[I am a magic system—designed exclusively for you.]
The voice echoed inside Allen's mind as he remained cradled in the arms of the rolling troll. Straining to lift his head, he caught sight of the pursuers still giving chase behind them.
'What in the world is happening? Am I… on the run?'
The system replied, its tone devoid of emotion:
[The system only activates upon detecting an imminent threat to the host's life. Activation was triggered the moment you were nearly crushed to death.]
'Crushed?! Allen thought, his infant lips trembling slightly. Though still a baby, incapable of forming full expressions, turmoil churned within him.
'Wait a second—this is the world of Frozen, isn't it? So why is someone trying to smash me on a rock like this is some twisted historical tragedy? What is going on?!'
Then another question bubbled up:
'Why am I even here in the first place? What brought me to this world?'
[...]
The system remained silent.
'Hello? Don't ignore me! How did I end up in this place?!'
The system finally replied, its tone as calm as ever:
[A visual memory file will now be presented. It contains all events from your birth to the present moment, to help you better understand the current situation.]
The moment the sentence ended, a silent stream of images began playing within his mind, like a quiet, flickering film.
* * *
Meanwhile, Sosi had just tripped one of the soldiers, knocking him to the ground.
"Hurry, Harl! Their spears nearly pierced you!" he shouted.
But Harl, oddly serene, replied with a slight smile, "No need to panic. Caron's ahead of us with the baby—he won't be harmed."
Sosi, still watching the soldiers behind them, clenched his tiny stone fists. "Let's deal with these pests. We can't let them ruin the forest's peace!" He pounded his chest as if preparing for battle, clearly taking command in Caron's absence.
Harl, gently clutching his bag of moss like a beloved treasure, added calmly, "Not a bad idea… especially if they're after our food."
Sosi smirked mischievously. "Then let's lure them to the cliff's edge… and give them a little surprise."
* * *
Elsewhere, Caron was racing at full speed, Allen held safely in his arms.
In his embrace, the infant opened his eyes once more. Erlis, the murderous uncle, the stolen throne… the whole scenario felt overblown, like the exaggerated plot of a recycled drama.
Yet still, with soft, helpless eyes, he tried to glance behind him—hoping, just once, to catch a glimpse of his mother, the woman who had faced death to protect him.
But it was no use. He saw nothing.
Turning his gaze toward the troll carrying him, he asked the system:
'Hey, System… why did the trolls save me? This isn't like them, is it? Aren't they usually reclusive? They never get involved…'
[Today, you were born. And so was Elsa. Your births occurred at nearly the exact same moment. The system detected a rare synchronicity between the two of you—thus, a connection was formed. And all preparations for your early years were set in motion.]
'A connection? What kind of connection?! What's been planned for me?' Allen demanded—but there was no answer.
He turned his gaze to the distant sky and whispered silently to himself:
'The wise old troll… it seems you saw in me a future no one else could.'
* * *
Hidden behind a thick patch of shrubbery, Sosi called out playfully, "Hey, you fools! Come and catch me if you can!"
A ruckus immediately broke out—shouts, the clatter of swords, and stomping boots.
"There! Don't let him get away!"
"For Erlis For His Majesty!"
"Search the entire area! The child must be nearby."
"If we catch them, we'll get the baby too!"
But none of them realized just how close they were to the cliff's edge.
From their hiding spot, Sosi whispered to Harl, "Ready for a round of Smash Bounce?"
Harl whispered back nervously, "Oh no… You know I'm terrible at that game…"
Sosi grinned. "Don't worry! I'll let you win this time. Just follow my lead!"
Harl sighed in defeat. "Fine…"
Sosi began a countdown in a hushed voice, "Three… two… one… go! And don't forget the high jump!"
He rolled out first like a spinning boulder, with Harl reluctantly tumbling after him.
"Alright, alright… I'm coming!"
"What the—?!" one of the soldiers shouted.
Another tried to warn him, "Look out!"
But it was too late.
A hefty troll-rock came barreling out from the underbrush, smashing straight into the unsuspecting guard and flinging him off toward the cliff's edge.
(Poor guy… He didn't even have time to scream.)
"Harl!" Sosi shouted.
"I'm coming! No need to yell!"
"Yeeha! Let the fun begin!"
Their commander barked, "Form up! Don't let them scatter you! Something's wrong here—"
But before he could finish, Sosi slammed into him, hurling the man right onto the first fallen soldier. The commander blacked out instantly, and the unfortunate guard beneath him let out a faint groan before falling silent.
(Truly… condolences to the one on the bottom.)
Sosi kept charging forward with glee, yelling, "Ha ha! That's number two! Your turn, Harl!"
Harl stood motionless, wide-eyed.
'Unbelievable… These soldiers are dumber than I am. They can't even dodge a basic roll. I'm better than this!'
Crash! Bang! Thud!
The number of active guards quickly shrank, while the pile of unconscious bodies at the cliff's edge grew steadily. Loose stones began tumbling into the abyss.
Only five guards remained now, standing back-to-back in a tight formation, spears ready, thrusting at anything that moved.
Munching on his moss, Harl asked, "So what do you think, Sosi? Keep going or fall back?"
After their series of comical victories, confidence began to creep back into him—perhaps, just perhaps, he'd have the courage to challenge his friends when they returned. Or maybe he'd get trounced again like always.
Sosi stroked his chin in thought. "No… We're too close to home. If we make too much noise, the others might find us. But… wait! Harl, do you remember the Stone Twister Game?"
A favorite among young trolls, this game involved two of them shrinking into compact rock forms—arms extended—and spinning together at high speed to form a miniature tornado. It demanded serious stamina and coordination.
Harl blinked. "You really want to try that? Alright, let me finish dinner first… I've never actually done it."
After stuffing the last of his moss into his mouth, he clasped Sosi's hands—and the two began to spin.
In truth, Harl had never had the nerve to try the game before. But now…
Thanks to their victory over the dizzy, groaning soldiers, he felt something stir inside him.
A little courage.
Special thanks to the poor fellow crushed at the bottom of the pile, who murmured with fading breath: "I… can't… breathe…"
Their bodies blurred into motion, forming a whirling stone vortex—Sosi, as it turned out, was a master at this game!
"Forward, Harl!" he cried out excitedly.
"Let's go!"