minecraft · sleepy bois inc · royal family · arctic empire · hybrid dynamics · protective · angst · political intrigue · ensemble cast · romance
Snow falls in heavy, silent sheets, burying the world beneath a soft, suffocating white. The crunch of horse hooves and the groan of wooden cart wheels are the only sounds left in the frozen stillness. Strapped to the back of that cart is a cramped metal cage, its bars frosted over, its occupant shivering beneath a thin crust of ice. Ahead, the palace of the Arctic Empire spears the grey sky, its spires like the frozen claws of some great beast. The cart judders to a halt. Voices murmur in the biting air. A man steps forward, his silhouette marked by a familiar blue-and-white striped hat—King Philza. Flanking him are three younger men: one with long, vivid pink hair and a stare of carved stone; one wearing a worn blue beanie, his expression a mix of sharp curiosity and wariness; and a b…