A rooster crowed among the mist, announcing that dawn had arrived. At this time, many people rarely awaken from their slumber, but one person has woken up. It's a boy wearing dark clothes that cover his entire body, with a cloak covering his face, gloves blocking any evidence of his touch, and boots to navigate the damaged road with a small bag wrapped around him. He is wandering around at the break of dawn, surrounding him is a village where houses stand closely together, varying in height. Some houses are larger than others, but they all share the same architecture: a brick and stone foundation with wooden walls wrapping around the entire perimeter and covered with straw. Some houses also have chimneys, completing the overall look.
After passing several houses on a damp street, he finally found what he was looking for: a market. Even though it was still dawn, several people tidied up their stalls and prepared for the day. As people were occupied with their assignments, no one batted an eye at the boy or his suspicious outfit.
"Perfect," he said to himself.
"Time to take action."
He swiftly walked towards a bakery and carefully entered the shop. The delicious smell of cooking filled the air. At the counter, several sourdough breads had just come out of the oven. The chef was busy in the back kitchen.
"It's my lucky day," he chuckled, grabbing a few sourdough breads before leaving the shop. Next, he went to the butcher.
It had been a while since he tasted meat, so he decided to try his luck. As he entered the butcher shop, he noticed a few people already gathered inside, some of them fighting to get the parts of the meat they wanted. Amidst the commotion, the boy tried to grab a hind shank of lamb.
"Thief! THEIF!" the butcher shouted at him.
"Uh oh!" he thought as he quickly bolted out of the store with the hind he took.
The butcher tried to chase the boy, but the boy was agile in his movements. Not long after, the butcher gave up on catching him. While still running, the boy looked back at the butcher, winked, and stuck out his tongue, mocking the butcher for his defeat. Unaware, the boy accidentally bumped into a man carrying crates filled with fruits and vegetables. Both of them fell to the ground, and the crates crashed, spilling everything inside. Without skipping a beat, the boy stood up, grabbed a few fruits and vegetables that had fallen to the ground, and started running again. "I'm sorry!" the boy shouted while running, without looking back.
After a bit of running, he stopped at a house different from the others this house was more run down, the boy opened the rotten door with the hinges starting to rust. Just opening the door required more strength than he should After he managed to open the door, a middle-aged woman was waiting in front of him, her face scrunched up in annoyance and disapproval at the sight of the boy.
"I'm home, Mom…" The boy looks down at the floor afraid of his Mother.
"Care to explain yourself, young man?" his mother's eyes darted at him.
"I...I was just taking a stroll in the street," the boy tries to defend himself.
"Oh! Taking a stroll, are you now, Martin? With that outfit? And what are you carrying inside that bag, huh?" she raises her voice while pointing at Martin's bag.
"N-nothing," Martin tried to hide it, but his mother rolled her eyes before taking the bag forcibly from him.
After she looked inside the bag, her eyes remained cold, and she looked at Martin before speaking.
"Go change, school is about to start. I'm not asking twice, got it?"
As Martin silently walked towards his room, he passed the living room, which looked like a wrecked ship with several bottles of finished ale on the floor. After changing clothes, he sat on a chair near the kitchen, where his Mother was cooking with the goods Martin had stolen earlier. The kitchen itself wasn't sanitary, with dishes piled up in the sink and the counter dirtier than it had ever been before. As the plate was set up before Martin, they ate silently. Life wasn't good for the two of them. A simple meal like this felt like eating a luxurious dinner in this house. With limited money, they could only afford a roof over their heads, and his mother sometimes spent her money on drinks.
After finishing his meal, Martin reached for another bite, but his mother gently swatted his hand away.
"Oh, sweetheart, don't be greedy. I know it's tough to resist, but we need to make sure our food lasts until next month."
Martin let out a frustrated sigh as he slowly moved toward the front door. He paused to look at a photo of his parents from happier times, and a wave of sadness washed over him. His mother wrapped her arms around him, kissing his forehead softly.
"Don't be sad, sweetie. He's not needed anymore" she said, her voice tinged with a mix of sorrow and anger.
"Will he come back?" Martin asked, his heart heavy, already knowing deep down that his father wouldn't return.
Martin's mother sighed before speaking "Be careful on the road and enjoy your day at school," she gently stroked his head.
Martin smiled, hugged his mother, and said
"I'll do my best, Mother." He then waved goodbye to his mother as he left for school, and she waved back, hoping he would return home safely.
While walking away from his house, he said
"I'm sorry Mother, I lied. School isn't in my best interest."
He deviated from his usual route to school and headed back to the market. Instead of stopping there, he continued and reached the village entrance. The guards at the gates saw him but allowed him to pass. Despite walking for a long time, he wasn't merely wandering; he had a specific path and destination in mind.
Finally, he found what he was looking for. As he approached what looked like a manor mixed with a small castle, it appeared magnificent from a distance. However, in reality, the place was in ruin. Martin passed a sign that bore the barely legible phrase "Facility Order of Light: Sector 7." Martin didn't pay too much attention to it. He was after what was inside the building - perhaps something valuable to help his financial problems. Martin seized the opportunity to explore inside. Just before entering, the path leading to the front door was filled with debris and rubble, and the roof, or what was left of it, was mostly destroyed and replaced by various plants.
There lies the main room connected to three other doors. The room itself was beautiful, despite being very dusty with many cobwebs in the corners. Martin looked at the existing furniture and opened several drawers, hoping to find something valuable that he could sell. However, he needed help finding something of use. There was some paper on a small table with the headline: "Formula-S injection for Recruits for Order of Light." Martin scoffed at this, seeing it as trash.
"ugh… This place is nothing just a flashy decoration. Great." he muttered with annoyance.
Martin tried his luck again, sweeping the main room again, but his action was futile. Although the palace was quite nice with a few sofas on each side of a small table and a few big cupboards around the room with some destroyed paintings hung on the walls, it was its only decoration.
In frustration, Martin flips the small table, smashing it against the cupboard opposite the front door. When the dust settles, a hidden passageway leading below is revealed. "Now we're talking," he says as he heads down the passageway beneath the house. After a few moments, Martin finds himself in a basement. The room is filled with a long table stretching across the walls, stacked with books and papers that spill onto the floor. Above the table, a large map is hung. However, the most fascinating aspect of the room is something else entirely.
Martin's eyes landed on a suit of armor that sat on the floor, leaning against the table.
"What do we have here?" he thought, excited to discover something valuable.
The suit was a full-plated armor that covered the entire body, with long panaches extending from the head to the shoulder pads. A thick fur was visible around the neck area, and the right shoulder was larger than the left, featuring a sun symbol. The armor looked uncomfortable to wear, with many dents and scratches. Despite being closed and rigid, it didn't seem very comfortable.
"Ugh… guess those days of glory are behind you…"
The sight of the battered armor struck him as both menacing and oddly pitiful. It was coated in a mysterious substance that clung to its surface like a shroud. Martin sighed, his mind racing.
"Looks like cleaning is mandatory. But once I'm done, who knows? The blacksmith might be interested in this!"
Fueled by visions of potential wealth, he couldn't help but reach out. His fingertips brushed against the cold metal, and in that instant, reality twisted into something almost fantastical
A black spark spread to the armor before bursting into a shockwave; the shockwave was powerful enough to push Martin back. Though falling back, his eyes widened as he saw each part of the armor lunge at him. Every part clings to him with an intensity that feels almost suffocating, each fragment intertwining with the others chaotically tears at his very skin. It's as if they're locked in a struggle, pulling him apart even as they hold him together. Martin cried out in agony, the sharp pain of realization hitting him like a wave. It was horrifying to know that it aimed to trap him in that menacing armor. Overwhelmed by fear, he felt a surge of desperation and fought to stand up, yearning to escape the terrifying fate that loomed ahead.
The pain is too much to bear, blood spilling everywhere remodeling him inside out, He screams in pain hoping someone might come to help. His scream died out as the last piece of the helmet was forced upon him, he fell to his knees as blood sipped out from the crack polling on the floor, As his vision began to blur, a chilling cold enveloped him, leaving his limbs feeling heavy and unresponsive. It was as if he were slipping away, falling into unconsciousness, his body going limp as if all the strength had been drained from him. It was a frightening and vulnerable moment, one that no one should have to endure.