The Guardian chosen by the Moon

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The icy wind whistled softly as I stood in front of the Gordon house. The sky above Toronto was clear, a crisp blue with only a few wispy clouds. The cold air bit at the cheeks, but to me, it was a gentle caress. Snowflakes fell lightly, swirling around my barely perceptible movements.

When Melinda opened the door, she observed us for a moment before sighing. "So, you're really going to take him flying over the city?"

I raised an eyebrow, a mischievous smile tugging at the corner of my lips. "Oh, don't worry. I won't let him fall. He's in good hands."

The morning wind was freezing as I met Liam on the Gordon porch. Bundled up in a thick coat and a beanie, he looked at me with barely contained excitement, his cheeks rosy from the cold.

"So, what's the plan?" he asked, tightening his scarf.

I flashed him a grin and tapped my staff against my shoulder. "We're going to scout the city and locate the black seeds. Ever dreamed of flying?"

His eyes lit up. "Like Superman?"

"Better. Come on, hold on tight."

I nodded. "Yeah, but first, make sure you're wrapped up. It gets chilly up there."

Liam quickly adjusted his scarf and slipped his hands into gloves. Melinda watched him with a worried glint in her eyes but said nothing. Instead, she placed a hand on his shoulder. "Be careful, Liam. And listen to Jack."

He nodded eagerly. "Promise."

I held my hand out to him. "Ready?"

With a swift motion, I grabbed his coat collar and lifted him into the air. A gasp of amazement escaped his lips as we soared above the snow-covered streets of Toronto. He clung to my arm tightly, his feet kicking at the air before he steadied himself.

"This is… amazing!" he shouted over the wind, arms slightly outstretched.

I laughed at his excitement. "Wait until you see the view from up top!"

We gained altitude, the city stretching below us like a living map. Snow blanketed the rooftops, cars left dark trails on the white roads, and the lights from stores and offices created a shimmering mosaic under the winter dawn.

Liam hesitated for a second before grabbing my hand. With a rush of wind, we shot upward into the sky.

His startled cry quickly turned into exhilarated laughter as we glided over the city. He gripped my hand firmly, but his eyes sparkled with childlike wonder. Below us, Toronto sprawled, a landscape of skyscrapers, snowy parks, and winding streets packed with miniature cars.

"This is incredible!" he exclaimed. "It's like a dream!"

I smirked. "Yeah, flying's pretty great. Enjoy it—not everyone gets to see the city like this."

Liam turned his head in every direction, trying to take in everything at once. Then, remembering our mission, he tightened his grip on the notebook and pencil I had given him before takeoff.

"Okay, so I write down every time I feel something weird, right?"

"Exactly. Focus. It could be a chill, a sense of pressure, or just a gut feeling. Trust what you feel."

Liam nodded, suddenly serious despite his excitement. He scanned the streets below, trying to sense the anomalies that signaled the presence of a black seed.

Suddenly, he stiffened. "There!" He pointed toward a darker district, a cluster of warehouses on the city's outskirts. "I felt something. Like a weight on my chest."

I nodded and descended slightly to get a better look. "Good catch. Mark it down, and let's keep moving. We'll come back later."

We continued our route, zigzagging between residential areas and empty alleys. Each time Liam shivered or hesitated, he marked a new point on the map. He seemed instinctively drawn to these pockets of dark energy, confirming my suspicion: Pitch might sense him, too.

Liam scribbled a few notes in his notebook as we climbed higher. We kept surveying the city, pinpointing locations where the seeds' presence felt strongest. But as we flew over a small convenience store, a sharp voice below caught my attention.

Down on the street, a man was holding a cashier at gunpoint. I clenched my teeth. "Hold on tight, Liam. I've got something to take care of."

We swooped down to a nearby alley. Setting Liam safely on a rooftop, I silently descended to the store entrance. With a flick of my wrist, I sent a sheet of frost across the doorway, turning the floor into an icy trap.

The man stepped back in surprise and lost his balance, crashing hard onto the frozen floor. His gun skidded out of reach. The cashier wasted no time in hitting the alarm. The would-be robber tried to scramble up, but I summoned another layer of ice beneath his hands and knees, keeping him locked in place.

From above, Liam watched in fascination. "It's Jack Frost!" he called to the still-shocked cashier.

Satisfied, I returned to Liam. "Come on, we've still got work to do."

As we resumed our search, we flew over a dark alley where several men stood, exchanging tense glances. A metallic glint caught my eye—a weapon aimed at a man kneeling before them.

Liam clutched my arm. "They're gonna kill him!"

I didn't waste a second. Diving sharply, I unleashed a gust of icy wind that slammed the gang members against the brick walls. The threatened man seized the moment to flee while I lowered the temperature, freezing the ground and their shoes in place.

Liam cheered. "Another win for Jack Frost!"

Further along, a gang fight erupted in another alley. Knives flashed under streetlights, voices rose in anger. With a swift motion, I cast a snowstorm their way, blinding them. Weapons clattered to the ground, shouts turned to confused curses. Disoriented, the gangsters scattered, fleeing into the night as Liam laughed.

Our final intervention happened near a park. A man in a trench coat approached a young girl sitting alone on a swing. His shifty eyes and hesitant movements set off alarm bells in my head.

Without hesitation, I dove and whipped up a sudden snowstorm around him. Panicked, he slipped and landed hard on his back, while the little girl, startled but unharmed, cautiously stepped away. A passerby called the police, and as the man tried to flee, he ran straight into a wall of ice I had conjured behind him.

Liam, witnessing the scene, raised his notebook. "Jack Frost, superhero for kids!"

After hours of work, we had identified a solid half-dozen suspicious locations. Liam shivered slightly despite his coat. I placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

"Let's head back. You did an incredible job today."

He nodded, tired but proud. As we made our way back to the Gordon house, I knew we had just taken an important step. The hunt for the black seeds had officially begun.