Kai had bought two apples, their skins warm from basking in the sun all day, a faint stickiness clinging to his fingers as he pocketed one and bit into the other while weaving through the marketplace's dwindling crowd. The fruit's juice burst sweet and tart on his tongue, dribbling down his chin with each crunch, the flesh yielding softly despite the heat-infused warmth.

He devoured it entirely, seeds crunching between his teeth with a subtle bitterness, swallowed without hesitation, the core's fibrous remnants leaving a lingering freshness in his mouth.

The second apple remained tucked in his pocket, a round bulge pressing against his hip like a small, reassuring weight. He ambled along the streets, the cobblestones uneven under his worn boots, aiming for the well to quench his thirst, the endless flow of cool water free to all, its metallic tang a staple in his sparse days.

Yet some townsfolk still scowled at his presence, muttering about unsanitary hands tainting the bucket's rope, their glares sharp as thorns. It wasn't a crime for a beggar to draw from the communal source, so he persisted, chin lifted against the invisible barriers they erected.

In his quieter moments, Kai grasped their motives, the sidelong stares, the deliberate shoves in crowds, all designed to erode him, to instill a dread that would drive him from Aria's familiar confines. *Make me feel out of place, hated, until I flee to Veridia or Lyria,* he mused, a hollow ache settling in his chest like inhaled dust from the dry paths.

But the thought looped back: he was rooted here, entangled in its rhythms. He touched his chest absently as he walked, fingers grazing the rough fabric of his shirt, and muttered under his breath, "It wouldn't change a damn thing. I'd be rejected anywhere I go."

A soft chuckle escaped him, wry and self-mocking, bubbling up from the knot of resignation in his gut. "Looks like it's back to those days again," he said aloud, voice low and edged with fatigue. "Long days without food, people hating me just for asking for a scrap."

A passerby caught the sound, glancing over with a face contorting into resentment, brows knitting, lips curling in disdain, as if Kai's mere existence soured the air, the sting of that look piercing like a sudden chill in the warm afternoon breeze.

The other person strolling beside the man glanced over and murmured, "Is that him?"

"Yes," the man replied as they brushed past Kai, his voice thick with disdain, carried on the warm afternoon breeze laced with dust and the market's overripe fruit.

Still scowling, his face twisted like sour milk, he added, "Yeah. You saw him laughing by himself, right? Told you he's insane. Makes you wonder why he's still here."

The companion chuckled, light, mocking, and the sound dissolved into the distant haggle of merchants. "Yeah."

Their voices faded into the crowd, joining the chorus of whispers Kai had heard a hundred times before: sharp, invisible nettles pricking his skin. He kept his eyes on the ground, the cobblestones blurring beneath him as resignation settled in, cold and heavy despite the sun's glare.

*Yeah, I don't blame them for thinking I'm crazy,* he thought, bitterness knotting his brow. His steps slowed to a shuffle. *Actually… I might be. The problem is, I don't even want to live here. Don't even want to live… but I just can't die. Even if I wanted to, which I do.*

Despair rolled through his chest like fog, thick and suffocating, tightening his throat with the metallic sting of unshed tears. In its grip, a memory surfaced, vivid, aching: a day so drenched in misery from the town's endless cruelty that he'd whispered an apology for his very existence to a stranger, voice cracking like dry earth.

But that stranger had been Tyler, Mr. Angel.

The man who'd pressed a gleaming gold coin into his palm, cool and solid against his sweaty skin. Who'd given him a warm smile that crinkled his eyes, kindness cutting through the gloom like sunlight through storm clouds.

And more than that, Tyler mirrored him. Same short black hair (neatly combed, where Kai's was wild). Same piercing crimson eyes, but framed by calm, dignity. Like a polished, older version of himself: unbroken by the streets, standing tall where Kai hunched.

Kai was only eighteen, his frame still lean and boyish, shaped by hunger and survival rather than strength. Yet every memory of Tyler sparked a flicker in the dark, just enough to loosen despair's grip, warm his core like stolen broth on a winter night.

His lips curled into a small, involuntary smile as he walked on, head bowed against the stares. It was a fragile thing. But it was his.

He looked up, a faint smile lingering on his lips, only to meet the familiar barrage of sidelong glares, eyes narrowing in suspicion, lips curling in distaste, the air thick with unspoken judgment that prickled his skin like summer heat rash. But it barely registered now, a dull hum against the memory's warmth.

Then something snagged his attention amid the crowd's shuffle, a figure that sent his heart slamming against his ribs with a painful jolt, blood roaring in his ears like distant thunder. There she stood, Mani, poised near a stall piled with woven baskets, their earthy reed scent mingling with the market's haze of spices and sweat. Her gaze locked on his, unblinking.

*That woman... wait, she's the one I helped from that place,* he thought, fragments swirling in his mind like stirred dust, flashes of rescue, urgency, her vulnerability. *What is she doing here?* The question looped, freezing him in place as he stared back.

Mani's fingers clamped around her own wrist, nails digging into the skin with a sharp sting, her small smile curving like a fragile mask over the turmoil churning beneath. Deep within her, a savage internal battle raged, voices clashing in the shadowed recesses of her mind.

*Go ahead,* the Soul Eater urged, voice low and slick. *What are you waiting for? He's right there.*

*I can't,* Mani thought, throat tight. *We shouldn't do this. It's wrong.*

*Of course it's wrong,* it said, almost laughing. *Since when did that stop you?* A pause, just long enough to sting. *Or are you pretending you've changed? After what you did to Dad?*

Her fingers twitched. She pressed them hard against her wrist, nails biting skin, trying to anchor herself.

*That was different!*

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*Was it?* it mused.*You wanted out. You got out. He paid for it. Sounds familiar.* Then, softer, like a knife between ribs: Unless… you'd rather end up like Mom? Trapped. Watching. Feeling everything… but powerless to stop it?

Her breath caught. For half a heartbeat, her smile faltered, just a flicker, gone before anyone could name it. But her eyes stayed locked on Kai, wide and bright, too earnest.

Her mother's face filled her mind: eyes open, unmoving, screaming inside a body that wouldn't obey.

Silence.

Then, barely a thought: *…Alright.*

*There we go,* the Soul Eater whispered, satisfied. *That's my girl.*

She stepped forward smooth, steady. The perfect picture of gratitude. Only her left hand, hidden in the folds of her sleeve, still trembled.

Kai's heart hammered harder as she approached, her small smile almost welcoming, so strange amid the market's sea of stern, averted faces. She stopped right in front of him.

""Hi, Kai," she said softly, her voice carrying a gentle warmth that cut through the market's distant clamor. "You're Kai, right?"

Kai swallowed hard, throat tightening as if squeezed by invisible fingers.

This was her, the woman he'd rescued that day.

Back then, she'd been caked in filth and dust from the rubble, face streaked with grime, hair a wild tangle, skin raw and scraped. Now? She stood clean and composed, her features radiant, scars faded to faint lines, and that smile, gentle, grateful, stole his breath, leaving his chest tight and fluttering.

"Uh… yeah," he managed, words stumbling out hoarse. "You're… the woman I saved that day."

"Yeah," she nodded, her smile deepening just a touch. "I am." Her fingers absently brushed her wrist again, a subtle fidget, before she glanced down, cheeks tinting with what seemed like shyness. "And I just… I wanted to thank you. I'm really grateful. Without you… who knows what could've happened."

She paused, her gaze flickering back up, voice dropping quieter. "I… I probably would've died."

Kai blinked, brows furrowing in surprise. "Really? I mean, you were hurt, sure, but you didn't seem that-"

"The Saint told me," she cut in gently, her tone steady but laced with quiet intensity. "Said I wouldn't have made it if you hadn't gotten me to him." She met his eyes fully now, hers bright and earnest. "So… in a way…" A soft smile curved her lips, glistening under the sun's glow, sincere and disarmingly perfect from where Kai stood. "…you're kind of my hero."

Kai's heart lurched, a sharp jolt that echoed through his veins.

*Hero? Me?*

Inside, he was stammering. He hadn't anticipated this at all, had figured she'd vanish into the crowd, another fleeting face in his fractured life, not stand here igniting a spark of unexpected worth in his chest.

He didn't see how her fingers had tightened around her own wrist again, knuckles whitening against her bare skin.

And he certainly didn't hear the whisper curling through her mind: Good. Now keep him close.

"I don't really want to call myself that," Kai said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I just saw you needed help, so… I did what I could."

Mani smiled softly. "No, you're just being modest. Without you, I wouldn't even be here."

Before Kai could stammer out another reply, Mani's stomach rumbled, loud enough to cut through the market noise. She looked down, cheeks flushing. "Sorry… I skipped breakfast."

"Oh!" Kai's hand went straight to his pocket. He pulled out the second apple and held it out. "Here."

Mani blinked. "Oh, it's okay, you don't have to."

"No, it's fine," he said quickly. "I had two. Ate the other one earlier. You can have this one."

She reached for it slowly. Her fingers brushed his and Kai jerked his hand back like he'd been shocked.

Mani didn't flinch. She just took the apple and murmured, "Thank you."

"Oh. It's fine," he mumbled, shoving his hand back into his pocket like it had betrayed him.

Mani took a small bite. Around them, the crowd bustled on, oblivious. Kai watched her, heart thudding. He didn't know what to say. He'd never really talked to a girl like this before, someone who looked at him without sneering, without whispering behind their hand about his clothes or his face or how he didn't belong. Most women acted like he was dirt beneath their shoes.

And now here she was, speaking to him like he was… human.

Mani swallowed, the motion graceful, then glanced around at the swirling throng, her free hand absently tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "So… do you live around here?"

Kai muttered, "Yeah… well, sort of."

Mani looked at him as she took another bite. "You don't sound sure."

"Well," he said, shoving his othrer hand into his pockets, "it's not like I have a house. I just sleep in places where they won't chase me off."

"Oh. Right." She swallowed, the motion deliberate, her expression softening with a flicker of genuine sympathy that crinkled the corners of her eyes. "That sounds rough. I'm sorry you have to deal with that."

Kai's eyes widened. *Sorry?*

Did she just… apologize? For something that wasn't her fault? Sure, people did that, polite people, kind people, but to him? That almost hurt more than the usual sneers.

Then a thought clicked into place.

"How did you know where to find me?" he asked, voice low. "And what I looked like?"

Mani froze, just for a heartbeat. Then she smiled, easy and calm. "Oh, the Saint told me. He described you… said I might find you around the market."

"Ah. Right." Kai nodded, though something in her pause made his skin prickle.

Mani tilted her head slightly. "Where were you headed?"

"Huh? Oh." He blinked. "I wasn't really going anywhere. Like I said, I don't live anywhere. Just… walking."

She hesitated, then met his eyes. "Do you mind if I walk with you? Just for a little bit? I'd like to get to know the person who saved me."

Kai's heart stopped, then kicked back in, hard enough to sting.

He hadn't expected this. Not even a little. He'd braced for a thank-you, maybe a quick goodbye. Not… this.

"Uh… sure, I guess," he managed.

Inside, his thoughts tumbled:

*Is this really happening? I thought she'd just thank me and leave. But she wants to walk with me? What the hell do I even say? I don't normally talk to girls this long…*

They started walking. Slowly. Not quite in step.

Kai kept his eyes ahead, shoulders tense like he expected someone to yell at him for daring to share the street with her. Mani stayed half a pace behind, not crowding, not falling back. Just… there.

After a few quiet strides, she said, "You know… I've seen you before. Not just today. In the square. You always sit near the old well."

He glanced at her, surprised. "You noticed me?"

"I notice people who don't look away when others stare," she said softly.

Kai didn't know what to do with that. So he said nothing.

A breeze stirred the hem of her sleeveless dress. She brushed a crumb from the apple off her palm. "Do you… talk to anyone? Or is it always just you?"

He almost laughed. "Who'd want to talk to me?"

Mani paused, then quickened her pace until she was walking right beside him.

She tucked her hands behind her back and leaned forward slightly, trying to catch his eyes. "Someone who can see you."

Kai's heart was already racing but now it kicked harder.

She saw him. And she didn't look away. Didn't flinch. Didn't act like it was a mistake.

He looked down, suddenly desperate to change the subject. "You know… I was kind of heading to the well, now that I think about it."

"Oh?" Mani glanced at him. "Are you thirsty?"

"Yeah. Only problem is…" He hesitated. "I don't have anything to drink from. And whenever I try to use the bucket, people… drive me off."

He kept his voice low. "I don't even put my mouth on it. I just lift it a little, let the water pour into my hands, into my mouth. But they don't care. Say it's 'unsanitary.' Like thirst is a crime."

Mani studied him for a quiet moment. Then she smiled, soft, certain. "Well, don't worry. I can help you with that."

Kai blinked. "Oh… really?" He turned to her, eyes wide. "How?"

"I'm a crystal mage," she said simply.

Kai's breath caught. His voice came out higher than he mean, sharp with surprise. "Wait… you're a mage?"

A few nearby merchants turned their heads. A woman paused mid-haggle, frowning.

Kai immediately flushed. "Oh, sorry! I didn't mean to-" He lowered his voice, glancing around. "It's just… I've never met a real mage before."

Mani didn't seem bothered. "It's okay," she said quietly. "What I was saying is… I can make you something to drink from. A cup. Just for today."

Kai blinked. "A cup? For me?"

"Yeah," Mani said. "I'll make you one at the well."

"Oh… you're coming with me, then?"

"Sure. I've got nowhere else to be." She glanced at him, just long enough to hold his gaze. "And… I meant what I said. I want to know the person who saved me."

Kai swallowed. He pointed to the narrow gap between the baker's stall and the tanner's shed. "I usually cut through here. Less… people."

"Works for me," she said. "Lead on."

They turned into the alley. The market's clamor, shouts, clattering carts, laughter, faded behind them like a door closing. Sunlight thinned between the leaning rooftops, striping the cobblestones in gold and shadow. Mani matched his pace without crowding him, her bare arms brushing the rough stone wall as they passed.

After a few quiet strides, she asked, "So… where'd you grow up? Always been in Aria?"

Kai kept his eyes ahead. "No. Used to live in Galatia."

Mani's steps faltered, just half a beat. "Galatia? That's way up north."

"Yeah," he said quietly. "Long way from here."

"Must've been quite a journey."

He shoved his hands into his pockets. "It's… complicated. Probably not something you'd wanna hear."

She didn't push. Didn't fill the silence with false cheer. Just walked beside him, steady as breath, and said softly, "Try me. I'm listening."

Kai glanced at her, really looked.

And for the first time, something in his chest loosened.

Why was this woman so interested in him? He knew he'd saved her, pulled her from that rubble's choking embrace, but would gratitude really stretch this far, prompting her to linger, to probe his fractured life with such patient curiosity? Everyone else in Aria looked down on him, their gazes heavy with disdain, voices laced with venom that left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth; they shunned conversation, treating him like a shadow to be ignored or erased. But her...

Kai looked ahead, his crimson eyes tracing the winding path ahead.

A quiet resolve settled over him, easing the suspicion's grip just enough. "Well, where do I start?" he said, voice low and steady, though a tremor of vulnerability undercut the words.He gave in, the weight of isolation lifting slightly at the novelty of being asked, of someone actually caring to listen.

Mani was one of the first to probe his past without judgment clouding her gaze. He figured it wouldn't hurt to tell her; she might dismiss it as delusion, but since the town already branded him crazy, their whispers a constant sting like salt in open wounds, what was one more risk? The ache of guarded secrets thawed in his chest, replaced by a tentative spark of release as he prepared to unravel the threads of where he truly came from.

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