He studier her then and seemed to weigh each impossible option in his mind. Finally, he reached out, his fingers hesitant as they brushed the fabric. He clutched the oversized coat tightly to his chest, his face tilting down as if to hide from their kindness.

Jace’s gaze lingered on the shadows beyond the boy, where another pair of eyes glimmered faintly in the dim light. Smaller, rounder—likely a little sister, watching silently from the deeper gloom of the house.

Before he could retreat further, Jace stepped forward, reaching into his “absolutely-not-a-fanny-pack” dimensional inventory. He pulled out a small crate of food, carefully packaged and infused with his Flavor Saver potion. The scents of warm bread, spiced meat, and sweet pastries filled the air as he set it on the ground between them.

“This is for you too,” Jace said. “It’s enough to last several days.”

The boy froze, his eyes wide with disbelief. “I can’t take that,” he stammered, stepping back. “It’s… it’s too much.”

“Not just for you,” Jace said firmly. “Share with your family and friends.”

Something in Jace’s tone broke through the boy’s resistance. He hesitated, then reached for the first package, tearing it open with trembling hands. He took a bite and froze, his eyes lighting up with wonder. “This… this tastes like royalty food.” He looked up at them, his gaze filled with cautious awe. “Are you princes? Princesses?”

Alice knelt again, a faint smile on her lips. “No, just visiting the town for the Games.”

The boy looked down, his small hands clutching the food tightly.

“Are there others like you? Cold? Hungry?” Ell asked.

“Yes,” he whispered, his voice barely audible. “But they won’t talk to you. They… we’re not supposed to… not supposed to talk to outsiders.” His voice dropped lower, his gaze darting nervously to the street. “If they find out… if she finds out…“ He trailed off, his face tight with fear.

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“She?” Alice pressed gently. “Who is she?”

The boy shook his head, refusing to answer. He stepped back toward the door, his movements quick and skittish. “Thank you,” he said, his voice barely above a whisper. “Please, don’t tell anyone I spoke to you. Outsiders are dangerous. That’s what she says. That’s what they all say.”

“Who said that?” Ell asked, her voice calm but firm.

The boy glanced at her, his mouth opening as if to speak, but then he seemed to think better of it. “I… I have to go. Please.”

Before they could say another word, he slipped back inside, clutching the coat and food to his chest like fragile treasures. The door creaked shut, the soft click of the latch the only sound in the stillness. It felt impossibly thin, that door, separating their world from his. For a long moment, none of them spoke.

Snow swirled around them, the flurries filling the silence with a soft, insistent white noise. From somewhere in the distance came a faint sound—a shout or perhaps a cry—drifting through the maze of alleyways, too far away to place. Molly’s jaw tightened, her usually calm demeanor showing cracks of unease. Marcus stared at the crooked rooftops.

Jace’s hand hovered near the door, fingers brushing the cold wood as though contemplating a second knock. The child’s face lingered in his mind, etched with the kind of fear and resignation he thought he’d left behind when he escaped his own fractured world. The scene stirred something deep within him—a memory of himself as a boy, in a place where famine and poverty were everyday realities. He had hoped Terra Mythica would be different. He had believed it would be different. But he knew better now. Every world had its players, its systems, its flaws.

Still, this felt… wrong. He couldn’t settle it in his mind. Back on Earth, they had explanations. The War. The radiation dust killing the crops. A thousand other reasons to point to. But here? Magic flowed freely, abundant and powerful. Food should have been plentiful. Warmth easy to conjure. The boy’s parents—where were they? Why weren’t they able to care for him and his sister?

He and his friends exchanged a silent look, the weight of what they had seen settling heavily between them. No words were needed; in that shared glance, Jace knew they had all made the same decision—something had to be done. Even Dex, usually the first to deflect with an easy quip, had a strange, pained look in his eyes—his usual confidence cracked. Whatever was happening here, it wouldn’t be ignored.

Jace’s stomach churned as the realization solidified. Something was rotten beneath the surface of this town, hidden behind its glamor and illusions. Whatever it was, it wasn’t natural. It wasn’t right. He decided then and there, staring at the closed door, that he wouldn’t let it go. Something was happening here, and he would find out what.