“Here's the latest news of the day! Please grab your copies!” 

“Fresh vegetables and meat available for a cheap price, please come by!”

“You know, man, I really think…”

“Mom, I want this please…!” 

“No, you have enough toys!”

Every nook and cranny of this long street has been littered with stalls, colourful and attractive. Matthias and Leila leisurely walked side by side, soaking in the atmosphere. The scorching sun and the chirping of birds was the complete polar opposite of what took place every night in this damn country.

Matthias looked around while Leila stopped at one of the stalls, haggling the prices. He knew that she would be good at it, since she was personally trained by Mama Nana. It is not a skill he could grasp, and so he stood still behind Leila, letting her take the stage.

“Please,” Leila softly plead, “give it to me for sixty koras.” 

The vendor argued, “Miss, the base price is already low enough! It's ninety koras for this bread, three whole chickens, three cuts of beef and eggs!”

“How about seventy-three koras for bread, meats, eggs and throw in some of that small cabbage?” 

The old vendor’s eyebrows raised. ‘It wasn't a bad deal, the vegetables weren't selling fast enough, and it would soon wither,’ he thought, “I'll throw in some potatoes and rice—one full sack. Half sack of cabbages, meat and a dozen eggs for seventy-five. Lowest I can go for you, Miss.” 

Leila's shoulders slumped as she murmured, seemingly reluctant, “Deal.”

In Matthias’ eyes however, she won. If his calculations were correct, everything should be around eighty to ninety koras, which could buy a small cottage or a small house.

Soon the vendor packed everything and Matthias stepped in to carry the items they bought. All items are placed inside a one big sack, and he slung it across his left shoulder. Perhaps due to the training he does, it felt like nothing.

“Come again!” The man yelled jovially as he and Leila both left the stall.

“...it was a good deal though, right?” Leila muttered.

He nodded. “Yeah, why do you look so down?” 

“Because I wanted to show you that I could be a good wife,” She said, staring at his eyes as they walked.

His eyes blown wide with shock, he laughed, “Well, you certainly will be. But we're a bit too young to think about that.” 

Leila's shoulders slump, forgetting how dense this man is. She let out another sigh in defeat—today is not her day either. 

Both of them walked, but soon Matthias froze, gaze focused on the dark alleyway. A sinister feeling pooled in his gut—calling him over there, to have a look and check. 

Noticing how he stopped walking and just stared at that particular area, Leila called out to him. “Matthias?” 

“Leila, I think we need to go there and check—Something's in there.”

Leila looked to where he was looking. Sweat beads rolled down from her forehead but not due to the warmth, but trepidation. “I think we shouldn't… Remember, Mama Nana told us not to go there?” her voice trembled. 

“We have to go!” He insisted, urgency making his voice raise. Without waiting for her, he dropped the sack he was carrying, leaving Leila behind while she called  his name. 

“Matthias!”

The wind flurried against him, his mouth agape as he pants while his legs brought him deeper into the alleyway. His eyes scanned the area; full of empty crates, the pungent smell of decay mixed with piss and fecal matter did not deter him, it only fueled his determination. He tripped over to the sticky ground, making him groan. 

He could hear Leila’s footsteps behind him. He pushed himself up, only to realise how he was drenched with a sticky, red substance that gave off a metallic smell. His chest tightened, eyes blown wide in fear and dread. Making him unable  to look around. When he ran, he fell over something and…

Leila halted behind him. She covered her mouth as she gasped, tears fell down from her eyes. The sack that she carried was dropped to the ground without any care.

“Harry…!” her voice trembled as she called out to the young man that lay lifeless on the ground. 

“It rained fire, causing devastation across the whole place sir. I did my homework!”

Matthias breathed heavily, his heart beating hard like a drum as Harry’s voice rang inside his head. It can’t be. He was alive and healthy. He answered all Chris’ questions perfectly yesterday!

He froze, still kneeling. His white shirt soaked with blood. Eyes burning as he held back the sob that clawed its way up his throat. He bit his lip so hard that it left a mark. Then,  his ears rang. Everything became static and silent. He did not even notice the patrol guards approaching, or Leila’s horrified screeching mixed with sobs.