"Esther!"
Hina's cheerful voice rang from behind, pulling me out of my thoughts. Turning around, I saw her approaching, her familiar bounce in each step. Beside her was a boy, timidly trailing behind, his gaze fixed on the ground.
I straightened up and walked towards her, my hands buried in my pockets.
I stopped in front of her, her head tilting slightly. "What are you doing here?"
"Nothing," I replied casually. "Was playing with the kids around."
Hina raised an eyebrow, a teasing grin tugging at the corners of her lips. "You? Playing with kids? Never thought you'd make friends outside of me." Her tone was sarcastic, but playful as always.
I let out a soft scoff, raising a brow in return. "What about you? Back from the academy?"
"Yup!" she replied with a cheerful nod. "Finally free for the day."
My gaze flicked to the boy behind her. He didn't meet my eyes, his shoulders slightly hunched as if he wanted to disappear.
I didn't bother asking about him. I didn't care.
Hina turned to the boy with a friendly smile. "Okay then, Arlo. I've got to go now. Take care on your way to home, alright?"
The boy gave a small, almost shy smile. "Okay," he murmured, glancing briefly at me before turning and walking away.
Once he was out of sight, Hina and I began walking together, her footsteps light and energetic beside mine.
"So," she started, breaking the silence, "what exactly were you playing?"
"Cricket," I replied without much thought.
Her eyes widened in mock surprise. "Cricket? Really? I thought you Hades boys only played football. You know, the rough, 'run-into-each-other' type of sport."
I shrugged. "I learned it while playing."
Hina grinned, her hands swaying by her sides as she hummed a tune. "So you are a fast learner as well, huhh? Figures. You're good at everything."
The sun dipped below the horizon as we continued walking. The vibrant orange hues faded into deep purples and blues, signaling the arrival of night, as it turns into a pitch black.
When morning came, we found ourselves strolling side by side, sipping hot coffee from paper cups, the warmth seeping into our fingers.
"You don't have classes today?" I asked, breaking the comfortable silence.
"Nope!" she replied enthusiastically. "Today's a holiday!" She twirled in place, her arms stretched wide as if embracing her freedom.
We walked past the village where I had played cricket the previous evening. The echoes of laughter and playful shouts still lingered in my mind, but the atmosphere now was different.
"So," she asked, her tone light, "what should we do today?"
I didn't respond immediately. My footsteps slowed as I noticed a crowd gathered near the field.
Children were crying, their sobs cutting through the murmurs of the adults.
Hina glanced at me, her brows furrowing. "Something's going on there..."
Without a word, I started walking toward the crowd, my pace steady but deliberate. Hina followed closely behind, her concern same as mine.
As we approached, the voices of the onlookers grew clearer.
"Poor child..."
"Such a tragic thing to happen."
"Her parents should've been more careful."
"They said it was an accident..."
The sharp, loud cries of a woman as if she is screaming came through the murmurs.
I pushed through the crowd, ignoring the curious gazes and whispers. The scene before me froze me in place.
Jake's mother was on the ground, her body trembling with uncontrollable sobs. Her hands clutched the lifeless body of her child—Jake.
His small head, severed, lay a few feet away in a gutter, water trickling around it. His body was in her arms, blood soaking her hands and the ground beneath her.
Hina gasped audibly beside me, her hand flying to her mouth. "What... what happened here?" she muttered, her voice barely above a whisper.
The murmurs of the crowd swirled around us.
"They found him early this morning," someone said.
"It must've been an accident. Maybe he fell and..."
"No way. Look at the blood. Something did this to him."
"Poor boy. He was so full of life yesterday."
"Bring my child back!! Oh god....please....someone!!!! Arghhhhh!!!" Jake's mother's cries grew louder, raw and heart-wrenching.
She clutched his small body as if trying to bring him back to life.
I couldn't look away. My mind was flooded with memories of Jake from the day before—his laughter, his determination, the way his eyes sparkled when he talked about becoming the best cricketer.
"Mister, let's play again tomorrow!"
The words echoed in my head, over and over, each repetition cutting deeper than the last.
Hina's voice trembled as she whispered, "Esther... he was with you yesterday, wasn't he?"
I nodded slowly, my gaze fixed on the scene in front of me.
Jake's mother's sobs mixed with the faint whispers of the crowd, creating a haunting symphony of grief and disbelief.
Hina placed a hand on my arm, her touch gentle. "Esther..."
"I am okay," I responded, tilting my head casually to look at Jake's head and his open eyes in sewer.
I was looking at him when I observed a tiny fragment of energy in the air around him. A small..very small...an atom sized black aura was flickering there before it disappeared.
Hina looked at me with curiosity and gulps*
My mind was replaying every moment I had spent with Jake—the way he held the cricket bat too tightly, the way he got angry at himself when he missed a swing, the way he had looked up at me with admiration when I showed him how to play.
And then, the last moment: the fist bump we shared as he grinned up at me.
"Mister, let's play again tomorrow."
Tomorrow....But tomorrow never came for him.
The ambulance arrived with its blaring sirens, cutting through the thick silence that had fallen over the crowd. The paramedics stepped out and moved swiftly toward Jake's lifeless body.
I watched as they carefully lifted his small, broken body from his mother's trembling hands. Her cries grew louder, more desperate.
The murmurs in the crowd started again.
"This is the third accident this week," one man muttered, his voice tinged with unease.
"Yeah, three children… all dead. Isn't this happening too frequently?" another replied, shaking his head.
"Something's not right about this."
"We should observe our child more closely and keep them away from such accidents."
Their words buzzed in the background like static, but I didn't respond.
I sighh* and turned on my shoes and began walking away from the scene, my hands shoved deep into my pockets.
"Esther, wait!" Hina's voice called after me as jogged toward me.