Nine years later, they lived in the squalor of the Downward District in the state of Olzar, far removed from the opulence of Aloxus.
This town, tucked away in obscurity, was the only place Meloris could escape to. Here, she returned to the life she had once fled, her occupation as a courtesan both her curse and her lifeline.
Their living conditions were wretched. A single, cramped chamber in the brothel served as their home.
Argider slept on a threadbare mat in the corner, his childhood stained by the murmurs and glances of clients and workers alike.
Outside, the cruelty of the world only deepened.
"Ha! Your mother's a whore! Your mother's a whore!"
"Yeah, and look at him! He looks like one too!"
The taunts came from a group of boys in a narrow, filthy alleyway.
Argider stood frozen, his long hair framing a delicate face too pretty for a boy, his malnourished frame trembling.
