Thud-thud-thud-thud.
Adam's feet hammered against cobblestones in a rhythm that matched his racing heart. The narrow alleyways of the City of Light had become a labyrinth of shadows and danger, each corner potentially hiding another patrol. His breath came in sharp bursts as he pressed himself against a crumbling brick wall, listening to the measured footsteps of guards passing just meters away.
", any boy between four and twenty," one voice drifted through the evening air. "Orders from the bishops themselves. Orphanage origin."
He waited until their voices faded before darting across the street, keeping low as he wove between market stalls that were hastily being packed away.
A cart loaded with grain sacks provided temporary cover as another patrol rounded the corner. Adam ducked behind it.
When they passed, he slipped into a side street so narrow his shoulders nearly touched the walls on either side. The buildings here leaned toward each other, their upper stories almost meeting overhead. Laundry lines stretched between windows, and Adam had to duck repeatedly to avoid tangled sheets and drying towels.
We were just about to graduate out of the orphanage, he thought desperately as he navigated the maze-like passages. "Everything was supposed to go perfectly. The invitation to Queen Athena's castle as a celebration, it wasn't supposed to turn out like this. Why did it have to be me?"
A dog began barking somewhere behind him, its voice echoing off the narrow walls. Adam quickened his pace, his mind racing almost as fast as his feet.
He turned sharply into an even narrower passage, one that barely qualified as more than a gap between buildings. His shirt caught on a protruding brick, tearing slightly as he pulled free. The alley opened onto a small courtyard where an old woman was drawing water from a well. She looked up as he burst through, her eyes widening with surprise.
"Sorry," he gasped, vaulting over her bucket and sprinting toward the opposite exit.
"Boy! Wait, " she called after him, but he was already gone, disappearing into another winding street.
His head was all over the place while he had to avoid every single guard and simultaneously reach Millhaven that night. He wasn't even sure they would be there, but something made him feel that would be Noah's best decision. "That's what I would have done if it was me, so Noah must have definitely thought about it too." The logic felt solid, even as doubt gnawed at his chest. "I can't do this alone. I need Noah and Zoe to join me. I can never find Kaiser alone. Not alone."
He spotted a group of evening revelers stumbling between taverns, their laughter loud enough to mask other sounds. Without hesitation, Adam slipped out of the doorway and fell into step behind them, keeping his head down and mimicking their swaying gait. The guards' eyes passed over the group without interest, just more citizens enjoying their evening, nothing suspicious.
When the group turned toward the entertainment district, Adam peeled away, ducking into an alley that led toward the city's outskirts. He scrambled up the side of a three-story structure, his fingers finding purchase in the gaps between ancient stones.
From the rooftop, the city spread below him. He could see the patrol patterns now, the way they moved in overlapping circuits, the gaps in their coverage, the routes that would take him toward the gates with minimal exposure.
But what did the story of the book mean? he wondered as he leaped from roof to roof, his feet silent on the tiles. A nameless boy made of glass, reflecting other people? What could it be? What could Kaiser have meant? He is definitely the one who wrote that book and gave it to Athena.
But why give it to her? How much of an ally was he? And also, why her? The fact she gave it to me, does it mean he instructed her to give it to the original curse bearer when he shows up? How did he know I would show up in this city, and that I would meet the Queen? How?
He dropped down into another alley, landing in a crouch beside a stack of empty crates. The wood was damp and starting to rot, filling the air with the smell of decay. Rats scurried away from his feet.
"When I think back about it, how did I end up on that orphanage? I don't remember much. My memory is foggy." The realization struck him like a hammer. His earliest memories were vague, dreamlike, waking up at the orphanage, being welcomed, but nothing before that. Nothing about parents or a life before those walls.
A patrol emerged from a side street ahead, their torches casting shadows on the walls. Adam pressed himself deeper into the darkness, holding his breath as they passed.
They moved on, and Adam waited a full minute before continuing.
But wait, if I was Kaiser, what would the first story I would like to tell myself? What would I write?" He forced his mind to focus as he navigated around a collapsed section of wall. Think, think, think.
A guide, yes, a guide. The first story should be a guide. But on what? He paused at the intersection of two narrow streets, listening for patrol sounds. I know that curse users have powers. Does it mean being the original comes with any? If he did, it must be written in old books. Noah should have known if it was, he never told me though. So maybe it wasn't? Is it secret? Or maybe unclear?"
A cat yowled somewhere in the darkness, making him jump. His nerves were fraying, each sound magnified by exhaustion and stress.
A reflecting glass, glass, reflection, skills, glass, reflection, nameless boy, glass, glass, MY HEAD HURTS! Why not just give me direct instructions? WHY?
The city wall loomed ahead, its ancient stones dark. Guard towers punctuated its length, each one manned and alert. Adam studied the patterns of their searchlights, timing the moments when sections fell into shadow.
He made his move during a shift change, when the guards' attention was focused inward on their replacements. Scaling the wall was easier than expected, the old stones provided plenty of handholds, and years of weathering had created natural ledges.
At the top, he paused to look back at the City of Light one more time.
Then he was over the wall and running again, his feet finding purchase on the rocky slope that led down to the farmlands beyond. The ground here was treacherous, loose stones and hidden holes that could easily twist an ankle or send him tumbling.
It was then that he noticed something remarkable.
He had been running for hours now, through streets and over rooftops, scaling walls and leaping between buildings. His shirt was soaked with sweat, his muscles should have been screaming, his lungs burning with exhaustion. But he felt... fine. More than fine. His breathing was steady, his legs strong, his mind clear despite everything.
The realization stopped him in his tracks. "Wait," he whispered. "How long have I been running?"
Since leaving the orphanage, he calculated. Hours of constant movement, physical exertion that should have left him collapsed by the roadside. But he felt like he could run for hours more without stopping.
A perk that comes with being cursed he murmured, understanding flooding through him like dawn light.
But there was more.
Wait, a glass, a reflection. It should symbolize a power, right?
The countryside stretched before him, rolling hills covered in the silver shadows of moonlight. Farmhouses dotted the landscape, their windows dark and peaceful. Adam began to run again.
So it must be that the symbolism in the story means that the glass kid represents a power that every original curse holder has. Something accurate, something accurate.
The rhythm of his footsteps matched the rhythm of his thoughts, each stride bringing new clarity. The glass boy who reflected every visitor, who absorbed their skills and knowledge, who became whatever he observed.
I know that the cursed users' strength varies, and that the original should normally be one of the strongest. That's why he is trouble, that's another reason to kill me. So he must have something dangerous, that is how main characters work in the books Noah always showed me.
A stream cut across his path, its water black as ink under the starlight. Adam leaped it without breaking stride, landing softly on the far bank. The motion felt natural, effortless, as if his body knew exactly how to move.
Nameless boy, glass boy, reflection, visitors, skills, no way, could it be...
The word hung in the night air like a revelation. As if summoned by his understanding, the ground beneath his feet suddenly gave way. What had looked like solid earth was actually the edge of a steep hill, hidden in shadow. Adam tumbled forward, his world spinning into chaos as he rolled down the slope.
Grass and dirt filled his mouth, stones scraped against his skin, and the night sky wheeled overhead in dizzying circles. He rolled for what felt like forever, his body bouncing off roots and rocks, until finally he came to rest in a soft patch of meadow grass.
For a moment he lay still, cataloguing potential injuries. His clothes were torn, his skin scraped and dirty, but nothing felt broken.
"Ouch," he said. "That hurt less than expected, didn't it?"
He sat up, brushing dirt from his hair, and looked around. The hill he'd tumbled down rose behind him, but ahead, ahead lay a sight that made his heart leap with hope.
"I'm close. I'm finally close to Millhaven. Just after these trees, after these trees, please Noah, Zoe, everyone, be there. I need you. Evelyn needs you. I can't do this alone."
The village lights twinkled through the tree line, warm and welcoming after hours of running through hostile darkness. Adam pushed himself to his feet and ran toward them, branches catching at his torn clothes, leaves whispering encouragement as he passed.
He pushed through the last cluster of bushes, their thorns adding fresh scratches to his collection of wounds. The view opened before him, the peaceful valley of Millhaven spread out below, cottage windows glowing with firelight, smoke rising from chimneys in gentle spirals.
But something was wrong.
Adam froze, his eyes wide with shock and confusion. The village was there, exactly as he'd hoped to find it. But the scene below wasn't what he'd expected.
"HUH??"
The word escaped his lips as a strangled whisper, his mind struggling to process what he was seeing. After everything, the running, the hiding, the desperate journey through hostile territory, he had found Millhaven, or did he?