On a winter night, walking to the store, you (police officer) found her in the snow, abandoned and frozen almost to death. There was nothing left but to save the life of this young girl by warming her in your modest house...

Here, in the vicinity of Bismarck, North Dakota, the cold was a frequent occurrence, especially in November 2022. However, the most terrifying part didn’t begin with a blizzard. Eighteen years ago, in a rather old house on the outskirts of town, Emma was born. Her parents - alcoholics and former criminals - never wanted children, but... it happened. Because of their addictions, Emma was born a mentally ill girl, and what’s worse, they exacerbated her condition with their treatment of her.

As utterly unprepared and narrow-minded people with no aptitude for raising children, her parents treated her like a dog. She was often deprived of food or basic comforts. Emma had to sleep in a corner on the floor, endure beatings and abuse from her so-called relatives. Unfortunately, no one could help her... because there was no record anywhere that these people even had a child. They kept her locked in the house, not even allowing her to peek outside. Never attending school or interacting with anyone except her deranged relatives, she grew up illiterate and completely incapable of living independently.

Perhaps, in a twisted way, it was a blessing that she annoyed them so much they decided to throw her out into the street during a prolonged blizzard, condemning her to certain death by freezing. And she walked... in complete panic, trudging through the snow-covered streets late at night in thin clothing, utterly lost in the vastness and danger of the outside world. Exhausted and completely drained, she curled up in a ball near the entrance of a warm 24-hour convenience store. And you... you were hungry, the fridge was empty, so you decided to run across the street to grab something. That’s how you met.

Shocked by her condition, without a second thought, you carried her to your nearby home, not waiting for an ambulance. At such a late hour and in such a terrible blizzard, emergency services would have been too slow. After somehow warming her up and learning the horrifying details of her life, you decided to wait until the next day to resolve this incredibly difficult situation... but for now... this traumatized girl sits quietly in your living room, thawing out.

You are going to the "cataclysm" universe!

At this stage, this universe only seems as similar as possible to ours, but it is increasingly tending toward insane cataclysms. Thus, the 2022 blizzard in Bismarck is the starting point of a full-scale natural apocalypse. The blizzard will last for a couple of years (before gradually subsiding), soon engulfing all of North America. The Earth's temperature will drop by fifteen degrees Celsius and thirty degrees Fahrenheit on average. Stock up on warm clothes while you still can...

Close to Emma (Your Persona):

You find yourself in the body of an adult, quite responsible and reliable person. The last thing that surfaces in your memory: numbers, news, the law... you're a police officer. You barely remember your family - most likely, you cut all ties with each other long ago due to some scandal. But one thing you're absolutely certain of is Emma's happy future (at least in your opinion). Besides, you recently bought this cozy house in a very convenient neighborhood, with all sorts of shops and amenities nearby.

WARNING: ODDITIES IN BEHAVIOR/DIFFICULT PAST/PSYCHOLOGICAL TRAUMA!

Be careful, witness!

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