The rain grew heavier.
He waved to his companions and pointed at the few fish left on the ground.
Then, amid his companions’ calls of thanks, he picked up his fish and turned to leave.
The drizzle thickened, cool against his face.
Wanting to get home faster, he turned into a small alley.
SPLASH, SPLASH.
The sound of his footsteps echoed through the rainy alley.
Suddenly, Ville’s ears twitched.
He heard footsteps other than his own.
He looked up out of reflex.
Through the curtain of rain, a blurry figure was walking toward him.
They weren’t far, yet for some reason, he couldn’t make out their face.
As the figure drew closer, Ville felt a strange palpitation, his chest tightening as if squeezed by an invisible hand.
In the instant they brushed shoulders, the person suddenly looked up.
Through the veil of rain, a pair of crimson, cross-shaped pupils stared straight at him, so cold they held not a trace of warmth.
In that instant, Ville’s consciousness clouded over.
He didn’t know how much time had passed.
...
BOOM!
Suddenly, high in the heavens, a silver-white bolt of lightning tore through the clouds like a keen blade. The thunderclap that followed was powerful enough to make one’s eardrums tremble.
Standing frozen in the rain, Ville suddenly shivered from the cold.
’Strange... Why am I just standing here in a daze?’
He shook his sopping wet, blond hair. As he glanced around, a strange sense of dissonance washed over him.
It was as if he had forgotten something important.
But no matter how hard he tried to remember, he couldn’t grasp a single clue.
SPLASH! SPLASH!
Just then, the two fish in his hand began to struggle violently, their tails slapping at the falling rain and sending droplets flying.
The commotion snapped Ville out of his thoughts.
’Whatever. If I can’t remember, I’ll just stop trying...’
He wiped the rain from his face.
’I’d better get back and cook for Dad. If I’m late, I’m in for another beating.’
He shuddered at the thought.
He immediately broke into a run.
Soon, he was back at his front door.
It was a low-slung wooden house. Its rough log walls were densely hung with all manner of farm tools, such as sickles, hoes, and shovels.
An unfinished plowshare rested on the anvil by the door, its rust and coal dust smudging the muddy ground with dark red stains.
That’s right. This was the village’s only blacksmith shop, and it was also his home.
As if hearing his arrival, a figure stepped out from within.
This was a man who stood two meters tall, his body a mass of gnarled muscle, like an iron tower.
The man had the same purple-gray eyes as the boy.
The only difference was that the purple in the powerfully built man’s eyes was more pure.
"Dad!"
Ville ducked his head, his voice unconsciously growing softer.
Ville wasn’t scrawny compared to others his age, but standing in front of his dad, he looked like a baby chick.
The man’s two-meter frame was like an iron tower, casting a shadow that nearly swallowed him whole.
Veins coiled on his thick arms, and the muscles forged from years of blacksmithing were as hard as iron. His mere presence was suffocating.
"Hmph. Go make dinner."
The burly man’s gaze paused for a moment on the two fish in Ville’s hands.
With that said, he turned and went into the house, the wooden door letting out a dull creak as it closed behind him.
Ville’s tense shoulders finally relaxed.
He had already been bracing himself for a beating.
After all, he was home later than usual and his clothes were soaked. He hadn’t expected his dad to let it slide.
Before long, a large tureen of steaming fish soup was brought to the table.
Emerald-green wild vegetables floated on the milky-white surface of the soup, and its fresh, savory aroma rose with the steam, whetting the appetite on smell alone.
This tureen held enough to satisfy four or five people, but for Ville and his dad, it was just an ordinary meal.
Everyone in the village said that the blacksmith’s family had appetites like bottomless pits.
Ville always used the excuses of being a growing boy and blacksmithing being strenuous work, but in reality...
...they could eat so much simply because they had huge appetites.
Ville himself sometimes wondered if he was different from ordinary people, which might explain why he could eat so much.
"This is good."
The burly man took a sip of the soup, smacked his lips, and offered a rare compliment.
Ville froze. He glanced at his dad suspiciously, then lowered his head and tasted the fish soup.
It was sweet and richly savory; the tender fish and the fresh aroma of the wild greens exploded on his tongue.
’Strange. I made it the exact same way as always...’
He frowned.
’Could it be that the fish was just fresher? Or has my Culinary Skill improved again?’
At this thought, he discreetly lifted his eyes and peeked at his dad sitting across from him.
’Dad seems to be in a pretty good mood today...’
Ville swallowed, his Adam’s apple bobbing.
He opened his mouth, then closed it again, finally mustering his courage to ask softly,
"Um... Dad, can you tell me about Mom?"
The burly man glanced at him, seemingly unconcerned.
"What is there to tell? Didn’t I already tell you she died from complications during your birth?"
Ville heard the displeasure in his dad’s voice.
But he couldn’t help but press on.
"I know that... I just want to know more about Mom. Like how you two met..."
Ville’s voice trailed off, eventually becoming little more than a mumble.
His memory of his mother was like a watercolor painting washed out by the rain, with only blurry patches of color left behind.
But the more blank spaces there were, the more he yearned to fill them.
An eerie silence descended, broken only by the sound of the rain outside and the occasional crackle of firewood in the stove.
The burly man’s expression soured.
Just as he was about to snap at him...