Chapter Text
Sobs were the only sound in that forest—tears were nothing unusual there, given that it served as a sanctuary for poor souls who had nowhere else to turn.
Such was the plight of an eight-year-old boy, weeping inconsolably by a tree as if trying to hide from something.
The little boy’s clothes were filthy; he bore several cuts and an empty stomach. Yet, none of that mattered to him; he simply longed to be in his brother's arms—a wish rendered impossible by his own actions.
He didn't know when or how, but the boy eventually drifted off to sleep, exhausted from weeping over a situation that could not be undone.
Then, two shadows appeared—barely discernible in the night—and approached the child, noticing his eyes, swollen from the tears he had shed.
The two figures gazed at the boy in surprise, wondering how he had arrived there.
They began to argue.
"We can't leave him alone; there are demons nearby," exclaimed a lady dressed in floral-patterned robes.
"But Lady Tamayo, that would put us in danger, too," her companion—a young man with piercing eyes—reminded her.
Yet, despite the young man's protests, the lady gathered the boy into her arms, cradling him as if he were her own child.
"Don't worry, we'll deal with this later," she said decisively before walking toward her home, followed by the mint-haired young man, leaving behind only the scent of roses and daisies.