Prologue 

Snowflakes fell on Maria’s shoulders as she watched their home burn. The hill road, lined with pine trees, led to a house carved from blackwood and limestone—the house where Marco had promised her the world. Now, embers danced in countless shades of orange, casting fleeting shadows of memory against the cold night. She neither chased after Marco nor called the firefighters. The house couldn’t be saved—and perhaps it shouldn’t be. The moments of joy she had shared with him had become chains that bound her to this place. 

Maria stared at the burning fence, fire in her eyes and ice in her veins. 

A small hand tugged at her own. 

“Mom, I’m cold,” said the boy, his teeth chattering softly. 

The child had dark skin, black curly hair, and golden eyes that seemed to hold entire universes within them. His words pierced her heart, and her legs faltered. She made a silent vow, curving her lips into the best smile she could muster. I will carve a path for you, Sirius. I will give you everything I’ve got so you can choose your own future, my son. Hold it tight and never let go, no matter who stands to take it. 

The tears that rolled down Maria’s cheeks only fueled the fire igniting in her heart—a fire that consumed her dreams so they could be reborn anew.  

The mother and her boy traveled across the country and settled at a slum that served as the union’s dump. The dilapidated houses were built on top of each other as if to support the suffocating weight of misfortune. Alleys that spread out like an infinite recollection of broken dreams gathered around a fountain whose water had long run out of hope. However, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Maria scrunched every penny she gained from her two jobs to borrow books from the old library down the street. As if to payback her efforts, her son seemed to have a passion for reading. He gluttonously gobbled every bit of wisdom conveyed in these pages. 

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

 *** 

The mother and her boy journeyed across the country, eventually settling in a slum that served as the union’s dumping ground. The dilapidated houses recklessly stacked atop each other, as if to bear the suffocating weight of misfortune. Narrow alleys sprawled outward like an endless labyrinth of broken dreams, all converging on a dry fountain whose waters had long since run out of hope. Yet, as the saying goes, one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. 

Maria pinched and saved every penny from her two grueling jobs to borrow books from the old library down the street. Her efforts didn’t go unappreciated. Her son, with a voracious appetite for knowledge, devoured every word as though each held a secret to a brighter future. 

*** 

Four years had passed since the day Maria vowed to protect her son. Now seven, he was blossoming into a bright and kind-hearted boy. 

“Sirius, come eat dinner,” Maria called from the kitchen. 

“Coooomiiiing!” Sirius yelled, dashing toward the dinner table. As he passed through the room, he caught a glimpse of a blonde man slipping out the door. 

Clutching an old book tightly to his chest, Sirius bounded over to Maria, holding the book aloft as if presenting a prize. “Mom! Mom! Have you ever seen monsters?” 

Maria’s eyes widened theatrically, her voice exaggerated as she gasped. “Monsters?” 

“Yeah! This book says there are super scary monsters in a place called the Abyss!” 

“Really?” Maria exclaimed, covering her mouth with both hands, her expression a mix of fear and curiosity. 

“Yeah! But don’t worry, Mom. I’ll become a super cool hero and protect you!” 

Maria’s brow furrowed slightly, though she kept her smile in place. “But being a hero is scary, Sirius. Aren’t you afraid of the bad monsters?” 

Sirius glanced at the floor, his lips pursed in thought. After a brief moment, he looked back up, determination shining in his eyes. “I am. But Mom is the coolest hero ever! I want to be just like you!” 

These words dug through Maria’s heart deeper than any blade ever could. She pulled him into a tight embrace, pressing a kiss to his head. 

The oatmeal-and-potatoes dinner might have seemed humble to others, but to Sirius, each bite was a marvel, filled with wonder and comfort. 

“Mom, who was that man staying here?” he asked between mouthfuls. 

“Oh...” Maria’s gaze shifted upward, her fingers tapping lightly against her chin. 

“He’s just a lucky charm,” she said at last, a faint smile tugging at her lips. “One I hope I never have to use.” 

Sirius tilted his head in confusion, but soon returned to his meal, the mystery of the blonde man lost to the merciless ebbs of time—for now.