Auren's eyes sparkled the moment he saw Callan's response.
Callan noticed the gleam in Auren's eyes, and it made him seem even more endearing.
"Come on, Auren. Let's go," Callan said gently with a warm smile.
Auren nodded and rose to his feet.
Some time later, they arrived at the village.
The entire village felt... unusually quiet.
Auren found the silence a bit strange, but he didn't dwell on it too much. He simply walked alongside Callan.
They went into a nearby shop, hoping to buy a few things but there was no one inside. Oddly enough, the other stores were closed too.
Now Auren was more unsettled. Something wasn't right.
Then, without warning, Callan stopped in his tracks.
Auren followed his gaze and noticed a large group of people gathered up ahead. Curious, he tilted his head.
"What's going on?" he whispered to himself.
Callan began walking toward the crowd, and Auren quietly followed behind. As they got closer, they saw the people's faces—nervous, pale, and frightened.
Callan approached a middle-aged man and politely asked,
"Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me what's happening here?"
The man turned to look at Callan then shifted his gaze to Auren—and fell silent for a moment, seemingly surprised.
He had never seen anyone quite like Auren before. So angelic. So... otherworldly.
"I asked you a question, sir," Callan said again, a little firmer this time.
The man blinked, then looked back at Callan and stammered,
"I-I'm not sure I can say… You might be better off seeing it for yourself."
Callan turned to Auren and said softly,
"Auren, wait for me here for a moment, alright?"
Auren gave a small nod and stayed behind as Callan stepped into the crowd.
The middle-aged man continued to glance at Auren, his eyes not moving away.
Auren noticed and asked in a soft, innocent tone,
"Sir, why are you staring at me like that?"
Snapping out of his thoughts, the man awkwardly replied,
"I'm sorry if I made you uncomfortable. It's just… I've never seen someone who looks like you before."
Auren gave a small, gentle laugh.
"It's alright. I wasn't uncomfortable."
The man relaxed. He couldn't help but think how kind and sweet this boy was so polite, so pure.
Then Auren looked up at him again with a small smile.
"Sir, may I ask you something?"
The man looked into his eyes and thought, I'd probably answer anything this child asks.
Auren's expression brightened.
"What exactly happened over there?"
The man hesitated, lips tightening. Auren noticed and smiled even more kindly.
"But sir," he added softly, "didn't you just say you'd answer whatever I asked? You're a grown man… surely you weren't lying, right?"
The man winced a little, remembering his own words.
"O-of course not! I wouldn't lie to a child like you. Uh, well... someone was found dead."
Auren tilted his head slightly, thinking for a moment. Then he said quietly,
"Oh... how tragic. Poor thing."
The man heard the sadness in his voice and felt a pang of emotion. Such a kind-hearted soul, he thought.
Then Auren looked at him again.
"Could you tell me more about the person who died? Please?"
The man seemed reluctant, but Auren's gentle gaze persuaded him.
"His name was Jack," the man finally said. "He was from our village. Lived with his mother. He seemed fine just yesterday, but… he didn't go to the temple to give offering this time. His mother's been ill, and he stayed to take care of her. Some people think… maybe the gods punished him for not offering properly."
His voice trembled with fear and uncertainty.