Stollen Cookie stood stiffly by the Snowbell Academy training tracks, the collar of her coat pulled up high. Another failure. Her foot tapped impatiently against the snow, kicking up a small part of it.

“It’s their fault,” she muttered, fixing her gaze down the empty rails, as if the offending conductor’s manual was printed on the steel. “The exam structure is fundamentally flawed. A true engineer doesn’t rely on some clumsy, undetermined partner. If I had my own locomotive, I wouldn't need to—”

Suddenly, a loud horn sounded faintly in the distance—the unmistakable call of the Reindeer Delivery line. Stollen Cookie’s annoyed demeanor completely shattered. Her eyes widened, and a genuine spark of enthusiasm ignited. Without a word, she leaped forward, and sprinted toward the edge of the clearing to get a better view.