Jayne's world was the dusty yard behind his grandmother's small house, a kingdom built of cracked paving stones and overgrown weeds. His crown was a faded baseball cap, and his scepter, a sturdy stick he'd found by the roadside. Despite the humble surroundings, Jayne carried himself with the air of a prince. His grandmother, Nana Emi, had filled his head with stories of kings and queens, not of bloodlines and inherited power, but of resilience and unwavering spirit.
"The candle of success," she would say, her voice raspy but firm, "will always shine on those who refuse to dress in the costume of failure."
Jayne clung to those words like a lifeline. They were his armor against the taunts of the older kids, his fuel for the long days spent helping Nana Emi in her small garden, and the foundation of his dreams. He dreamed of escaping the dusty yard, of building a life where he could take care of Nana Emi, give her the comfort she deserved. He dreamed of a future where his name wouldn't be whispered with pity but spoken with respect.
He was thirteen, small for his age but wiry and quick. His eyes, the same warm brown as Nana Emi's, held a spark of determination that belied his gentle nature. He spent his days exploring the small town, mapping its hidden corners and imagining the adventures that lay beyond its borders.
One sweltering afternoon, while returning from delivering some of Nana Emi's freshly picked herbs to a local restaurant, Jayne noticed a new car parked outside their house. A sleek, black sedan, it seemed out of place in their quiet street. A shiver ran down his spine, a premonition of something… different.
He pushed open the creaky gate and walked towards the house, the familiar scent of Nana Emi's cooking usually a comforting aroma, now felt heavy in the air. He heard voices inside, low and hushed. One was Nana Emi's, strained and worried. The other was a man's, smooth and oily, a voice that made the hairs on the back of Jayne's neck stand on end.
He hesitated at the door, his hand hovering over the handle. The world outside the dusty yard, the world he so desperately wanted to explore, suddenly felt much closer, and far more dangerous.
WHAT HAPPEN NEXT??