4 I'm dead?

I watched as the boy walked unsteadily, as if he had run out of strength, forcing himself to take one step after another in the snow until he fell headfirst into the cold white cushion, most likely unconscious. Unless he suddenly felt like making a snow angel.

"My first day, and I've already found something interesting," I muttered to myself as I approached to check on the boy. I'm not an expert in anything yet, but checking for a pulse or breathing is something even a fool knows to do.

"It looks like he's in shock and he's too thin," I concluded after examining his arms. "I don't know if it's his constitution or malnutrition. The most important thing now is to get him to a dry and warm place, or he'll end up dead from hypothermia."

He wasn't dressed warmly at all, just brown linen pants and a dark blue shirt.

I glanced at the cabin for a moment but shook my head. It seemed like the boy had gone through something unpleasant there and must have unconsciously used some ninjutsu to protect himself. I could melt the ice, but if he woke up there, who knows how he'd react.

Taking the boy and placing him on my shoulders, I shot a lightning bolt with the intention of setting the house on fire, but it seems I held back too much, and due to the low temperature and the wet wood from the snow, the cabin didn't ignite.

How convenient, I was worried about not practicing my powers, and now I have a perfect target.

...A few minutes later...

I walked away satisfied as the cabin burned without any problems, melting the ice inside and erasing any evidence or bodies that might have been there.

Could I have stayed longer? Of course.

But the boy on my shoulder is cold, and we really need to find shelter.

After walking a bit, I saw a pile of fallen trees in an inverted V-shape, forming a perfect natural shelter to shield us from the wind and snow. I pulled some branches from the surroundings that were dry enough and made a fire at the entrance so that the smoke wouldn't bother us.

I didn't even need tinder; an intense spark was enough.

I left the boy close enough to the fire for his temperature to recover and sat down, waiting for him to wake up while I gazed at the fire. For some reason, I thought for a moment that I was camping, and an idea struck me: Roasted apples!

I got up and this time looked for straight, damp branches that could be exposed to the fire without catching fire. I would use them to skewer some apples and take advantage of the fire to cook them. I figured the boy would be hungry once he woke up, and I hadn't eaten since I woke up.

It's interesting how the apples appear in my hands; it's like, blink and you'll miss it! I can pretend to put my hand behind my back and pull out the apple as if it were a children's cartoon. It's not logical, but it's fun!

It had been about an hour since the boy had passed out, I think. I mean, I don't have a watch with me, and if I look at the sky, I won't be able to determine the time. Maybe tomorrow I can, but not today. In any case, it's getting dark because everything is darkening.

"Mmm..."

Oh, the boy is waking up.

What will his reaction be when he sees me? I mean, I'm barely knee-high to him.

I watch as his eyelids move, and he slowly opens his eyes. Yes, he looks bewildered; I guess he's wondering why he doesn't feel cold, and the not-so-subtle movements of his nose tell me he's noticed the scent of the roasted apples.

He straightens up, looking at the fire and the apples. I can almost see question marks forming over his head, adorable.

"Are you hungry?" I ask him.

He startles like a rabbit and looks in my direction with panic and evident fear. But he remains stunned and raises his head almost to a forty-five-degree angle.

"Do you like roasted apples?"

I'm sitting with my legs crossed at the entrance to give him more space, and I stretch out my now long arm, taking one of the apples skewered on a stick and offering it to him. Meanwhile, I take another and take a bite.

"Careful, they're hot," I remind him, but he continues to stare at me without moving, with those big eyes of his.

I continue to bite into my apple after dipping it in virgin snow for a moment while I wait. In the end, his stomach growls, and he blushes, taking the apple on the stick and starting to eat it like... a squirrel? A bunch of small bites that puff up his cheeks as his eyes light up.

"That's right, these are the best apples in the world, enjoy them," I can't help but feel a little proud.

The boy nods, and before I know it, he has finished the apple and gazes longingly at the others that are cooking. With a gesture, I invite him to take as many as he wants. It's not like I'm going to run out of apples.

"Am I dead?" he suddenly asks after finishing his third roasted apple.

Wow, I didn't expect him to ask that of all things.

"Why do you think you're dead?" I ask him with genuine curiosity.

Does he see me as some kind of demon?

"Because I passed out in the snow, and now I woke up in a warm place with delicious food, and I've never seen anyone so tall and covered in so much gold. Are you a god?

Ugh! I think I'm about to vomit sugar.

"Am I going to a bad place for what I did?" he asks, tears forming in his eyes. "Will I be able to see Mom and apologize? I, I didn't want to, but Dad was going to..."

Wow, this took an unexpectedly dark turn. It's almost like...

Wait a second.

"What's your name?" Suddenly, a character popped into my mind.

He wipes away the tears with the back of his hand, but they don't stop.

The image is simply heartbreaking, and it hurts to see him like this.

"M-My name is Haku, Mr. God," he replies with a trembling voice.

Holy shit, I already suspected that this whole story was becoming familiar to me.

Ice Release, a solitary boy...

"I'm not a god, Haku, and you're not dead.