Why hadn't she returned?
The time of Morning went past as Han Li enjoyed his short nap. He wanted to sleep more but even though it was a cool area, the sunlight of the noon was still harsh enough to wake him up.
Opening his eyes groggily, he looked around and thought, 'Mom didn't come back yet?'
Did the merchant not come?
Mom is late...
He hid his face from the harsh light of the sun with the book and stood up, then through the opening on his side, went into his home.
Feeling the shade of the roof above, he relaxed and went down from the ceiling floor to the ground floor. Their house had a small place above the ceiling and only on top of it was the thatched roof.
It was like a two-floor home but not.
Going down, he considered wasting some more time and shook his head, he was too relaxed, he should get to work.
First, let's go find Mom and look around for the merchant.
Taking the rusty key from the side, he walked out of the house. Just as he was about to close the door, he paused — stuck on the wooden frame of the door was an ancient paper slip, glued on it with heavy gum.
He frowned and took it, there were some messy words there, and reading it, his face immediately paled: "If You want your mother alive, come out of the Starlight zone and out of the city before 5 in the evening. Take the black book you bought with you. And also, don't try to ask for help, you and me, we both don't want it to turn big, one wrong step and that gentle soul will die. And your mother... Hehe, she is a stunning woman, don't be late or we might..."
Feeling his soul shiver, his heart tremble at the words, and he lost all faculties of his mind.
He was frozen solid where he stood, utterly shocked, He could only clench his hands... No, who!
'Please be safe, please be safe!' He muttered under his breath and without thinking more, turned around, and began running.
Who were they? Where is my mother now?
Would they do something to her?
These thoughts were just flickers in his anxious mind, he was panicking.
His dark black eyes shone like the midnight moon, his face wracked with fear, he continued running.
The book, the money, anything, you can have it all... Just– just don't touch her!
She was the only thing in this world that he truly cared about. Everything else might as well burn.
Anything, ANYTHING!
But not her.
With the black book in his hand, Han Li ran with trepidation coursing through his veins. Had he thought about it well enough, he might have realised how stupid he was. He might have...
But with his mother's life on the line, he just couldn't be calm and composed. He had never been in such a situation and only heard of kidnapping and such through some peoples random words.
For him, this was a totally frightening experience.
But surely, they should just want the book and then it will all be good. Surely.