The voices of vendors filled the place along with the smells of food and sweets, while Haruka walked beside the little boy whose hand was still tightly holding hers.
She looked at him and said calmly:
"I'm Haruka. What about you?"
He raised his eyes to her quietly and said:
"Sol."
Suddenly, a small black lizard slipped out of Haruka's pocket and lightly climbed onto her shoulder.
Rai's eyes widened in surprise:
"What is that?!"
Haruka smiled and said:
"This is Rio. Do you like him?"
The child nodded enthusiastically:
"Yes!"
Haruka said gently:
"You can hold him for a while, just don't let him fall."
Sol laughed happily and began walking beside Haruka while the lizard clung to his shirt.
They continued walking while the small lizard stretched over the little boy's chest, clinging to his clothes.
Haruka thought as she watched him happily holding the lizard and said to herself: Good, now I'll ask him.
"Alright, Sol, do you know where your mother went? Or at least the place where she left you last time?"
He shook his head no without saying a word.
"Do you know anyone here? A relative? A neighbor? Anything?"
Once again, no answer.
A few moments of silence passed before he suddenly asked:
"Are you strong?"
She looked at him in confusion:
"Huh?"
"I mean… what kind of magic do you use?"
She laughed lightly with a hint of sarcasm and shrugged:
"I don't use magic at all."
The boy whispered in a very low voice, barely audible:
"Then you can't help me…"
Haruka stopped and asked while staring at him:
"Did you say something?"
Quickly, he shook his head:
"No, I didn't say anything."
In front of the candy seller
They passed by a cart where a man was selling colorful sweets. The child stopped for a few seconds, his eyes fixed on the glass-like candy pieces, staring silently.
Haruka noticed his longing gaze, sighed, and said:
"Which one do you want?"
He raised his head toward her in surprise:
"Really? You'll buy it for me?"
She smiled lightly and pointed to the cart.
Since I got paid well, buying one shouldn't hurt, she said to him.
The child chose a small piece hesitantly while Haruka stepped forward to the vendor and handed him the money.
(Haruka thinking):
Should I buy one for myself too?
Then she added while shaking her head in refusal:
No, no… I should save my money. I might need to buy something in the future, and Emi hasn't had many jobs these days.
Then she suddenly gasped:
"Wait… Emi!! I completely forgot… I told her I would just go out to get some fresh air!"
She turned to finish her sentence and say:
"We should look for—"
But she didn't finish…
The space beside her…
was empty.
She looked around, her eyes slowly widening:
"...Sol? Rio?"
She took two steps forward, then looked behind the cart—he wasn't there.
"Sol?!!"
Her voice rose a little, but she wasn't shouting yet.
"Wait… where did he go?!"
She looked around, her heart pounding hard, then gasped:
"...Rio isn't here either!!"
"Damn... where did the two of them go?!"
"They couldn't have gone far… I only left them for a few seconds!"
She started running between the passersby, her eyes scanning the crowd, searching for his small face… and that black lizard.
Everything around her felt like a blur.
She stopped in front of a couple who looked to be in their thirties and quickly asked:
"Please! Did you see a little boy… about nine years old? He was with me a moment ago. He had a small black lizard with him."
The woman looked at her, then shook her head apologetically:
"No, sorry… we didn't see anyone."
Haruka thanked them quickly while catching her breath and ran again, fear filling her face.
(Haruka muttering):
"Where did they go?… Impossible… someone couldn't have kidnapped them…!"
............…
In a narrow alley surrounded by crumbling walls and the smell of rot, Sol was sneaking carefully, his eyes fixed on five men who looked like gang members. Their faces were harsh, their bodies covered with scars and tattoos, and they were speaking quietly while walking in a straight line.
Sol was watching them from behind, hiding in the shadows, following them with fear but determination.
(Sol thinking fearfully):
"I have to save my mother..."
Suddenly, one of the men stopped and turned around abruptly. Sol's eyes widened, and he shrank behind a worn-out wooden barrel.
One of the men said:
"What's wrong?"
The man who stopped replied cautiously:
"I feel like someone is following us..."
Another laughed mockingly:
"Just your imagination... there's no one here but us."
They turned again and continued walking. Sol remained behind the barrel, breathing silently, his hand trembling on his chest.
(He whispered to himself):
"He almost saw me..."
He moved again, following them carefully. They entered a narrower, darker passage where not even the sound of the wind could be heard. There was no one there but them.
Sol looked ahead and noticed that their number had become four.
(Sol, internally):
"Wait… weren't there five? Where did he—"
He didn't finish his thought, as a sudden kick from behind struck his face and knocked him to the ground hard.
A fifth man stepped out from the shadows and said mockingly:
"So, this is the rat that was following us…"
He grabbed Sol by the hair and lifted his head to see his face, then narrowed his eyes and said:
"I think I've seen your face before..."
Sol shouted:
"Where is my mother?!"
A wicked smile spread across the man's face as he said with hatred:
"Ah, now I remember you… you were with that whore this morning, eavesdropping on us."
Sol shouted, his face turning red:
"How dare you say that about my mother...!"
But before he could finish his sentence, he received a strong kick in the stomach that made him fall to the ground, writhing in pain.
The man said with contempt:
"Your noise annoys me..."
Suddenly, the small black lizard "Rio" jumped onto the man's arm and began biting him fiercely.
"Aaaaah! This bug... it hurts!!"
The man grabbed Rio violently and threw him away.
Sol shouted:
"No! Don't touch him!!"
But one of the other men placed his foot on Sol's head and pressed hard while saying:
"It seems you forgot who you should worry about first."
Then he pulled out a shining sword and said with a sinister smile:
"Follow your mother to hell."
Tears began to fall from Sol's eyes as he shouted in a trembling voice:
"My mother didn't do anything... why...?!!"
The man laughed while raising his sword:
"This is your end, kid..."
(His voice echoed deep inside him):
"No... I don't want to die... I want to live... please, someone… help me… Haruka…!"
Suddenly, just before the sword could fall onto his small body, the blade shattered with brutal force, and its fragments scattered into the air.
A sudden gust of wind blew, and with it a young man appeared, standing in front of Sol while holding his sword and saying sharply:
"And finally, I found you."
To be continued…