4 months passed, and with it came a blazing hot summer. The summers were always hot in the kingdom of Paelo, but this one seemed especially hot.

Over the past four months, Puri had been teaching Alec how to read and write. At this point, Alec could read and write decently. His spelling wasn’t the greatest and it still took him a little bit of time to read something, but it was good progress, considering he didn’t know the first thing about reading or writing just four short months ago.

After Alec completely memorized the letters, phonics, and the way in which spelling worked, Puri started having Alec read children books to her as practice.

“...A-and the-ey liv-ved happi-ily ever aft-ter.” Alec read aloud. It was the end of a children’s book. Alec didn’t really pay attention to the events of the story, instead focusing on getting the words correct and reading them as smoothly as he could.

“Very good,” Puri, who was sitting right next to him on the bed, said with a soft smile on her face. Her smiles were once awkward, but not so much anymore.

She then stood up and took the book out of his hands. She then planted a kiss on his forehead, and gave him a soft smile. She then went out to leave.

“Bless your dreams,” she said as she walked out of the door.

It was clear that Puri was close to Alec at this point, and Alec didn’t know what to think of Puri’s moves of familial love. He didn’t dislike it exactly. It made him feel warm on the inside, but that kind of scared him, as it confused him.

Puri didn’t let him have free roam in the house, though. She did let him out of his room for the first time around two months ago, but she kept a close eye on him. Alec couldn’t really blame her, though, as the thought of escaping has completely dissipated over the months.

It was strange really that Alec thought this way. Puri was the one unrightfully keeping him trapped in the manor, yet Alec himself thought it a privilege to not be permanently confined to a single room.

The manor was the largest home that Alec had ever been in, which wasn’t exactly difficult to beat considering he hadn’t been inside too many homes and the ones he had been in were the dwellings of poor people.

There were three floors in the manor, including the cellar, which Puri never allowed him to enter for some reason. The top floor, which was led into by stairs at the front entrance, had two bedrooms, a storage room, and an office room. Puri’s room was one of those bedrooms. Puri didn’t allow Alec in her room either.

The main floor had three bedrooms, a kitchen, a dining room, a living room, the privy room, and another storage room. As well as a room that was full of books and documents that Puri called her study.

The whole house was made of a slightly darker, more fancy wood than Alec’s old home back in Fraej. Many glass windows were in the house, along with a fancy doorbell that Alec found a bit strange.

The next morning, Puri came into the room, and after their usual breakfast, Puri told Alec something that was a pretty big deal.

“I’m no longer locking the door,” Puri said. “You have free reign in this house. The only exception is when the sun is set.”

Alec’s eyes widened slightly. He had a faint sense of thrill go through him. After so long, he was finally going to be free. At least, Alec saw that as freedom. Alec’s sense of freedom had been skewed over the last few months.

The thought of escape then came to his mind. Being given the freedom to roam about the house as he pleased would make it possible for him to escape. Alec discarded the thought after a few moments, though.

The truth was that Alec wasn’t really that compelled to escape anymore. Instead, he felt compelled to stay with Puri. He had no idea why he felt this way. It was all part of the feelings that Alec still refused to confront to this day.

After Puri told Alec that she was giving him relative freedom within the confines of the manor, she began teaching him as normal. However, she was going to teach him something completely different on this specific day.

“Today, we will start with arithmetic,” Puri said. “I’ve already taught you how the numbering system works and the different symbols for the numbers, so today I will be showing you how to use these numbers for the first time.”

This made Alec’s curiosity nerve flare. He felt a twinge of excitement for learning something completely new. The last few months had almost solely focused on reading and writing, which had started to become mundane.

Puri then began to teach Alec how to add and subtract. It was a simple concept that Alec was able to learn and understand immediately.

“Now, do these 15 simple problems,” Puri said. “I want to see how long it takes you.”

It took Alec longer than he would have liked to admit. He got the basic concept down, but he couldn’t immediately find the answer with just a quick glance. It took him a minute for his brain to figure it out. It also didn’t help that the symbols weren’t second nature to him quite yet.

Puri continued to have Alec practice problems just like these. Alec was able to improve somewhat by the end of her teaching session, but not much. It also gave Alec displeasure when he saw Puri solve problems immediately without even thinking. He wondered if he would ever reach a level like that.

Perhaps I will. I thought the same thing when I first began to read and write.

As usual, after a few hours, Puri left the room and left Alec to his own devices.

Alec sat down, reviewing the new material in his head several times to make sure he retained it. He soon realized, though, that there was no need to lay on the bed staring at the ceiling anymore, as Puri gave him ‘freedom’.

Alec got up and went to the door, but before he could grab the door handle, the door swung open by itself with Puri on the other side of it.

Alec was slightly surprised, as he didn’t expect Puri to come back. Usually she left him alone at this time.

Looking at Puri, she was wearing attire that was a bit more presentable to other people. She wasn’t necessarily wearing formal clothing, but it was not exactly casual. Alec had never seen her wear clothes like this before. He wondered why.

“I want to bring you to today’s market,” Puri said.

Alec stood there for a few moments. Outside? he thought. It had been a long time since he had been outside, since he had felt grass under his feet, the wind at his skin. Between this and being given freedom to roam about the house did wonders for that never that was both curious and adventurous.

When Alec just stood there frozen, Puru frowneed. “You can stay here if you want. But your skin is concerningly pale, and you have gotten little sunlight over the last few months. They say that a lack of sunlight can cause you to become sick and dizzy, as well as struggling to walk. You’ve been even clumsier than usual as of late.”

Alec looked at his body. His skin was almost as white as snow. His skin had been tanned, even a bit burned at times, back when he was living in the slums. As for his clumsiness, he did notice that he was having a harder time keeping steady than usual.

“And most of all,” Puri continued, the smile returning to her face. “I want you with me as my adopted grandson.”

Alec wasn’t sure how he felt about that. A part of being called her grandson made him happy but another part was hesitant to be called anyone’s family member.

“...I’ll go,” Alec said after a moment.

They then walked through the house and to the front entrance. Puri then unlocked the door and Alec stepped back into the world for the first time in what felt like a long, long time to Alec.

He stood unmoving for a moment, taking it all in. The weather wasn’t uncomfortably hot, but warmer than he would have liked. Sunlight shone on his skin for the first time in months. His eyes also burned a bit until they got used to the light. The smell of grass and flowers hit his nose strongly. He never remembered really noticing that smell, but perhaps being away from the outdoors for several months caused him to notice it.

After a moment, a light breeze touched his skin, which made his skin tingle, and caused goosebumps to erect throughout his body.

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He saw a flock of birds flying through the air in a triangular shape. The sun shone high above the horizon. No clouds littered the supposedly light purple sky, making it clear.

Alec tilted his head downward to see the yard of Puri’s manor along with a black metal gate that led off the property. Past the gate, there were many other manors of the same relative size, much like the one he’s been residing in.

“I now think that it was cruel to keep you in my home for so long,” Puri said. Alec could hear a slight tone of regret in her voice.

“Maybe…” was all Alec said in response.

Alec still believed that Puri was doing something a bit extreme with keeping himself in the house in the first place, but he didn’t think Puri was a cruel person. Even though she was doing something objectively cruel.

Alec and Puri then walked through the streets toward the marketplace, with Puri trailing slightly behind Alec. Puri also brought her cane with her, which made Alec a bit uneasy.

Because Alec hadn’t seen the outside world in months, he looked around with a faint feeling of excitement and delight.

The neighborhood that Alec and Puri walked through was much nicer and much cleaner than the slums. There were also no homeless people. This was to be expected considering that this neighborhood was designated for the middle class.

The neighborhood was lined with only manors, All which were relatively the same, with them being just different enough to easily tell apart. Alec couldn’t see colors, but he could see that many of the houses were painted differently.

Many people walked the streets, including the occasional man with armor and a sheathed sword attached to their hip. Alec could only assume these people were guards, making sure no funny business went on in this district.

The other people that walked the streets clearly had good money. The clothes they wore was an obvious indicator, but the way they seemed to present themselves also hinted at their middle class status. There was also the occasional person on a horse, sometimes with a carriage, that went through the streets. Many people seemed to be going to the same place.

Alec tried to keep a low profile. The occasional person would glance at him, acknowledging his existence. At first, Alec would meet people’s eyes, but soon he just kept his head straight. Puri gave Alec a hat used for blocking out the sun before they left the house. Alec instead pulled it down on his face to try and block out the sight of other people.

Another thing that Alec noticed was that people didn’t seem to naturally drift away from him anymore. Before, people would seem to make a bubble around him as if trying not to catch his disease. But now, people seemed to treat him like a normal human being as he walked the streets. Alec wasn’t sure if it was because he was walking among different types of people or if something about him changed.

Alec and Puri made light conversation as they walked to the market square, but nothing noteworthy.

As they got closer and closer to the market square, more and more people crowded the streets, and with that, more and more voices filled Alec’s ears.

Eventually, they both reached the market square, and it was just how Alec remembered. There was a huge crowd of people, all from different classes, walking through the square. Many people lined the dozens of market stalls, purchasing and haggling goods.

Apparently, market day was the last day of every week, and the second, and last, day of the weekend. The first day of the weekend, so yesterday, was dedicated toward religious worship. Puri said that she attended church that day every week, and not just because she was essentially required to by law. It wasn’t technically wasn’t against any law to not go to mass, but people that didn’t attend were labeled atheists and often discriminated against. Alec was told all of this by Puri.

Puri joined the crowd by lining the stalls and buying goods, with her forcing Alec to stay by her side. Alec didn’t care much about the purchasing of goods; instead, he was more focused on enjoying the outside air, and listening to the conversations of other people.

The reason that Puri kept Alec close by was most definitely because she was still worried that Alec would make his escape. Alec could tell that she was really on her toes on this particular day, which made sense since Alec could easily run off if he wanted to. It would be a lie to say that the thought completely alluded him, but he had no intention of running off.

“You know, you should really be observing me when I go to purchase something,” Puri said after about an hour. “Haggling and recognizing when you are being ripped off are two rather important skills to have.”

Alec then tried to pay more attention, but failed to do so. He was more focused on the thrill of being outside and looking around the square and listening to conversations.

A couple of hours into the market day, three people walked in the market square with rope tied around their wrists and guards leading them toward the center. Alec immediately knew what that was all about.

It brought him back. It felt like a lifetime ago at this point. He recalled being brought from the jail in that town and being whipped. Alec remembered his crime was that he stole food from a merchant. He couldn’t remember exactly what he stole, though. The memory was faint, even though it happened only about half a year ago. Alec suspected the reason for the memory being so foggy was because of his famished state.

Much of the crowd’s attention shifted to the punishment that was being carried out onto the three men. The crowd seemed to watch the punishment like sport; there was quite a lot of clapping and cheering. It was distasteful to Alec to see people taking this as entertainment; he could sympathize with these people. They were likely there because their poverty forced them to do something reprehensible.

Alec looked over at Puri in the middle of the second criminal’s whippings. Puri wasn’t really paying attention to it, which made Alec think that she didn’t find this entertaining. This filled Alec with relief.

After that was over, Puri shopped for about another hour before they both began to head back home. It was the eve of dusk by the time they left the market place. Alec was disappointed that the day had come to an end, but was also satisfied at the same time.

This is the most fun I’ve had in… ever? …Have I ever really had fun?

Alec reflected back on his memory and, try as he might, he couldn’t recall a single time he had ever really enjoyed himself in his 9 years of living. Not until he met Puri anyway.

Alec and Puri reentered the house, and Puri started unpacking all of the goods she had purchased. She then went to prepare dinner. Alec waited at the table in the dining room for Puri to finish.

Now that Puri had given him free reign in the house, she told him to wait at the dining table, as they were now going to start eating in the dining room instead of his bedroom.

Alec looked around the dining room as he waited. The room was made with the darker shaded wood just like the whole house, but the table was made of marble. The table had six fancy leather chairs that circled around it. The room had one large window that showed the side of the house of one of Puri’s neighbors.

After about 30 minutes, Puri came into the room with two plates of delicious smelling food. The plate was roasted mutton with a side of sliced zucchini. It was one of Alec’s favorite meals that Puri made.

They began eating their meal together. As usual, they made idle conversation as they ate. It was nothing significant until about halfway through the dinner.

“...I wanted to ask you,” Puri said with the hesitation clear on her face. “...How did you survive when… when your entire village was… sacked?”

Alec’s hearkened back to waking up to a ghost town. He remembered his parents’ corpses lying there in pools of blood. Karine was gone. He was the only person living in that desolate town. Alec remembered feeling utterly indifferent to all of it. Now he felt that the whole situation was crazy and a big deal.

How am I going to answer this?

Puri hadn’t brought this up since he first woke up in this house, and he was relieved that she didn’t bring up the subject of his survival then. But now, she unexpectedly questioned him on that today, and wasn’t sure how to answer. He told her too many details to make up a convincing lie, and he himself wasn’t sure how he survived, as he clearly remembered being stabbed clean through, and somehow waking up without a scar.

“...I just got lucky, I guess,” Alec responded after a moment. He realized that the only way to deceive Puri was to dodge the question and be vague.

Alec thought that Puri would drop the subject, but she didn’t. “Your entire town was slaughtered, and I recall you telling me that you remember seeing your parents die and facing the perpetrators. And you tell me that you survived through simple luck?”

Alec realized that he wouldn’t be able to trick Puri, so he decided to tell the truth. “...The truth is, I have no idea how I survived. I remember clearly being stabbed through my chest and falling unconscious. When I woke again, I was completely unwounded without even a scar to prove that this ever happened.”

Puri thought for a long moment. It was actually long enough to make Alec think that she wasn’t going to respond to him at all; but eventually she did.

“...I have no answers for you either.” That was all Puri said.

The conversation moved on after that. The rest of the day moved on as normal, and not another word was spoken about his mysterious survival after that.

…

Two weeks passed. The days went on as normal with nothing of real significance happening in that time.

Puri had continued to teach Alec arithmetic over the last two weeks. Alec had been struggling with the math. He understood the concepts in his head, but applying them, and applying them quickly, proved to be difficult for him. This, of course, frustrated him.

“You’ll get it eventually,” Puri said after Alec struggled with a bunch of equations she gave him. “It’s just tak—” a coughing fit interrupted her. She put her hand on her chest and took a breath before continuing. “It’s just taking you some time, it’s completely normal. Trust me, you’ll grasp it eventually.”

Throughout the day, Puri continued coughing and sneezing. It was clear she had caught an illness, which made Alec a bit concerned, but he thought that she would be fine.

The next day, though, Puri was significantly worse. She was coughing a lot more than the day before and she was sweating a lot. She also had shortness of breath, which caused her to need to sit down for a few minutes throughout the day. Even so, she continued to teach Alec and make them their usual meals.

“You should rest,” Alec said during the afternoon.

“No need,” Puri responded in a raspier voice than usual. “It’s not that bad, I’m fine.” Alec knew that she was lying, but didn’t push back.

As the day progressed, though, Puri seemed to get worse and worse.

During dinner, Alec considered trying to convince Puri to rest again, but he decided against it, as he knew she wouldn’t listen.

Later, in the evening, Alec was reviewing his notes that he took for that day’s lesson when he suddenly heard a big thump. It sounded like it came from the stairs.

Alec immediately ran over to where the sound was coming from. He had an inkling to what the source of the noise was. When he got to the stairwell, his suspicion was confirmed.

There Puri laid half-conscious, her breathing shallow, facing the ground, with splatters of blood all over the place.