Like A King | bl | WMMAP | ✓

EXTRA

The world was riddled with wars. Even if there was a few years of peace, humans waged wars as if drawing blood and taking lives seeped deep into their bones. Countless humans died, staining the land a dark red. Vast lands became unable to produce life, animals hid far away, and humans lost what it meant to live their lives.

War became the norm. Seeing brothers and sisters die one after another in the battlefield numbed the humans' heart.

The scent of irony blood filled the air, reminding the world that death waited around the corner.

One day, a saint appeared.

"Humans shall cease waging wars," his voice reached all corners of the world, reaching the hearts of all living beings. "If humans shall not cease, this saint has no choice but to bring the innocent away and wash this world of pests."

"..."

Many thought, is that really what a saint should be saying?

"This saint shall give you one year. If this saint fails to see any changes, one year later, the fate of you humans shall change, for better or for worse."

One year later, only a few continued waging wars. When the time was up, everyone witnessed the kingdoms be buried inside a giant ice mountain. The neighboring kingdoms had no choice but to move away lest they die from the cold.

The kingdoms from the north who kept waging wars ceased to exist just like that. Ever since, that place became the Land of Eternal Winter. The ice mountains gave no signs of melting; thus, the cold was all-year round at that place.

The saint did as he told and those who were having second thoughts turned over a new leaf. Humans stopped waging wars one after another; only when the conflict became too much did they enter war.

The saint never appeared again after that.

Or that was what they thought.

.

.

"Teacher! Teacher! I found this weird icky crawly bug with many, many legs at the playground!"

Without warning, said bug turned into ice and shattered into dust. This stunned the child who halted in his steps before puffing his cheeks in indignance. "Teacher! I haven't showed it to you yet!"

"Child," a handsome man stepped out of the front door, blue hair tied in pig tails -- due to Little Anya's insistence while they were playing house earlier -- and eyes as red as poppies. "I told you that you are not allowed to bring back anything dirty into the orphanage."

"I just wanted to show teacher and everyone else hmph!" The child called Astin crossed his chubby arms across his chest.

The teacher shook his head, helpless about the child's temper. Instead of scolding him, the teacher picked up the child with arm and let him ride his shoulders. In an instant, Astin's temper improved as he clutched onto his teacher's head.

"Onward!"

"Yes, yes."

"By the way, teacher, what are we gonna eat for dinner?"

"This teacher will bring back seafood and vegetables after I check the poultry."

Astin scrunched up his nose. "Seafood? I don't like them. They taste icky. I want meat!"

"It's seafood today, meat tomorrow."

"Aww!"

The teacher was about to enter the wooden building where the chickens were at when he heard the galloping of horses from the distance. It sounded like there were many and they seemed to be carrying something heavy. "Astin."