The boy standing in front of Ren had blond hair and warm brown eyes.
Ren stared, his breath catching in his throat. His heart trembled. 'Who is he? Why… why do I feel safe? So much warmth…'
The boy leaned forward and shook him lightly. "Hey…you okay?"
Ren nodded slowly.
"That's good." The boy smiled faintly. "My name's Finn. I'm your roommate."
He sat across from Ren. "Did you get lunch?"
Ren's voice broke. "No… I fell… it spilled."
Finn's eyes scanned the room. His voice dropped to a whisper. "No one's watching…"
From under his shirt, he pulled out a small piece of bread. "Here. Eat fast."
Ren took it without hesitation, stuffing it into his mouth and chewing greedily. The dry crust scraped his throat, but to him it tasted like warmth.
"I stole it from a guard," Finn murmured.
Ren froze mid-bite. "They'll… they'll beat you."
Finn chuckled softly. "Yeah. Maybe. But they'll never know."
For the first time in days, Ren managed a small smile.
Finn grinned back. "Come on, we've got floor duty."
Ren rose, taking slow, careful steps. Together, they walked into a wide, dimly lit hall.
Finn grabbed a mop from a wooden stand and gestured with his eyes for Ren to take one too.
Ren hesitated, unfamiliar with the tool, but slowly mimicked Finn's movements. Side by side, they began scrubbing the grimy floor.
After a while, Ren spoke in a trembling voice. "The man in the black robe… the one with glowing hands. Who was he?"
Finn didn't stop mopping. "Noro Malven. A dark mage. He puts seals on the new kids."
Ren blinked. "So… magic is real?"
A faint smile crossed Finn's face. "Yeah. Some use it for good… some for things like this."
They worked in silence for the next two hours until the clang of a bell echoed through the hall.
Ren glanced at Finn. "Now what?"
"Back to the cells, another batch will take our place."
"Batches?" Ren asked.
"Yeah. Two of them. Kids under eighteen, and adults eighteen and over. They keep us separate so we're easier to control."
Ren shivered. "Adults too…"
They walked through a long corridor, merging into a line of children heading to their cells. One by one, they stepped into barred rooms.
As they passed a narrow gap in the crowd, Finn suddenly pulled Ren inside one of the cells.
Finn exhaled in relief. "If we got caught in that mess, it would've been bad."
Ren glanced around. "So this… is the cell."
The walls were iron bars. No bed. No light. Only two thin, ragged blankets were tossed in a corner.
"Now we can rest," Finn said, sinking to the floor. "We're safe here."
Ren lay down beside him, sighing. "What was your life like… before this?"
Finn's gaze drifted. His voice softened, lost in memory. "I was a farmer's son. We lived quietly under the kingdom's rule. I… don't even remember the name of my village anymore. But it was peaceful."
A memory flickered.
A small boy, five years old, knelt in a sunlit field, pressing seeds into the soil with tiny hands.
His father's voice came warm and proud. "Thanks for helping me, Finn."
Finn grinned and kept planting.
Hours passed. The rows of seeds were finished, and Finn lay in the dirt, exhausted. "Dad… I can't walk home. Carry me."
His father looked at him fondly, then up at the orange sky. "It's dusk already. Alright, my little farmer. Let's go home."
He lifted Finn into his arms and walked along the river. The boy dozed against his chest.
They reached a small wooden house. His father opened the door quietly. Finn's mother took him from his father's arms.
"So… he fell asleep again?" she said, smiling.
Finn stirred awake at the sound of her voice. "Dinner?"
The three of them sat down together, sharing a simple meal—until the world erupted.
A deafening blast shook the air. The roof caved in.
Finn's eyes went dark.
When he opened them again, his father was straining to lift the collapsed beams. His mother lay buried under the rubble.
"Run, Finn!" his father roared. "Run!"
"No! Dad!" Finn cried.
"It's a demon!" his father shouted. "Save yourself! Go!"
Finn sobbed. "I can't…"
His father threw the debris aside, rushing to him. "Remember, your mother and I will live on in your heart."
A massive, clawed hand burst through the wall, piercing his father's chest. Blood sprayed.
Everything blurred.
And when Finn woke again… he was here.
Back in the cell, Ren whispered, "How can you still smile… after that?"
Finn smiled faintly. "My father told me once."
His father's finger tapped the boy's chest. 'If we die, I want you to live with a smile. We'll be watching… from here.'
Ren's eyes softened. "That's…."
The iron bars screeched as a baton rattled against them. Both boys flinched at the sharp, metallic sound.
"Sleep," a guard barked.
They lay on the cold floor, wrapped in worn blankets, and drifted into an exhausted sleep.