A World of Silver and the Cabin's Light
It came when the trees in the forest had shed their last leaves and only gray branches jutted toward the sky. At first, it was just small white flakes fluttering down, but overnight, the world had been painted silver.
“Wow… Snow!”
In the morning, Kenta opened the cabin door slightly and shouted in excitement. Yume and Miko also stepped outside, their eyes sparkling at the breathtaking snowy landscape they were seeing for the first time. They cautiously held out their hands, gasping softly at the chill of the snowflakes landing on their palms. Ayane and Alto, too, stood mesmerized for a while by the fantastical scene before them.
Akio smiled at the children’s reactions, but inside, he braced himself for the harsh winter that was sure to follow.
The snow continued falling for several days, and soon the forest was buried in deep snow. With conditions like this, daily food gathering became significantly more difficult. The traps they had set were buried under the snow, and it became hard to spot animal tracks. Collecting more firewood meant wading through the snow deep into the forest, which was dangerous.
“Listen, never go out into the snow alone. And always remember your way back. In a blizzard, you’ll lose your sense of direction in no time.”
Akio firmly warned Alto and Kenta as they helped clear the snow. The whole group was once again reminded of how precious their stockpiled firewood and food were.
They began spending most of their days inside the cabin, warmed by the fireplace. The children seemed on the verge of growing bored, but Akio set up a modest learning space for them.
“It’s handy to know how to read and count.”
Akio wrote simple letters and numbers on flat wooden boards with charcoal, teaching Ayane how to read them first, using the characters from Earth’s hiragana and numbers, adapted to resemble the writing of this world. Ayane quickly picked it up, and before long, she was reading Akio’s writing to Miko and Yume as if reading them picture books.
At first, Alto and Kenta seemed uninterested, but after seeing Akio use letters to record hunting notes and count tools, they gradually became curious too.
Akio also surprised the children by carving animals out of scrap wood using only a knife. The carvings weren’t perfect, but the simple, warm wooden figures of bears and rabbits became treasures for the children.
“Akio-san, that’s amazing! How do you make these?”
Kenta asked with sparkling eyes, and Akio, looking slightly proud, taught him the basics.
“Well, after years of working with wood, this much is nothing.”
Meanwhile, Ayane, during breaks from kitchen work, used dried herbs and nuts she had learned about from Akio to make warming drinks for everyone. The mildly sweet, fragrant drink warmed their bodies from the inside, and for both the children and Akio, it was the best treat they could have.
One night, a fierce blizzard struck the cabin. The howling wind shook the cabin violently, and fine snow mercilessly blew in through the smallest gaps in the walls. The fire in the hearth seemed to flicker weakly, and the children looked up at Akio with anxious faces.
“It’s alright. I built this house well—it won’t fall apart that easily.”
Akio spoke calmly to reassure them. But the wind only grew stronger, and part of the roof began creaking ominously.
“Damn… That part might be in trouble.”
Akio immediately grabbed spare furs, waterproofed animal hides, and thick branches, heading toward the problem area.
“Akio-san, we’ll help!” Alto rushed over, followed quickly by Kenta.
“Good. Alto, hold that hide in place. Kenta, hand me that branch!”
Following Akio’s instructions, the boys did their best to assist. Ayane hugged Miko and Yume tightly, hiding her anxiety as she watched the men work. As Akio prepared to climb to a dangerous spot, Ayane called out, “Be careful!” and gently adjusted the shawl around his shoulders.
After nearly an hour of struggle, they managed to make emergency repairs and avoided disaster. The wind still howled outside, but inside the cabin, the earlier sense of crisis had melted away, leaving behind only a calm silence.
The blizzard finally subsided near dawn. The pure white snow absorbed all sound, and the world outside was eerily still. Inside the cabin, the exhausted children huddled together, sleeping soundly.
Akio added another log to the fire and quietly looked at each of their sleeping faces in turn. The harsh winter had only just begun, and many hardships surely lay ahead. But within this small cabin, there was a certain warmth that no blizzard could extinguish—and a quiet confidence that as long as they worked together, they could overcome anything.
I must protect this light at all costs.
With that renewed determination in his heart, Akio gazed out at the beautiful yet unforgiving silver world beyond the window.
What do you think about this chapter?
