The night had no mercy.
Cold rain fell in relentless sheets, drumming on the worn rooftops and slick streets. Kalin trudged slowly, each step a battle against exhaustion. His thin clothes clung to his body, soaked and heavy, chilling him to the bone. The wind sliced through him, and the bitter cold gnawed at every inch of his small frame.
Beside him, Kala struggled to keep pace, her tiny feet slipping over puddles, her small hands clutching his arm for balance. She shivered violently, but refused to complain. The jacket she wore offered little warmth, yet she insisted on sharing what little protection it could provide with her brother.
For three days, they had been walking like this. Three endless, miserable days. No food, no proper shelter. Kalin's stomach twisted in hunger, but it was nothing compared to the weight of fatigue pressing down on him. His blue eyes, once full of courage and determination, now flickered with pain and weariness.
On the third day, Kalin stumbled. His legs gave out beneath him, sending him tumbling into a puddle filled with icy rainwater. Kala gasped and ran to him. He tried to rise, but his body refused. Every muscle burned, every breath was heavy, and the world blurred around him. His lips quivered, his face turning pale and blue from cold.
"K-Kalin…" Kala's voice trembled, panicked. She knelt beside him, shaking his shoulders gently. "Wake up! Please… wake up!"
Kalin could hear her, could feel the warmth of her small hands, but his body was too heavy, too exhausted to respond. He tried to speak, tried to tell her he was okay—but no sound came. His mouth moved, but the words were trapped, swallowed by weakness.
The rain fell harder, a deafening roar, as if the sky itself was crying with them. Water ran into Kalin's eyes, his hair plastered to his face, his body shivering violently. Kala pulled her jacket tighter around him, wrapping him in the meager warmth it could provide, trying to shield him from the merciless elements.
"Just hold on, Kalin… just hold on," she whispered over and over, tears mixing with the rain. "We'll find shelter… we have to…"
But shelter was a distant dream. Every step forward felt like climbing a mountain. Kalin's vision blurred as he struggled to keep his consciousness, his body screaming for rest and sustenance. Each heartbeat felt like a hammer against his chest.
And yet, even in his weakness, he thought of their home, of a safe place where they could rest. He thought of his parents, now far away, and of the promise he had made to himself: he would protect Kala, no matter the cost.
Hours passed—or maybe minutes; time had lost meaning. Kalin's mind floated in a haze, half-dreaming, half-conscious. The world tilted around him. Each puddle became a river, each shadow a looming threat. Kala stayed beside him, her small fingers gripping his jacket, whispering encouragements, telling him not to give up.
Suddenly, a stronger gust of wind swept past. Kalin's body shuddered violently, and he fell further into the puddle. Kala screamed, catching him by the arm. Her tears poured freely, mixing with the rain on her face.
"I… I can't lose you, Kalin!" she cried. "Please… stay with me!"
For a moment, the storm seemed endless, their struggle hopeless. But Kalin's small hand moved slightly. His fingers brushed against hers. A flicker of strength surged inside him, as if her determination lent him the will to survive. Slowly, painfully, he forced himself to sit up. His body trembled, soaked and weak, but he refused to collapse again.The rain poured mercilessly, and the cold bit at young Kalin's small body. Lying on the cold ground, in a puddle filled with rainwater, he had no strength to speak or move. His eyes blurred every now and then; he tried to open them but collapsed immediately.
Beside him, his little sister Kala desperately tried to wake him. She grabbed his shoulders, shook him gently, and screamed his name, crying bitterly. But she found no response. Every attempt, every move, was futile.
Suddenly… a mysterious figure emerged from the shadows. They could not see the person clearly, but he grabbed little Kala with force and moved away. Kala screamed, calling his name, crying bitterly, but Kalin was powerless, only staring as they disappeared.
Kalin remained lying there, trying to process what had happened, but losing consciousness made it impossible to see clearly—every image blurred, every motion distorted.
Moments later, another person approached him, warm hands lifting him gently. A sharp voice pierced the haze:
"Come on! We need to take him to the hospital before it's too late! A small child thrown on the ground! Hurry!"
Then something strange happened… the world around him turned completely white. No boundaries, no sounds, nothing but dim light. All his fears and exhaustion slowly faded, as if he were dreaming.
Before his eyes appeared a door, open and glowing mysteriously. He began moving towards it, step by step, feeling that something awaited him behind it. His small heart pounded fiercely, yet for the first time in days, he felt safe.
He opened his eyes… and found himself in a hospital bed. The room was calm and clean, sunlight streaming through the windows. Beside him sat a woman in military uniform, staring at him with eyes that were strict but full of care.
Everything—the calm, the light, the sense of peace—made his little heart ease slightly. For the first time in days, he felt alive, and that he was not aloneKalin sat on the bed, his small body still shivering from the cold and exhaustion. His hair was wet, his face blue from the cold, and his eyes filled with confusion and fear.
The military woman sat beside him, her gaze sharp yet full of care and concern. She did not speak yet, only watched him, ensuring he was breathing, still alive.
Kalin felt curious and tried to lift himself, but his body could not respond. He turned toward the window, rain pouring outside, as if crying with him, echoing every bit of pain he had endured these past days.
He whispered weakly, barely audible:
"Where… is Kala? Where is my sister?"
The woman smiled gently but did not answer directly. Calmly, she said:
"You are safe now, little one. But do not speak yet, your body needs rest."
His heart raced. He didn't know what had happened to Kala, if she was safe, or if the stranger who took her was still nearby.
There was no time to answer. She knew the best thing now was silence and rest, yet her eyes never left his face.
She extended a hand and gave him a warm blanket, carefully covering his soaked body.
"You will be okay. We will take care of you, don't worry."
Kalin looked at her with wide eyes, barely able to say thanks.
For the first time in days, he felt he was not alone, that someone cared for him.
As he tried to relax, he drifted into a dream. His dream was completely white, no boundaries, nothing but light and quiet. Yet in the dream, he saw a door open… the same door that had appeared moments before.
Each step he took toward the door made his little heart beat faster, as if something important awaited him, something that could change everything.
He awoke suddenly, but this time, he felt power flowing inside him. A small but different power. His eyes glowed faintly, the first spark of the hidden energy within him.
He asked himself inwardly:
"How did this happen? Where did this power come from? Am I weak… or strong?"
He realized the past days—the pain, fear, sorrow—were not meaningless. Something was boiling inside him, something mysterious that he would only understand in time.
The military woman noticed the glow in his eyes. She approached cautiously and said:
"Calm yourself, little one. This is no coincidence. You are special."
The pain and grief of the past days had not vanished, but he felt hope for the first time. The first sense of safety since falling in the rain, since losing control over everything around him.
Outside, the rain continued, yet he no longer felt cold. Something inside him had begun to change, a new strength, the feeling that he could protect himself, find his sister, survive any danger.
Suddenly, he heard a faint voice:
"Come on, we'll get you out of here. Don't worry, you're safe."
For the first time, Kalin felt comfort, though his little heart remained heavy with concern for Kala.
The military woman carefully lifted him and spoke to him softly about the place, about the people around, about his safety.
As he listened, he felt that something awaited him outside… a new adventure, new power, and new hope.
He was no longer alone.