“And we meet again, on the day of a fog

  Nigh the dim light, on the bridge we seek

  Across the everlasting winter”

  - Poem Of Polaris, Transcending Time, 2005 BW(Before the Holy War)-,

  5 AW(5 years after the Holy War)

  Tempus hated the feeling of the cold biting onto his fingers. It reminded him of the past he rather forgot. Haunting him as flashes of images kept coming forth to his head when he’s not doing anything. Of the time he stood alone, on one heavy snowstorm that changed his life.

  Solen village was significantly warmer than that place. That didn’t really eliminate cold entirely. The cold he felt at night back when he lived in the corners of the village was equally devastating.

  The sound of the fish biting his bait brought him back from his stupor. Without thinking much, by the time it’s half day, he has caught a lot. He immediately put it on the sack the old couple gave him. They, who were kind enough to give him chores and in return gave him food, money, and even a place to live in.

  He was lucky to meet them, because not all people in the village were friendly. He has a scar on his side of the temple near his azure eye to remind him of that. Again, it’s not something he liked to remember so he purposefully made his silver bangs longer on that side.

  Tempus was startled when his pocket watch fell out of his satchel. He dropped the sack and picked it up gently. A broken watch, the time pointed was stuck on the day he lost everything. Tempus gave a sardonic laugh to himself, it’s as if the watch was like himself, frozen in the past.

  As the bird chirped and the wind blew harsher, Tempus walked from the forest to the village’s marketplace. Without looking ahead, just by listening to the lively chatters around him, he knew he arrived.

  He gave some fish to the vendor and kept the rest. The vendor grinned.

  “Running errands for them again ‘Ey? Such a nice lad you’re.”

  “It’s all I can do really, to repay their kindness.”

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  “People can really change huh? I remember the time you stole from the apple stand across here. Imagine my surprise when you came back and instead of stealing something from me, you came to help Mr. And Mrs. Anindha.”

  Tempus smiled awkwardly as he averted his gaze to the ground, ashamed. The vendor didn’t say anything else as they prepared the coins in exchange for the fish. Tempus then took the pouch of coins and hurriedly left the marketplace to go to the old couple’s house, near the exit of the village.

  He had to pass by the so-called dangerous alley, full of beggars and some thieves. He found the place not scary, for he lived there before. But still he tried to hurry up so he wouldn’t attract them. Because right now he’s bringing things for other people, he couldn’t afford it to be stolen.

  Not that all of the people there are rotten. Some people were actually quite nice, despite the circumstances. Some older teenagers helped the younger ones, like Tempus himself, survived back then. Now he’s around the age of those he looked up to, just scrapping by being 14.

  He couldn’t face the acquaintance he once knew there, after all he couldn’t help them. He just went out of that place alone, leaving them. Besides, he really didn’t want to meet the more violent faction, so he always went against his thought of visiting there.

  Tempus knocked on the old couple’s door when he arrived. As always they greet him warmly. Mrs. Anindha was preparing a meal so she acknowledge him only briefly. He gave the fish as Mr.Anindha praised him. Tempus always felt awkward when Mr Anindha did that. Because he didn’t deserve it.

  “Oh and Tempus I think we need more woods, if you don’t mind getting it for us. At this time of the year the wind from Ventus region blows quite harshly, especially at night,” requested Mr.Anindha.

  “Oh is that why it’s getting colder? I didn’t know that it happened at a specific time,” pondered Tempus. He didn’t notice that the weather got colder sometimes. Because in the alley he stayed in, it’s always cold. It’s been almost a year since the old couple offered him to live with them instead. While asking him to do the house chores, he used to just do errands outside the house.

  “I always forgot that you’re not originally from here. Let me tell you, Tempus. They said the spirit of Ventus and the spirit of Ignis probably had a meeting scheduled at this time of the year. Thus Ventus brought the wind with him when he visited. And our village, being one of the villages in the outskirts of the Ignis region, is always impacted,“ explained Mr.Anindha. Tempus nodded at the explanation, personally noting himself to bring extra woods next time without being told to.

  “Oh and I’ll proba-“ Mr. Anindha words were cut from the invitation to lunch by Mrs. Anindha.

  Tempus then ate quietly, hearing all the hearsay and conversations from the couple. He only interjected when they included him in the conversation.

  It turned out Mr.Anindha was about to say he had business with his old friend near the entrance of the forest, so he will accompany Tempus until the designated place. Mr.Anindha will also wait for him there when the sun goes down.

  “Be careful, don’t be out too late. I’ve been hearing scary stories about the forest at night lately,” said Mrs.Anindha worriedly.

  “Yes dear. We’ll be fine, it will just be a moment,” replied Mr.Anindha reassuringly.

  They went down the house and right through the main streets. Whenever he walked beside crowds, Tempus felt very small and insignificant. As though a dust, simply there existing.

  Little did he know that he’s not as insignificant as he thought. The encounter at the forest that night, changes his whole perspective about his life and the world.