Four slow and painful years passed by.
The boy grew quite a few inches, but his frame was still small and fragile. What should have been a charming appearance was concealed by messy black hair and malnourishment.
He waited patiently at his usual spot, behind Grey’s business.
His parents discovered that he was working for Grey. Initially they were furious, which caused their health to deteriorate further.
Only after the boy showed proof that he had learned mathematics and reading did they relent, reluctantly agreeing not to say anything to their former acquaintance.
From the boy’s perspective, he was simply saving them further troubles as he knew firsthand how difficult Grey was to deal with.
Even if his parents wanted to intervene, what could they possibly do in their worsening condition?
He remained rooted in place as time passed. Eventually midday came around with no sign of Grey.
A man exited the back door with an exhausted look. He took a seat against the wall, and after a couple minutes, the man called out to the boy.
“Boy, you were the one doing all that work for Grey, right?”
The boy nodded, and the man sucked in air through his teeth.
“Geeeeze, I swear you single handedly kept his business alive. He didn’t hire a single person to move his supply after he came across you. Anyway, Grey’s dead.”
The boy’s eyes went wide, but not because he felt bad for Grey. His anxiety peaked. Would he still be able to get the herbs he required?
“Sorry bud. I don’t know what kind of deal you worked out with him, but the new manager is tearing these businesses down. Reworking them into entertainment houses he is. Which uh… you might not be suitable. Word on the street is that Grey offended someone who he couldn’t afford to.”
The man stood up and dusted off his pants before opening the back door.
“Well, good luck kid.”
The man went inside, leaving the boy alone with his thoughts.
The boy let out a sigh and closed his eyes for a moment. He took a deep breath, and then another.
His eyes flashed open in defiance as he made his way to the medicine shop. He could already see workers toiling back and forth placing new furniture within the shop’s interior.
He was too late to buy the remaining stock. Not that he had much savings to spend either way.
His eyes wandered off into the distance before they settling on the massive tower. Just how tall was it to be visible even from the outskirts of the city?
He knew that if he wanted to find the medicine then he would have to look for a shop in the inner district. Without another thought, he walked toward his last straw of hope.
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Meanwhile, in the most prestigious academy the city could offer, a young and blossoming girl made her way toward the academy exit.
She wore a pure black, knee length dress, and her hair, long and lush, was tied with a ribbon behind her back. Her eyes sparkled with energy and her mouth rested in the shape of a half-smile. A group of girls surrounded her, while boys of a similar age only watched on from a distance.
Within the first week of attending the academy, quite a few egotistical boys declared their intent to marry her in the future the moment they saw her.
This put many bodyguards in jeopardizing positions each time it happened. They could easily sense the elderly man, who shadowed the girl, was glowing with a dangerous light. He was not someone who could be offended.
Fortunately, the girl defused the situation every time with a simple smile and an apology.
“You’re not the one I’m waiting for.”
Her response was the same no matter who proclaimed their undying love for her. Eventually, the boys stopped acting so willful altogether as it became even more difficult to approach the sparkling star with so many other girls surrounding her.
The gaggle of girls escorted her all the way to the front entrance of the academy. Waving goodbye to the crowd, she walked toward a luxurious carriage drawn by powerful horse-like beasts.
As soon as she was a few meters away from other people, an elderly man appeared beside her like a specter.
“How was your day, milady?”
A kind voice rung out beside her, but she was already expecting this.
“It was so-so.”
She shrugged before stepping into the carriage and sat down. The elderly man followed her in, sitting opposite of her.
This kind, elderly man was a good friend of her grandparents, and he also happened to be ranked on the ninth floor. Apparently, he had been challenging the ninth floor’s trial for quite a long time with no progress on his own, so he decided to exchange his services for support from the girl’s family.
Before long, the carriage whisked them away, beginning their commute to the family estate.
“Today we will be selecting a few gifts for some family guests. Your parents requested your presence. So, we will have to make a detour before we head home. I apologize for the delays.”
The elderly man detailed out her itinerary for the day, while the girl simply nodded and gazed out the window.
As the carriage sped along the road, it eventually came across a long line of mid-tier businesses. Although this was not their destination, the girl felt a sudden tug that came from deep within her. It pulled her toward a particular direction as they passed through.
Slightly alarmed, she quickly scanned her surroundings through her window with nervous eyes, but nothing seemed out of place. The elderly man looked at her with concern.
“Is everything alright?”
She calmed down her heart rate.
“Yes, I was just… surprised by all the businesses around us.”
She resumed her smile once the awkward feeling in her chest disappeared.
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Within an alleyway between two businesses, an older and snappy woman could be seen glaring down at an incredibly dirty boy. She folded her arms before speaking in a cold voice.
“And what is it, that you think you can help me with?”
The boy met her gaze with confidence.
“I can help with anything… What do you need help with?”
The woman he was speaking to happened to be the owner of one of these mid-tier shops. This specific shop sold the exact herb he had been looking for. However, the woman shook her head.
“I don’t need assistance from you. Most of all, I don’t need you to dirty my shop with your presence.”
The boy looked down at his messy figure and torn clothes.
“I can clean myself. I.. don’t have any other clothes though…”
His voice went somewhat quiet towards the end.
Seeing this, the woman’s cold gaze softened.
“Can you count?”
The boy nodded fervently.
“Yes! I can count as high as you need and I can also do basic math… and complex math.”
“Good. Come back clean in exactly one hour.”
The boy took a swift bow before running off down the alleyway. As soon as the boy was out of sight, a door opened from the side of the business and an elderly man stepped out.
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“You know we can’t afford another worker.”
He said as he clicked his tongue. He had heard everything from the other side of the door.
The elderly woman let out a sigh before waving her hand. She responded with a voice that lacked her previous coldness.
“I have a feeling this boy won’t be asking us for much. It’ll be fine.”
She thought back to when she first noticed the boy in her shop.
Staring at a particular herb with wide eyes, he seemed so emotional at the time that tears had begun to form. However, at that same moment, a customer had berated an employee on how unsightly the kid’s appearance was.
With little options, she chased him out into the alleyway. However, instead of running away, the boy turned around and asked her for work.
“Ah, my kindness will be the death of me.”
The old woman mumbled to herself and she walked back inside the shop.
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Two years went by since the boy, who was now 14, started work at the medicine shop.
No one knew that he started working in the back storeroom, taking inventory of all the herbs going in and out. The other part of his job was to portion the herbs in specific amounts according to customer orders.
Although he did his job flawlessly, he could tell that the shop was gradually losing business. Initially, the elderly couple paid him in herbs and just enough money to buy food for three days, but as business slowed, they could only afford to pay him less.
At this point the boy paid in herbs only, forcing him to find additional work in order to barely buy food.
“Get rid of the boy!”
An old man’s shout could even be heard from the alleyway where the boy sat along with wall.
“It’s not the boy’s fault that we’re going under. How could you say that?”
The woman refuted back.
“What do you mean ‘How could I say that’? We started losing money the very day we hired him. He’s clearly a bad omen. I bet anyone who gets close to him is fated to be cursed!”
The old man’s voice raged back at her.
The boy glanced down at his feet, listening to the argument.
Dirty…
His feet were dirty. His hands were dirty. He slept in alleyways during the three days a week he could work.
In the morning he would clean himself at a nearby public pond before beginning work at the medicine shop. Afterwards, from evening till night, he would work tirelessly moving supplies for a few different tradesmen.
After his three days of work, he would spend an additional two days traveling home, where he would portion out food and medicine for his half-dead parents. Immediately after that, he would begin his two-day journey back to the inner city to begin work once more.
His throat felt choked as he heard the endless argument between the shop owners. It wasn’t just the medicine shop that was losing business, but every single shop that he helped at night was also going under.
Knowing this, he couldn’t avoid negative thoughts.
“I’m better off dead…”
He murmured to himself quietly. He closed his eyes and thought of his parents who couldn’t exist without his support.
He took a deep breath and grabbed the small sack of medicine and bread that lie next to him. This was the night of the week that he would begin his journey home.
Earlier, he had happened to pass by the medicine shop and was surprised to see the lights on. Clearly, the shop owners thought the boy had already gone home for the week and were currently throwing words back and forth without a care.
The boy nimbly stepped away from the wall and began walking his route home. Over time he had figured out the fastest route to reach his parents and back, which involved cutting through multiple business districts and alleyways.
As he made his way down a particular road, a luxurious carriage passed by in the opposite direction. As soon as the carriage passed by, he felt a small tug on his soul, which caused him to pause and glance over his shoulder.
Sensing nothing was off, he simply gazed at the sack in his hands and continued heading home through an alleyway.
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Meanwhile inside the carriage, a beautiful teenage girl was covering her chest and breathing erratically.
“Stop… Stop the carriage!”
The girl called out as the elderly man in front of her went on full alert. The carriage came to an immediate halt.
“What’s wrong?”
The elder called out to her while she frantically looked out the window behind her.
Off in the distance, she could barely make out the silhouette of a young boy turning the corner into an alleyway. As soon as the boy disappeared from her view, the feeling in her heart went away.
“Milady? We’ll be late for your parent’s celebration. Is everything alright?”
The elder called out once again after he noticed no threats were nearby.
“Yes… I’m fine. Sorry, let’s continue.”
She formed a smile, but her eyes could barely conceal the uncertainty she felt. After another moment, the carriage began barreling down the road once more without delay.
After the carriage had passed by, the boy began to have an eerie feeling that he couldn’t shake off. After a few minutes of walking, he slowly broke out into a jog. At the rate he was traveling, he would easily make it home within a day.
However, that wasn’t fast enough for him. To shake off this unwanted feeling, his jog soon quickened into a sprint, which slowly developed into a mad dash. Anxiety slowly overtook his mind and all he wanted to do was hold his parents in his arms.
Over the years, his parents had become so weak that they could only speak in small sentences. Although they were incredibly frail, they had become his anchor in the world while he dealt with daily life.
Right at this moment, all he wanted was to hear their comforting voice once more, their lies that always looked towards a better future.
After eight hours of running hard, he could finally see the outline of his home down the way. A smile crept onto his face as tears fell to his cheeks in anticipation.
Today had been mentally exhausting for him, and now physically exhausting after that mindless run. But despite all of that, he felt full of energy as he made his way into the room.
“I’m home…”
He called out. The room was pitch black as he couldn’t afford lighting and it was the dead of the night. He placed the sack down on the floor and called out again.
“Mom?”
He could sense their bodies in the corner of the room huddled together, but that was it. The only presence he could feel were their bodies. The sound of breathing didn’t greet his ears, nor did the sound of coughing.
His heart rate quickened as adrenaline and fear consumed him. Before one could blink, he was in front of the two lifeless forms in the corner of the room. He touched their faces, one in each hand, and felt how cold they were.
He couldn’t swallow down the tears that were slowly building in his eyes. His parents died in each other’s arms inside this ruin of a building while he had been nowhere in sight.
The boy felt a flurry of emotions building within his chest as his eyes shook. He withdrew his hands as if he were afraid of sullying their bodies.
“Somebody… Somebody please help me!”
He croaked out words while a stream of tears hit the blankets below him. He was met with silence.
“This is all my fault…”
The boy whispered to himself in the dark room.
“I’m sorry I was born. I’m sorry I had to be your son. I’m sorry I couldn’t do better. I’m sorry I couldn’t save you.”
A stream of blame and guilt poured out of his already fragile heart without end.
“I just need to give up… I will go now. Please rest peacefully.”
The boy stood up and made his way outside. Once outside, he looked in the direction of the heaven-piercing tower with dead and vacant eyes, before disappearing with speed even faster than before.
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Meanwhile, in the heart of the city, a banquet was being held. Musicians, bright lights, and beautiful performers all contributed to a festive atmosphere.
At the head of this party was a family of three. The family was comprised of a handsome man with short brown hair, his beautiful wife seated next to him, and finally, an extraordinarily beautiful teenage girl seated opposite of him.
The man and his wife held smiles on their faces as their many guests continued to make respectful comments towards the family. The girl, on the other hand, simply stared at her food, lost in thought.
“You’ve been looking at your food without touching it for quite a while.”
The mother chided her daughter.
Without replying, the daughter looked back towards the mother with a faint smile. A boisterous voice rang out from across the hall the next moment.
“To our honored hosts! The Lian family!”
The crowd chimed in right after.
“To the Lian family!”
Laughter and words of joy rang out as man at the head of the celebration stood up.
“Thank you, my friends. We truly cannot have achieved our success without all of you!”
The Lian patriarch gave his thanks to his guests.
The previous man cleared his throat and spoke once more now that he had the floor.
“Jin Lian, I must ask something of you.”
The crowd quickly silenced themselves once they heard the man call the host by his name. Showing his familiarity with the family likely meant he had something important to say.
Jin chuckled before nodding.
“Go on Brother Skantis, what would you ask of my humble self?”
The man named Skantis looked from side to side before letting out a sigh.
“I know I’m not the only one whose son is pestering him daily to say this… So, I won’t speak on my behalf, but for all the guests in this room.”
As soon as these words came out, everyone present knew what he was going to say next.
“But your daughter is now 16. We can all acknowledge that she is fast approaching adulthood at such a tumultuous age, and therefore certain duties should be prepared for. I must ask you, Jin Lian, has your daughter considered any potential suitors for her future?”
The Jin’s eye twitched as if someone had just flicked his reverse scale. He knew the day would eventually come when he would have to confront this topic. He just regretted having to do so in the public eye of so many guests.
Silence blanketed the room as everyone leaned a little closer to hear his reply.
“Pfft-!”
A stifled laughter could be heard, causing a wave of shock. Who would dare laugh in such a situation?
“I’m sorry but let me answer instead.”
Everyone was entranced by the girl’s voice that echoed throughout the room.
The one who laughed was also the one who spoke. This person also happened to be the very daughter they were discussing.
She stood up slowly and looked outward to all the guests.
“I will only say this once. I already have a promised one.”
The beautiful flower’s words lingered in the air as she excused herself from the party.
Nobody dared to speak as she walked by. At least, not until the door finally shut behind her.
Clamor shook the entire celebration!
Even her own father was shocked to death as he fell back into his seat. Various guests circled around the already confused patriarch as he drained his glass of wine in a single swing.
The woman by his side calmly processed this information and her eyes slightly narrowed. She leaned in close to her husband and spoke in his ear.
“I will talk to her.”
Jin nodded his head vigorously in response as the woman excused herself as well. Shouts of congratulations could be heard from the room, while others questioned who her partner was.
The mother made her way through the familiar maze of hallways, finding herself in the back garden.
The moon was covered by thick black clouds, which created an exceptionally dark night.
Despite dark the night, it couldn’t conceal the innate radiance of her daughter, whom she found standing in a field of flowers, casting her gaze outwards. The woman followed her daughter’s gaze and noticed she was looking directly at the tower in the center of the city.
The woman walked up behind her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.
“Do you want to tell me about him?”
The girl shook her head.
“Is… he real?”
She was met with a long silence before getting a response.
“Maybe… I don’t know… but I need to find him. Elder Bai.”
The girl called out, and the same old man that had been following her at the academy appeared by her side like a ghost.
“Can you take me to that street from before?”
Elder Bai looked towards the mature woman, who nodded.
“Right away.”
He only said this before disappearing.
The woman hugged her daughter tightly.
“This city is big, but I’m sure you’ll find him with luck like yours.”
“Mm.”
The girl broke free, making her way to the front gate where Elder Bai awaited her with a carriage. Without another word, she climbed inside and they shot off into the night.