The Pixel Colosseum shimmered in the distance like a giant neon crown.
Far.
Really far.
The group stood on the dusty road, staring at it.
William squinted. "We could walk."
Camelio groaned. "Walk? That's like an hour."
Gudan nodded. "The distance is… considerable."
Sys tilted his head. "We should arrive before the next heat spike."
Hope stretched her arms behind her head, carefree and grinning. "Or… we could race."
Everyone froze.
Camelio blinked. "Race? To there?"
Hope nodded. "Yep. First one to the Colosseum wins. Loser buys snacks."
William gasped. "Snacks?! I'm in."
Gudan raised an eyebrow. "A race could be… enjoyable."
Sys stepped forward. "If we are racing, I will—"
Hope clapped her hands. "GO!"
Everyone: "WAIT—"
But she was already gone.
A straight streak of purple‑green kinetic energy blasted forward as Hope launched herself down the road, laughing like she'd been waiting all day for this.
"WOOOO! THIS IS FUN!"
William sprinted after her. "HEY! NO FAIR!"
Camelio tripped immediately. "I hate this already!"
Gudan ran with heavy, powerful strides.
Sys glided forward with eerie smoothness.
But Hope?
Hope was a comet.
She fired Starway after Starway, flipping, laughing, bouncing off her own constructs like a kid on a playground.
She didn't have to be calm.
She didn't have to be composed.
She didn't have to be a soldier.
She could just be Hope.
Gudan Starts to Overheat
Halfway down the road, Gudan slowed.
His breath came out in hot bursts.
Steam rose off his shoulders.
William noticed. "Gudan? You okay?"
Gudan didn't answer.
He knew this feeling.
He hated this feeling.
The world was slowly overheating — no winter, no snow, no frost.
December felt like autumn.
People whispered about the missing cold.
And Gudan knew why.
Because winter wasn't gone.
It was inside him.
A sharp CRACK split the air.
Frost exploded across the ground beneath Gudan's feet, spreading outward in jagged lines. The temperature dropped instantly.
Hope skidded to a stop ahead, turning back. "Whoa—"
Camelio scrambled backward. "BRO?! ICE?!"
William's eyes widened. "Gudan…?"
Gudan stared at his hands as frost crawled up his arms.
"No… not now…"
Hope jogged back toward him, her carefree smile fading. "Gudan? What's wrong?"
He swallowed hard.
"This is… bad."
Sys approached, analyzing the frost. "Your internal temperature is dropping rapidly."
Gudan shook his head. "It's not my temperature. It's… him."
Hope blinked. "Him?"
Gudan closed his eyes, voice trembling.
Hope blinked. "Him?"
Gudan closed his eyes, voice trembling.
"The Ice God. The God of Winter. His heart… is inside me."
The group fell silent.
Gudan continued, barely above a whisper:
"When he vanished, winter vanished. The world began to warm. Slowly. Not deadly yet… but wrong. December without snow. Rivers too warm. Animals confused."
He looked at the frost spreading around him.
"And when this ice appears… it means he's waking up."
Hope stepped closer, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Hey… breathe. You're not alone."
Gudan's breath hitched.
The frost slowed.
The cracking stopped.
For the first time, the ice didn't spread.
Gudan opened his eyes, shaken but steady.
"…Thank you."
Hope smiled softly. "Anytime."
Camelio exhaled. "Okay, that was terrifying."
William nodded. "But also kinda cool."
Gudan managed a small smile. "A balance… as always."
Sys stepped back. "We should continue. Carefully."
Hope grinned again, her carefree spark returning. "Race isn't over!"
Camelio groaned. "Oh COME ON—"
Hope blasted forward again, laughing.
And despite everything, Gudan followed —
because for the first time in his life,
he wasn't carrying winter alone.
But it did'nt just disappeared it stuck to his fingernails.
It clung there — thin, pale-blue crescents that shimmered with a cold that didn't belong to this warm December air. Immortal. Unmoving. A reminder.
Gudan kept his hands curled into fists as he ran, trying to hide them, but Hope noticed anyway. She slowed just enough to fall into step beside him.
Her eyes flicked down. "It's still there."
Gudan didn't look at her. "It will not melt."
William jogged up behind them, panting. "Like… ever?"
Gudan shook his head. "Immortal ice. Once it forms, it stays. Unless I force it away."
Camelio made a face. "Dude, that's… horrifying."
Sys drifted closer, analyzing the frost with quiet intensity. "This confirms the Ice God's influence is increasing. The ice is not a temporary reaction. It is a manifestation."
Gudan swallowed hard. "A mark."
Hope tilted her head. "A mark of what?"
Gudan hesitated — then opened his hand.
The frost glimmered faintly, like tiny frozen moons attached to each nail.
"A mark that winter is trying to return," he said softly. "Through me."
Camelio's eyes widened. "Like… you're a walking season?"
Gudan didn't answer.
He didn't need to.
Hope stepped in front of him again, blocking his view of his own hands just like before. Her voice was gentle but steady.
"Hey. Look at me."
Gudan lifted his gaze.
"You're not going to lose yourself," she said. "Not while we're here."
William nodded. "Yeah! We'll keep you warm. Or cold. Or… whatever you need."
Camelio raised a hand. "As long as I don't freeze solid, I'm good."
Sys simply said, "We will monitor the progression and intervene if necessary."
Gudan stared at them — this strange, chaotic, ridiculous group — and something inside him eased.
"…Thank you," he murmured.
Hope grinned, her carefree spark returning. "Now come on. I'm still winning this race."
Camelio groaned. "WHY ARE WE STILL DOING THIS—"
Hope blasted forward again, laughing. Gudan followed — slower, thoughtful — the immortal frost still clinging to his nails like a whisper of winter.
A whisper that the Ice God was waking.
A whisper that time was running out.
But for the first time…
He wasn't afraid to face it.