Escape

It was nighttime, and a heavy downpour drenched the city of Sula, the capital of Clareo. In a dark alleyway, faint footsteps echoed as a boy, no older than eleven, darted from the shadows. He was thin, dressed in ragged clothes, with striking red eyes and medium-length red hair plastered against his forehead.

---Flashback---

Amidst the storm, a flash of lightning illuminated a scene of horror. A man with fiery red hair stood over a lifeless body, his black tailcoat fluttering in the wind. In one hand, he gripped a dagger stained with crimson, droplets of blood mingling with the rain.

Before him lay a man, face down, bathed in his own blood, the surrounding ground slowly washing clean but still marked with the remnants of violence.

The boy, hidden just a few meters away, gasped in horror. The lightning had revealed the grim tableau, and panic surged through him. He stepped backward, heart racing, but stumbled over a small pebble.

"Ack!"

His backside hit the ground, palms bracing against the cold pavement. He realized he had made a sound and whipped his head up, eyes wide with fear. The man had heard him.

"Hmm?" The man tilted his head, his gaze piercing through the darkness.

The boy's body trembled, consumed by the dread of being discovered—of being killed.

He scrambled to his feet, legs quaking but fueled by instinct. Without looking back, he ran, the need to survive overwhelming him.

---Flashback End--

"Huff, huff, huff... I need to hide... I need to hide." The boy's thoughts raced as he pushed through the rain, every breath a struggle. He had witnessed something he should never have seen, and now all that mattered was escaping with his life, even if he was just a street child. He ran until his lungs burned and his legs threatened to give way.

But then, he found himself at a dead end. Panic gripped him as he heard footsteps approaching, each sound echoing like the tolling of a death knell.

'No! No! I don't want to die! I don't want to die!'

The chant repeated in his mind as he backed against the cold wall, feeling the approach of doom.

As shadows deepened in the alley, he squeezed his eyes shut and curled into a ball, whispering in shaky breaths, "No… I still want to live. I don't… I don't want to die." Hot tears mixed with the rain as they spilled down his cheeks.

The footsteps drew closer, then stopped in front of him. His breath hitched in his throat as he held it, terrified of what would come next.

Finally, he cracked open his eyes, gazing at the ground. Black shoes and dark pants loomed before him, soaked by the relentless rain. He dared not look up.

Trembling from both cold and fear, he finally spoke, his voice nearly drowned by the downpour. "A-are you… going to kill me… too?"

To his surprise, the man replied, "No, why would I kill an innocent child like you?"

The boy blinked, confused but still afraid. He couldn't fathom the man's intentions. "Then, w-why are you… after me?"

Instead of answering, the man posed a question of his own. "Kid, do you want to escape from this deprived life?"

The boy's heart raced, uncertainty flooding his mind. He hesitated but eventually looked up at the man, just as another flash of lightning illuminated his face. The man's eyes were a fiery red, matching his hair, and a shiver ran down the boy's spine.

"What?" he managed to stutter.

The man held his gaze, asking once more, "Do you want to escape from this deprived life?"

Time seemed to stretch infinitely as the boy considered the question.

Finally, he cast his eyes downward, focusing on the man's shoes. "I... I do..." he admitted, the weight of his past pressing heavily on him.

"Good. What's your name, kid?" the man inquired, a hint of warmth in his voice.

The boy's cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "I… I don't… have a name."

The man stepped back slightly, bending down to meet the boy's gaze. "Then, if you follow me, I'll give you a name."

The boy's heart fluttered at the thought. "If I follow you now, will... will you give me a n-name?" His voice trembled, fear and hope mingling in his chest.

The man's hand lifted, gently resting on the boy's head, a comforting gesture despite the rain. "Yes. Would you like to know?"

The boy nodded, feeling a warmth emanating from the man's touch, even as the rain poured around them.

"Then, Valens will be your name moving forward," the man declared, a satisfied smile breaking across his face.