The morning sun hung fully visible in the sky, casting a warm golden glow over the streets of Aria. The once-bustling avenues, now scattered with fewer people, still echoed with a cacophony of sounds: the rhythmic clatter of horse-drawn wagons rumbling over uneven cobblestones, vendors hawking their wares in sharp, insistent calls, and the low murmur of chatter weaving through the air. The faint scent of fresh-baked bread and damp earth lingered, carried on a gentle breeze that rustled loose leaves along the gutters.

Amid it all, Kai lay sprawled on the rooftop of a two-story building, its brick surface, mostly rough clay, warming beneath his back from the sun's steady heat. He stared up at the vast blue sky, a single straw clamped between his teeth, its dry, fibrous texture gritty against his tongue. The expanse above was empty save for the sun's blazing orb, its light prickling his skin like distant fire.

He rested on his back, hands laced behind his head as a makeshift pillow, the coarse bricks pressing into his knuckles. A deep sigh escaped him as he closed his eyes, the weight of unspoken thoughts pressing down like an invisible burden. *Mr. Angel isn't coming back, is he?* The memory clawed at him, those guards from the day before, their armored forms looming as they snarled that he was a criminal. *I tried to tell them he wasn't*, Kai thought, his chest tightening with futile anger. *But they didn't listen.*

His eyes snapped open, and he muttered under his breath, the words tasting bitter like the straw he chewed. "No wonder no one believes me. They all think I'm crazy." He paused, jaw clenching. "Well, I do have my own problems, but it's not that."

With a low grunt, he shoved his hands down for leverage, pushing himself up to sit. The straw bobbed in his mouth as he chewed harder, the faint, earthy flavor sharpening his frustration. Now his gaze drifted to the streets below: tiled rooftops glinting in the sunlight, shadowy alleyways where figures darted like ghosts, people slipping in and out of doorways with the familiar rhythm of daily life. The distant clip-clop of hooves and bursts of laughter filtered up, a reminder of the world moving on without him, vibrant, indifferent, and achingly out of reach.

Kai had grown used to this routine. Ever since spring had arrived, bringing its relentless heat, he'd slept on this roof without a shiver, nothing like the bitter winters when he'd scrounge for shelter and huddle under some threadbare blanket gifted by Mrs. Mandy long ago. The thought of the kind old woman jolted him upright, the straw tumbling from his mouth to skitter across the sun-baked bricks. Oh no, what am I doing? he thought, a pang of guilt twisting in his gut. I have to go help Miss Mandy sweep her yard.

He hurried to the corner of the building, where jagged bricks protruded unevenly, as if the structure had been abandoned mid-expansion. Gripping the rough edges, their gritty texture biting into his palms, he began climbing down, the faint dust from the clay clouding the air and catching in his throat.

Halfway down, a burly man in worn brown clothing, with a head of short black hair, planted his hands on his hips and glared up at him. "Boy, I told you I never want to see you up there again!" he bellowed, his voice rough and booming like thunder echoing off the alley walls.

Kai's heart lurched painfully in his chest, a sharp stab of fear making his grip falter. He recognized the man instantly, Mr. Herbert, the shop owner whose rooftop he'd claimed as his own. Time and again, he'd been warned to stop sneaking up there to sleep, but the warnings never stuck; the roof was his quiet escape, high above the chaos.

Mr. Herbert snatched a jagged stone from the ground, its weight shifting in his fist with a soft scrape against the dirt. He hurled it with vicious force. Kai twisted to dodge, releasing his hold on the bricks, but it was too late. The stone struck the back of his head with a dull, searing thud, pain exploding like fireworks behind his eyes. He groaned, vision blurring as he plummeted the rest of the way, landing hard on his backside in a puff of alley dust. Coughing against the dry grit coating his tongue, he clutched his throbbing head, warm blood trickling through his fingers.

The man charged forward, face twisted in rage. "That's what you get!"

He scrambled to his feet, heart hammering against his ribs. He didn't look back, not at first. But when he did, he saw the man already striding toward him, face twisted in fury.

"Hey!" Mr. Herbert barked. "Where do you think you're going, huh?"

Kai didn't answer. He just ran.

"You think you can just run away?" the man shouted, already giving chase. "I'm gonna catch you this time!"

Kai winced, fingers pressing into the throbbing ache at the back of his skull. *Damn it,* he thought, wincing as he darted between two narrow houses. *He caught me again. What was I thinking, staying up there so long?*

His bare feet slapped against the sun-warmed cobblestones, then crunched over loose gravel as he veered into a shadowed alleyway. The gap between them widened with every stride. Mr. Herbert wasn't built for speed, his breath came in ragged, wheezing gasps, his boots heavy on the stone.

Finally, the man stopped, hands braced on his knees, chest heaving. "I don't want to see you there again!" he yelled, voice cracking with exhaustion and anger. "You hear me?!"

He stayed bent over for a long moment, glaring in the direction Kai had vanished. "That damn kid," he muttered, shaking his head. "He's driving away my customers. If he keeps murmuring like some ghost up there...."

Muttering curses under his breath, Mr. Herbert turned and stomped back toward his shop, the jingle of his belt buckle fading into the morning hum of Aria.

Meanwhile, Kai slowed to a stop behind a stack of empty crates, his own breath coming fast and shallow. He leaned against the rough wooden wall, listening. No footsteps. No shouting.

He exhaled, shoulders slumping. *I ran away from him… again.*

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Mr. Herbert had never been much of a runner, but that didn't mean he wouldn't call the guards next time. And Kai had already spent one night in a cell. He wasn't eager for a second.

He wiped his sleeve across his forehead, smearing dust and sweat, then glanced around. The alley opened onto a familiar cross-street. A baker's stall stood at the corner, the scent of warm bread curling through the air.

*Oh,* he realized. *I'm not far from Miss Mandy's yard at all.*

He swallowed, dry, empty, and straightened. With one last look over his shoulder, he stepped out of the alley and turned toward the marketplace, his steps quick but quiet, like a shadow slipping back into the light.

He emerged into the marketplace, plunging into the throng of walkers weaving through stalls laden with vibrant fruits and bolts of dyed fabric. The crowd thinned compared to peak hours, yet it pulsed with life, the sharp tang of spices mingling with the earthy aroma of fresh produce, voices haggling in rhythmic cadence over the distant clang of a hammer on metal. He threaded through them, crossing the dusty road to the opposite side where Miss Mandy's home awaited, his shoulders brushing against coarse tunics and eliciting muttered grumbles.

Some passersby shot him sidelong glances and veered away, their noses wrinkling as if he carried an unseen stench. Kai had grown numb to it during the day, the stares that ranged from hollow pity, eyes softening like melting wax, to outright resentment, brows furrowing in sharp disdain. Yet alone at night, those faces haunted him, replaying in his mind like flickering shadows, twisting a dull ache in his chest that sleep could never fully dull, a loneliness that gnawed deeper with each recollection.

But now wasn't the time to dwell. Miss Mandy had promised a few coppers for sweeping her yard each morning, a ritual he'd upheld faithfully, until today, when tardiness threatened to cost him. Reaching the far side, he spotted the blacksmith's shop looming ahead, a sturdy two-story edifice of weathered stone, its massive sign creaking in the breeze: a hammered anvil on one half, flanked by gleaming armor and a crossed sword on the other, the metallic scent of forge smoke curling from its open doors.

He skirted past it, slipping along the building's side where the heat from the bellows radiated through the walls, warming his skin. Miss Mandy's modest house lay just two doors beyond. Quickening his stride, boots scuffing against the uneven path, he thought with a knot of anxiety tightening in his gut, *Man, I hope she didn't sweep the yard herself. She always does if I'm late, and then no coins for me.*

He spotted her yard ahead, enclosed by weathered wooden fences that rose no higher than his waist, their splintered slats rough under his fingertips as he brushed past. The modest house stood at its center, a simple structure with just four rooms beneath an arrowhead roof of faded shingles, sloping sharply like a drawn bow. The yard sprawled with cropped green grass, soft and springy underfoot, dotted here and there with wildflowers nodding in the gentle breeze.

Four sturdy trees anchored the space: two in front, their leafy canopies rustling with a whispery hush, casting dappled shadows that danced across the lawn; the other pair flanked the house's sides, their bark etched with age. Between those flanking trees stretched a stack of wooden planks, raw and splintered, the faint, resinous scent of pine lingering from the ones Kai had chopped for her on cooler mornings, his axe bites still visible in the uneven cuts.

And there she was, emerging onto the porch with her traditional straw broom in hand, its bristles frayed from years of use, the door creaking shut behind her like a sigh. She wore a flowing green dress that swayed with her movements, the fabric soft and worn, brushing against her ankles. Her long hair, a blend of silver-gray streaked with lingering black, pulled back into a neat ponytail, caught the sunlight in subtle glints.

A surge of urgency gripped Kai's chest, quickening his pulse as he realized she was poised to start sweeping, broom hovering over the scattered leaves. He broke into a run, waving one hand high. "Hey, Miss Mandy!"

The old woman glanced up, her weathered face softening at the sight of him charging toward her, his bright smile splitting wide, crimson eyes sparkling with unbridled joy, as if reuniting with a long-lost kin. Yet this was their daily ritual, his enthusiasm undimmed, a warmth that chased away the morning's shadows in his heart.

Miss Mandy's lips curved into a faint, knowing smile, crinkling the corners of her eyes. "Hey, young man. You're late." She paused, watching as he vaulted effortlessly over the fence, landing with a soft thud on the grass. One eyebrow arched in mild reproach. "Again."

Kai scratched the back of his head, a nervous chuckle bubbling up, light and awkward, but his fingers grazed the tender spot where Mr. Herbert's stone had struck. A sharp wince twisted his features, pain flaring hot and sudden, like a fresh ember against his skin.

"What's wrong?" Miss Mandy asked, her voice laced with concern as she caught Kai wincing, one eye squeezed shut, a sharp hiss escaping through gritted teeth.

Kai pulled his hand away from the throbbing spot on his head, the skin still tender and warm to the touch. "Ah, nothing," he muttered, forcing a weak smile. "Mr. Herbert just caught me again."

The old woman shook her head slowly, her ponytail swaying like a pendulum, a faint crease of worry etching her forehead. "I told you not to sleep there anymore. What did he do this time?"

"Oh, it's fine," Kai replied quickly, waving it off despite the dull ache radiating down his neck, mingling with the faint metallic scent of dried blood on his fingers. "Didn't hurt much."

Miss Mandy sighed, the sound heavy with resignation, her shoulders slumping slightly under the weight of unspoken sympathy. "Alright. I was just about to sweep the yard myself, if you'd been any later, I'd have finished." She extended the broom toward him, its handle smooth and worn from countless uses.

Kai accepted it with both hands, gripping it respectfully, the straw bristles whispering against the grass as he took hold. "I want you to sweep everything," she instructed, her tone firm but kind, "even in the back. You know what to do."

"Yes, ma'am," Kai nodded, meeting her gaze with earnest crimson eyes.

Miss Mandy regarded him for a moment longer, her expression stern yet softened by a flicker of maternal warmth, before turning and retreating into the house, the door clicking shut behind her with a soft thud.

Kai knew she had to head to work soon, the tavern where she crafted hearty meals for the townsfolk, her culinary skills legendary, filling the air with savory aromas of simmering stews and fresh-baked bread that drew crowds daily. On rare occasions, when time allowed, she'd slip him a warm bowl, the steam carrying hints.

Kai began sweeping the yard methodically, the broom's stiff bristles rasping against the dew-kissed grass with a rhythmic swish, stirring up the faint, earthy scent of soil and crushed leaves. He gathered every stray leaf. crisp and veined, some still clinging to morning moisture, along with brittle twigs that snapped under the pressure and scattered splinters from the chopped wood, their resinous tang sharp in the warming air.

Meticulously, he herded them into neat piles dotted across the lawn, knowing he'd scoop them up later into a burlap sack, the rough fibers scratching his palms.Even the smallest pebbles, gritty and sun-warmed, didn't escape his notice; he nudged them aside with precise strokes, ensuring the yard gleamed spotless under the climbing sun.

Miss Mandy always demanded perfection, the grass trimmed of debris, paths clear and inviting,and he delivered without fail, each sweep a quiet testament to his reliability. A subtle swell of pride bloomed in his chest, warm like the sunlight filtering through the tree branches overhead, chasing away the shadows of self-doubt that often crept in during quieter moments. For once, it made the hollow ache of worthlessness recede, replaced by the simple, grounding truth that someone truly needed him here, in this small corner of the world.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.