Northern Lights

Initially mistaking him for a stable hand, she tried to use her only valuable possession, the DunBroch family heirloom pocket watch, as payment for him to help her escape. Fearing recognition as a DunBroch, she didn't deny it when Hiccup asked if she was Miss Corona. Disguised as a boy, she followed Hiccup into the Haddock camp, constantly seeking escape, but was repeatedly discovered and thwarted by him. Her exceptional archery and riding skills caught Marshal Stoick's attention, and he selected her as one of his attendants. Still believing Hiccup was also an attendant, she felt no need for pretense around him, never having to feign ignorance and often offering him training advice. After Hiccup covered for her several times in critical moments, she began to develop feelings for him, though she didn't understand them.

As the Haddock family prepared to return to the manor, fear of exposure drove her to attempt another nighttime escape from the camp. Hiccup found her, and worried about escalating clan tensions, she eventually agreed to return to Berk Manor and continue playing the part of Horrendous’s betrothed.

Back at Berk Manor, she carefully concealed her distinctive hair under elaborate headpieces and took great care with her appearance to avoid being recognized as the former camp boy. When the clan leaders returned, Merida finally learned Hiccup's true identity: he was Horrendous, Stoick’s son.

Discovering Hiccup's real identity left Merida uncertain for the first time. For a long while, she avoided speaking with him. Her usual fiery self would have erupted in anger and made a rash decision, but now she felt lost, unsure of her next step. Her mind was so clouded that she didn't even realize when Hiccup confessed his feelings to her.

When Rapunzel, Jack, and her three younger brothers arrived at Berk Manor, Merida confessed everything to Marshal Stoick. Returning the DunBroch pocket watch as a gesture of good faith, she requested the dissolution of the Haddock-Corona engagement. Stoick angrily berated them as thoughtless young people lacking any sense of family honor and ordered them to leave Berk Manor immediately. Merida defiantly challenged him, as herself, to a contest: whoever could hunt the stag with the largest antlers would decide the outcome. They loosed their arrows simultaneously at a target. Merida struck its chest, but unlike Stoick's, her shot wasn't instantly fatal.

Ultimately, Stoick admitted he knew she was his former attendant all along as her red hair was unmistakable, a mirror image of his old rival Fergus in his youth. He also began to understand what Hiccup truly wanted, and was consistently amazed by her archery and riding skills, so unexpected for a girl her age. He left Berk Manor, leaving the decision to Hiccup.

With all engagements dissolved, Merida, changed by her experiences, felt the urge to leave and explore realms previously closed to her, including Clan DunBroch's military affairs, and the landscapes of Scotland. In the second year after her departure, she gradually understood what she truly wanted and finally grasped the meaning behind Hiccup's past actions and his confession. So, in the third year, she returned to Berk Manor, choosing to be with him.

- Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III -

The only son of the Haddock family and heir to Berk Manor. Though not as physically robust as others in his clan, he possesses a shrewd military mind, crafting and using various unique weapons. He is known as "Horrendous" among the attendants. Few outside the family's inner circle know he is the Haddock heir. The Haddocks have long been at odds with several major families, led by Clan DunBroch. To ease this conflict, his father Stoick proposed a marriage alliance to the Earl of Corona, and upon receiving a positive response, Hiccup accepted the political arrangement.

He favors negotiation over warfare to resolve the military disputes. However, after a childhood accident left him with a limp and lacking the physical prowess his father seemingly desires in a warrior, he has long felt his father's disapproval and desperately craves his acknowledgment. Within his father's camp, he often plays a role similar to an attendant.

Encountering the runaway Merida in town, he immediately saw through her disguise. Assuming she was from Berk Manor, he thought she was Miss Corona. Later, spotting the DunBroch crest on her pocket watch, he began to suspect her true identity. To avoid alerting anyone prematurely, he let her follow him to the Haddock camp. Impressed by her archery skills, he recommended her to Stoick, securing her a position as an attendant. During this time, he received a letter from Rapunzel, sent to Berk Manor, revealing the carriage mix-up and confirming Merida's identity as the DunBroch eldest daughter. Secretly helping Merida stay disguised and guiding her to act more masculine, he kept her secret, drawn to her, while also concealing his own identity.

As the Haddocks prepared to return to the manor, he urged Merida to go back to Berk Manor to prevent the situation from worsening, hesitant to reveal who he was. Back at the manor, seeing Merida in her formal attire solidified his feelings. He intended to explain everything but instead found himself confessing his feelings, though Merida, distracted, didn't grasp his meaning. He mistakenly believed this was her rejection.

Finally confessing to his father that Merida was not Miss Corona but the DunBroch heir, the engagements were dissolved. This led to a long-overdue honest conversation between Stoick and Hiccup, and Hiccup realized his father's supposed disapproval was largely in his own head. He prepared Stoick's weapons and a fine horse for his journey.

Seeing Rapunzel and Jack find happiness, he intended to propose to Merida. But after hearing her speak of her hopes for the future, he chose to let her go. He saw her off from Berk Manor and returned her pocket watch. Three years later, in a town near Berk, he heard a familiar voice asking him, using a pocket watch as collateral, to help her leave this place.

『 The Reveal 』

The news reached Merida upon the training field.

Marshal Stoick was to return to Berk Manor with his intimates. The political marriage must be prepared; Miss Corona should be in attendance there.

But Miss Corona was not there. She was in South Yorkshire, in company with a certain Mr Frost, and the "Miss Corona" who remained here was but a substitute.

That evening, Merida gathered her belongings, prepared to flee once more, but she had scarcely stepped from her tent when she perceived Hiccup standing there.

"You mean to leave," he said. It was not a question.

She was silent.

"You cannot," he said.

"Why not?"

He drew nearer, until he stood before her. The moonlight fell upon his countenance, and in those green eyes was an earnestness she had never before beheld.

"If the Marshal discovers that his son's betrothed has fled," he said, "the Corona family will be disgraced. Miss Corona's reputation will be ruined. All of this—"

"It is not my doing," she interrupted.

"I know it," he said. "But you are the only one who can prevent it."

She regarded him.

"You must go back," he said. "To Berk Manor. You must be Miss Corona."

"And then?"

He was silent for a considerable space.

Then he said: "And then, you will know."

She searched his face, seeking some answer there. But he merely stood, those green eyes reflecting the moonlight, and her own image within them.

"And you?" she asked.

The faintest curve touched his lips—so slight she might almost have fancied it.

"I shall return also," he said.

A few days later, Merida found herself back at the Berk Manor. Berk Manor was larger than she remembered, older, more imposing.

Merida stood in the great hall, attired in a gown of deep green silk, her hair dressed with care and arranged in an elegant coiffure. About her neck hung pearls she had never worn before; from her ears depended drops she had never before attempted. The figure in the mirror was scarcely recognisable even to herself.

Yet her thoughts dwelt still upon those days in the camp. Upon him who had ever stood at a little distance, observing her. Upon those gentle green eyes. Upon those conversations in the deep watches of the night.

He had said: "You will know."

She knew not what it signified. She knew not whether he would come. She knew not how any of this would conclude.

The door opened.

Marshal Stoick entered, followed by a numerous company. Merida lowered her gaze and sank into a curtsey.

"Miss Corona." The Marshal's voice resounded like thunder.

"My lord Marshal," she replied, her voice soft, striving to assume the manner of a true lady of quality.

The Marshal turned, indicating those behind him.

"This is my son," he said. "Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third."

Merida looked up, and then she could not move.

Standing there was Hiccup.

He who had given her the dagger in the woods. He who had helped her enter the camp unnoticed. He who had stood at a distance watching her shoot. He with whom she had conversed deep into the night. He who had said: "You will know."

He wore a dark military coat, his left leg still slightly favouring itself, yet he was utterly transformed. The uniform defined his form more sharply; silver buttons gleamed in the candlelight. His hair had been carefully dressed, revealing a countenance she knew only too well.

He was looking at her.

He did not look away.

From the moment he entered the hall, his gaze had rested upon her and did not waver. He ought to have looked away. He ought to have crossed the room with studied indifference, exchanged a few civil words with her as with any strange young lady.

But he did not.

He merely stood there, gazing at her, as though the whole world had ceased to exist.

——

Merida remained rooted to the spot, quite incapable of movement.

Her mind was a perfect blank. Only one phrase echoed there, again and again: Hiccup is Horrendous. Horrendous is Hiccup.

The man whose betrothed she was impersonating. The stranger she ought by rights to have married. The man in whose company she had passed so many days.

He had known. From the very first day, he had known.

She ought to be angry. She ought to be indignant. She ought to demand why he had concealed it from her.

Yet looking into his eyes, those green eyes held something that rendered her quite incapable of speech.

It was not guilt she saw there, nor triumph, nor any emotion she might have anticipated. It was something far more complex, something like apprehension, something like expectation, something like... fear.

He was afraid.

The realisation struck her with sudden force.

He was afraid of her reaction.

This man who never betrayed his feelings, who ever stood in corners at the camp, who appeared indifferent to all, he was afraid.

Afraid of what? That she would be angry? That she would leave? That she would...

He did not approach her. He merely stood there, looking at her, as though awaiting her judgment.

————

Initially, aware of Merida's predicament, she stayed at Frost Manor, pretending to be Merida, planning to observe the situation while figuring out how to resolve the mix-up. When Jack took her to various lavish social gatherings, she overheard his reasons for seeking an alliance with Clan DunBroch and concluded he was a self-absorbed and frivolous merchant. She also learned from others that the Frost family harbored a shameful secret. When Jack's cousins, Elsa and Anna, visited the manor, she got along with them naturally but sensed a rift between Elsa and Jack. She was also secretly warned by Elsa to stay away from someone as deep and calculating as Jack.

Through their daily interactions, she gradually came to know Jack's true nature beneath his frivolous facade and grew fond of him. When Jack, misunderstanding her identity, made a veiled, insulting remark, she heard the implication. She confessed she was not Miss DunBroch and, feeling insulted, resolutely left Frost Manor, attempting to return to Buckinghamshire. Found by Jack on a rainy night as she prepared to leave, she accepted his apology and confession. She then revealed she was actually the daughter of the Earl of Corona. Learning the reason for the conflict between Jack and Elsa, she mentioned her acquaintance with Viscount Westergaard and helped them mend their long-standing rift.

Upon receiving a letter from Hiccup detailing Merida's situation and his plan, she wrote to her father, stating that Jack was the one she wished to marry and outlining Hiccup's plan, hoping for her father's support. She and Jack then went to Clan DunBroch to explain the plan, persuading Fergus to show goodwill for the reconciliation by allowing Merida's three younger brothers to accompany them to Berk Manor. Later, she informed Stoick that her father was willing to gift several of his undeveloped lands to the Haddock family.

With all matters resolved, and because she shared Jack's interest in the world beyond the coastline, she accompanied him on his trading voyages.

- Jack Overland Frost -

The master of Frost Manor, one of the region's most prominent wealthy merchants. Rumored to be an eerie man with skin as pale and cold as a corpse. A mysterious figure who prefers dealings only with other merchants, he hosts a wine-tasting dinner for his business circle every few months, drifting through the event unseen, with few people truly knowing him personally.

In private, he is playful and mischievous, acting like an ingenious and whimsical boy. Highly intelligent, he delights in seeing others fall for his pranks. While maintaining a rift with his cousin Elsa, he also shares a secret with her. His engagement to Clan DunBroch was initially just a facade, intended both to quell excessive gossip around him and to prevent Elsa from planting more spies in his life.

Through a twist of fate, he met Rapunzel and was immediately smitten. He took her to various social events, introducing her to his business associates. Jack discovered Rapunzel had a keen business sense and was very shrewd about managing finances. Yet, because she differed from the rumors about Miss DunBroch, he never fully opened up to her, even mistakenly believing she was a hostess hired by Elsa to distract him, leading to a misunderstanding. After Rapunzel left, he realized his feelings for her, found her to apologize, and after they confessed their feelings, they returned to Frost Manor.

He confessed to Rapunzel that, orphaned young, he was taken in by Mr. Arendelle, who unexpectedly left him a significant portion of his estate. However, Jack missed the funeral due to business, creating Elsa's prejudice against him. He later interfered when Elsa was set to marry the notoriously ill-reputed Viscount Westergaard, leading to their separation. Rumors were twisted into a family scandal about the Lady of Arendelle eloping with the infamous viscount. Jack later discovered they had known each other for years, and the viscount's reputation was sabotaged by ill-intentioned parties. Jack tried to make amends, but the viscount had already been forced into marriage. From Rapunzel, he learned the Viscount Westergaard had never truly gone through with that wedding and had left Yorkshire, staying in Buckinghamshire with help from the Earl of Corona.

He later rushed to Berk Manor with Rapunzel, helping to clarify the carriage mix-up. After everything was settled, he specifically went to Buckinghamshire to find Viscount Westergaard, apologize for his past actions and prejudice, and share the letters Elsa had tried to send him over the years and the proposals she had rejected. His sincere apology earned Elsa's forgiveness, and she told him a place in the Arendelle family would always be his. The Arendelle sisters and Jack Frost reconciled.

Finally receiving the Earl of Corona's consent, he married Rapunzel, taking her on his trading voyages and frequently visiting Berk Manor together upon their return.

————————

『 The Confession Scene 』

The day of Miss Elsa Arendelle's arrival changed everything.

She was Jack's cousin, a woman of cold beauty and penetrating discernment. From the moment she crossed the threshold of Frost Manor, Rapunzel felt her gaze rest upon her a moment too long.

"You are Miss DunBroch?" Elsa enquired, her tone wanting in warmth.

"Yes," Rapunzel replied, preserving her smile.

Elsa regarded her for a considerable space. Then she said, "I am told the Scottish ladies are excellent horsewomen."

"Yes," said Rapunzel. "I am very fond of riding."

Elsa said no more. But that evening, she sought Rapunzel in the garden.

"You should beware of him," Elsa said, her voice lowered so that only they might hear.

"Of whom?"

"Jack." Elsa's gaze fixed upon a distant window. "He is not to be trusted. He is too deep, too full of secrets. You will not find happiness in marrying him."

Rapunzel made no reply. What could she say? She was not the true Miss DunBroch, would not truly marry Jack. Yet she could not tell Elsa so.

"I thank you for your warning," she said at last.

Elsa regarded her a moment longer, then turned and walked away.

What Rapunzel could not know was that Jack stood at a window on the second floor, observing their entire intercourse.

That evening, Jack drank a great deal of wine in his study.

He could not account for his anger. Was it that Elsa once again sought to govern his affairs? That she was planting spies about him once more? Or was it... that watching her stand with Rapunzel had stirred some feeling he could not name?

He recalled every moment of the past days. Her smiles. Her words. The way she looked at him. He told himself it was all performance. He told himself she was merely one of Elsa's creatures. He told himself not to be deceived.

But when Rapunzel entered the study and enquired whether he required anything, the words escaped him before he could call them back.

"You play your part admirably," he said, his voice edged with irony. "How much does Elsa pay you?"

Rapunzel stopped. She stood in the doorway, backlit, her countenance unreadable.

"I beg your pardon?" Her voice was perfectly calm.

"Pray, spare yourself the trouble of further pretence." He rose and approached her. "I know who you are. I know Elsa sent you. A tavern girl, or a dancer, I care not which. She hired you to play Miss DunBroch, to distract me. You have acquitted yourselves handsomely, both of you. But I am not deceived."

She regarded him. Those jade-green eyes, in the dim light, held a depth that discomposed him. There was no anger in them, no even injury, only a composure that unsettled him far more than any outburst might have done.

"How long have you known Elsa?" she asked.

He blinked. The question took him by surprise.

"That is not to the purpose—"

"Answer me, if you please." Her voice remained composed, yet carried an authority that would not be denied.

"...We grew up together. She is my cousin."

"Then you must be very closely acquainted," she said. "So closely that you may freely conjecture her motives. So closely that you may assume any woman who exchanges words with her must be her pawn."

Jack's brow contracted. Every word she uttered was as a nail, driven precisely into the flaws of his accusation.

"I did not mean—"

"No, indeed you did not." She cut him short. "You merely spoke, in utter ignorance, to a woman of whom you know nothing." She paused, and the faintest smile curved her lips. It is a smile that held no warmth whatsoever. "A very singular mode of proceeding, Mr Frost."

He opened his mouth, but found himself quite bereft of speech.

Rapunzel stepped forward, and the lamplight fell full upon her face. Her countenance remained composed, but in her eyes was something that made his heart contract.

"You are in the right of it, I am not Miss DunBroch," she said, her voice clear and unwavering. "I mistook my carriage that rainy night. I ought to have been conveyed to Derbyshire, yet found myself here instead. I did not tell you because I have a friend, the true Miss DunBroch, who is at this moment, somewhere I cannot fathom, playing the part I ought by rights to have played. I required time to discover her, to shield her from the injury this absurd accident might occasion."

She held his gaze.

"But I will not suffer you to insult me. Whatever your wealth, whatever your consequence, you have no right to wound with such words a woman of whom you know nothing."

She turned and walked towards the door, then paused upon the threshold.

"I had thought you different from the common report. I had thought you a gentleman capable of feeling." She did not look back. "I was mistaken."

Her footsteps faded. The study door closed softly.

Jack stood motionless for a very long time.

Jack did not sleep that night.

He sat in his study until the small hours, drinking cup after cup of cold tea. Reason counselled him to be calm, to await the dawn before addressing the matter. But feeling, that sentiment he had never before experienced with such keenness, churned within him, allowing him no rest.

He rose and left the study. Somehow, his steps carried him to her chamber door.

It stood ajar. He pushed it open and entered.

The room was empty. The bed was undisturbed, as though never slept in. But upon the table by the window lay several sheets of paper, scattered. Beside them stood a small box containing a few items of jewellery. She must’ve had pawned them, to procure the means of leaving.

He crossed to the table and took up the topmost sheet.

It was a sketch. Of him.

He knew not when she had drawn it. In the image, he sat at his desk, head bent over some occupation, his profile softly illuminated by lamplight. The strokes were delicate, intent—filled with the way she looked at him

He turned to the next sheet. Himself again. Standing in the garden, before the roses. The next. Himself, returning from a ride, dismounting. The next. Himself once more.

Every one was of him.

Every one was drawn with such care, such attention, such...

Jack's hands trembled as he held the drawings.

He recalled every word she had spoken, and the look in her eyes at the end. That composed, unsettling look. It is not anger, merely disappointment.

"Rapunzel," he whispered.

Outside, thunder rolled. Rain poured down in sheets.

He rushed out into the night.

————

Jack knew not how long he ran.

The rain soaked his hair, plastered his garments to his skin, streamed down his face and neck. He ran through every street of the town, searched beneath every projecting roof that might afford shelter, enquired at every establishment yet open, questioned every wretched soul huddled in corners.

"Have you seen a young lady with golden hair? Of such a height, wearing a light-coloured gown?"

No one had seen her.

Reason cried out to him: Return. Resume your search at dawn. She may have hired a carriage and departed long since. She may have no wish to see you.

But his legs continued to run. His heart continued to cry: Find her. You must find her.

He discovered her in the small hours of the night.

She stood beneath the eaves of a mean tavern, her light gown soaked through, her golden hair plastered to her cheeks. Yet she stood straight, her back against the wall, gazing at the rain with a composure that might have befitted a statue.

He stopped, panting heavily. Rain mingled with perspiration streamed down his face. His chest rose and fell with violent effort.

She turned and beheld him.

Those jade-green eyes sparkled in the darkness, like gems washed clean by the rain. She regarded his dishevelled state—without surprise, without mockery, merely with quiet observation.

He approached her, step by step, until he stood before her.

"Rapunzel."

She inclined her head slightly, waiting for him to continue.

He opened his mouth, but found himself quite at a loss. All the words that had churned within him throughout the night now lodged in his throat.

"I..." His voice was hoarse, scarcely recognisable. "I have sought you all night."

"I know," she said. Her voice, as always, was composed and gentle.

"I am not come... I am not come to beg your pardon." He gasped for breath, rain streaming down his cheeks. "I am come only... I was obliged to find you. I was obliged to tell you..."

She looked at him, her gaze holding something he could not decipher.

"To tell me what?"

He drew a deep breath. Rainwater filled his mouth, tasting of salt. Perhaps it is rain, or something else, he could not tell.

"To tell you that those words were not true. They were the most foolish words I have ever uttered. To tell you that I have never... I have never been thus before." His voice trembled. "From the second day of your arrival, I knew you were not Miss DunBroch. Yet I did not expose you. Not because I was testing you, but because every time I conversed with you, I discovered something that made me wish to continue conversing with you."

He stepped nearer, until only an arm's length separated them.

"Your smile. Your manner of speaking. The way you look at me. The drawings you made—" His voice broke. "You drew me. So many drawings of me. Do you know what I felt when I beheld them?"

She regarded him in silence. Yet something glimmered in her eyes.

"I know not what this is," he said, his voice almost entreating. "I know not what name to give it. But I know that while I ran through the rain, only one thought occupied my mind: Find her. You must find her. Nothing else signifies."

The rain wove a curtain between them.

"Rapunzel." He spoke her name, his voice ragged, broken. "Look at me."

She looked at him. At his dishevelled, rain-soaked state. At his chest heaving from his exertions. At the feeling in his eyes, undeniable, overflowing, scarcely contained.

"I see you," she said softly.

He closed his eyes, drew a deep breath. When he opened them again, they held nothing but entreaty.

"Then... will you permit me to see you also?"

She did not answer. She merely raised her hand and gently wiped the rain from his cheek, whether rain or tears, neither could tell.

In that moment, he could contain himself no longer.

He stepped forward, cupped her face in his hands, and kissed her.

Rain streamed down their cheeks, flowing between their pressed lips. Her lips were cold, but her response was warm. She did not push him away, did not startle. She merely accepted the kiss, as though she had always known this moment would come.

Only after a long, long space did he finally release her.

She looked at him, her gaze still composed, but the corners of her mouth curved in the faintest smile.

"You are soaked through," she observed.

He laughed, it is the kind of unguarded laugh that only she could draw from him.

"I know."

"You will fall ill."

"I know."

"You will repent of this tomorrow."

He looked at her, at those jade-green eyes sparkling in the rainy night, at the person who had driven him to distraction, to running, to casting all prudence to the winds.

"No," he said. "Never."

She lowered her gaze and smiled. That smile was more beautiful than any portrait she had ever drawn.

————

Rapunzel’s First Day

On the first day of the outbreak, Rapunzel witnessed chaos at the hospital. She saw medical staff hurriedly wheeling patients out of the elevator, their faces pale with fear. Passing through the crowd, she caught a glimpse of the grotesque appearance of a patient, the strong scent of blood making her stomach churn. While taking the elevator to leave, she saw the same patient violently attack the doctors. Thankfully, the elevator doors closed just in time, sparing her.

Back in the lobby, Rapunzel struggled to process what she had just seen. The hospital still appeared normal, but she recalled her mentor, Dr. Gothel, mentioning a contagious disease that had recently surfaced in Panama. While running to the attending physician’s office, Gothel appeared, urging her to leave immediately. She handed Rapunzel her notebook, explaining that the disease had already reached California and was spreading rapidly. Suddenly, an ambulance crashed through the hospital’s glass walls, causing widespread panic. Gothel told Rapunzel to leave California and go to the address recorded in the notebook to find her.

As zombies overran the hospital, Rapunzel was saved by her EMT colleague, Cassandra, who helped her fend off the undead. The two managed to escape the hospital in a car. Though they initially planned to stick together, Cassandra was attacked by zombies shortly after their escape. Realizing her imminent death, Cassandra sacrificed herself to protect Rapunzel. Devastated, Rapunzel drove into a deserted countryside where she finally allowed herself to grieve. Wiping her tears, she began planning her next steps for survival.

Encounter

On the fifth day after the outbreak in San Francisco, Rapunzel encountered Jack sitting on a highway fence, smoking a cigarette. Covered in blood, he looked infected at first glance. Initially planning to ignore him, she remembered Cassandra’s help and her own oath as a doctor, eventually deciding to stop and ask if he needed a ride.

Items/Weapons

• Medical Kit: Contains disinfectants, iodine, bandages, antibiotics, sedatives, etc., scavenged from a pharmacy.

• Frying Pan: Her signature weapon. Unskilled with firearms and warned about their recoil by Jack, she once saved herself with this pan and gradually became proficient with it.

• Notebook: Dr. Gothel’s pathology notes, containing information about the virus and theories about potential sources. It also includes the Chicago address of Gothel’s old friend.

• Axe: A relatively effective weapon after learning zombies’ weak points.

Jackson (Jack) Overland Frost

Jack is the melee combat expert among the survivors. After graduating high school, he served in the military for a year, giving him strong physical and reflexive abilities. Before the outbreak, he was just an ordinary boy working part-time at a Dairy Queen. As the virus spread, Jack quickly learned how to fight off zombies and, for a time, even found a grim sense of enjoyment in the violence. Initially, he planned to exploit Rapunzel’s kindness to take her supplies, deeming her idealism naive in this cruel world. However, her repeated acts of kindness and her story eventually led him to trust her and believe in her theories. Over time, his personality began to revert to its original state, and he started trusting her. Jack’s goal is to reach Washington, D.C., where he hopes to reunite with his former commanding officer, North. Believing North, who once worked at Homeland Security, might have a solution to the outbreak, Jack is determined to find him.

Jack’s First Day

On the first day of the outbreak, Jack was on his way to pick up his younger sister, Emma, from school. Noticing panicked parents rushing to take their children home, he felt an ominous sense of dread. Taking Emma, he hurried back home, witnessing people fleeing in terror and infected individuals attacking others. The chaos triggered Emma’s asthma, but Jack couldn’t find her inhaler. He drove to a pharmacy, where people were looting supplies in a frenzy. Grabbing essentials, he and Emma fled the scene.

Back home, Jack thought they could escape with their parents, only to discover his mother had already been infected by a neighbor. She attacked him and Emma, forcing Jack to grab a handgun from a drawer and shoot her. Only later did he realize she was no longer his mother. Emma, frozen in shock, revealed a bite on her wrist. Tearfully, she begged Jack to end her life before she turned into one of them. Overwhelmed with grief, Jack carried out her final wish and vowed to survive in her honor.

Encounter

A week after the outbreak, Jack ran out of bullets. His car, damaged during previous attacks, broke down on the highway. With no will to live, he sat on the roadside fence, smoking and waiting for the end. Hearing a car stop, he looked up to see a young blonde woman asking if he needed a ride.

Items/Weapons

• M1911: A handgun from his parents’ bedroom, used to kill his infected mother and sister. It played a key role in his early survival.

• .45 ACP: A handgun obtained from a gun shop during his journey with Rapunzel, which he now carries at all times.

• Shotgun: A weapon stored in his car, frequently used in battles.

• Gold Necklace: Originally Emma’s, containing family photos. After her death, Jack has worn it constantly.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

Hiccup is the brains of the survivor squad. Before the virus outbreak, he was a university student in Los Angeles. During his freshman year, he was hazed by a fraternity, which led him to successfully hack into all their members’ computers as revenge. Before the outbreak, he was quiet and reserved, but the absurdity of the situation turned him into a chatterbox. His destination during the escape is Minnesota, having heard it’s a peaceful place to retire.

Hiccup’s First Day

It all began when Hiccup was on his way back to his dorm. He noticed several helicopters flying overhead and an accident at a nearby intersection, with police and ambulance sirens blaring. Growing uneasy, he quickened his pace. In the park ahead, he saw someone being attacked, and though he didn’t want to believe it, he realized he was witnessing a scene of cannibalism. Glancing back, he saw people at the intersection abandoning their cars and fleeing in panic. Without knowing what they were running from, Hiccup instinctively joined them. Turning his head, he saw someone emerging from a nearby restaurant being chased and bitten by a grotesque figure. This horrifying sight prompted Hiccup to count how long it took for the bitten person to transform—it was just fifteen seconds.

As more and more infected appeared, Hiccup fled into a dark alley, where he desperately pried open a manhole cover and climbed into the sewers, narrowly escaping death.

During his escape, Hiccup encountered a stray black cat with only one ear. He initially wanted to name it “One Ear,” but the cat clearly disliked the name. The cat stared intently at Hiccup while he ate, and though he first mistook it for a zombie, he relaxed upon realizing it was just a hungry animal. He shared some food with it, but whenever he tried to touch the cat, it reacted with hostility. Once, it even bit his hand with its still-growing teeth. Hiccup didn’t resist and let the cat vent, which led to the cat eventually following him everywhere. Though he initially wanted nothing to do with the cat, Hiccup found himself saving it from a horde of zombies. Later, when he injured his leg and thought he was doomed, he told the cat he would never eat it and urged it to leave him behind. However, the cat refused to abandon him. Realizing his wound was just a scratch from metal debris, Hiccup named the cat “Toothless” and decided to find a home for both of them.

Encounter

Hiccup and Toothless were eking out a living in a supermarket on the outskirts of town. On the sixth day of the outbreak, Hiccup woke to the sound of movement. Gripping a baseball bat, he cautiously approached the pharmacy aisle, where he saw golden hair trailing on the floor. Following the hair, he found Rapunzel scavenging for medical supplies. Startled by the noise, Rapunzel grabbed a frying pan and faced him defensively. Jack, hearing the commotion, quickly located them. After confirming everyone was human, Jack relaxed but remained vigilant, questioning Hiccup about the wound on his leg. Hiccup assured him that if he had been bitten, he would have turned already.

Seeing signs of infection, Rapunzel gave Hiccup antibiotics. Since Minnesota and Chicago were on the same route, she decided to bring Hiccup along to prevent his injury from worsening.

Weapons and Equipment

• Baseball Bat: Originally his roommate’s, it was Hiccup’s first weapon but proved ineffective, forcing him to rely on hiding during the first week.

• Spiked Club: A homemade weapon made by driving nails into a wooden bat.

• Fire Crossbow: A self-made crossbow modified to light its bolts with alcohol, enabling effective ranged attacks.

• Glock 19: Hiccup’s backup weapon, meant for either defense or ending his own life if necessary.

• Prosthetic Leg: After losing his leg in the Chicago incident, Hiccup crafted a prosthetic limb using available tools. With Rapunzel’s help, he adapted to it and eventually regained his ability to walk and run.

Merida DunBroch

Merida is the survivor squad’s long-range support. Before the outbreak, she worked as a horse-riding instructor at a Southern California ranch owned by her father’s old friend, MacGuffin. As a Scot, she would often revert to a thick accent or use slang when agitated, which her clients couldn’t understand. Hoping to reunite with her family in Virginia, she began her journey. Another goal was to retrieve her father’s firearms, stored in a hidden armory near their family farm, to better protect her loved ones.

Merida’s First Day

Merida was leisurely riding her beloved horse, Angus, across a plain when they neared the forest. Angus suddenly stopped, uneasy. Sensing something was wrong, Merida returned to the stables, noticing the other animals behaving restlessly as well.

Shortly after, she received a call from her mother, urging her to lock the doors and windows, mentioning that rabies outbreaks from East Asia had reached the U.S. The call became choppy, and several helicopters flew overhead. Her mother’s final words before the line cut off were to get home immediately.

Merida stopped by MacGuffin’s mansion to find out more. His son pulled her aside, saying his father was acting strangely, and asked her to wait in the living room. Moments later, she heard glass shattering and a struggle upstairs. Investigating, she was attacked by a rabid MacGuffin and his son. Grabbing a decorative sword, Merida defended herself. Guards burst in to help but were quickly overwhelmed and infected. Realizing the infected could only be killed by destroying their brains, Merida used a crossbow from the estate’s armory to put down MacGuffin and his son.

Returning to her ranch, Merida found Angus had fled but eventually reunited with him. Her attempts to warn neighbors were met with fear or disbelief, with one person even stealing her gun and ammunition. Cornered by zombies, Merida watched Angus distract the horde, giving her a chance to escape in MacGuffin’s car.

Encounter

Ten days after the outbreak, WHO declared a global crisis. Jack, Rapunzel, and Hiccup took shelter in a Beverly Hills mansion. While exploring, Rapunzel admired a painting when an arrow narrowly missed her, embedding itself in the artwork. Turning, she saw a red-haired girl aiming a bow at her. Jack, alerted by Rapunzel’s scream, pointed his gun at Merida, who claimed she had staked her claim on the house.

The standoff ended when Merida was startled by Toothless. Jack wanted to tie her up as a precaution, but Rapunzel later brought her food and a blanket, suggesting she join the group. Merida escaped that night, warning Rapunzel that kindness could be deadly in times like these. However, when zombies attacked the mansion, Merida returned and used her crossbow to save Hiccup, ultimately helping the group escape.

Weapons and Equipment

• Metal Bow and Arrows: Merida’s personal weapon, highly accurate and effective in close combat when necessary.

• Crossbow: Taken from the MacGuffin estate, it became her primary weapon.

• Carbine Rifle: Lightweight and effective for medium-range combat, often used to cover Jack’s blind spots.

• Shotgun: A last resort, cumbersome but reliable.

Plot Outline: Virginia → Chicago

After a long journey, the four finally arrived in Virginia, only to find that the virus outbreak in the state was not as severe as in cities out west. Perhaps due to the vast rural landscape and lower population density, there were plenty of zombies, but the situation wasn’t as catastrophic as they had feared.

Merida quickly found her family home but discovered it in complete disarray. The windows and balcony glass were shattered, and the kitchen bore evidence of a violent struggle, with knives and bloodstains scattered around. After thoroughly searching the house and finding no sign of her family or their bodies, the group realized that the DunBroch family, apart from Merida, had likely perished. Merida silently stared at a shattered family photo lying on the ground for a long time. She then led the others to break into her father’s armory. Inside, they found most of the weapons intact, except for her father’s beloved Remington 700 rifle and MAC-10 submachine gun, which were missing. The group scavenged all useful items before continuing their journey to Chicago.

During the journey, Hiccup wrestled with whether to leave the group and take Toothless to Minnesota to build a home for themselves. While staying overnight in an abandoned hotel in the countryside, the group held a simple farewell ceremony for him. After drinking, a tipsy Merida and Jack even joked about tying Hiccup to the passenger seat of their car to prevent him from leaving. Once Merida and Jack had fallen asleep, Rapunzel, who was on night watch, handed Hiccup the address of her destination in Chicago and told him he was welcome to find them anytime if he changed his mind. That night, Toothless rested on Rapunzel’s lap, seemingly sensing the tension in the air.

The next morning, the group said their emotional goodbyes. Hiccup and Toothless set off for Minnesota, while the other three continued their journey to Chicago.

According to the notes they carried, Rapunzel’s late friend had mentioned someone with the codename “Pitch,” whose address pointed to Chicago City Hospital. The group fought their way into the hospital and found Pitch in a private room. Pitch explained that the hospital’s pathology lab contained blood samples from Patient Zero, the first documented case of the outbreak, and recounted the events of the outbreak’s first day in Chicago.

Believing that information about Patient Zero could help develop a cure, Rapunzel insisted on retrieving the blood samples. Jack and Merida initially dismissed her plan as reckless but ultimately decided to join her. Pitch, amused by their determination, agreed to help. He drew them a map of the hospital and marked the location of the pathology lab.

The three braved numerous obstacles to reach the lab, only to find its door secured by a fingerprint scanner. As panic set in, the door suddenly opened on its own. They quickly locked it behind them, keeping the zombies outside. Just as they were trying to figure out what had happened, the intercom inside the lab crackled to life—it was Hiccup’s voice. He and Toothless, after deciding to rejoin the group, had successfully infiltrated the hospital’s control room and hacked into its systems to assist them.

With the blood samples in hand, the group reunited with Hiccup in the control room and returned to Pitch’s room, only to find it overrun by zombies. Before they left, Pitch revealed that the safest place in the world was Jerusalem, which had prepared extensively for the outbreak even before it began. He mentioned a massive wall called “Limbo” that successfully kept the zombies out. Rapunzel urged Pitch to join them, but he refused, explaining that he had lost his daughter and no longer had the will to continue fighting. The group reluctantly left as the zombies poured in, and Rapunzel, glancing back for a brief moment, was shocked to see the zombies ignoring Pitch entirely.

As the group fled in their vehicle, zombies attacked before the door could close, and Hiccup was bitten on the lower leg. Once the car was secured, Jack immediately amputated Hiccup’s leg to prevent the infection from spreading. Rapunzel quickly wrapped his leg with a cloth to stop the bleeding while counting down the crucial 15 seconds. Merida placed the hilt of her sword in Hiccup’s mouth to prevent him from biting his tongue in pain. As the seconds passed, Jack, trembling, held a gun to Hiccup’s head, ready to end it if necessary. When the 15 seconds elapsed and Hiccup showed no signs of infection, the group breathed a sigh of relief. Rapunzel disinfected and bandaged his leg, while Jack, still shaken, muttered that perhaps Hiccup shouldn’t have come back. Hiccup, pale and weak, stroked Toothless and replied that he felt safer with them.

Shortly after, Jack managed to contact North, attempting to negotiate safe passage for the group. Sensing hesitation in North’s response, Jack revealed that they had blood samples from Patient Zero and that his experience in the field made him an asset. In exchange, he demanded transport to Jerusalem’s Limbo. After a brief pause, North agreed to contact them within an hour.

An hour later, North instructed them to meet his team at Cleveland’s Terminal Tower at sunrise.

Upon arriving in Cleveland, the group prepared for the final sprint, using thick magazines to reinforce their arms and legs and carrying all remaining weapons and supplies. At sunrise, they fought through a relentless horde of zombies toward the helicopter. Hiccup fired his flaming crossbow to signal their position to the pilots. During the battle, Merida accidentally ingested zombie blood, and once aboard the tower, she prepared to leap to her death if she showed signs of infection. Rapunzel, panicked, tried to stop her, but Merida refused, counting down 15 seconds with her eyes closed. When no infection occurred, she finally boarded the helicopter.

The group finally escaped and arrived within the walls of Limbo in Jerusalem. Rapunzel and the blood samples were handed over to surviving WHO virologists. Jack was assigned to the defense team protecting the walls, Hiccup and Toothless received further treatment for his amputation, and Merida, to her surprise, was reunited with her three younger brothers, who had survived.

02.

In middle school, Merida often got detention for a variety of peculiar reasons: skipping class once a week, passing notes during lessons, or drawing bizarre doodles all over her test papers.

During these detentions, she would sit in the corner of the classroom, munching on an apple from her lunch bag while staring out the window with a level of intensity that suggested the sky might be hiding a treasure long stolen from her.

But there were exceptions.

Sometimes, she wouldn’t look out the window. And sometimes, Hiccup was there, sitting in detention too.

On those occasions, Merida would throw crumpled pieces of paper at him. When he unfolded one, it was usually covered in bold, chaotic scribbles made with a marker. It was hard to decipher what, if anything, she had been trying to draw.

When he turned to her with a puzzled look, she would silently mouth the word:

“Dragon.”

Feigning a lightbulb moment, he nodded, pulled out his notebook, and began sketching clean, deliberate lines. Then, with a flourish, he tore the page from the notebook and tossed it back to her.

“This is a dragon,” it read.

That was the first time she ever smiled at him.

03.

Hiccup never knew which of their seemingly insignificant interactions marked the true beginning of their acquaintance. He wasn’t even sure, during that period of time, whether they could say they truly knew each other at all.

What he did know was this: whenever the sound of a window sliding open reached his ears, he would turn in his chair, almost instinctively, to find Merida leaning halfway out of her bedroom window.

Her eyes gleamed with a phosphorescent blue light that flashed briefly in the darkness, a signal of sorts. As always, Hiccup would nod—his silent promise to keep her secret. Then, with practiced ease, she would descend the tree outside her window and slip into the night.

He never asked where she went on those countless nights, just as he never asked when she planned to return. The next morning, without fail, she would step out of the DunBroch house as though nothing had happened, heading off to school like everyone else.

When he was younger, Hiccup used to wonder if she might be some kind of nocturnal sprite, belonging to the realm of the night.

He knew he was the only witness to her secret.

04.

By sophomore year, Merida DunBroch had become a legend at school.

Rumor had it that last year, she and a few others had snuck into the community pool at midnight for an all-night party, somehow evading the security guard. Others claimed she had smuggled fireworks into the winter carnival, setting off a spectacular display near the skating rink. There was even talk that she had gotten into a fistfight at a party in ninth grade with an upperclassman nearly a head taller than her.

Hiccup would occasionally spot her in the hallway, while she stood by the lockers with a group of friends. She wore a long-sleeved tank top under an oversized denim jacket, her black ripped skinny jeans tucked into combat boots. Draped over her shoulder was the arm of Macintosh, the star of the baseball team.

Everyone said the two of them had been dating since the start of the year. Rumor also had it that Macintosh had earned an athletic scholarship, and the couple was planning to attend the same college together.

No one knew if any of the stories were true. People always needed something to talk about, after all. Hiccup doubted Merida herself cared much about the gossip, though it was clear she had never once invited Macintosh over to her house.

In the crowded hallways, Hiccup occasionally saw Merida laughing so hard her shoulders shook. She would clutch her stomach, doubling over as if she could barely catch her breath. But her laughter was never directed at anything MacIntosh said. In fact, she rarely glanced in his direction.

Instead, her gaze would be fixed on the Thorston twins across the hall, who were busy scrawling ridiculous caricatures on each other’s faces with marker pens.

Hiccup didn’t put much stock in the rumors about her, nor did he care much for the other gossip circulating around school.

He did know one thing: Merida DunBroch had never seemed particularly interested in MacIntosh—or, for that matter, anyone else.

05.

Hiccup had once harbored a quiet crush on a girl in his physics class.

Astrid Hofferson was sharp-minded and captivating, her bright blue eyes brimming with emotions he could never quite decipher, sparking his endless curiosity. Her long golden hair, always neatly tied, shimmered under the sunlight, as if the universe had poured all its beauty into her. For a time, his gaze was irresistibly drawn to wherever she happened to be.

“Go talk to her.”

It was at a party hosted by the Thorston twins.

Their house was like an oversized Spanish villa, filled with chaos and neon-lit energy, from the crowded courtyard to the pulsating poolside, all drowning in a haze of music and voices.

Hiccup didn’t usually enjoy such hot, suffocating gatherings, where people, emboldened by alcohol, seemed desperate to act out of character. He hadn’t wanted to come despite the twins’ enthusiastic invitation. But he showed up—because she was there.

Astrid was always the center of attention, even without trying. That night, she sat idly on the staircase, and yet she stood out effortlessly amidst the chaos. Boys flocked to her, vying for her attention, but she remained composed, untouched by their antics, as though the world spun wildly around her, leaving her undisturbed.

“People can’t lie to themselves forever.”

A few seconds ago, Hiccup had seen Merida at the dining table, flipping cups in a drinking game with a group. Now, suddenly, she was in front of him, holding out a plastic cup as if daring him to take a drink and muster the courage to confess to Astrid.

Hiccup shook his head awkwardly.

He never imagined someone could so easily read his mind, but there she was. He scrambled internally for some argument to deny her claim, but before he could, Merida’s attention had already shifted elsewhere.

“Now pretend I just told you the funniest joke you’ve ever heard.”

He obeyed, though he didn’t understand why.

Merida drained her punch and stood with the casual air of someone who knew exactly what they were doing. Hiccup assumed this was part of some rivalry between her and Macintosh—a jealousy-fueled game. But then he remembered: no one had seen Macintosh at the party all night.

“See? You’ve got her attention now.”

Merida’s mischievous smile was impossible to miss, brimming with a sense of personal triumph. Hiccup glanced toward Astrid, still seated on the staircase. Though surrounded by admirers, her gaze seemed to linger in his direction.

“Do you think I should go talk to her now?”

“I bet she’ll come to you first.”

Hiccup felt like the quintessential lovestruck boy, unsure of himself, fumbling with his hands and suddenly self-conscious about his hair.

“How can you be so sure?”

The butterflies in his chest were in full frenzy when she leaned in and kissed him.

It was his first kiss, sweet with the lingering taste of punch and tinged with a fleeting chill, like the faint fragrance of roses in winter. Her hands rested lightly on his shoulders, the touch lasting barely three seconds—just like the kiss itself, fleeting and impossible to interpret.

For a moment, he caught a glimpse of himself reflected in her eyes, but as she stepped away, the reflection vanished along with her retreating silhouette.

“Consider this a thank-you for keeping my secret.”

She was right. People couldn’t lie to themselves forever.

Astrid, just as Merida had predicted, wandered over to him and struck up a conversation. For the rest of the night, Hiccup didn’t see Merida again at the party.

06.

He once had a black cat.

To be precise, he had tried to have it.

Hiccup named it Toothless after he first spotted it on the roof by Merida’s window. Its soft, dense fur made it look like a fluffy ball that had landed there by accident.

“I don’t think she’s home,” he murmured to the cat, a strange compulsion overtaking him. Those piercing, watchful eyes made him feel as though it were waiting for Merida.

The cat often loitered by Merida’s window. Though she didn’t seem like the type to keep a pet, Hiccup initially assumed it belonged to her. Eventually, he couldn’t stop himself from talking to it, leaving his room open, and preparing food for it.

At first, Hiccup could sense Toothless’ wariness. The food he left in the morning was usually untouched until he returned home in the afternoon. Toothless was like a freeloading marauder who vanished without notice. But Hiccup enjoyed this routine.

As time passed, Toothless began to warm up to him. It would lounge lazily by his window on sunny afternoons, unbothered by his touch.

Hiccup started to think of it as his and felt a deep satisfaction in their unspoken bond.

But then, Toothless’ visits became sporadic, and Hiccup worried it might’ve been scared off or harmed by a stray dog.

That day, the world was shrouded in leaden gray, and by afternoon, a heavy rain had begun to pour. Streets were empty except for the occasional pedestrian, and raindrops pattered loudly against car windows.

Hiccup had spent the entire morning searching for Toothless, but his efforts yielded nothing until he saw Merida emerging through the mist.

Raindrops pooled into streams that just covered the hems of her soaked brown trousers. She strolled leisurely through the downpour, holding Toothless securely in her arms, as if the rain didn’t exist.

Merida pulled the hood of her moss-green sweatshirt over her head. She noticed Hiccup standing across the street, her expression hesitant for the briefest moment as a flash of lightning illuminated her face.

“Toothless? What a peculiar name,” she remarked.

It turned out Merida didn’t know the cat. But they both recognized it.

Through Merida, Hiccup learned Toothless was called “Orion” by the café owner on East Street. To the ice cream vendor, it was “Cookie,” and to the basketball teens at the corner, it was an early audience member. The boy scouts down Sixth Avenue called it a witch’s messenger.

Merida explained that sometimes it silently followed her, neither begging for food nor making a sound. Perhaps its earlier interest in her window had been nothing more than a whim.

Toothless nestled comfortably in Hiccup’s arms as they reached Snoutlout Jorgenson’s house. Merida stopped and pulled something wrapped in newspaper from her damp backpack.

“What’s that?”

“A dead catfish.”

The torrential rain showed no sign of stopping. Tightening her hood, Merida shook a can of spray paint vigorously and started toward the bushes beside Snoutlout’s gray Corvette.

“Tell me you’re joking.”

Hiccup felt an ominous sense of foreboding. Yet he already knew Merida DunBroch was about to do something audacious.

“Normally, I don’t care who messes with my brothers,” she said, shaking the can as she stood before the car, “but anyone stupid enough to cross me deserves to pay for it.”

“Why do you hate him? I thought you were friends.”

“I’m friendly with a lot of people,” Merida replied with a smirk, “but Snoutlout’s just an arrogant jerk.”

Before Hiccup could respond, Merida mouthed for him to be ready. She hurled the catfish at Snoutlout’s second-floor window. The crash of shattering glass was followed by lights flickering on throughout the house.

The alarm blared. Hiccup found himself racing after Merida into the rain-soaked streets, their footsteps splashing through puddles as the blaring alarm receded into the distance.

07.

Merida’s expression was calm and natural, her breathing quickly recovering from the mad sprint. It was as if the past few heart-pounding minutes, so intense for Hiccup, had never existed in her life.

“If I were you, I’d be careful not to get too attached,” she said.

Merida walked to the lit porch, pulling back her hood and peeling off her sticky sweatshirt. She tugged at the T-shirt underneath to keep it from clinging to her damp skin.

As she wrung the rainwater from her hair, she cast a quick glance at Toothless cradled in his arms. Only after she disappeared into the DunBroch household did Hiccup realize what she meant.

He had known all along.

Hearing so many different names for Toothless made it impossible to deceive himself any longer—this stray cat was never truly his. Deep down, he realized that the thought of keeping a creature like Toothless had been unrealistic from the start.

Every animal has its instincts.

And when offered the entire world, why would it choose to stay with him?

08.

Merida didn’t even attend her high school prom.

No one knew where she went, or in which direction she had disappeared.

Hiccup did, though. He knew she had been saving up in secret to buy a Harley-Davidson. Sometimes, he overheard her arguing with Mrs. DunBroch through the window, her thick Scottish accent sharp with defiance. But everyone understood—nothing could stifle her wild, untamed spirit.

She would often throw on Mr. DunBroch’s old black leather jacket, straddle the roaring engine of her motorcycle, and let its growl carry her through starlit nights. She tore through the dusty streets of the small town, a blazing streak of freedom.

Though they were never truly friends, whenever Hiccup heard the fading hum of her bike vanishing into the distance, he knew she was slipping further away from him.

She would ride day and night, diving headfirst into horizons he could only dream of. Her eyes shone with a vitality he could only envy, consumed by the journey, unconcerned with looking back.

When she returned, dismounting her bike and letting her fiery curls tumble free, she never glanced his way. She didn’t even notice he was there.

Her nighttime escapades grew more frequent, and each time she disappeared into the darkness, it left Hiccup with the haunting feeling that she might never return.

09.

So, when Merida leaned out of the window across from his one evening, it was the first time Hiccup dared to speak to her in that moment.

She sat perched on the windowsill, legs tucked up, their faces separated only by the thin glass pane. Time seemed to freeze as they stared at each other, taking him back to the first night he’d seen her escape.

The difference this time? She extended a hand to him.

“I can’t give you the answer you want,” she said, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “But you can see for yourself.”

The slight curve of her mouth shattered every doubt Hiccup had held onto. Without hesitation, he took the red-haired sprite’s hand and became her accomplice.

There was no going back now.

Merida had received a Lexus for her sixteenth birthday, but she’d lend it to her brothers instead. They parked it at the edge of the driveway, its gleaming crimson exterior a shade deeper than her fiery hair.

Sliding into the driver’s seat, she softly revved the engine, steering the car into the dark corridors he had only observed from afar.

They ventured into the lively East District, a perpetual carnival of neon-lit bars and restaurants. The windows blurred with streaks of colorful lights, transforming into a kaleidoscope of vibrant hues against the city’s eternal darkness.

The saxophone melodies of a bookstore owner echoed between fire escapes, met by the distant trumpet of a street performer. The sizzle of food on hot pans filled the air, mingling with the smoky allure of an underground bar hidden behind a tropical rainforest facade.

Under the gaze of starlight, she led him to the rooftop of an old apartment building, where an artist with a lavender beret captured the rust-free nightscape with her brush.

“For now,” she exhaled, “this world is yours.”

Hiccup looked down at the sea of lights below—glittering intersections, pulsing streetlamps, and a city veiled in a faint, dreamlike mist.

10.

Merida steered toward the ink-black strait.

Hiccup rolled down the car window, letting the thick, humid night air whip across his face. The breeze tossed Merida’s untamed red hair as she stared ahead, driving through the tranquil night as if it belonged to her alone.

They stopped by the beach. Merida kicked off her shoes, tossing aside her jacket before running toward the moonlit waves.

She dove into the shimmering sea, fully immersing herself before calling out to him, urging him to join her.

She splashed water his way, drenching his shirt until it clung to his skin, and he retaliated by soaking her fiery curls.

“Have you ever seen anything so breathtaking?” she asked, her voice breaking through the sound of the crashing waves.

From her jacket, she pulled out a pack of cigarettes. The flicker of her lighter struggled against the sea breeze until Hiccup shielded it with his hands, igniting a fragile flame in the night.

The briny air mingled with the faint aroma of tobacco. Smoke swirled and dispersed above them as she tilted her head skyward, her gaze lost in the expanse of stars.

“Not everyone sneaks out at night like you,” he teased, watching her from the corner of his eye.

“Do you always come here?”

She shrugged with a mischievous grin. “This is just the tip of the iceberg. See those stars?”

He followed her gaze upward as her voice and the waves blended into a soothing rhythm.

“Everyone’s desperate to belong. Everyone’s fighting to own everything.”

They stared at the distant horizon, where the shoreline met the night sky. Her shoulder brushed his, their hands nearly touching.

“No one likes an uncontrollable gamble,” she said, exhaling a plume of smoke. “When I moved here, people stayed away because they were afraid of something different. Then, almost overnight, everyone wanted to stand out. And I became an easy target—something to gossip about over dinner.”

“Even MacIntosh?”

“He’s just the son of my parents’ old friends,” she replied bluntly, extinguishing her cigarette. “I’ve never belonged to him.”

For the first time, Hiccup felt completely at ease.

They lay on the sand beneath the stars, her arm draped over him, her head resting on his shoulder. The city lights flickered faintly in the distance, and he could feel her breath against his neck.

Maybe they could stay like that forever, suspended in this fleeting dream, until dawn crept in to shatter its fragile reality.

For now, the dream was real.

11.

“We are too difficult to define and far too insignificant,” Merida said, gazing at the starry night above and the sandy beach beneath them. Just as no one knows where the edge of the universe truly ends, no one can count the grains of sand at the shore.

“That’s precisely why the world is worth exploring, isn’t it?”

It’s hard for people to truly understand one another. Hiccup understood this well, so he never presumed to decipher all her actions. Perhaps she wanted to embrace the vastness of the world, or maybe she was seeking a force grander and more irresistible than herself. But he didn’t care, because none of it really mattered.

Merida told him she always knew he would one day step into the serenity of this night as well.

They were, after all, the same kind of people—rebellious at their core, untamed, and unbound by rules. She knew that once he took the first step, he would fall in love with this feeling and, like her, be unable to resist.

“From now on, everything will be different, won’t it?”

She didn’t answer.

He took her hand again, interlocking their fingers. She tightened her grip in response.

Under the night sky, Merida’s blue eyes shimmered with light. At that moment, she looked astonishingly beautiful. Her soaked jeans clung to her legs, and it seemed as though the entire starry sea was etched into her gaze.

Hiccup knew he would, like this wild, untamed girl, crave more nights like these from now on.

12.

She turned off the car’s headlights and slowly pulled into the DunBroch driveway.

Merida brushed off the remnants of sand on her clothes and softly bid him goodnight, even though they had returned at the brink of dawn.

She took his hand, only to release it a moment later, then turned toward the old oak tree between their two windows.

For a brief moment, Hiccup was struck by the illusion of her walking away alone into the night. A wave of profound loneliness seemed to spill from her retreating figure, surging toward him in an instant.

His throat tightened, and he called out to her with the first thought that came to mind.

“I love you.”

His calm eyes met hers, and the words slipped out as naturally as if he were saying a simple goodnight.

Those three words lingered in Merida’s ears. Her brief daze quickly turned into a flicker of emotion in her eyes as she turned back toward him and embraced him.

Hiccup felt her rise on tiptoe, her lips near his ear, speaking each word with deliberate clarity. “I love you too, Hiccup. I always have.”

Her lips hovered so close to his.

Hiccup felt like they were in an old film, where the scene slowed frame by frame. Every small detail stood out and magnified: the raw emotion in her gaze, the faint smile in her whispered words. “But that doesn’t mean we belong to each other.”

“I don’t belong to anyone, you know that—because neither do you.”

Her reply didn’t surprise him. He knew it, especially after a night like this, where every thought bristled with an unsettling certainty.

He saw the weariness she tried to hide in her eyes—not from their night at the beach, but something deeper, something long buried. His words had only given it an outlet.

“But I’ll remember this night,” she said.

Hiccup wasn’t as shocked or disappointed as he thought he might be. Her words were imbued with her unique style—a distinct, inimitable signature of Merida DunBroch.

She could be a captivating question mark, as well as an ouroboros, an endless, open-ended conclusion.

At least the weight in his chest had lifted, and at least they understood each other now.

He felt her smile before she let go and stepped back, one step at a time. Finally, she raised her eyebrows, her figure glowing in the growing sunlight. She made a shushing gesture—the same one from when they first met.

He shrugged and nodded back at her, knowing how much she trusted him with that gesture.

He watched as she climbed the tree, landing on the roof outside her second-floor bedroom. She gently pushed open the window, slipped inside, and closed the curtains behind her.

13.

That window was never opened by the same person again.

From that day forward, Merida DunBroch vanished as though she had evaporated into thin air. No one in town ever saw the proud, free-spirited red-haired girl again—not even her Harley, which disappeared along with her.

The DunBroch parents were convinced she had left unannounced for Scotland yet again. Her triplet brothers claimed she had joined a legendary biker gang, riding as a daylight knight in distant towns.

Some townsfolk swore they’d seen her playing with bears at the zoo, while others insisted she was working as an archery coach on a ranch in the northern suburbs. But in the end, no one truly knew where she was, and no one had proof.

Maybe everyone was right, Hiccup thought. After all, her untamable spirit could never be confined or defined.

Since that night, he often returned to the bustling East District under the cover of darkness, savoring the damp seaside air and the endless unknowns just beyond distant streets.

He believed her when she said she would miss that night, because it often drifted into his mind too.

Though it was a pity they couldn’t explore the awe-inspiring edges of the night together, he didn’t dwell too much on the sadness.

Yet sometimes, in the middle of the night, he would wake and see the starry sky silently sparkling outside his window.

The Blood Ring - 12 Gene Carriers

Jack Overland Frost

The Frost family is one of the most renowned families in England, with its members widely recognized for their high profile in the business world.

Jack was born in the 21st century, in 2047, making him two years older than Merida. His time-jumping partner is Rapunzel. The two of them were very close even though he did not like her at the very beginning due to her family name. He didn’t realize his true feelings towards Rapunzel until the 18th-century Guy Fawkes Night. After Jack’s father left the family, he severed ties with the Frost family, unaware that Jack would become the first genetic carrier in the history of the Frost lineage.

After his parents’ untimely death, Jack was adopted by North, a close friend of his parents. During his teenage years, the church informed him that he was a genetic carrier. Initially, he was reluctant to join the Blood Ring, but with North’s persuasion, he eventually agreed and began participating in the church’s training sessions alongside Rapunzel.

Jack is skilled in hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship. He attended Winchester College (a boys’ school) at the same time as Hiccup, though they did not know each other. After forming a team with the other three, he and Hiccup became close friends. Jack met Merida during the church’s riding and combat courses, where he enjoyed teasing her as she was new to the church.

Jack was particularly popular among the girls at Rapunzel’s school. He refused to acknowledge his connection to the Frost family, believing they had cast his father out. However, he later discovered that his father had chosen to leave the family to live independently. After Jack’s parents passed away, the Frost family had been searching for him all along.

Jack experienced his first dizziness at the age of 15, traveling back to the early 20th century for nearly an hour. At 16, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Moonstone.

Rapunzel Peregrin Moore Corona

The Duke of Corona is a distant relative of the Queen and closely related to the Arendelle family. The Corona family has natural connections with the nobility and upper class.

Rapunzel was born in the 21st century, in 2048, making her one year younger than Jack and his partner. She is skilled in dance and etiquette and was told from a young age that she is the genetic carrier in her family. Unlike most genetic carriers, she possesses the unique ability to see spirits, and in school, she befriended a deceased spirit named Emily.

Rapunzel had heard of the historically significant DunBroch family and one day realized, while speaking with Emily at school, that Merida could also see Emily. Upon learning that Merida was also a genetic carrier, the two became close friends.

At a family gathering, Rapunzel secretly found Elsa’s journal, where she read that she would die at the age of 20. Later, she and Jack traveled back to the 16th century to try to persuade Elsa to return home. However, during the crowded event, she got separated from Jack and encountered Pitch, who took her blood.

At the age of 20, just before a time jump, Rapunzel died during the 18th-century Guy Fawkes Night, shielding Jack from a musket bullet. Her first dizziness occurred at age 15, when she briefly spent two minutes in the late 18th century. At 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Citrine.

Merida McDonald DunBroch

The DunBroch family is one of the most historically significant families in England, with a lineage that extends from the 16th century to the 21st century.

Merida was born in the 21st century, in 2049. At the age of 14, she experienced her first dizziness and traveled back to 19th-century England for three minutes. Until that moment, she had no idea that her family was among those with the “genetic defect.” Afterward, in addition to attending school as usual, she began training with her partner at the church. She is the youngest of the Four Guardians.

Merida and Rapunzel are alumni of Westminster School (a girls’ school) and are among the rare few who can see the spirits of the deceased. At the age of 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Ruby.

The year after officially becoming Ruby, the church assigned her to form a team with Rapunzel, Hiccup, and Jack to locate Pitch and retrieve the timer he had stolen. However, due to Pitch’s interference in history, the DunBroch family was destroyed in the 17th century, erasing the events that led to Merida’s birth in the 21st century.

Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III

The Haddock family is one of the most discreet among the upper class. Its ancestors were often high-ranking military officers and generals, and the family’s reputation continues to be widely recognized to this day.

Hiccup was born in the 21st century, in 2047, and is the same age as Jack. He is Merida’s partner. Before his family revealed the truth about the genetic defect, Hiccup had already deduced that he was a genetic carrier by studying various materials at home. Following this realization, he joined the church’s training programs, though due to differing schedules, he remained unaware that Jack and Rapunzel were also genetic carriers. Ever since he joined the church, he’s been waiting on his partner, “ruby” to show up.

After Merida’s first dizziness, Hiccup found her unconscious on the roadside and brought her to the church, marking the beginning of their acquaintance. After the DunBroch family was erased from existence, Hiccup was the only one who still remembered Merida. Through extensive research, he convinced Jack and Rapunzel that she had indeed existed and ultimately helped save the DunBroch family from destruction.

He met Rapunzel in the library and, after her tragic death on Guy Fawkes Night, received a letter from her written in the past. Following the letter’s instructions, he contacted Hiro, a genetic carrier he had never met, and learned there was a way to change history and prevent Rapunzel’s death.

At the age of 13, Hiccup experienced his first dizziness, traveling back to 18th-century England and calmly staying there for ten minutes. At 16, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the genetic carrier of Smoky Quartz.

Kozmotis Pitchiner Black

Count Kozmotis Pitchiner is the earliest ancestor of the Black family. His reputation and noble gentlemanly demeanor have been passed down through the centuries since the 17th century. Though the Black family is not large in number, it is one of the prominent families with both historical significance and royal lineage. Kozmotis is a descendant of the earliest gene carriers, making him born with a powerful time-jumping gene that other families do not possess. The strength of this gene not only allows him immunity to disease but also the ability to indefinitely extend his life. As a result, Kozmotis, by constantly altering his attire, manners, and name, has lived for hundreds of years since his birth in the 17th century. Even the Church has been deceived, unaware that “Pitch Black” is none other than Kozmotis Pitchiner himself.

It is said that the blood of twelve time travelers is required to unlock the closed loop of the “Timer,” which then releases energy capable of granting eternal life. While everyone believes Pitch stole the Timer to use this energy to destroy the Church and other families, in truth, he intends to return to the 17th century to save his daughter, who died of hemorrhagic fever. This secret is known only to Elsa. Since his coming of age in the 17th century, he has been a carrier of the Obsidian gene and officially became a member of the Blood Ring.

Elsa Menzel Arendelle

The Arendelle family is a distant relative of the Corona family. Although the family has no noble titles or connections, it is one of the wealthiest families in high society. Elsa was born in the 21st century in 2046, two years older than Rapunzel and Anna. She is Anna’s elder sister and Rapunzel’s cousin. Her original partner was Tadashi Hamada of the Hamada family. Elsa and Tadashi were pursuing Pitch back to 1666 when Tadashi perished in the Great Fire of London, which raged for four days and nights. His death was a severe blow to Elsa, leading her to shut herself off for a long time. Later, she secretly used the Timer to search for Pitch, intending to complete the mission Tadashi couldn’t. However, she was persuaded by Pitch and chose to follow him, assisting him in collecting the blood of twelve gene carriers.

At the age of 14, she experienced her first “dizziness” and traveled back to the 18th century, where she stayed for nearly two hours. At 16, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Aquamarine gene carrier. At 19, after following Pitch, she was labeled a traitor by the Church. She attempted to return to the time before Tadashi’s death but discovered his fate was irreversible. Tadashi, accepting his fate, hoped Elsa would stop blaming herself. Later, Elsa was forgiven by Hiro and returned to the 18th century, where she lived out the final years of Hans’ life with him.

Anna Kristen Arendelle

Anna was born in the 21st century in 2048. She is Elsa’s younger sister and Rapunzel’s cousin of the same age. The Arendelle family is one of the rare families to have two gene carriers in the same generation. To protect Elsa and Anna, the family rarely allowed them to attend social gatherings with other families.

When Elsa experienced her first dizziness, Anna mistakenly believed the genetic defect was a disease. Later, when Elsa officially became the Aquamarine gene carrier, the family revealed that Anna was also a carrier. However, fearing the dangers of time travel, the family forbade Anna from participating in the Church’s training sessions. After Elsa defected to follow Pitch into the past, Anna demanded to join the training, vowing to personally bring Elsa back. At 17, Anna experienced her first dizziness and encountered Elsa and Pitch in the 19th century. At 18, she officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Emerald gene carrier.

Hans Westergaard

The Westergaard family is a renowned lineage of winemakers, specializing in crafting fine wines for royalty since the 17th century.

Hans was born in the 18th century in 1744. He was the thirteenth and youngest son of the Westergaard family and the only gene carrier in his lineage. Despite being born into the family’s grand estate and his unique status, Hans was never valued by his parents or siblings, except for a close relationship with his closest-aged brother.

When Elsa first experienced dizziness and time-jumped to the Westergaard estate, Hans was 16 years old. He immediately recognized Elsa as a gene carrier. They shared many common topics, and Hans experienced true friendship for the first time during the two hours she stayed. At 17, Hans had his first dizziness and, at 18, became a Blood Ring member as the Diamond gene carrier.

Later, Hans attempted to use Elsa’s trust to seize the blood she collected for Pitch, driven by a deal proposed by Gothel. However, realizing Elsa was also deceiving him, he chose to stop working for Gothel and willingly gave Elsa his blood. Hans died during the Battle of Bunker Hill in middle age but left behind his treasured wine cellar as a gift for Elsa in the 21st century.

Violet Vowell Parr

Violet was born in the early 18th century, in 1703, as the eldest daughter of the third-generation Baron of the Parr family and the first gene carrier in the family. She is the partner and lover of Wilbur. From a young age, Violet knew she was a gene carrier, but she disliked this genetic defect, feeling it made her out of place in the normal world. After spending time with Wilbur, her perspective on herself and the world changed, and she became more confident, ultimately becoming his lover.

After Wilbur stole the Timer, Violet persuaded him to return it to the Church. Unaware that Elsa was also a gene carrier, Violet was tricked into giving her blood. Violet strictly distinguishes between the past, present, and future, believing the future is predetermined and accepting that one day she and Wilbur’s lives will end, albeit on different timelines. She was the first to discover Madam Gothel’s ambitions and wrote to the Church to warn them. At the age of 17, Violet officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Amethyst gene carrier.

Penny Forrester

The Forrester family’s earliest ancestors date back to the 18th century.

Penny was born in the early 20th century, in 1908. In her youth, she immigrated with her parents to the United States during its Golden Age, where she gained minor fame in Hollywood. Penny was the second gene carrier born into the Forrester family since the 18th century. She learned she was a gene carrier during her teenage years and officially became a member of the Blood Ring at the age of 14 as the Morganite gene carrier.

At 14, during her first dizziness episode, she nearly died in the American Civil War before returning to London. With the Church’s help, she stabilized her time-jumping ability and returned to the United States. Her partner was Hiro, and despite the Church’s disapproval, she enjoyed asking him questions about the future. At 18, Penny was recalled to London and tasked with bringing Hiro back to the Church after he illegally used the Timer. However, she fell into Pitch’s trap and was imprisoned by him. After Madam Gothel’s secret was revealed, Penny joined forces with Hiro, Violet, and Wilbur to stop her plans.

Wilbur Robinson

Wilbur was born in the late 23rd century, in 2295, as one of the heirs to the Robinson family, a technological dynasty that developed from the 21st century to the 24th century. Wilbur was the first gene carrier in the Robinson family and Violet’s partner.

Wilbur knew from a young age that he was a gene carrier, but unlike his father, he lacked an aptitude for invention. After officially becoming a member of the Blood Ring, he believed time-jumping was the only thing he was good at. At 16, during his first dizziness episode, Wilbur jumped back to the 21st century, where he encountered a painting called “Violet,” which he found strange. At 17, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Sapphire gene carrier.

At 18, Wilbur and Violet became lovers. Unable to accept that they lived in different centuries, he attempted to steal the Time Machine, mimicking Pitch. As punishment, the Church banned him from time-jumping or accessing the Time Machine. At 19, Wilbur saw the painting of Violet again in his own time and realized the person depicted was Violet. This realization triggered an unconscious time-jump back to her timeline. Hiro later discovered that Wilbur was the only gene carrier capable of precision time-jumping without a Time Machine. After training, Wilbur mastered this ability, which became the key to saving all Blood Ring members.

Hiro Hamada

Hiro was born in the late 23rd century, in 2296, as the younger brother of Tadashi Hamada, who was four years his senior. After Tadashi’s death, Hiro became the sole heir of the Hamada family.

Before Tadashi’s death, Hiro was unaware that he was a gene carrier. However, their birth dates (excluding the year) were identical, making Hiro one of the 12 gene carriers, and the inheritor of Tadashi’s gem. Hiro’s high intelligence allowed him to master all knowledge about gene carriers within a year. At 14, he officially became a member of the Blood Ring as the Tanzanite gene carrier.

Hiro illegally used the Time Machine to investigate Tadashi’s death and discovered it was no coincidence or accident. After discussing his findings with Violet and Wilbur, Hiro realized all events pointed to Pitch. While helping Wilbur train his unique abilities, Hiro saved Penny from Pitch’s trap. After reading a letter from Violet, the group discovered that Tadashi’s death and the conspiracy against gene carriers were orchestrated not by Pitch but by Madam Gothel.

Other Characters

Madam Gothel

Born in the 18th century, Madam Gothel was responsible for providing attire and tools for gene carriers within the Church. She coveted the Timer Machine’s power, which could grant eternal youth, and learned all its secrets. Knowing Pitch’s background, she planned to let him gather the blood of gene carriers, only to eventually take the immortality elixir from him.

To release the Time Machine’s power, the blood of 12 gene carriers was needed, along with the death of the final carrier. Mistakenly believing Tadashi to be the final carrier, Gothel orchestrated his death in a fire. However, the final carrier was actually Hiro, who shared Tadashi’s birthdate. Gothel lured future-born gene carriers to the 18th century on Guy Fawkes Night, aimed to kill Jack Frost but Rapunzel catches the bullet for him. She intend to eliminate all 12 carriers and their families to elevate her own.

Emily Jane

Emily Jane is a ghost who haunts Westminster School for Girls. Rapunzel, who can see Emily, befriends her. Emily has long black hair like Rapunzel but has forgotten much of her past after centuries of death. While investigating Pitch, Rapunzel hears the name “Kozmotis Pitchiner,” and Emily recalls that her surname is Pitchiner, realizing she is Kozmotis Pitchiner’s daughter.