The smell of ash and burning wood fills Aiden''s lungs.


    With every breath, the searing air scorches his throat and nose, each inhales a cruel reminder of the inferno consuming his home. The crackling of flames and the groaning collapse of timber surround him like a nightmarish symphony.


    "Mom! Dad! Eris!"


    His voice cracks as he screams, desperation raw and unfiltered. He drags himself across the blistering floor, his small hands leaving trails in the soot as he inches toward a jagged opening in the wall. His body is screaming in pain, the burns on his skin threatening to paralyze him, but the thought of finding his family keeps him moving.


    Then he sees them—three hooded figures standing amidst the blaze, their faces obscured by shadows.


    "A survivor..."


    The voice is distorted, unnatural. Whether by a spell or some device, Aiden can''t tell, but it sends a chill through his young body. The tallest of the figures steps forward, their silhouette illuminated by the flickering flames.


    "He''s just a child," one of them says, the tone eerily devoid of emotion.


    The smallest member of the group approaches him, their movements deliberate and unhurried. A glint of steel catches Aiden''s eye—a dagger, held with purpose.


    "No!" he tries to scream, but his voice catches in his throat, the combination of fear and smoke reducing it to a broken rasp. He presses his face into the scorched floor, too terrified to look up, his trembling form betraying his terror.This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    "Enough," the tallest figure commands, their tone cold and final. "Leave him. He won''t last long in this."


    "But—"


    "I said leave him. The dead are dead. This child will join them soon enough."


    The smaller figure hesitates but eventually sheathes the dagger. Aiden watches them retreat, his vision blurred with tears and smoke.


    As the group begins to turn away, Aiden forces his battered body to move. He claws at the ground, trying to rise, but his limbs fail him. The pain is overwhelming, but not enough to drown out their parting words.


    "Lunethra," one of them says, the name falling from their lips like a dark omen.


    Aiden’s heart clenches as he sees his parents’ lifeless bodies lying near the group, their forms burned and unrecognizable save for the faint remnants of their clothes. His throat tightens, a scream bubbling up inside him, but no sound escapes.


    The rain begins to pour, hissing as it meets the flames, creating a shroud of steam around the ruins of his home. It cools his blistered skin, but it can''t extinguish the fire raging in his soul.


    The group disappears into the haze, their dark cloaks vanishing like phantoms in the mist. Aiden tries to follow, his mind screaming for vengeance, for answers, for anything—but his small body has reached its limit.


    His vision narrows, the world turning to shadows. The last thing he hears before darkness claims him is the sound of raindrops and the echo of the name, Lunethra.


    <hr>


    "Aiden. Wake up."


    "Hmmm... Did we arrive?"


    "Almost. I think about 5 minutes and we should see the city."


    The girl in front of him said casually, her black color hair swaying along with the train.


    "I bought some snacks while you were sleeping. Want some?"


    "It''s alright, Eris. You can have it."


    He pat the girl head gently before standing up from his seat and doing a bit of stretching.


    "Let''s hope that we didn''t come here for naught."