[i]This is perfect![/i] Maxwell thought, standing up from his crouched position in the middle of the street. He took another moment to proudly admire on his camera monitor the image that captured the festive mood of the entire place. Anyone who had never been to Stromm would probably never believe it. He continued along the street decorated with colorful lights, candy canes, and sculptures of reindeer, walking past a choir of carolers and performers dressed as toy soldiers and elves. Children laughed and played in the snow, while grown-ups strolled about admiring the sights.

He only wished that Maya was with him to see all of it, but the girl had decided to coop herself up in her room with a handheld game console. Sure, the temperature up there was unusually cold, but the sights were not to be missed. He hoped that he would be able to get her to step out of the chalet at some point during their time there. Passing by a sparsely-populated cafe, he then decided to drop in for a warm drink. Perhaps he would bring a nice dessert back for his sister, as well as a few photographs of the place.