The Cold of Revenge

Winter clung to the small town of Frostwood like a jealous lover. The streets were covered with snow, and the windows of the houses looked like eyes squinting against the cold. In a modest wooden house, brothers Alexei and Nikolai shared a life of secrets and rivalries.

Alexei was the older brother, with a sharp look and a smile that hid more than he revealed. Nikolai, on the other hand, was the dreamer, with big, hopeful eyes. But beneath that innocent appearance, a fire of jealousy and desire for revenge burned.

The kitchen table was the epicenter of their conflicts. There they sat to share meals, but also to conspire. Alexei had inherited his grandfather's pocket watch, a treasure Nikolai longed for. Each tick-tock echoed like a mockery in his mind.

One night, as the snow fell in heavy flakes, Nikolai made a decision. He waited for Alexei to fall asleep and crept quietly to the table. The pocket watch was there, as always, the golden sheen of it tempting him.

Nikolai took it in his hands, feeling the pulse of time. But before he could escape, the door burst open. Alexei was there, with bloodshot eyes and a gun in his hand.

"Runs!" Nikolai whispered, but it was too late. Alexei fired, and the bullet passed through the pocket watch before lodging in Nikolai's heart. Blood mixed with the snow as Nikolai fell to the ground.

Alexei looked at the broken watch and then at his dying brother. "You should never have touched it," he murmured.

Nikolai smiled weakly. "The cold is nothing compared to revenge," he said before closing his eyes.

The house fell silent, interrupted only by the agonized ticking of the pocket watch. Alexei picked it up and put it in his coat. Then he walked out into the freezing night, leaving behind the body of his brother.

In the heart of Frostwood, the kitchen table continued to bear witness to secrets and tragedies. The winter was unforgiving, and revenge was colder than any snowstorm.