The Weight of Hunger

Neo couldn't take another step.

His legs felt like lead, his body trembling from exhaustion.

His stomach ached, twisting into painful knots. His throat was dry, lips cracked.

Every part of him screamed for rest.

Finally, he collapsed onto a large rock, breathing heavily. The world swayed around him.

With shaking hands, he pulled out his journal and flipped through the pages.

His eyes landed on Lesson 4.

Neo stared at the words.

His stomach tightened. His body ached for food.

He exhaled sharply.

Then, with slow, deliberate strokes, he dragged a straight line through each word.

"The animals earlier are too adorable. Now I can't eat them even if I wanted to."

Erased from the page.

But not from his mind.

He closed the book and rested it on his lap.

His breathing slowed, his thoughts adrift in hunger.

Then—

A thin column of smoke in the distance.

A Final Surge of Strength

Neo's body reacted before his mind could.

Smoke meant fire. Fire meant people. People meant a village.

Adrenaline flooded his system, cutting through the exhaustion like a blade.

He lifted his head—a roof. Then another. Figures moving.

"A village."

With everything he had left, he pushed forward.

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

A Stranger in Need

Two armored guards stood at the entrance, speaking casually—until they saw him.

Neo must have looked like a half-dead beggar. His clothes were torn from travel, his hair was a mess, his expression vacant with exhaustion.

One of the guards took a step forward.

"Hey! You alright?"

Neo tried to respond. His lips cracked as he opened his mouth.

But only one hoarse word escaped.

"...Water."

The guards exchanged a look.

"Get him inside."

Neo felt arms grab him, pulling him toward shelter.

Then, finally—

Darkness.

A Taste of Life

Neo didn't know how much time had passed.

By the time he stirred awake, a warm scent filled his nose.

Something soft was beneath him. A blanket. A cot.

For a moment, he thought he was back home.

Then, the memories rushed in. The road. The exhaustion. The guards.

He blinked, adjusting to the dim candlelight. A wooden table beside him held a clay cup of water and a small meal.

His hand shook as he reached for the cup.

The moment the first drop touched his lips—

He had never tasted anything better.

Water had never been so cold. So clean. So... real.

He drank greedily. He didn't care how desperate he looked.

The food was plain—some bread, a small bowl of stew—but to him, it was a feast.

For the first time since leaving the city, his body felt alive again.

A Guard's Questions

Neo set the empty cup down, his breathing steady.

He could still feel the ache in his muscles, but the immediate pain had faded.

Looking around, he realized he was in an inn.

A woman—probably the innkeeper—was speaking to the guards in hushed tones.

One of them turned toward him.

"Where am I?" Neo's voice was still rough from dehydration.

"Welcome to Dawnstead."

Neo took a moment to process the name before the guard asked again.

"What happened to you? Where are you from?"

Neo hesitated only for a second before answering.

"I want to be a traveler. I came from Valdris."

The guard raised a brow. Valdris. A city known for its knight academy, strict discipline, and Radiant Order influence.

"Valdris? A big city like that, and you came here looking like this?" The guard folded his arms. "How come you don't have anything with you? Did you run into bandits?"

Neo lowered his gaze slightly, reluctant to answer.

The guards exchanged another look, waiting for an explanation.

The older of the two finally spoke, his voice firm yet reassuring. "You don't need to be afraid. We can protect you here."

Neo shook his head. "No, it's nothing like that... I just thought a few pieces of bread and some water would be enough to get me to the next city."

Silence.

The guards looked at him. Then at each other. Then back at him.

The disappointment was palpable.

The innkeeper sighed, rubbing her forehead.

The younger guard muttered under his breath, "Unbelievable."

Without another word, the two guards returned to their station—but not before giving Neo a final warning.

"Be more careful next time, kid."

Neo nodded, murmuring another grateful thanks to both the innkeeper and the guards.

Exploring Dawnstead

Once the awkwardness passed and Neo regained some energy, he decided to stroll through the town, taking in its sights.

Dawnstead was smaller than Valdris, but it had a certain charm to it. Stone and wood houses lined the streets, and the smell of freshly baked bread filled the air.

As he walked:

• He saw a young boy practicing sword swings with a wooden blade. His technique was rough, but the determination in his eyes reminded Neo of someone

• A group of Radiant Knights patrolled the streets. Their presence wasn't as overbearing as it was in Valdris, but they still held an air of authority.

• Merchants bargained loudly in the marketplace, selling fruits, tools, and fabrics from other cities.

Everything felt peaceful. Stable.

Yet, something in the back of Neo's mind told him this was only the surface.

A Journal's Mystery

As the sun dipped below the horizon, Neo returned to the inn.

The exhaustion in his body crept back in, but this time, it was a comfortable tiredness, not the overwhelming pain from earlier.

He sat on his cot, stretching his arms before pulling out his journal.

"Might as well write today's events before I sleep."

He flipped it open—

And froze.

A date was already written.

Not just the date—a full entry.

Neo's heart pounded.

"Did I... write this and forget?"

His fingers tightened around the cover as he flipped back a few pages, scanning through his past entries.

Everything else was normal—his old notes, his journey, his thoughts.

But this?

This wasn't there before.

He ran his fingers over the ink. It was dry. As if it had been written hours ago.

His breathing slowed. His heartbeat was too loud in his ears.

This was his handwriting.

And yet, he had never written these words.