The New Guard 2 The Bald Man Insurance The bald man hurried to the cemetery with that confident stride, knowing he had bought himself some time. He shook his head—no, he hadn’t truly bought time until he held the heart of that heartless daughter of the patron. One might wonder how he knew the grave of the patron’s lover, but not him; he still held the power of the gate and knew exactly what to do. As he reached the cemetery, he stood for a moment, closing his eyes and sniffing the air. Sadness washed over him—not knowing his family, his parents, or even his own name. They simply called him the bald man. Anger flared, but he composed himself. Time waited for no one. Compared to the hot, living world outside, the graveyard felt like hell frozen over. He could see his breath misting; his hands stiffened in the cold. He muttered a spell that chased the chill away, then faced the endless rows of graves. “I am the gatekeeper below the corporation, and I hold power over you,” he ...
The Unforgiving Frost It was a brutal winter that year, a winter no one had ever experienced. The ground was frozen hard by the cold; even the grass grew stiff. Everyone could be seen wearing triple layers of clothes, gloves, and nose masks, because breathing the cold air would make your lungs freeze. It was the kind of winter that made many people wish they lived in a warmer country. A Shiver in the Cell Pascal was in his cell trying to get warm. He nearly cried when he saw his breath misting. He huddled in his bunk and tried to use the thin blanket to cover his body, but it was no use. He kept rubbing his hands together to create warmth, but for all his effort, he knew it was useless as he kept shivering. "This is beyond ordinary," he thought. He tried to flash back on his life, but the cold was too much for him to even think. He was brought back to reality when the guard banged on his cell door. "Time to get up," the guard said as he opened the door. "What...