Aleck finished washing the dishes and wiped his hands on the side of his tunic. The faint smell of soap and stew still lingered in the small kitchen.
He pulled a chair closer to the table and sat down for a moment.
"I guess I have the whole day to myself," he murmured quietly, leaning back and looking up at the wooden ceiling beams.
For a few seconds, he stayed there, listening to the quiet creaking of the old church and the faint sound of wind brushing against the stone walls.
Then he stood up.
Aleck pushed open the heavy church door and stepped outside. The afternoon sun had climbed higher now, lighting the stone streets with a pale golden glow.
He followed the same road he had taken earlier that morning. The stone pavement was still warm from the sunlight, and the small houses beside the church stood quietly, their faded wooden doors and clay roofs giving the street a calm, sleepy look.
But when he reached the market district, instead of walking straight ahead, Aleck took a sharp turn toward the riverbank road.
The market was quieter now. A few stalls were still open, but most merchants were resting after the busy morning hours.
Aleck continued walking until the stone road slowly turned into a muddy path. The air smelled fresher here, carrying the faint scent of wet soil and flowing water from the nearby river.
He strolled along the path slowly, kicking small pebbles with the tip of his shoe while thinking about how to spend the rest of the day.
After a while, he spotted a group of thick bushes growing near the riverbank.
Aleck walked toward them and crouched down.
Hidden among the bushes were several wooden sticks he had sharpened earlier. He picked one up and tested the tip with his thumb.
"Let's try catching a fish today," he said to himself with a grin. "It'll surprise Reyla and Father."
He rolled up the sleeves of his tunic and walked toward the shallow part of the river where patches of land and water mixed together. Small streams of water flowed slowly around clusters of rocks, creating natural corners where fish sometimes got trapped.
Aleck stepped carefully into the cool water.
The mud squished softly beneath his feet.
He moved slowly, trying not to scare the fish away. His plan was simple—walk toward the narrow end of the shallow stream and guide the fish toward a small dead end where they couldn't escape.
At first, nothing happened.
The water rippled gently around his legs as he moved.
Then suddenly—
Two fish darted toward the narrow corner.
Aleck quickly raised the sharpened stick and thrust it down into the water.
Splash!
But when he lifted the stick—
Nothing.
The fish had slipped away.
Aleck sighed.
"Again."
He tried again and again, slowly guiding fish toward the corner.
But every time he struck, the fish escaped at the last second.
Thirty minutes passed.
The sun climbed a little higher.
Water dripped from Aleck's sleeves, and his feet were now covered in mud.
Yet he still hadn't caught a single fish.
Most of the time, he couldn't even trap them in the corner properly.
Aleck let out a tired breath and scratched the back of his head.
"Fishing is harder than it looks…"
Just as Aleck was about to give up, he heard a voice behind him.
"What are you doing?"
Aleck turned around.
A little girl stood a few steps away, watching him curiously. She wore a simple white dress, and her brown hair shimmered under the afternoon sunlight.
Aleck froze for a moment.
He knew he wasn't supposed to talk to strangers if possible.
But when he looked into the girl's eyes, there was only innocent curiosity there.
Aleck stepped out of the water, droplets falling from his clothes.
"I'm trying to catch fish with this sharpened stick," he said with a small smile, raising the wooden spear slightly.
The girl tilted her head.
"Wouldn't it be better to fish with a rod?"
Aleck paused.
He couldn't exactly explain that he didn't have a strong enough string to make one.
So instead, he shrugged lightly.
"Doing it like this makes it more adventurous."
Reyla had once told him stories about her own childhood adventures with her friends. They used to catch fish this way sometimes.
Somewhere deep in his heart, Aleck wished he could experience the same kind of memories.
He suddenly had an idea.
"Do you want to help me?"
The girl's face immediately lit up.
"Yes! What should I do?"
Aleck pointed toward the water.
"Go over there and splash the water a little. Try to scare the fish toward this corner. I'll stand here and catch them when they come."
The girl nodded eagerly and ran into the shallow water.
Aleck returned to his position near the narrow end of the stream.
The girl splashed the water clumsily at first.
The fish scattered everywhere.
After a few tries, however, she began to understand what to do. Her splashes pushed the fish slowly toward the corner.
Aleck tightened his grip on the sharpened stick.
The moment the fish moved into the narrow space—
He struck the water rapidly.
Splash. Splash.
But suddenly—
The sharpened wood slipped and stabbed into his own leg.
Aleck flinched.
A sharp pain shot through him.
He pulled the stick out quickly, forcing himself to keep his face calm.
Then he focused again.
This time his strike was precise.
The sharpened wood pierced the water—
And when he lifted it up—
A fish wriggled on the tip.
"We did it!" the girl shouted happily.
Aleck forced a smile, though the pain in his leg throbbed.
"Did something happen?" the girl asked, noticing the strange look on his face.
Before Aleck could answer—
A sharp voice called out from farther up the road.
"You stupid girl! Why are you standing with that thing?!"
A woman in her thirties stood near the path, glaring toward the river.
"Come here right now!"
The girl hesitated.
She glanced back at Aleck.
"…Okay, mother," she said quietly.
She avoided looking at him again as she walked back toward the woman.
Aleck watched them leave.
Then he let out a slow breath.
He looked down at his leg.
The wound was gone.
The skin had already healed completely.
"Healed again… huh."
Aleck stared at it for a moment, but didn't think too deeply about it.
Instead, he picked up the fish and began walking back toward the church.
When Aleck returned to the church and stepped inside, he found Father Lucen standing in the kitchen.
In his hands was a piece of chicken meat.
Aleck stopped in surprise.
"Father… why do you have meat?" he asked.
Lucen smiled calmly.
"Think of it as something I won today."
Then his eyes shifted to Aleck's hands.
"But more importantly," Lucen said with curiosity, "what is that fish in your hand? Did you catch it yourself?"
Aleck grinned proudly.
"Am I not good at this?"
Lucen chuckled softly, but his gaze drifted downward.
He noticed the faint dried blood near Aleck's foot.
Lucen said nothing.
A few moments later, Reyla pushed open the church door.
She let out a long sigh as she stepped inside.
"Gossiping takes time," she muttered, stretching her arms. "But the more time passes, the more I think I actually enjoy it."
The moment she entered the kitchen, she noticed Aleck and Lucen standing there with their "trophies."
The fish.
And the chicken.
Reyla narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Lucen, but chose not to ask anything.
Instead, after a moment, she smiled.
"Are we having a feast today?"
All three of them began moving around the kitchen, preparing the meal.
The smell of roasted chicken and fresh stew slowly filled the small church kitchen as the evening light faded outside.
By the time they finished cooking, the table was set with warm food.
Aleck leaned back in his chair after eating and rubbed his stomach.
"A good dessert would've made this the best dinner I've ever had," he said.
Reyla grinned.
Without saying anything, she reached behind the counter and pulled out a small plate.
On it were three pastries, dripping with honey.
Aleck's eyes lit up immediately.
He looked at her with excitement.
"Thank you, big sister!"
Lucen watched the two of them with a proud smile.
"Aren't I incredible?" Reyla said, straightening her back proudly.
After dinner, Lucen kept his promise and began washing the dishes.
The clinking of plates echoed softly in the quiet kitchen.
Later that night, Aleck and Reyla went to bed together in the small sleeping room.
Reyla sat beside him, helping him read a few lines of Auralin, the ancient language used by the Church.
Aleck groaned.
"Ugh… this is too much. I don't want to learn anymore. I already know a little, and that's enough."
Reyla looked at him seriously.
"Father won't always be here," she said.
"Do you want another priest to come and replace him?"
She leaned slightly closer.
"Don't you think of this church as your home?"
Aleck didn't have an answer for that.
So he quietly returned to reading the words again.
Just then, a voice came from the doorway.
"Hey, don't kill me this early with all that talk."
Father Lucen stood there, smiling.
He looked at both of them warmly.
"Good night."
Then he added gently,
"And don't forget to put out the candle."
After a while, Aleck began to feel sleepy.
He stopped reading.
Reyla blew out the candle, and the room dimmed into soft darkness.
They lay down on their beds.
Aleck stared up at the ceiling.
"Hey big sis, can you tell me more of the stories you and your friends did?" Aleck asked while looking at the ceiling.
For a moment, Reyla didn't answer.
Then she smiled faintly in the darkness.
"Sure," she said softly.
But after a short pause, her voice turned more serious.
Even in the dark, Aleck could sense the change in her tone.
"But starting tomorrow, we're going to begin your training," she said, her face now firm in the dim light.
"It's time you learn how to handle things instead of running."