warm happened. Anil, Grandpa Eldrin's youngest son, and his wife Maya had their first baby. The whole village was quiet for a moment, a little bit of happiness in their lonely world. They named him Neil.
Neil's early years were like looking at the world in soft colors: the grey of the frozen lake, the white of the snowy trees, the brown of their cabins. His world was small, just his family, the nice smell of burning wood, and the quiet stories about before – a time with sunshine and a kingdom called Solara, now just a story people whispered.
He learned to walk on the rough wood floors, said his first words in their small cabin. He listened, eyes wide, to Grandpa Eldrin's stories about big fancy buildings and a queen everyone loved. These stories felt like dreams in their simple life. He played with his cousins, Orion, Lyra, and Caspian, their games echoing in the middle open space, a fun sound in the quiet village.
Time in Frostlake Village went by slowly, like the seasons changing and the kids getting bigger. Neil was a curious kid, always watching. He learned how to find food in the snow, to be careful around the animals, and how important it was to keep their village safe.
Now, ten years had gone by since Neil was born. He was almost a boy, his arms and legs strong from helping out. His eyes showed the quiet strength of his people. The world he knew, Frostlake Village, now felt too small. The woods around them seemed to call to him, full of things he didn't know. He'd heard the grown-ups talking quietly about the world outside – the scary parasites, other people trying to survive.
These stories didn't feel far away anymore. They were just part of why their life was the way it was. He started to want more, to understand the world that had made his life this way. It was like a little plant growing inside him, as tough as the moss on the frozen trees.
Today, a cool spring wind, smelling a tiny bit like the snow was melting, moved through the village. Neil stood at the main front door, looking at the endless frozen woods. He was taller now, not so chubby anymore. He wore a warm coat his mom had made. He felt something new inside, excited but also a little nervous.
He was ready to go out. Ready to see what was beyond Frostlake Village. He didn't know that today wouldn't just be his first time really exploring, but also when he'd remember a life he never lived and get powers he couldn't even imagine. The frozen forest had secrets, and today, Neil Frostwood was about to find one of the biggest.