Turning Of the Tide by Diana Sander

After a heavy snowfall, the entire Sapphire City was draped in a thin white veil. The gentle snowflakes danced through the sky, leisurely settling in every corner, attempting to accumulate little by little. It gave the impression of immaculate purity and flawlessness.

The tree branches were bent under the weight of thick snow. They drooped low, observing the ground covered in a blanket of snow. The once-visible grass blades were now buried beneath the snow mercilessly, a prevalent sight of pure white everywhere.

In a snow-capped area of Sapphire City, a group of children could be seen in the distance, chasing each other around in the snow. They were laughing and having fun. Their joyous laughter echoed through the snow-capped mountains, creating an environment that truly embodied childhood. It was what children should experience and cherish in their memories.

The children had already gotten along well, and the adults started to organize their teams.

Before the team allocation, Joseph said, "I'll look after the kids. You guys have fun." Wearing a heavy down jacket, Trevon swiftly scanned the few people around and thought of something. Then, he declared in a domineering tone, "Alright, Natalie, Frank, Ava, and | will be one group. The rest of you are a team of five." Christina, Quinn, and Leia didn't object, but Chris turned to glance at his team, feeling he was like an odd one out. It was as if he was the lone male amidst what seemed like a women's committee. Why did he have to be the only guy among them? Just as he was about to speak, Frank gave a wry smile and said, "We're all couples. Are you okay with splitting us up?" Trevon teased Chris, "You can consider yourself as female." Chris was rendered speechless by their response.

It crossed Chris's mind that it shouldn't be a big deal for the couples to split up just for a game, but he chose not to voice this thought.

Stella focused on something else. She said, "Come on, Chris. We're five, and they're four, they'd definitely agree. Let's go, we're okay with it." Chris agreed readily, saying, "Alright, let's do it." Before the game started, Trevon and Frank exchanged a glance, both simultaneously smirking mischievously. To Natalie and Ava, that kind of smile seemed conspiratorial, as if they were harboring some mischief.

As expected, when the game started, these adults laughed loudly like children, throwing snowballs at each other with fervor.

Joseph watched their interaction and smiled contentedly. He was in a good mood.

When the children at the side saw that their parents and the other adults were having so much fun, they couldn't resist joining the fun together. They automatically formed their own teams. George ran to his mom, Christina, to start playfully competing with his little friends.

Meanwhile, Jasper, Sophia, and Olivia went over to their parents to join in the snowball game. They were targeting Chris with playful snowballs while being considerate not to target their younger brother.

Trevon scooped up a snowball from the ground and teasingly glanced at Chris, then swiftly aimed the ball towards Leia beside Chris. Chris, watching the ball about to hit Leia, quickly turned and shielded her with a smooth move.

coat, blending with the ground's accumulated snow. His attire bore the remnants of the snow,

felt a momentary flutter as she was shielded by Chris. It was unexpected, causing a quickened heartbeat in her chest. Before Leia could voice her surprise, another snowball was hurled toward

to diffuse the awkwardness. Their

collaboration, they inadvertently assisted each other. Christina shared a knowing smile with Joseph across

a series of attacks. Trevon and Frank bombarded him with snowballs, but whether it was a

Chris in their retaliation. Natalie, Ava, Quinn, and Christina engaged in the snowball fight, intensifying the battle. This effectively dispelled Leia's

a little assistant, also contributed. A tiny snowball hit Leia, prompting laughter from the group. Trevon affectionately tousled

a little short on strength from all the throwing. He took a break and joined his father. They began building a snowman in an open area. "Dad." George wanted to take off the scarf, and Joseph didn't want to spoil the children's nature. So, he wrapped George's scarf around him. He now had two scarves. "Okay." George's little hand was freezing. He tried rubbing it on his clothes, but it didn't warm up. He placed his hand

rubbed it. "Okay." Sophia said, "Uncle Joseph, we want to join

having so much fun. He could only watch his sister and quietly

taken the snowball herself, showing no embarrassment whatsoever. Olivia, on the other hand,

word, squatting down to help the children

snowball always accurately veered away from Chris. However, they didn't focus

offered you a scarf, but you didn't want it." Stella's competitive spirit flared. "How was | supposed to know these two pranksters were after me?" Quinn aimed a snowball at Ava, but Frank swiftly stepped in the way, taking the hit on his shoulder. The snowball meant for Ava landed on Frank's shoulder and scattered on the ground. With a knowing look, Quinn whispered to Christina, "They're all skilled players. It's a diversionary tactic." Christina chuckled, offering a smile that indicated the answer. Everyone being sharp-minded, they could easily see through tactics. She hinted that getting caught up in the desire

the periphery, Christina and Quinn

her tiptoes, and brushed off the snow from Chris's hair. She reassured him, saying, "You don't need to shield me. It's okay to get

getting hit non-stop, and you didn't bother to shield me once." Chris's actions spoke for themselves, and

a few of them were starting to sweat slightly. If they continued playing, they would catch a cold. They couldn't just stuff handkerchiefs like kindergarten

"I don't want to waste the snowball | made." Leia felt that these people had good personalities, and she could tell that they had a strong bond. She said to Chris, "Bend down, I'll help you get rid of the snow on your hair." Chris shook his head again and refused, saying, "It's fine. I'll just shake it off myself." Christina, who had just arrived, heard her brother's refusal and couldn't believe it. Even a dog would shake its head at this missed opportunity. He declined Leia's help. Christina wondered if there might be something wrong with

fire from running. If | zip it up all the way, I'm afraid |