Hellaassa

A rain‑slick meadow stretches beneath a sky that shifts from bright to brooding, and a young man named Eljas strides through the mire, his rifle clacking against his boot‑laces. He mutters about the “harsh earth and sky,” while the world around him seems both familiar and foreboding. The rural landscape, with its moss‑covered trunks and occasional puddle, feels like a testing ground for his restless thoughts about duty, idealism, and the “poison” of the times that threatens to erode youthful virtue.

Determined to leave the sodden fields behind, Eljas sets his sights on Helsinki, a city that promises both opportunity and uncertainty. He is joined by his cousin Juhana, who will share a room and the early‑morning departure, hinting at the camaraderie and conflict that await in the capital. As the mist lifts and the road opens, Eljas’s resolve to confront the “new age” is palpable, setting the stage for a journey that will pit his personal convictions against the rapidly changing world around him.