"Faster!" Jayden gasped, his breath ragged and shallow. "Faster! I need to move faster than this."
His legs screamed in protest, threatening to give out beneath him.
Earlier, during his walk with Elio to the forest's edge, Jayden hadn't considered the sheer distance involved. Lost in conversation with his father, he only now realized the vastness of the estate. The mansion sat on the eastern side, while Silas' location was tucked away at the very edge of the western boundary.
A harsh yell pierced the air. "Hey, kid! Watch where you're running, you little twerp!" Jayden barely avoided a collision with a food stall, his momentum sending him stumbling.
There was no time to stop. Every second counted. If his mother or father discovered his absence, they'd be upon him in a heartbeat. He was painfully aware of how strong his parents were.
'Come on, legs, don't fail me now,' he pleaded silently, pushing himself forward. He sprinted between houses, and across open fields, his small body a blur of motion.
Thirty minutes of relentless running took their toll. It may not be much, but for a five-year-old small child, and without any training, Jayden was at a collapse point even though he was awakened. His chest burned, his lungs ached, and his legs threatened to buckle.
"I...puff...puff...can't move anymore," he rasped, his voice barely a whisper. He could barely walk, let alone run. But giving up wasn't an option. He'd crawl if he had to, just to reach the sanctuary of the forest.
As he staggered forward, a shadow fell over him, momentarily blocking the sun's warm gaze. A towering figure, a man who looked to be in his forties, loomed above Jayden.
The man wore a neatly trimmed black beard, his smile revealing bright white teeth. "Well, young man," he boomed, his voice surprisingly gentle for such a large frame. "You look like you've just run a marathon. Not good for a growing boy to be so dehydrated, come take a break at my stall." He gestured towards a colorful booth several meters away.
Jayden lifted his head, his breath still hitching in his throat. A raw, burning sensation clawed at his throat, amplifying the man's offer. "T-thank you, but I don't have any money," he croaked, his voice hoarse. The cool, refreshing promise of water was incredibly tempting.
The man chuckled heartily. "Don't you worry about that, young fella. I can't let a hard-working little guy like you be in such a state. We're all family here, after all. Money's no concern."
If you come across this story on Amazon, it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Jayden studied the stranger cautiously. Everything seemed normal on the surface – a tall, muscular build, a neatly trimmed beard, dark hair, and the familiar deep blue eyes shared by everyone in his family.
'Maybe I'm just paranoid,' Jayden thought. 'He's probably just trying to help.'
His past experiences, coupled with his current situation as a runaway, fueled his skepticism. He desperately wanted to avoid conversations, any chance of someone taking a closer look at his unusual features. He couldn't risk drawing suspicion and jeopardizing his escape.
"There you go, little one," the man said, tossing him a bottle of clear, sparkling liquid that resembled water. "All yours. Go ahead and drink up. Don't want you fainting in front of my shop, bad for business, you see."
Jayden stared at the man for a long moment before offering a small bow. "Thank you, I won't forget this kindness." With that, he turned and hurried away.
He gulped down the entire bottle in seconds, his thirst a raging inferno. But something peculiar happened. "Wow! What is this stuff? I feel like I could run for hours without getting tired!"
A wave of energy washed over him, erasing every trace of fatigue. It felt as if he hadn't even run for thirty minutes straight. "Hey, mister, what-" He spun around, ready to thank the kind stranger, but he was gone. Not only the man, but his entire stall had vanished without a trace.
'What the heck just happened?' Jayden gaped at the empty space, dumbfounded. But his time for wonder was short-lived. The forest beckoned, and he had no time to waste.
Ten minutes later, the majestic canopy of the trees rose before him, a verdant curtain promising refuge. 'Finally! There's no turning back now,' he thought, a surge of determination propelling him forward. He sprinted into the welcoming embrace of the forest, leaving behind the confusion and the fading memory of the mysterious stranger.
Back at the Mansion
A heavy knock echoed through the halls. "Knock! Knock!"
"Jayden, are you awake? Ruele and Elio stood in front of his room, "Can we talk for a minute?"
After Ruele left his room, she met with Elio, Elora, and Valeria in the living room. Elio went ahead and told what happened between him and Jayden and how things went from bad to worse.
After Ruele calmed down, her situation was way worse than Elio's. No one can understand how much love and care a mother has for her babies, and being in that situation for the first time, Ruele couldn't stand knowing that Jayden was upset with her.
They know that it was their first hardship as a family but at the same time, they were well aware that it won't be the last one, that's how a family should be like, together when things are good but also bad.
Listening to Valeria and Elora's opinions, they decided to have a heartfelt talk with Jayden, maybe he could see their point of view and understand that they offered him the love and affection he deserved. But of course, Jayden must learn how to listen and behave properly with his parents.
As both of them stood in front of Jayden's room, the silence stretched between them, thick and suffocating. Elio exchanged a helpless glance with Ruele. The lack of response sent a jolt of panic through them. This wasn't like Jayden. He might be stubborn and mad, but he always answered his parents when they called.
"Jayden, we're entering," Ruele said as she opened the door, "At least you opened the window for fresh air if you decide to stay all day covered from head to toe in your blanket," she told him while slowly approaching his bed.