Prologue
Three villages, three lives, three ways of thinking.
“As the final seconds of the year slipped away, midnight bells were about to ring in three distant corners of the world, marking a shared yet unseen threshold. While the Earth continued its indifferent rotation, three children beneath different skies felt their hearts quicken on the brink of a new year. Though separated by vast distances, each stood unknowingly at the edge of the same invisible bridge, ready to step into a life forever changed.”
Scene 1: The Lonely heart beneath the snow
Snow drifted silently over the wooden houses, blanketing the familiar paths of the village.
There she sat on the frozen bank of the canal that wound through town, the place she always came to when she needed to think, pretending not to notice the biting cold that made her fingers ache.
She stared at the stars reflected in the ice, their shapes wavering beneath the frozen surface. Down in the town square, voices and laughter were beginning to rise as lanterns flickered to life.
They won’t even notice if I’m not there...
Freya pulled her knees closer to her chest.
The winter air stung her skin, but it was nothing compared to the emptiness inside her. Part of her wanted to run to the square, to scream, to beg her parents to look at her, to call her name, to ask her to stay.
But she couldn’t.
She refused to let them see her weakness.
As always, her parents were busy organizing the New Year’s celebration. Earlier, she had watched them from a distance, offering her a distracted wave without ever expecting one in return.
Closing her eyes, she drew a slow breath and listened as the distant bells began to ring.
Maybe this year... maybe they’ll finally notice me.
A single bell echoed through the night.
Dong...
“Another year,” Freya murmured.
At only ten years old, she already knew the weight of loneliness. Lifting her gaze, she looked up at the gray sky scattered with cold, distant stars.
She was strong or at least she had learned to be.
Yet here, alone beside the frozen canal, she could finally admit the truth: more than anything, she longed for a warm embrace that lingered, the kind no one seemed to have time to give her anymore.
In the village below, the bells continued to ring, welcoming the beginning of the festivities.
Scene 2: Mischievous laughter by the sea
The sky was slowly filling with warm shades of gold and orange as the first stars dared to appear above the palm trees. A salty breeze rustled the leaves overhead, carrying the distant sounds of drums, laughter, and celebration from the village.
Perched on a seaweed-covered rock, Mateo watched the waves roll in and out, as though the ocean might one day reveal all its secrets.
In one hand, he twirled a small piece of driftwood, imagining it was the helm of a mighty ship sailing toward unknown horizons.
Will I really leave this place someday?
The thought lingered for only a moment.
Along the shoreline, lanterns flickered to life outside the huts. Mixed among the growing chorus of voices, he recognized the unmistakable laughter of his two younger brothers.
A grin spread across his face.
His parents were somewhere nearby, busy as always answering questions, settling arguments, chasing after children. Mateo didn’t mind. If anything, he enjoyed the freedom it gave him to explore, imagine, and disappear into adventures of his own making.
Still, every now and then, a darker thought would slip through the cracks.
What if I got lost at sea one day? What if I couldn’t find my way home?
A chill ran through him.
Then he snorted and shook his head.
“Nonsense, Mateo.”
He kicked a spray of sand aside.
At twelve years old, he was already known throughout the village as the king of pranks, the mastermind behind games that could make even the sternest adults laugh when they thought no one was looking.
Suddenly, a thunderous crack split the evening sky.
Bang!
The first firework burst overhead.
Mateo sprang to his feet and took off toward the celebration, his bare feet sinking into the warm sand.
This is going to be the best year ever.
Behind him, the waves continued their endless dance beneath the fading light, just as they always had.
Scene 3: The silent heir of the old square
Cold cobblestones gleamed beneath the golden glow of the streetlamps as townsfolk gathered in small groups, laughing, raising their glasses, and exchanging wishes for prosperity and good fortune.
Adrien stood apart from it all.
His hands remained buried in the pockets of his coat while he watched the celebration unfold from a distance.
Nearby, his older sister chatted animatedly with a group of young people. His parents moved gracefully through the crowd, greeting merchants and innkeepers alike, exchanging practiced smiles and conversations about business and opportunity.
Adrien drew a slow breath.
The familiar tightness returned to his chest.
What if I’m not good enough?
What if I fail?
His gaze drifted toward his father, who spoke with the effortless confidence of a man accustomed to being listened to.
The words surfaced once again.
You’re my trump card, Adrien.
The memory settled over him like a weight.
For a moment, he closed his eyes and listened to the distant church bells. Their steady rhythm seemed to echo the pounding of his own heart.
I can’t fail.
At eleven years old, Adrien already carried responsibilities that felt far older than he was.
The youngest son.
The disciplined heir.
The boy expected to be strong, capable, and flawless.
A gentle tug at his sleeve pulled him from his thoughts.
“It’s about to start, Adrien,” his sister said with an encouraging smile.
He nodded and managed a small smile in return as the first voices of the countdown began to rise across the square.
Then came the bell.
Dong...
His eyes wandered over the crowd.
Families embraced.
Friends laughed.
People celebrated without concern for appearances or expectations.
For a fleeting moment, Adrien envied them.
He wondered what it would feel like to live without constantly measuring himself against someone else’s standards.
But the feeling passed as quickly as it had come.
Straightening his shoulders, he lifted his chin.
A new year was beginning.
And he could not afford to let anyone down.
