"P-Please spare us!" Ash pleaded suddenly, leaving the man surprised.
He kneeled on the floor, clutching his sister closer, his body shaking as he tried to appear brave, biting his lower lip.
The man laughed, though his gaze remained as dark as the night. A flicker of interest sparked in his eyes as he looked at the frightened boy, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared, as if it had never existed.
"Alright, alright! I'm not a bad guy, see?" the man said, raising both hands to signal he meant no harm.
Ash slowly raised his head, greeted by a strange smile from the man-it seemed like he was smiling, but his eyes showed no emotion, giving Ash an eerie feeling.
"T-Then... what are you here for?" Ash asked, swallowing nervously, unable to stop himself from stuttering.
It seemed strange that the man had forcefully barged into the room, and it was hard to believe he had intruded without a reason. Looking at him closely, though, the man didn't seem to lack anything, which only confused Ash further. Despite his fear, he raised his guard.
The man chuckled but didn't answer. He simply turned away, and as he walked out of the room, he said suddenly, "Be careful," pausing briefly.
"Shadows dance when you're not looking," he added, leaving Ash bewildered.
The man had been gone for a while, yet Ash still stared at the spot where he'd exited, pondering his words. He racked his brain but couldn't understand what the man had meant. He snapped out of his thoughts when he felt his shirt being tugged.
"Brother..." his sister murmured, pulling Ash back to reality.
He immediately went to check the door, seeing if it could still be locked properly. The lock was slightly dented, but it would work for a few more nights. He sighed, gathering his sister in his arms as they settled down for the night, his mind filled with worries about food and safety for the days to come. Slowly, he drifted off with these thoughts heavy on his mind.
Unbeknownst to him, somewhere in the darkness, blood was splattered, a high-pitched screech breaking the eerie silence of the night before vanishing without a trace.
"Kraa! Kraa! Kraa!"
Ash opened his eyes at the sound of crows cawing. It was still dark outside, and the air was cold, sending a shiver through him. He took off his jacket and placed it over his sister, hoping to shield her from the chill.
He grabbed his dagger and stepped outside, making sure to lock the door securely behind him. Ash cautiously made his way toward the provision station, planning to arrive early for food rations while there were still few people.
Unaware, he walked carefully, oblivious to the fact that something sinister was following him.
He was only a few steps away when he was suddenly pulled into an alley, slammed hard against a wall.
"Gotcha," a hoarse voice whispered.
Ash gasped, struggling, but another man grabbed his wrist, twisting it until his dagger clattered to the ground. He grunted in pain.
Three more figures stepped into view, their shadows long and ragged beneath the moonlight.
"Well, well... what do we have here?" one of them mocked, reaching down to pick up the small sack of food Ash had snuck from a ration crate.
"You've got some nerve taking this without asking," he sneered, shaking the sack like it was some sort of trophy.
Ash's breathing quickened. "I found that. It's not yours."
"Oh? And what makes it yours, huh? Your pretty little face?" The tallest one grabbed Ash by the collar, slamming him against the wall again.
"Maybe we should teach him a lesson," another suggested with a grin.
Ash tried to fight back, elbowing the guy behind him and kicking the other in the shin, but his small frame was no match for the group of desperate, starving men.
A fist slammed into his jaw. He saw stars.
Another hit to his gut made him crumple to his knees.
They laughed as he coughed, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Stop! You'll kill him!" one of them said, half-laughing, half-wary.
"Good. One less mouth to feed."
Ash felt his consciousness slipping.
Addy... I'm sorry.
He closed his eyes.
And then-suddenly-a loud crack echoed through the alley, followed by a scream.
Ash's eyes shot open just in time to see one of the men drop like a sack of bricks, unmoving. The others turned in confusion-until the tall man from the night before stepped into the dim light.
The moment his boot hit the pavement, silence fell.
He didn't say a word. He didn't have to.
His presence alone froze the air.
"What the hell? Who are you?" one of the attackers demanded, brandishing a broken piece of pipe.
The man didn't answer. He moved.
Fast.
Ash couldn't even track him.
The man struck with swift, precise hits-using nothing but a sharpened rod and his bare hands. In seconds, three of the attackers were down, groaning or unconscious. The last tried to run, but the man caught his collar with one hand and slammed him to the ground.
"Pathetic," he muttered under his breath.
Ash lay still, blinking up at him.
It was him. The stranger. The same one who broke into their shelter last night.
The man turned, his face half-shrouded by the shadows.
"You again," he said, eyes narrowing slightly.
Ash coughed. "I... I don't even know who you are."
The man stared at him for a moment longer before slowly kneeling down. His hand hovered briefly-hesitating-before brushing the blood from Ash's lip with a gloved thumb.
Ash flinched at the contact, his heart thudding wildly in his chest.
"Why... why did you help me?" he asked hoarsely.
The man didn't respond immediately. Instead, he glanced at the small moon-shaped pendant resting over Ash's collarbone, now exposed from the scuffle.
"That necklace," he said, voice quieter now. "You've had it for a long time."
Ash's breath caught in his throat. "How do you...?"
But the man stood again, brushing invisible dust off his coat.
"Be careful who you trust," he said instead, ignoring Ash's question. "Even those who seem harmless can be... hungry."
He began walking away.
"Wait!" Ash called out. "At least tell me your name!"
The man paused. His back to Ash.
A few seconds passed in silence before he finally said, without turning around-
"I used to go by many names."
Ash's eyes widened.
"But that doesn't matter now."
And just like that, he vanished into the night.
Ash stood there, trembling. From pain, exhaustion... and something else he couldn't name.
His grip tightened around the food sack the man had left beside him.
Something about those eyes felt familiar. Too familiar.
But he didn't have time to dwell on it. He had to get back. Addy was waiting.