People streamed through the streets in every direction, creating a lively bustle of activity. Men carried tools and baskets, women chatted outside nearby buildings, and children darted between the adults as they played. Elifero watched the passing crowd, studying one face after another in the hope that someone might look familiar, but his search yielded nothing. Not a single person stirred even the faintest sense of recognition, and with every passing moment, his heart sank a little further.
This isn't Oatile.
That much he knew.
He turned slowly, examining the unfamiliar surroundings for anything that might tell him where he'd ended up. His gaze eventually settled on a wooden sign hanging above him. It was slightly crooked, its faded lettering worn down by years of exposure to the weather.
SHANK'S TAVERN.
Elifero stared at the sign for a moment before looking back towards the narrow passageway he'd just emerged from.
"...How did I end up in a passageway beside a tavern?"
He scratched his head, struggling to make sense of his situation. The harder he tried to remember, the more confusing everything became. He knew Oatile Village was where he belonged, but everything between being there and waking up on a pile of crates was a complete blank. No matter how thoroughly he searched his mind, he couldn't find a single memory that explained how he'd arrived in Eman Village.
Elifero released a long breath. Standing around wasn't going to get him home, and wandering aimlessly through unfamiliar streets wasn't likely to help either.
"I should ask someone for directions."
Almost as though the world had been waiting for him to say those words, the tavern door swung open. A man and a woman stumbled into the street, leaning heavily against each other as they laughed. The sharp smell of alcohol reached Elifero almost immediately. The man loosely held a bottle in one hand, its contents sloshing dangerously close to the opening with every careless step, while the woman nearly tripped over her own feet. She caught herself against him, and the two burst into another fit of laughter.
Elifero watched them with a doubtful expression.
Maybe not them.
They hardly looked like the most reliable people to approach for directions. Unfortunately, the couple had already started moving towards him, leaving him little time to decide whether to approach someone else. He hesitated, briefly debating whether to wait for another opportunity before reminding himself that he couldn't afford to be so picky.
Just ask.
He stepped forward cautiously.
"E-excuse me."
The couple stopped, and the man turned towards him with a scowl.
"Sorry for bothering you, but—"
"What, kid?" the man snapped, glaring down at him. "What do you want?"
Elifero flinched at the sudden hostility.
"I just wanted to—"
"You asking for money?"
"What? No."
The man leaned closer, and the smell of alcohol grew even stronger. Elifero instinctively pulled back as the stranger narrowed his eyes.
"Then speak up. Don't you see I'm busy?"
Elifero opened his mouth, but no words came out.
Busy doing what?
He wisely kept that thought to himself.
"Brian."
The woman finally intervened. Although her voice was softer than the man's, there was enough firmness in it to make him glance towards her.
"That's enough."
Brian rolled his eyes, clearly displeased at being interrupted. The woman gently nudged him aside before turning her attention to Elifero. She crouched slightly so that she was closer to his height, her expression softening into an apologetic smile.
"I'm sorry about him."
Brian muttered something behind her, but she ignored him.
"What do you need, sweetheart?"
Elifero relaxed slightly, reassured by the difference in her demeanour.
"I..." He swallowed before gathering himself enough to ask, "What village is this?"
The woman blinked in mild surprise.
"Eman Village."
"Eman..."
Elifero repeated the name quietly, hoping that hearing it might awaken some memory. It meant nothing to him. He quickly followed up with another question, a faint trace of hope creeping into his voice.
"Do you know Oatile Village?"
"Oatile?"
"Yes. That's where I'm from. Do you know which way it is?"
The woman considered the question for a moment before slowly shaking her head.
"I'm sorry. I've never heard of it."
Elifero's smile faded. He tried not to let his disappointment show, forcing himself to accept the answer even though it left him no closer to finding his way home.
"Oh. That's okay."
He managed a small smile.
"Thank you anyway."
The woman returned his smile apologetically before straightening up.
"Take care of yourself."
Brian had already begun walking away, apparently growing impatient with the conversation.
"Are you coming or what?"
"Yes, yes."
She hurried after him, and Elifero watched the two disappear into the crowd. For a moment, he remained where he was, trying to understand how someone as kind as that woman could end up with a man who behaved so unpleasantly.
"...How does someone like her end up with someone like that?"
"Woof!"
Elifero looked down to find the dog standing beside him. They stared at each other for a moment, and Elifero gave a solemn nod, as though the animal had just offered some profound insight.
"Exactly."
The dog's tail wagged enthusiastically.
Elifero turned and began walking, his thoughts returning to the problem at hand. At least he now had a name for the place he'd found himself in: Eman Village. What he still didn't know was how far it was from Oatile, how he'd travelled between the two villages, or how he was supposed to get back.
Time passed as he continued searching for answers. He approached anyone who seemed approachable: an elderly man carrying vegetables, a woman sweeping outside her home, a merchant, two men repairing a wooden fence, and even a group of children. Each time, he asked whether they knew Oatile Village, hoping that someone might recognise the name or point him in the right direction.
The answers, however, remained painfully consistent. Some people admitted they'd never heard of it, others simply shook their heads, and a few apologised before returning to whatever they had been doing. With every unanswered question, Elifero's hope diminished a little further.
By the time the sun began sinking towards the horizon, streaks of orange and gold stretched across the sky. Elifero dragged his feet along the road, exhausted by hours of searching without anything to show for his efforts.
"Ahhh!"
He threw his head back in frustration.
"How does nobody know my village?"
A few passers-by glanced in his direction, prompting him to lower his voice almost immediately.
"...Seriously."
He shoved his hands into his pockets, his frustration gradually giving way to worry. His mother must have been looking for him by now, wondering why he hadn't returned home. Uncle Pedro would probably be concerned too, and the thought of his family waiting for him made his chest tighten.
"Mom must be looking for me by now."
He continued walking, imagining his mother waiting for him to come through the door.
"Uncle Pedro too."
Then his thoughts turned to his twin sisters.
"Bloom and Raim are probably crying like crazy."
A small smile crept across his face as he pictured them. Or perhaps they were blaming each other for his disappearance somehow. Knowing them, that possibility didn't seem particularly far-fetched. For a brief moment, simply thinking about his family brought him a little comfort.
Then reality returned, and the smile gradually disappeared. He still had no idea how to get home.
Elifero glanced beside him, only to realise that the dog had disappeared.
"Huh?"
He stopped and looked behind himself, searching the road for the familiar animal, but there was no sign of it.
"When did you leave?"
He waited for a moment, almost expecting the dog to emerge from the crowd, but nothing happened. With a sigh, he shook his head and resumed walking.
"Guess you just wanted food from me."
A weak laugh escaped him.
"Some friend you were."
He continued down the road alone, with no companion and no better idea of where to go than he'd had that morning.
Then he heard shouting.
Loud voices carried from farther down the road, accompanied by the clatter of something striking the ground and a sudden burst of cheering. Elifero initially paid little attention to the commotion, but his curiosity eventually got the better of him. He changed direction and followed the noise until he reached a gathering of older boys standing in a loose circle.
Coins glittered on the ground between them. Several boys crouched around whatever game they were playing, while others stood nearby, watching and shouting whenever something happened. Elifero slowed as he approached, trying to get a better look at the activity.
Are they gambling?
Before he could investigate further, one of the boys stormed away from the group, his face twisted with frustration.
"How is it that I always lose?!"
He kicked the dirt, sending a small cloud of dust into the air. Behind him, the other boys erupted into laughter.
"Keep crying!"
"Come back when you've got more money!"
The boy spun around, glaring at them.
"Shut up!"
His attention then shifted to Elifero, who had stopped nearby to watch the commotion. The boy stared at him, and Elifero stared back, unsure whether he was about to be dragged into the argument.
"Hey."
Elifero glanced behind himself.
Nobody.
"You."
The boy pointed directly at him.
"Come here."
Elifero hesitated, wondering what the stranger wanted, but eventually approached. The moment he came within reach, the boy grabbed him by both shoulders, making his body stiffen in surprise. Leaning closer, the boy lowered his voice as though he were about to share something important.
"Lend me some money."
Elifero blinked.
"What?"
"Money." The boy glanced towards the gambling group. "I'll pay you back when I win."
Elifero stared at him, momentarily at a loss for words.
"I don't have any."
The boy's grip loosened as his hopeful expression vanished. After a brief silence, he released Elifero and turned away.
"...Useless."
Elifero frowned, watching him walk off.
"What did I do?"
The boy ignored him, leaving Elifero to wonder why he'd been approached in the first place. He was about to leave when something about the boy's face caught his attention. He studied the stranger more closely, a faint sense of familiarity stirring in the back of his mind.
There was something about him...
Something Elifero felt he should remember.
He narrowed his eyes as an image slowly surfaced from the depths of his memory: three younger boys, wooden signs, and someone standing on a chair. The details were blurred, but one phrase stood out clearly enough to make him pause.
CHANGE THE LAW!
The memory remained faint and indistinct, yet it was something. Elifero immediately turned towards the boy.
"Wait."
The boy glanced back.
Elifero approached cautiously, trying to organise the fragments of the image in his mind.
"Sorry to ask this, but... have we met before?"
The boy scoffed.
"I'm known by plenty of people. What's your point?"
Elifero continued studying his face, hoping that the memory would become clearer.
"I think I've seen you."
"So?"
"You were with some kids around my age."
The boy's expression changed slightly, but Elifero was too busy searching his memory to pay much attention to the reaction.
"They were..." He hesitated, struggling to retrieve the rest of the image. "Protesting."
The boy's amusement disappeared.
Elifero noticed the change immediately.
"Yeah. I'm pretty sure it was you."
"So what?"
The response came more sharply this time, making Elifero hesitate.
"I don't really know."
The boy stared at him as Elifero touched the side of his head, searching for words to explain his situation.
"My memories are... strange. I don't remember everything clearly. I woke up here and—"
"Not here."
Elifero stopped mid-sentence.
The boy glanced around, and the frustration that had marked his face earlier had disappeared. In its place was a more serious expression.
"Come with me."
Elifero frowned.
"Why?"
"If you want to talk about that, we should do it somewhere else."
Without waiting for an answer, the boy began walking away. Elifero remained where he was, watching him with suspicion. Following random strangers into alleys probably wasn't the smartest decision he could make, particularly when he had no idea who this boy was or what he wanted.
Then again, he'd already spent most of the day asking random strangers for help.
"...Fine."
He followed the boy, keeping a cautious distance until they reached a narrow alley far enough from the gambling group that their voices had faded into the background. Once they were alone, the boy turned to face him.
"What's your name?"
Elifero blinked.
"My name?"
"Yeah."
The boy's expression suggested that he had little patience for unnecessary delays.
"And don't waste time."
Elifero straightened and placed one hand against his chest, adopting a polite manner that contrasted sharply with the boy's impatience.
"Elifero T. Plaish."
He gave a small, courteous nod.
"It's a pleasure."
The boy stared at him in silence. Elifero waited, expecting him to introduce himself in return, but the stranger's expression remained unchanged for a moment longer.
Then—
"PFFT—!"
The boy burst into laughter.
Elifero's expression immediately fell.
"What?"
The boy bent forward, clutching his stomach as he struggled to contain himself.
"Why are you laughing?!"
His question only seemed to make the situation worse.
"Elifero T. Plaish," the boy repeated between breaths.
"That's my name!"
"I know!"
Tears began gathering in the boy's eyes as his laughter continued. Elifero stared at him in disbelief, unable to understand what was so amusing about his introduction.
"Then what's funny about it?"
Eventually, the boy managed to regain some control of himself. He wiped one eye, straightened up, and looked at Elifero with a broad grin.
"...I like you."
Elifero frowned.
"You have a strange way of showing it."
The boy chuckled before extending his hand.
"Jon Jr Donathan."
Elifero looked at the offered hand as the boy continued.
"But you can call me Jr."
Elifero reached forward, and their hands met in a handshake.
"Nice to meet you, Jr."
For the briefest moment, a chill travelled along Elifero's skin.
His smile weakened as he sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere. Jon was still smiling, but something about his eyes had changed. The earlier amusement had given way to a sharper, more observant look, as though the boy standing before him had suddenly become something worth studying.
Elifero noticed the difference and couldn't help wondering what had caused it.
What's with that look?
Before he could ask, a deep bell rang somewhere in the distance.
Dooong.
The sound rolled over the rooftops, low and heavy, drawing Jon's attention immediately. His expression shifted for a fleeting moment as he looked towards the source of the ringing.
Elifero followed his gaze.
"What is—"
Jon turned away before he could finish.
"Come on."
Elifero looked back at him, confused.
"Where?"
Jon had already started walking, but he glanced over his shoulder long enough to deliver an unsettling answer.
"If you're lost... sticking with me might keep you alive."
Elifero stopped in his tracks.
Keep me alive?
He looked towards the distant rooftops, then back at Jon, trying to understand what the boy meant.
"What does that mean?"
Jon didn't answer. He simply continued walking, leaving Elifero standing in the alley as he weighed the risks of following someone who had already begun speaking in riddles.
It was probably an incredibly bad idea.
But Jon was the first person he'd met who seemed to recognise that something about his situation wasn't normal. After spending the entire day searching for answers, Elifero wasn't eager to let that opportunity slip away.
With a resigned sigh, he hurried after him.
"Wait for me!"
Together, the two boys disappeared deeper into Eman Village.