As he walked through the crowded marketplace, a conversation from a passing couple caught his attention.
"That poor boy, Hong Wei. He was the sole survivor from the orphanage," a woman said, clutching her husband's arm as they hurried toward the second district gates. "He was away when the fire happened, and when he returned, everything had already been consumed by the flames."
Her husband nodded grimly. "To make it worse, the monsters are now starting to attack. I wonder how he will deal with everything going on."
"I don't think he will hold on for long. I think he's already lost his mind," the woman replied, lowering her voice. "He kept muttering 'beans' repeatedly. Just walking around the market square saying 'beans, beans' over and over."
Ethan froze mid-step, the name striking a chord in his borrowed memories.
Hong Wei. The boy from the orphanage who had followed the original Ethan everywhere, looking up to him as an older brother figure.
