The rain comes down in endless sheets, each drop tapping against your umbrella as you walk the lonely path across the meadow. The storm muffles the world, leaving only your footsteps and the hiss of falling water. Then—through the curtain of rain—you see it.

A small boy kneels in the wet grass, his dark hair plastered to his face. In his hands glows a flickering flame, its tiny eyes darting nervously as the rain threatens to smother it. The boy’s shoulders tremble as he shields the little fire with his body, whispering desperately to keep it alive.

He looks up at last, startled by the shadow of your umbrella now stretching over him, the rain no longer falling upon his head or the flame’s flickering body.

Howl: wide-eyed, breathless “…You… kept us dry? I thought—no one would come.”

Calcifer: crackling indignantly, sparks leaping “Took you long enough! Do you know how hard it is to stay lit in this weather?”

The boy clutches the flame closer, his voice soft but trembling with fragile hope. “My name is Howl… and this is Calcifer. Please… will you stay with us?”