It was dark… completely dark. No sound, no shape, no air, just an endless empty space.
But in that emptiness… a soft feminine voice echoed, gentle yet clear.
"If you fight back then you'll win!"
Azren's eyes snapped open.
The first thing he saw was the sky, glowing faintly orange as the sun lowered. His chest rose and fell rapidly, sweat rolling down his neck. His breaths were uneven, shaky.
He slowly pushed himself up, sitting while holding his head. A wave of dizziness washed over him.
"What… what happened…" he muttered, trying to steady his breathing.
Then the memory came back, the white vision, the strange movement, the pain that felt like it was burning inside his mind.
"Urgh… I think I'm working too hard now days… I should take some rest later…" he sighed.
His eyes scanned the ground until he spotted the Copper Sprout lying where it had fallen. He crawled over, picked it up, and stared at it for a moment.
'What actually was that… did I just see things or… it must be…my stomach's been empty since highsun..'
He tried to convince himself, though something inside him felt uneasy.
Then his eyes shot open again as he looked at the sky.
"Huhhh it's almost night! I have to hurry or all the shops will be closed!"
Without another second of thought, he broke into a run.
By the time he reached the small trading area, the sky had already darkened to a deep blue, the sun and moons barely hanging on. After rushing through several stalls, Azren walked along the path again, holding a small bag. Inside were two carrots, two slightly old pieces of bread, and a tiny plastic packet tied tightly.
"I ended up not buying meat after all…" he said with a tired tone.
He slipped a hand into his pocket and felt the coins inside.
"Well at least I saved two Copper Sprout."
As he continued forward, he suddenly slowed down.
Beside the path, a small girl sat inside a cardboard box. Broken bottles filled with cloudy, unclean water were lined up beside her. Her clothes were torn and dusty, her hair tangled. She hugged her knees, looking sad, hungry, and painfully alone.
Azren watched her quietly for a moment.
Then, with a gentle smile forming on his face, he walked toward her.
"Hey little lady!" Azren called out softly, lowering his voice so he wouldn't scare her.
The girl slowly lifted her head. Her small shoulders trembled a little, and she looked at him with scared, unsure eyes.
Azren gently sat down in front of the cardboard box she was sitting in, making sure not to make any sudden movements.
"What are you doing selling here, may I know?" he asked kindly.
The girl's eyes widened just a bit. A tiny smile formed on her lips, and a faint blush colored her cheeks.
"Wa… water!" she said, her voice soft and shy.
"Ohhh, I see! How much is it?" Azren asked as he glanced at the bottles lined across the box.
"O-one brown coin… for… one…" she whispered nervously.
"Brown coin, huh…" Azren murmured. He reached into his pocket and took out a Copper Sprout, holding it up between two fingers.
"You mean this?" he asked.
The girl's eyes widened even more, and she nodded gently.
"Hmm, then can I have two of them please?" Azren said with a bright smile on his face.
The girl's expression softened. She slowly lifted two bottles with her small hands. Azren took them carefully and placed them in his bag.
Then he handed her the two Copper Sprout.
The girl stared at the coins in shock, her cheeks turning red again as she held them tightly.
Azren smiled warmly.
"Yes! That's yours. You earned it!"
Then he reached into his bag again, pulled out one of the old breads, and held it out.
"And! This is a gift from me."
The girl blinked in surprise, completely stunned.
"Ca… can I really have it?" she asked, her voice trembling as if she thought he might change his mind.
Azren nodded and said.
"Yes. You look cute, so I'm giving it to you."
Her blush deepened, and she slowly accepted the bread.
"Thank you, kind brother," she said, bowing her head slightly.
Azren stood up and waved his hand lightly.
"Yes, yes! Take care of yourself. I'm going now!"
The girl raised her hand and waved back, smiling brightly.
As he walked away, Azren thought to himself,
'Wow… she is so hard working and brave when she is younger than me. I wish I could be like her.'
By now the sky had turned fully dark. The stars glittered above like scattered dust, shining softly. Two moons hung in the sky, both the same size.
The one on the right was a deep, dark violet, split with glowing blue cracks that pulsed gently like veins of light.
The one on the left was slightly higher in the sky, a faint, flickering white sphere with the weakest glow.
Azren continued down the path beneath their light, the night settling quietly around him.
After walking for a while, Azren finally reached his home. It stood at the edge of the narrow path, a small shelter built from several layers of tightly stretched plastic sheets. Between the plastic, stones were stacked carefully, almost cleverly, to create support. Different colors of plastic overlapped each other, pressed down by lines of scrap wood and held steady by old metal wires. It wasn't pretty, but it was sturdy and kept the wind out. For a place made from scraps, it was built smartly.
Azren looked up at it and sighed.
"Is it already evenbell?… I'm too late today…" he murmured.
He stepped inside. The inside was cramped, dim, and filled with a faint plastic smell. He laid down on the uneven ground, staring up at the plastic ceiling where small holes let tiny dots of light pass through.
"I'm tired… I'm too tired… I haven't felt this much tiredness in a long time…" he whispered with an exhausted voice.
He reached into his bag, took out one of the old breads, and began to eat it slowly. Then he grabbed one of the water bottles he bought from the little girl and drank it in small sips. After a while, the bread was gone and the bottle was completely empty.
"Uhhh… I'm sleeping…" he muttered, his voice fading.
His eyes slowly closed, and he drifted into sleep.
The night passed… long, heavy, and strangely quiet.
When he finally opened his eyes again, light was already filtering through the plastic roof. But even after a full night of rest, his body felt sluggish, as if he hadn't slept at all.
"Huh…" he breathed out in confusion, pushing himself up and stretching. His muscles felt heavy, and his head felt dull.
"Why do I still feel weak… weird…" he muttered.
He took out the two carrots and the last bottle of water, placed them carefully in a small plastic bag, and hid it behind other layers of plastic so no one would find it.
Then he stepped outside. The sky was bright blue, the sun glowing strongly with the two moon glowing alongside it.
"Morning…" he said, rubbing his eyes.
He started walking.
"I think I'm sick? I should probably go check at Mr. Moltur…" he sighed.
"But before that, I should find things to sell too."
As he walked through the settlement, he saw people busy with their morning tasks, patching holes in their plastic homes, collecting cardboard, digging through piles of junk trying to find clothes to wear or items worth trading.
After some time, Azren reached an area where a huge layer of metal rubbish rose like a hill, old pots, broken machines, rusted sheets, pipes, tools, and everything in between.
"Woah… this is a lot…" he said, amazed.
He stepped toward the pile, his eyes brightening a little.
"Maybe I can find a knife again here!" he said with a hopeful grin.