Winter's gift

Chapter 01

Winter's gift

As the golden sun rose on the distant horizon, the birds began to sing their soothing melodies. Its bright light illuminated the tidy and beautiful town.

Soon after, the rhythms of life began to manifest in the town. People headed to their jobs, others opened their shops. Windows of houses opened, with women moving to the kitchens and men heading outside to clear the accumulated snow after another cold night.

In the middle of this town, stood a three-story building, modest like any other. However, a small sign on its large front door proved otherwise: "Additional Knowledge - Antiquities Store," affirming its value.

Like any other building in the town, snow covered its sides. If anything, it had more snow than others due to its steep tiled roof and additional height. And someone had to take care of that before opening.

Sunlight streamed through the round glass window on the upper floor of the antique store. Inside the well-lit room, Noah stared at the steep ceiling, deciding whether to wake up today or not.

Noah knew well that he should do what was expected of him. His old habit of waking up late had died long ago, and he wanted it to stay that way. Besides, he wanted to stay on the good side of his boss – the owner, so he had to start clearing the snow from the front door.

Before that, Noah softly said his name. A soft icy blue light appeared before him, forming an ethereal screen with a cold touch. Unfamiliar language symbols flashed across the screen before settling into words he could understand.

Overview:

Name: Noah

Race: Unknown

Class: Unawakened

Level: 22

Experience: 12000 / ??? XP

Status: Stable | Fragmented Soul | Sustained by -Winter

Attributes/Stats:

Health (HP): Not available

Stamina: Not available

Core Stats:

Strength: 8 — Basic physical power.

Dexterity: 9 — Moderate agility and speed.

Intelligence: 15 — Above average cognitive ability.

Constitution: 8 — Average endurance. 

Wisdom: Not available

Charisma: Not available

System Message:

"The system is in its limited state. Full access to skills, magic, and advanced attributes will be available upon awakening."

Noah took a quick look at what he had called for years, Winter's gift. It was easy for him to just call it a system, as any awakened person in the world would. But unlike anyone else, his appeared only when he said his name out loud with the intent of showing the screen, (he suspected that it was intentional). Another reason to call it a gift, as having one while being unawakened would spell deep trouble if the words got out.

With a sigh, Noah let the screen disappear from his sight. He pushed the blanket aside with his leg and got out of bed. He had already become familiar with his new, semi-empty room. Without further fuss, he headed directly to the small mirror on the wall. He washed his face with cold water and tidied his black hair with his already wet hands.

Noah went to where his work clothes hung, the one set he needed, next to his small empty wooden desk. He gave a quick glance at the book he had examined last night, "Glory and Wound," and returned to the task at hand.

Noah dressed quickly in his work clothes, checked his appearance in the mirror, and descended to the first floor.

Part of Noah's job was to clean the glass shelves every morning, but first, he had to remove the snow from the front of the store. The hard work first, then he could return to the warmth inside.

Noah wore knee-high leather boots to keep his clothes clean, grabbed the heavy shovel from beside the door, and opened it to the cold world he lived in. Of course, the door opened inward, or it wouldn't have opened at all given the snow's thickness at this time of year.

Without further ado, Noah started working silently. The task was no longer as difficult as it had been the first time; it was just another part of his daily routine, and he executed it with the same precision and perfection as he did all his tasks.

After half an hour, Noah stood back to inspect the fruits of his labor. The snow that had accumulated at the front of the store now sat neatly to the sides of the building. He left the job of melting it to the midday sun. The ground beneath his feet felt solid and stable, the front space of the building felt clean and welcoming, as required.

Before Noah returned to tend to the inside, he took a quick look at his quiet surroundings under the bright morning light. The central square now seemed full of details compared to when it bustled with activity: the old stones forming its ground, the large statue in its center, and the sound of the fountain around the statue. You could never hear it at any other time except in the morning, or after midnight, of course.

Noah withdrew his gaze, re-entered the store, and closed the front door behind him. It was not yet opening time. He began sweeping the floor with his daily broom. Although he had cleaned the previous night after closing, he did the same every morning just for the sake of doing it—no harm in extra cleanliness.

Once Noah was satisfied with his work on the floor, he moved on to the glass shelves displaying various antique artifacts. He used his own concoction of scented herbs and plain cotton cloths. He soaked a cloth in the pleasantly scented water and wiped one glass shelf. He then used a dry cotton cloth to dry it, avoiding leaving any streaks or marks.

Noah continued this pattern until he finished all the shelves and display tables. He had learned the hard way that leaving water on the glass in cold weather without drying it was a bad idea. It was a good thing his boss was understanding and didn't fire him for his ignorant mistake.

Noah surveyed his surroundings with a scrutinizing gaze. After a few moments, he nodded in satisfaction. Now, he had nothing else to do but wait for opening time.

Noah loved silence, whether his own or the world's around him. What he didn't love was doing nothing, which was ironic considering his old self. For now, he contented himself with returning to his room to fetch his book for some reading before opening the store.

Noah sat on a chair designated for customers behind one of the display tables, continuing to read his book from where he had left off last night. The book, "Glory and Wound," described the devastating war between the Empire and the Kingdom of Astrolis. Of course, the book was from the winner's perspective, so Noah didn't expect the full truth—history is written by the victors, after all.

Noah opened to chapter four, titled "The Seer's Evasion":

Even with the Empire's victory, the seers of Astrolis proved elusive. Their silver masks hid their true intentions...

Noah immersed himself in his reading but kept a clear awareness of the time; after all, he still had to open the store, he couldn't afford a foolish mistake on his part.