*Scarlet Point of view*
*FLASHBACK*
When I was nine, I'd begged my maid and the knights to take me into town. My mother had no issue with it, knowing I'd be safe under their watch. Everything felt so exciting and lively as we wandered the streets, and I was busy buying treats from a street vendor when something unusual caught my eye. A shadow of a boy moving quickly through the crowd. I didn't know why, but something about him made me follow, almost without thinking.
I hurried along, weaving through people, my focus locked on keeping him in sight. Before I knew it, I had wandered far from the bustling market. I didn't even notice how narrow and messy the streets had become, the way the alleys twisted and darkened with every step. Broken glass littered the ground, scraps of paper rustled around, and shadows seemed to cling to every corner.
