Theodore sat cross-legged on the cool stone floor, eyes closed, breath steady.

He could feel a warmth on his back—sunlight, he presumed—streaming through the open window. He resisted the urge to open his eyes and check. He couldn't see, but he could feel it warming his back.

Focus, he chided himself.

But focus was proving rather elusive these days.

From outside, the sounds of Holden's bustling streets drifted up into his ears.

Hammer strikes, merchants' calls, children's laughter.

His mind wandered, spiraling into memories of the past month. They came in flashes, vivid and intrusive. Capital officials descending on Holden like a flock of well-dressed vultures, their badges gleaming officiously in the sun. Gods, the endless questioning. "And then what happened, Lord Theodore?" "Can you describe the creature in more detail?" "Are you certain there are no more threats?”

He remembered the monster corpses being carted away, some still oozing viscous fluids that stained the cobblestones. Where had they ended up? Some noble's trophy room? An alchemist's workbench? He pictured a wizened old man gleefully dissecting-

No, don't think about that. Think about the compensation instead. Good thing he was paid well. His father was no cheat—

Theodore caught himself, a frown creasing his brow.

Distracted.

Again.

His shoulders slumped slightly, frustration bubbling up inside him. How was he supposed to master [Sever] if he couldn't even manage basic meditation? He took a deep breath, trying to recenter himself. Just focus on the breath, in and out. In and—

Come to think of it, he'd been getting distracted a lot lately. He hadn't a single clue so as to why.

He exhaled slowly, acknowledging the wayward thoughts. Gently, he pushed the thoughts away and guided his focus back to his breath, to the present moment and to the mana thrumming in the air, congregating toward him.

Going into him.

Then to his mana pool.

Then he focused back his breathing, repeating the process.

A familiar warmth bloomed in his chest.

[Meditation] — Lvl 5 -> Lvl 6!

Nice, he thought, a smile tugging at his lips. Then he scowled, realizing he'd lost focus yet again.

Damnit.

***

The air held a subtle cool feeling to it today. He'd felt it since morning. The chill nipped at exposed skin even now, well into the early day. Theodore pulled his cloak tighter for two reasons.

One, to get some warmth, obviously. And two, for the anonymity it provided.

He weaved through Holden's bustling streets. His disguise—a simple peasant's garb and a cloak—allowed him to blend seamlessly with the crowd.

Vendors called out their wares, their voices carrying over the general din of the marketplace. The scent of fresh bread and roasting meat mingled with the earthy smell of winter vegetables. Theodore breathed it in, savoring the normalcy of it all.

A month had passed since the tumultuous events that had shaken Holden to its core. The town had slowly begun to heal, to rebuild. But the memory of those dark days lingered.

Though, the townsfolk were happier than they'd ever been, with the diseases gone and the soap helping them with it. Though, admittedly, Theodore realized he needed to create a public bath. For people here, washing up could be considered a luxury. And even with the affordable soap, not everyone could just go and shower daily.

Because there were no showers.

Thus, he needed to create that. It shouldn't be that much of an issue. With his earth rune, he could also quickly start up the brick making plan he'd had on his mind for a while now.

Theodore's gaze drifted upward, noting the heavy, gray clouds that blanketed the sky.

The air felt different somehow.

Charged with a certain… possibility.

As if in response to his thoughts, a single, delicate snowflake drifted down, landing on his outstretched hand.

Theodore blinked.

He smiled.

"Ah," he breathed, watching as the crystalline structure melted against his skin.

Around him, the town seemed to hold its breath.

Then, as if on cue, more snowflakes began to fall, dancing on the breeze. People emerged from their homes and shops, faces turned skyward in wonder.

"Look, Ma! It's snowing!" a child's excited voice rang out.

"First snow of the season," an old man remarked, his weathered face creasing into a smile.

The marketplace came alive with a different kind of energy. Vendors hurried to cover their wares, while others simply stood in awe, watching as the world was slowly blanketed in white.

Theodore's smile faded slightly as he considered the implications.

Winter's arrival meant new challenges for Holden.

More pain for him.

With a sigh, he called up his system screen like a welcome distraction.

Theodore Lockheart

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

[Race: Human]

⨽[Rank: G]

⨽[Level: 28] (25 -> 28)

[Class: Mage]

⨽[Rank: Initiate]

⨽[Level: 27] (20 -> 27)

[Skills]:

Basic Magic Script (Lvl. 2)

Elemental Spells (Lvl. 16) (11 -> 16)

Myriad Tongue (Lvl. 1)

Basic Rune Creation (Lvl. 9)

Meditation (Lvl. 6) (5 -> 6)

Swordsmanship (Novice) (Lvl. 20) (8 -> 20)

Arcane Awareness (Lvl 2)

True Perception (Lvl. 0)

Psionic Resistance (Lvl. 5)

Purifying Touch (Lvl. 2)

Active Quests:

- Protect Wynd

- Master the Art of Severance

The list of skills seemed to grow longer with each passing day. The biggest increase in the last month had to be in his [Swordsmanship]. With his brother, Alden, overstaying a little and Alaric along with Roland sparing with him on a daily basis, the skill was thriving. [Meditation] had barely gone up a level, only today, and [Elemental Spells] had been far easier to level up after he got the earth rune.

Admittedly, he'd been a bit lax on training it. Because he'd been more busy clearing out any and all remaining monsters. Mostly the lower leveled ones. As mostly the weak learned to survive through running and cunning. Well—

A shout pierced through his contemplation, sharp and angry. "Stop! Thief!"

Theodore's head snapped up.

His eyes scanned the crowd.

A small figure darted between startled shoppers, clutching something to its chest. Behind it, a red-faced vendor gave chase, but the thief was quicker, more agile.

Without thinking, Theodore moved. He weaved through the crowd with ease, and the air around them practically bent to his will, giving way to accommodate his passing and pushing him forward.

Almost gliding.

He gained ground on the fleeing figure.

As they neared an alleyway, Theodore lunged, his hand closing around a thin arm.

The thief yelped, struggling against his grip. As Theodore turned the figure around, he found himself face to face with a boy, no older than ten. The child's face was gaunt, his clothes threadbare and ill-fitting.

"Let go of me!" the boy snarled, his eyes wild with fear and defiance.

Theodore's grip loosened slightly, but he didn't release the child. "You can't just steal from people," he said, keeping his voice low and calm.

The boy's lip curled. "What's it to you?" he spat. "You gonna turn me in? Go ahead! See if I care!"

"Why did you steal the food?" Theodore asked gently.

"None of your business!" the boy snapped, trying to wrench his arm free.

Theodore held firm. "I'm making it my business. Tell me. And I might just reward you for it.”

The boy glared at him, silent for a long moment. Then, "What do you care anyway? You don't know what it's like."

"Try me," Theodore said.

The boy's eyes darted around, as if looking for an escape. Finally, he muttered, "It's not for me, alright?"

Theodore raised an eyebrow. "No?"

"It's my sister, alright?" the boy said, so quietly Theodore almost missed it. "She's sick. Hasn't eaten in days. She's... she needs it more than me."

Theodore nodded slowly. "And you're taking care of her all alone?"

The boy lifted his chin defiantly. "I'm all she's got. I gotta do what I gotta do.”

Theodore sighed, reaching for his coin pouch. "There are better ways than stealing."

"Easy for you to say," the boy muttered. "You ever been hungry? Really hungry?"

Theodore paused, pondering.

Sighing, he reached into his pocket, pulling out a handful of aurums. The boy's eyes widened at the sight. There was something in the boy's eyes.

A mix of confusion and longing crossed his face.

"Here," Theodore said, pressing the coins into the boy's free hand. "Give back what you stole and use this to buy something to eat. Properly. For both of you.”

The boy stared at the coins, then back at Theodore. "Why? What's the catch?"

"No catch," Theodore said. "Just... take care of your sister. And yourself.”

Theodore sighed.

His heart was heavy.

For a moment, the boy just stared at the coins in his hand, as if he couldn't quite believe what was happening. Then, with a quick nod, he darted back towards the vendor's stall.

Theodore watched as the boy returned the stolen food, his words muffled but clearly apologetic. The vendor's anger seemed to deflate as he took in the child's appearance. With a gruff nod, he accepted the coins and handed over a wrapped package.

“Next time, just ask," the man grunted.

As the boy scurried away, clutching his legitimately purchased meal, Theodore felt... Strange.

How many others were there like him? How many would suffer, or worse, as the winter deepened?

The snow was falling more heavily now, already beginning to accumulate on the cobblestone streets. Theodore pulled his cloak tighter.

His mind raced.

With possibilities. With plans. With thoughts.

He had the power to make real change. But where to start?

He began to walk, his feet carrying him through the town as his thoughts churned. The issue of homelessness wasn't new, but the approaching winter made it far more pressing. People needed shelter, warmth, food. Without it, many wouldn't survive to see the spring.

Theodore's gaze swept over the town, seeing it with new eyes. There were empty buildings, abandoned during the troubles with the Night Whispers. Could they be repurposed? Converted into temporary shelters?

And what of food? The harvest had been good this year, but with the influx of refugees and new settlers that came every winter, would it be enough?

They'd need to ration carefully, ensure fair distribution.

As he walked, Theodore began to form a plan. It would require resources, manpower, and no small amount of cooperation from the townspeople. But it was necessary. He couldn't call himself a true leader if he left the most vulnerable to fend for themselves.

Lost in thought, Theodore almost missed the small commotion near the town square. A group had gathered, their voices rising in a mixture of excitement and concern. Curious, he drew closer.

"...just appeared overnight!" one woman was saying, her eyes wide. "Right in the middle of Farmer Jed's field!"

"It's got to be some kind of trick," a man argued, shaking his head. "Things don't just sprout up like that, especially not in winter."

"But I'm telling you, it's real! And it's not like anything I've ever seen before. Come on, I will show you."

Theodore's curiosity was piqued. He gently pushed his way through the crowd, murmuring apologies as he went. Then he went out of town toward a place. Following the curious crowd.

As he reached, he saw what had caused such a stir.

In the middle of what should have been a bare, frosty field, a structure stood. It was unlike anything Theodore had ever seen before. Smooth, curved walls rose from the ground, their surface shimmering with an otherworldly iridescence. The structure was domed, its apex reaching perhaps twenty feet into the air.

But what truly caught Theodore's attention was the warmth emanating from it. Even from where he stood, he could feel it pushing back against the winter chill.

"What in the world?" he muttered, taking a step closer.

He took a deep breath, centering himself. First things first. They needed to understand what this thing was, where it had come from, and whether it was safe.

"Alright, everyone," he called out, his voice carrying the authority he usually tried to hide.

Well, they didn't know he was their lord, but surely the voice of reason would make them stay far away?

"I need you all to step back. We don't know what this is or if it's dangerous."