Chapter 2

Misty has been walking around the town for hours in the dark, but she hasn't found the way home. She started to give up until she saw a bright light coming from the end of the path, she walk closer to the light and was amazed by what she saw. It's a beautiful but very busy market, there are so many people there. Misty wondered, why don't they be in bed? She thought she was the only one who was awake at this time of the night. She looks around the little market for a bit, this place felt different, there are so many stray cats and dogs on the streets, and instead of light poles or lanterns, the street is lightened up by white chili pepper lights that were already a little broken. The place is a little dirty and the path Misty walks on is not as smooth as before. Is she still at the kingdom? She thought to herself.

Her eyes were looking around at the food stand and other shops in the market, Misty didn't realize that a person with a hood was running in her direction, and the person also didn't realize Misty. They then bump into each other, making them both fall into the wet and cold snow. "ow..." Misty said as she tried to hold the pain.

The person with the hood stood up, and the hood of the person falls as the person fall onto the cold snow. The person hands Misty its hand, "are you okay?" the person asked, sounding worried. "I'm fine," Misty said, she reach out for its hand and realize how cold the person's hand is, the person's skin is so pale, you can barely tell the difference between the person's skin and the snow below them, she stares at the hand she was holding on right now. She looks up at the person's face, it's a boy, she looks familiar to her, but why can't she remember who he is? She then immediately let the person go and start brushing the snow off her cloak.

"Why are you running?" she asked, the person in front of her is about to answer, but then a big hairy man, with a dirty apron and a chef hat shouted at them, "HEY YOU!! GET BACK HERE!!". Before Misty can react to it, the boy immediately grabs her wrist and run away. Misty is so confused, the two cutting through the crowd, like a scissor cutting through paper. The man seems hard to keep up with them, remembering the size of him who is 10x bigger than them, making it hard for him to get through the crowd.

The boy then makes a sharp turn at an alley, they then stopped there and take a rest. Misty is trying to catch her breath, after relaxing a little, Misty leans to the wall and slides down, sitting on the ground. The boy wears back his hood and sits beside Misty, "why does that man trying to catch you?" she asked, but then the boy pulls two pieces of bread out of his cloak. He eat one of them and offer one to Misty, "you want some?" he asked. Misty looked at the bread and shook her head "Nope, I'm good" she answer the boy.

The boy just nodded and saved the bread for later, for a few minutes there was only an awkward silence, Misty looked at the boy and studied his face. He looks very familiar, then lightning strikes in her head, she knows this boy, she's the boy she saw sitting in the back row sit beside the window. "Are you... the boy who's sitting at the back row sits beside the window?" she asked, when the boy heard it, he almost choked on his bread. "Ummm yeah?" he answered.

"My name is Kyan, nice to meet you, Misty," he said with a smile, "It's nice to meet you too Kyan!" She answered. Kyan smiled and finish eating his bread, "what are you doing at a place like this Misty?" he asked, "this is not a place for a little girl like you" he continued, "oh, I'm... lost" she answered Kyan's question, "and I can't remember the way home" she continued. Kyan then stand up and brushed off the snow from his black cloak and handed Misty a hand, helping her stand up. Misty reach Kyan's hand and stand up, "where are we going?" She asked, "I thought you want to go home," Kyan say as he check if the road is safe.

"You know my home address?!" Misty said in shock, "That's a little creepy" she continued. "I know everyone is home, okay!!" Kyan answered, half whispering, "You're not the only one" he continued. "Follow me, and don't get lost," He said to Misty, giving pressure on the word 'don't', Misty just nodded, Kyan then get out of the alleyway and blend in with the crowd, while Misty stay close beside him.

They then leave the market, and for a few minutes, all that Misty can see is just pitch black she grabs Kyan's sleeves, not wanting to lose him. Kyan just walks straight, ignoring the darkness around them, and after a few minutes, Misty can see the familiar landscape of the kingdom and she can feel the familiar smooth road below her feet. "C'mon, we can't stay here for too long," Kyan told her, Misty followed him and not letting go of his sleeve, Kyan is a little uncomfortable with Misty holding his sleeve, but he say nothing.

After walking for a few minutes, they finally arrive at the town square, the place where there's the Kilyter statue in the middle of it. "tch, I never liked Kilyters, why do they even make a statue for them? What a waste of time" Kyan said, Misty can hear a hint of hatred in his voice, why do Kyan hate the Kilyters? Almost everyone in the kingdom loves the Kilyters, Misty never really liked the Kilyters but she didn't hate them, is there a reason for Kyan to hate them? Misty was curious but she decided not to ask him.

They went past the statue, when suddenly Kyan pull Misty's hand into a bush, making Misty shocked. "what are you doing?!" Misty asked, but instead of answering her, Kyan put his hand in front of his lips and shush her. Misty looked confused, Kyan realize this and explained to her, "I can hear guards coming, guards patrolled around the kingdom every night", he explained it with a whisper. Misty nodded but she hear nothing, "I don't hear any footsteps" she whispered to Kyan, "shush, they're getting close" he whispered back.

A few seconds later, Misty can hear footsteps coming from one of the paths, "she peek a little from the bushes and saw two guards with a sword walking to the town square. The guards were having a conversation, she can hear a few words.

"Do you think that thing will show up tonight?"

"I'm not sure, but we do get many reports about people seeing it"

"But it didn't show up tonight"

"Maybe it's taking a vacation, everyone needs a break"

"you got a point tho"

The guards say before they left. What's that thing that they meant? Kyan get out of the bush and Misty followed him in the back, "what do those guards talking about?" Misty asked Kyan, Kyan's eyes widened its hard for him to answer that question, "well, they're talking about the Skiters, there are a few reports about people seeing them again" he finally answered, "welp, you need to go home immediately before you catch a cold" Kyan said, changing the subject.

But when he takes a step, a cold wind blew through them. Misty covered her face with his hand and Kyan immediately grabs his hood, not wanting it to fall, Misty can see something hidden inside Kyan's hood, but just for a just a split second. Two pair of pointy and black things are hidden under it, Misty starts to wonder what is it. When the wind stopped, Misty wanted to ask what was under Kyan's hood, but there was something inside her that said that she was not supposed to ask that."Let's go now," Kyan said, as he start to walk, Misty immediately catch up with him, not wanting to get left behind.

After a few minutes, they arrived in front of Misty's house, "thank you, Kyan" Misty said before she gets in, but when she turn around to see Kyan again, he was already gone, just like before, that boy is a mystery that no one can solve. Misty looked around, maybe he was still here but she saw nothing, well she knows that one day they'll meet again. Misty give a last look at her yard, before going into her house, and went to bed, it's been a long night for her. She's still wondering about what's Kyan hiding, he is not a normal boy and he is a little odd. Misty shook away the thoughts in her head and decided to go to sleep, she grab her blanket and fall immediately fall asleep.