But this man was a White marker, he should've been able to stop them.
Then she saw it.
The faint glow on the wrists of the three men.
Black.
Melody's stomach twisted.
That didn't make sense. Her parents had always said Black markers lived in the brighter parts of the city—the safe parts. Not here. Not in places like this.
She took a small step back—
Crack.
The sound was loud. Too loud.
Melody froze.
The men stopped.
Slowly, they turned.
Their eyes landed on her.
"A kid," one of them muttered.
"It could be a White marker," another said, narrowing his eyes. "If she talks, we're dead."
A third man let out a low chuckle.
"Then we make sure she doesn't."
They dropped the beaten man without another glance and began walking toward her.
Melody turned and ran as fast as her legs could carry her.
Behind her, she could hear them—heavy footsteps closing in, voices getting louder.
Her chest burned.
Her legs were too small. Too slow.
She didn't even know where she was going. She just needed to get away.
I should've stayed home.
The thought hit her all at once.
She should've stayed in bed. She should've stayed under her blanket, dreaming about silly things—cake castles and soft mushroom beds. Not this. Not running through dark streets with strangers chasing her.
Tears blurred her vision.
She squeezed her eyes shut for a second, forcing her legs to keep moving—
And suddenly—
Thud.
She ran straight into someone.
Melody lost her balance and fell hard onto the ground.
For a moment, everything went quiet.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
A boy stood in front of her.
He looked… normal.
Not scary. Not angry.
Just a boy.
"Are you okay?" he asked, reaching his hand out to her.
Melody's breathing was uneven, her chest rising and falling too quickly. She hesitated—but then she took his hand.
He pulled her up gently.
Behind them, the men came to a sudden stop.
Melody turned her head slightly.
They had frozen.
Afraid.
The boy turned toward them, tilting his head just a little.
"Why are you running after her?" he asked.
His voice wasn't loud.
But it didn't need to be.
The men glanced at each other, suddenly unsure.
"Y-Young Master—"
Young master?
Melody blinked.
"We… uhm… were just…uhm…" one of them started, fumbling over his words.
"We were checking if she was alright," another quickly added. "A White marker was bothering her, so we stepped in. But she ran off before we could help."
Melody's fingers tightened slightly.
That wasn't true.
But she couldn't speak.
Her voice felt stuck somewhere deep inside her chest.
The boy looked at her for a moment.
Then back at them.
"You don't need to anymore," he said calmly. "You can go."
The men didn't argue.
They lowered their heads and stepped back.
Then turned.
And left.
Just like that.
Melody stood there, frozen.
The boy turned back to her and gently took her hand again.
"Come on," he said.
He started walking, leading her away from the dark street.
"B-but… they…" Melody tried, her voice small.
"They won't hurt you," he said. "Not while you're with me."
He didn't let go of her hand until they reached an open valley.
And just like that, all the fear that had been chasing her seemed to fall away.
The air felt different here.
Softer. Quieter.
In a city that barely had trees, this place felt impossible. A wide stretch of land opened before them, with a single large tree standing tall at its center. Nearby, a lake rested peacefully, its surface reflecting the moon and stars like a mirror.
Melody inhaled sharply.
It was… beautiful.
The boy let go of her hand and walked toward the tree as if he had done it a thousand times before.
Melody watched him for a moment—then followed.
He sat down beneath the tree, his gaze drifting toward the lake.
Melody sat beside him, careful, unsure.
For a while, neither of them spoke.
Only the soft sound of the water and the quiet hum of the night filled the space between them.
"What are you doing outside so late without a guardian?" he asked, still looking ahead.
Melody blinked, caught off guard.
"Oh… um…" She fumbled with her words, her fingers twisting together in her lap. "I wanted to… see the world."
He glanced at her then, one brow lifting slightly.
"At night?"
"Yeah…" she said softly. "Mom and Dad keep me inside all the time. I just… wanted to go out."
She looked down at her hands.
"They don't let me do anything."
"They sound like dragons," the boy said.
Melody let out a small smile, still looking down at her hands.
"Yeah… like dragons."
He leaned back slightly, resting his weight on his hands as he looked up at the sky.
"This used to be my dad's favorite place," he said quietly. "Now it's mine."
Melody glanced at him but didn't say anything.
For a while, they just sat there.
"Do you know those bad people that were chasing me?" she asked after a moment.
"Kind of," he replied.
"They lied," she said quickly, lifting her head. "They were the ones hurting that man. The one with the white mark. They were chasing me to hurt me too."
"I know," he said simply. "They do things like that when they think no one important is watching."
Melody frowned slightly.
"Then why don't you tell someone?" she asked.
He was quiet for a second.
"My mom doesn't know I come here," he admitted. "So… I don't tell her what they do. And they don't tell her I'm here."
Melody looked away with a soft sigh.
It didn't feel right.
Even if it made sense… it still didn't feel right.
But she was also here because she broke a rule too.
So she stayed quiet.
"I'm Kairo… Kairo Jewels," he said after a moment.
"Melody Kassa," she replied.
She hesitated, then asked softly, "Are you a Black marker?"
Kairo gave a small shrug.
"If I wasn't, they would've chased me too."
"Oh… right," she murmured.
"What about you?" he asked, turning his head slightly toward her. "White marker?"
Melody froze.
Her fingers tightened in her lap.
If she told him the truth… would he still be this nice?
Or would he look at her the same way everyone else did?
"…Yeah," she said quietly. "I'm a White marker."
Kairo nodded, like it didn't matter much to him.
"Well," he said, a small hint of amusement in his voice, "I think it's time you go home, White marker. Your dragon parents might burn the whole house down if they don't find you in bed.
Melody let out a soft laugh.
He was… kind of funny.
Before you go home… there's something I want to show you," Kairo said, standing up as he reached for her hand.
Melody didn't resist.
He pulled her along, guiding her toward the tall grass near the lake. They stopped right where the grass began to grow thick and wild.
Kairo turned to her with a small smile.
"Are you ready?"
Melody nodded. "Yeah."
Without another word, he rushed forward, pulling her with him as they ran into the grass.
Melody squeezed her eyes shut.
"Don't close your eyes!" Kairo laughed. "You'll miss it!"
She peeked one eye open—
—and froze.
Tiny golden lights floated all around them.
They drifted through the air, weaving between the blades of grass, glowing softly in the darkness. The light shimmered against the lake, turning everything into something out of a dream.
Melody slowed to a stop as Kairo did.
The grass brushed against her arms, and the glowing lights surrounded them, flickering gently like little stars that had come down to earth.
"What are these?" she whispered.
"Fireflies," Kairo said.
Melody leaned closer to one, her eyes wide.
"Are they… burning?"
Kairo laughed softly. "I don't know. But it's pretty cool, right?"
He reached out and shook the tall grass. The fireflies scattered, their glow brightening as they moved.
Melody giggled and copied him, shaking the grass too.
"It's so pretty!" she said, her voice full of wonder.
For a moment, nothing else existed.
Not the city. Not the fear. Not the rules.
Just light.
Melody wasn't sure how she made it back home.
Everything felt soft and quiet, like a dream.
The house was still dark. No lights were on.
The window was still open.
She climbed through carefully, placed her jacket where it belonged, and slipped back into bed.
Hana shifted beside her but didn't wake.
Melody closed her eyes.
And even in the darkness, she could still see them—
The fireflies.
And Kairo.
A friend she hadn't known she needed.
His voice echoed softly in her mind.
"This place can be yours too… if you want it."
Melody smiled.