PART 1: WHITE
Chapter 5 – The Town
Human voices...
The chaotic noise of animals...
Footsteps, shouting, and somewhere, the creaking of a wooden door being pulled open quickly...
Mahey walked slowly into the town of Mahey. The cobbled streets beneath his feet were cracked in places, and stubborn weeds pushed through the gaps — a sign that the town was neglected, yet still alive. The bustling surroundings showed that life here never truly stopped.
He looked carefully at the buildings around him.
Rows of two-story stone houses... Roofs lined with orange-tinged tiles, curtains fluttering in the wind behind some windows. The lower floors were used as shops. The town center was livelier; the smell of freshly baked bread drifted from the bakeries, the familiar scent of blood and salt came from the butcher's corner, and vendors shouted from their stalls...
"This looks like a typical 16th-century town," he thought.
A town that thrived on trade instead of farming... Maybe that was a good thing. But...
He was reminded of a gnawing truth.
I'm still a child. A penniless child. I can't survive like this, working to make ends meet...
The thought echoed in his mind, crushing him. It hit his chest like a fist.
Damn it! I forgot I was in a child's body... What can I even do like this? How can I survive? Who would help me? Who would take care of me?
He clenched his teeth in anger. His trembling hands had formed into fists.
Damn you, blue flame! Look what you've turned me into!
...
He kept walking — tense, but determined. Meanwhile, his thoughts spun endlessly in his head. Hopelessness crept in like a snake, trying to take over.
Then he remembered the copper coins in his pocket. He slipped his fingers in and took a few out, weighing them in his palm.
How much are these worth? Probably not much. If they were valuable, their owners wouldn't have been so careless to drop them.
There was only one way to find out.
He approached one of the shops lining the street. An old man was sitting by the entrance. Mahey held out the coins.
— Excuse me... What could I get for this much?
The old man's smile deepened the wrinkles around his eyes.
— Hmm... I'm in a generous mood today. I could give you two apples.
Two apples?! He cursed internally. Is that all they're worth?
Without replying, he turned and walked away. He didn't even want to see the condescending smirk on the man's face.
He kept walking, but his mind was boiling over.
Am I really already worrying about making a living? If I had a family, things wouldn't be like this. I'm alone again. Unwanted again. The weight of everything is on my shoulders again.
— Damn you, blue flame! Because of you, my life in this world is going to be just as shitty!
...
He dragged his feet as he walked. The sky was gradually darkening, painted in pastel hues. The town's streets were becoming more deserted by the minute.
Then, he heard a voice.
— Is that money in your hand? Then you have to give it all to me, you little piece of shit!
— No, I won't!
The voices came from a narrow alley. Mahey was drawn toward them without thinking. At the corner of a tiny stone street, he saw two figures. One was a burly man, the other a frail child who couldn't be older than five. The child was clutching some coins tightly in his hand. The man was threatening him.
— I said no! Go away!
The scene stirred something inside him. A flicker appeared in his eyes.
Sad... But not my problem...
But then...
A pain...
Suddenly, his head spun. A familiar image flashed before his eyes.
Snow...
A cold street...
A small child in tattered clothes...
Standing before a similarly aggressive man...
The child resisted but... that elbow strike...
He fell. Into the snow.
He couldn't move.
The man laughed and walked away.
That child... was Mahey himself.
He swallowed hard. His face tightened. He clenched his fists.
No. It can't end like this.
He made a decision. The overwhelming feeling of pity inside him was now mixed with a thirst for revenge.
The man had already taken the coins from the child.
Mahey took a step forward. Then another.
He took a deep breath. Clenched his fist.
And hurled a punch into the man's stomach with all his strength.
— Give back the money!
The man stumbled back a bit, then burst out laughing:
— And if I don't? You gonna cry about it? HAHAHA!
Then he kicked him. Mahey flew backward.
— AH!
It hurt. But he didn't stay down. He got up, filled with rage.
— I said give it back!
Another punch. Then a hard slap. He hit the ground again. Gritting his teeth, he rose. Again... and again...
It was a lopsided fight that lasted ten minutes. Mahey was injured all over, but he never gave up.
His body was on the verge of collapse. Exhausted, bruised, but still standing...
The man was laughing. With a twisted sense of pride and cruel pleasure.
But then, Mahey's eyes lit up. A thought came to him. A dark, but effective idea.
— Let's see if you're still laughing after this...
He bent his knees, balanced his weight.
And aimed right at the target:
A kick between the legs!
— AHHHHH! YOU DAMN BRAT! WHAT DID YOU DO?!
The man collapsed in agony.
Mahey was panting, but smiling.
The mind is the greatest weapon.
The man dropped the coins. Mahey quickly picked them up. But the man tried to get up again, his eyes full of hate.
— I'M GONNA KILL YOU!
But he couldn't. The noise had drawn a small crowd. People were murmuring.
— What's he doing?
— Is he attacking that child?
— So this guy only picks on kids, huh?
That was enough. The man panicked and fled.
Mahey stood there, breathing heavily. His body still ached, but...
Revenge... what a strange feeling...
It was as if all his pain had been forgotten for a moment.
His eyes fell on the small child still standing at the corner. His eyes were teary. He was trembling.
— Come here...
He held out his hand, then gave the coins back.
— Here you go...
— Fank you...
His speech was slurred, but sincere.
Mahey wasn't used to giving money back. But in this new life, he wanted to be a good person.
As he was about to turn and leave, the child asked:
— Mister?
— Yeah?
— You're not from around here, are you?
— No, I'm not.
— Then... where are you staying?
The hardest question...
Where am I staying? In the forest again? It's getting dark. Dangerous. Cold...
— Mister?
— What is it?
— If you don't have a place to stay, come to where I stay. It's safe.
Mahey paused. Then a faint smile crossed his lips.
He said what was in his heart:
— Alright then... I accept your invitation.
— Yay!
The small child took his hand joyfully. After a string of bad luck, Mahey finally felt like he had found a small light.
It might not be a luxurious place. But that didn't matter...
As long as there was shelter — it could be anywhere.
End of Chapter 5