↷✦; w e l c o m e ❞
The year was 2014. A suburban winter should have been peaceful for children their age, but not for Delton. Inside a grand mansion that resembled a crystal palace, a storm more powerful than snow was raging.
Little Zevanya, barely ten years old, huddled behind a cold marble pillar. Downstairs, the sound of breaking glass and her father's screams clashed with her mother's icy tone. It was a night that made Zevanya feel like her world was crumbling. She covered her ears with trembling hands, hoping the storm inside would pass.
She escaped through the back door, braving the snow in only her thin nightgown. She ran to the border of the pine forest that separated the Delton family's land from the Berlin family—her father's sworn enemies. There, in an old hut where the forester lived, Zevanya collapsed and sobbed. The cold snow and the chaos in the house made her feel alone.
"Delton can't cry on Berlin land. It's against the rules," a soft but firm voice broke the silence.
Zevanya looked up. There stood a boy with warm yet piercing eyes. Mathius George Berlin. He was a year older, and although he knew who the girl in front of him was, he showed no hostility. Mathius took off his thick woolen scarf and wrapped it around Zevanya's neck, which was turning blue from the cold.
"Go away, Geo. My father said your family is snakes," Zevanya sobbed, though she tightened the scarf around her.
"If I were a snake, I would have bitten you by now," Mathius replied calmly. He sat beside Zevanya, handing her a piece of hot chocolate he kept in his jacket pocket. "Are they fighting again?"
Zevanya just nodded weakly. "I'm scared, Geo. My house feels cold."
Mathius looked up at the dark night sky. "Everyone needs shelter during a storm. My father said we should protect what's precious. If you get cold, come find me. I'll be your shelter."
Zevanya turned, her moist eyes staring at Mathius. "You promise?"
Mathius smiled slightly. He extended his pinky finger. "I promise, Anya. If one day you feel the world is too cold, come find me. I'll be your shelter."
That night, under the cold snow, a bond formed between two children from warring families. Mathius provided the warmth and security Zevanya desperately needed.
However, time and family grudges were a high wall that separated them. As they grew older, Mathius grew into the heir to Berlin, while Zevanya became part of the intrigue-filled world of Delton. That promise under the snow became a sweet memory, often forgotten amidst the rivalries and conflicts that surrounded them. But, deep within Zevanya, the memory of Geo and his promise remained a small glimmer of light in her cold world, a hope for the shelter she once found.