𝐻𝒶𝓃𝒹 ❀𝒻 𝒟𝑒𝒶𝓉𝒽//𝒟𝑒𝓂𝑜𝓃 𝒮𝓁𝒶𝓎𝑒𝓇 𝓍 𝑀𝒶𝓁𝑒!𝒪𝒞

1. 逃亡

»»-- ❝It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.❞--«« Marcus Aurelius

Golden eyes peered around the corner, checking if the way was clear. The dark hallway creaked of old age and smelled of a bitter night's breeze. Cautious footsteps made their way towards the single window at the end of the hall.

He had to be careful. The adults would notice he was missing soon.

"HITSUKI! GET BACK HERE!"

They already had.

Apprehension held the small boy in a chokehold as he bolted for the window, abandoning stealth in an instant. He had to escape. They were going to hurt him if he stayed.

He clambered up the window and pushed it open with a grunt. The heavy footsteps were drawing closer.

His father's hand snatched at the air, missing Hitsuki by a hair as he jumped from the window, plummeting three stories down. The cold night's wind whipped at him as he fell. He hadn't had time to think about how to survive the fall. Still, there was no hesitation as he jumped. After all, he'd be more likely to survive the fall than the wrath of his family.

He was lucky that a wagon full of hay happened to sit below.

Shaking off the stars that danced in his vision, the boy got up and crawled out of the rickety wagon, dashing away faster than he could have managed. He had to get away. He could not sleep. He could not eat. All he could do was run like death was at his heels.

He hurried through the busy city streets, ducking between people and under stalls. He was quiet and small. No one noticed him. No one bothered to think why a small child might be running away from the busy streets and into the sleeping forest beyond.

Days and nights passed, yet he never stopped moving. He had no idea where he was, but that was fine. Anywhere was better than that house.

Finally, he felt like he was far enough away to take a break. Hitsuki slowed to a walk, pausing at the river before him.

He was so tired.

Trudging on, he went over to the bridge on his left. It was rickety and old, with rot eating away at the planks. Each step was heavier than the last, and Hitsuki had the passing thought of his foot going through the wood, plunging him into the cold, wet darkness.

He really just wanted to sleep.

And nothing could be done to stop him from collapsing and tumbling into the river below. Nothing could stop the freezing currents from swallowing the boy whole. The forest around seemed to freeze as the air turned chill. Death approached, and the animals could sense it. Tension and grief filled the air, mourning a boy who would die without ever feeling the joy of life. Mourning a boy who had nobody left to grieve for him.

Until the boy was scooped up into the arms of a stranger, and the unearthly sorrow in the air shattered. The forest returned to normal, the change so subtle the man was sure he had imagined it.

The man walked away before he could dwell on it too long. He had to get this child to safety.

---

Hitsuki woke with a start. He didn't recognize the wood-lined room he was lying in. Confusion filled him whole. All he could remember was a quiet forest and then freezing cold darkness. Then he woke up here. In a bed softer than anything he'd ever had, with fresh clothes set off to the side. He could hear a crackling fire from behind the door.