Day is night (English version)

Chapter 3

"Help! Help me, please!"

Shortly after entering the forest, Kristoff clearly heard the voice of a man calling for help.

"Sven, wait!" Kristoff cursed his luck. Now he just wanted to focus on finding Anna, but he couldn't ignore such a desperate call.

The reindeer stopped almost in his tracks, noticing how the sled was pushing him a little until it stopped. Kristoff went down to meet the man who was emerging from the woods to search for him.

"Are you alright?"

The man fell to his knees on the side of the road. He was wearing a gray, dirty, threadbare, and somewhat torn suit. Kristoff crouched beside the man dropping one knee to the ground to assist him. As he approached, he saw that he was a thin young ginger man.

"I'm sorry but I need your reindeer."

"Excuse me?"

At that same moment, the red-haired turned abruptly to Kristoff and placed an elongated seal on the hand that he had extended to him.

"You!"

Kristoff's surprise when he came face to face with Hans made him hardly notice the burning in his hand.

"So you know me... It seems that I am quite famous for this area," Hans said, getting up in perfect condition and shaking the dirt from his knees. "Well, with your permission, I'm taking your reindeer."

"Don't dare to get close to Sven," Kristoff threatened.

"Sven? I think Anna mentioned earlier that ridiculous name ... Yes, I'll take it."

"Anna? Where is she?!"

Hans looked with some intrigue to the boy who inquired him as if his life depended on it.

"What with this so much trust with your queen?"

Kristoff did not reply but fiercely approached Hans, lifted him from the ground by the lapels of his jacket, and pinned him against a huge rock wall.

"Where is Anna?"

Fear and anger were perfectly reflected in his eyes and Hans did not go unnoticed.

"Can't be! Don't tell me the rumors of Anna dating a commoner were true!" Kristoff tightened his fists towards the wall, cornering more of the redhead's neck. "Wow... poor girl. I knew she was desperate to find love, but not so much."

"Where-is-Anna?" Kristoff asked again losing his patience as he felt a hefty heat throughout his body.

"Oh well... I guess I can tell you. She refused to be my wife, so I had to kill her."

Kristoff's blood boiled.

"But don't worry. I made her have a good time before."

Kristoff's hands began to shake. His tears flowed out of control and the anger that was taking hold of him was not enough to counteract the weakness he felt throughout his body. He was about to let Hans go, but then a thought crossed his mind: "This guy is the one who easily cheated on Anna; he must be really good at lying. She may still be alive. He may have said it to dismount me and run away, or simply to hurt me for being loved by her, or for being able to become king..."

As hope returned to his soul, his hands regained strength.

"You have one last chance. Tell me where Anna is."

The look Kristoff gave Hans was cold and penetrating. It was so intimidating that Hans had to swallow hard even with the difficulty of the posture.

"You're really persistent... I've already told you what happened. But come on, take it easy, you'll be with her in a few minutes."

"What do you think you can...?

Kristoff knew that in a hand-to-hand confrontation Hans had no chance against him, but suddenly he remembered the letter and the explanation about that magic that made people burn. He instinctively looked at the back of his hand. There was nothing on it, but he was definitely feeling warmer and warmer. He looked Hans in the eyes seeking confirmation of his fears and what he saw was the victorious smile of that despicable being that made him understand his situation.

He lowered his head for a few seconds as a thousand thoughts crossed his mind. Then, assuming there was nothing he could do to save himself, he forced himself to believe that at least everything he had told her about Anna was a lie.

In the end, that wretch had succeeded: he had destroyed their lives.