I wake to the sound of voices—muffled, but loud enough to reach my room.

  Someone is talking in the house… no, arguing.

  Still groggy, I rub my eyes. My head feels heavy, my body warm and sluggish from sleep.

  I don’t remember coming home.

  Or being put into bed.

  Father must have carried me back from the fields.

  The thought makes my chest feel warm for a moment.

  With slow, clumsy movements, I slide out of bed and plant my feet on the floor. My vision is still a little blurry as I push open my door and step into the hallway.

  The moment the door opens, the voices become clearer.

  One of them is Father.

  The other… I don’t recognize.

  And the tone—

  It’s not friendly.

  Curiosity pushes me forward. I drag my hand along the wooden wall for balance as I walk toward the sound. When I reach the living room, I see him.

  Father stands in the open doorway, one hand gripping the frame so tightly the wood creaks under his fingers.

  “This is ridiculous!” he snaps.

  I freeze.

  Father… angry?

  He’s always been calm, gentle, collected. Seeing him like this sends a small knot into my stomach.

  “What do they possibly think they’ll gain from this?!”

  There’s a moment of silence. Then a woman’s voice answers—firm, but gentle.

  “I… I’m not sure,” she says. “All I know is they plan to move up the date. I’m sorry, Alistair. I tried to talk them out of it.”

  Father’s grip tightens. For a moment, I’m afraid the doorframe might break.

  “They’ve lost their minds,” he growls. “Forget it. I’m going to talk to them myself. There has to be a way to make them see reason.”

  He reaches for his coat, yanking it from the rack with a sharp motion. As he swings it over his shoulders, he turns—and spots me peeking around the corner.

  His irritated expression softens instantly. He forces a smile, but I can see the tension behind it.

  If even Father looks frightened… then something is very, very wrong.

  “Hey, champ,” he says, squatting down and opening his arms. “Didn’t know you were up already.”

  I hesitated only a second before running into his embrace. His strong arms wrap around me, steady and warm. He strokes my hair gently, trying to calm me—or maybe himself.

  “I’m sorry,” he says softly. “We didn’t mean to wake you. Listen… your dad has to take care of something.”

  His voice lowers. “Do me a favor and don’t leave the village, okay? Can you do that for me?”

  I pull back and nod quickly.

  “Of course. I promise.”

  He smiles and ruffles my hair.

  “I knew I could count on you. I won’t be long.”

  He stands and turns toward the door. I lean to the side, trying to glimpse the person he was speaking with.

  Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  A tall woman stands outside—almost as tall as Father. Her skin is a warm, deep red, and like us, she has pointed ears. Her expression is serious… yet there’s something gentle in her eyes.

  Her gaze shifts down to me, and a small, kind smile touches her lips.

  “So you must be Taseo,” she says softly. “I’ve heard a lot about you.”

  Father gently nudges me forward until I’m within her reach.

  “She’s a good friend of the family,” he says with a joking tone. “Be on your best behavior, understood?”

  Knowing Father, he isn’t just saying that to lighten the mood.

  I stretch out my hand toward her.

  “Nice to meet you, Miss.”

  I meet her eyes for a brief second before looking away. Something about her presence… makes me nervous.

  She glances up at Father with a small smirk.

  “Hard to imagine such a polite little boy is your kid, Alistair.”

  Father rolls his eyes and steps aside so I can back into the house.

  “Yeah, yeah. I know. People keep telling me.”

  He turns one last time.

  “I’ll be back soon. Make sure you don’t get into trouble!”

  And with that, the two of them walk off, their silhouettes fading down the path.

  I stare after them, trying to make sense of what happened.

  She knew Father well… but I didn’t even learn her name.

  I close the door and return to my room to throw on a jacket and shoes. No point in overthinking it. A walk through the village might clear my head.

  Our house sits a little removed from the rest of the village—Father likes the quiet. It takes a few minutes of walking before I see anyone else.

  As I pass a broad green field, I notice a few figures. Kids around my age. I assume they’re playing… until something makes my ear twitch.

  Something feels off.

  I squint into the distance.

  My feet start moving before I decide anything.

  When I get closer, I see the truth.

  One child is crouched on the ground, shoulders shaking. Two older boys stand over them, pelting them with small stones.

  They’re bullying them.

  “Hey! What are you guys doing?!”

  Why did I yell that?!

  Why didn’t I think first?!

  The two boys turn slowly, fists still clutching pebbles. The taller one steps forward.

  “Huh? What do you care?” he snaps. “This ain’t your business. Get lost.”

  They’re older than me. Bigger too. Maybe two years older.

  My fists shake, but I clench them anyway.

  “You… you have no right to be so cruel!”

  Even my voice trembles.

  The taller boy scoffs.

  “Why not? Don’t tell me you’re trying to be some kind of hero, Claw-filth.”

  The word stabs deep.

  Even knowing how other demons see us… hearing it still hurts.

  I glance toward the child on the ground. They tremble violently, trying to hold back sobs.

  My ear twitches again.

  She’s crying.

  Before I can think, my fist slams forward, smashing into the bully’s face. He tumbles backward, landing hard.

  What—

  Why did I just do that?!

  I blink, trying to explain myself, but the second boy charges and tackles me. I hit the ground hard, the air knocked from my lungs. A fist strikes my cheek. Pain explodes through my head.

  Then kicks.

  One.

  Another.

  Another.

  I curl up, but it doesn’t help.

  Eventually, they spit beside me and run off.

  The world spins.

  Everything hurts.

  With effort, I roll onto all fours and turn toward the child still curled on the ground. I crawl to them and place a trembling hand on their back.

  “Hey… are you okay?” I gasp. “Are you hurt?”

  I must look awful, but I try to sound calm.

  “They’re gone now. You’re safe.”

  The small figure lifts their head slightly.

  Emerald green eyes meet mine—shiny with tears.

  “You got hurt… because of me…” the child whispers. “I’m so sorry…”

  The voice is soft. Softer than a boy’s.

  It hits me.

  Not a boy.

  A girl.

  Two boys ganged up on her.

  That makes my blood boil again.

  “It’s okay,” I say gently. “I rushed in without thinking.”

  She helps me sit up. Pain spikes through my ribs. Her small hand rests carefully on my shoulder.

  “Does it… hurt a lot? Can you stand?”

  I nod. Somehow, I manage to push myself to my feet. I extend a hand to her.

  She hesitates—then takes it. I pull her up.

  Up close, she’s about my height, with short brown hair and tiny horns peeking through.

  “T-Thank you for helping me…”

  Her voice trembles. Tears cling to her lashes.

  “I didn’t really do anything,” I mutter. “Anyone could’ve done better.”

  Embarrassed, I turn to walk away—

  But a gentle tug pulls at the back of my shirt.

  “C-Can I… stay with you? For a bit?”

  I nod.

  She falls into step behind me, still clutching my shirt as we walk toward the trail. My body aches, but the pain fades a little with each step.

  After a moment, I ask softly,

  “Do you… have a name? It’s easier to talk when we know each other’s names. I’m Taseo. And you are…?”

  She glances at me, then looks down at the ground.

  “…Nyra.”

  “Nice to meet you, Nyra,” I say with a small smile. “Let’s get along well.”

  There’s no answer at first.

  But after a few steps, I hear a tiny voice mumble:

  “…Okay.”