"Kaelith… I think he is heading towards us," Scarlet said, his eyes wide with confusion.
"He is," Kaelith muttered, but he didn't move.
The boy's feet thudded against the dusty road as he stumbled forward, his face pale with panic. His ribs showed through his torn shirt, and dried blood stained his shoulder. People stepped back, some shouting, others just staring.
Then the boy reached them.
Without hesitation, he collapsed at Kaelith's feet, his arms wrapping tightly around his waist like a child clinging to the last thread of safety.
"Please… please don't let them take me," the boy cried, his voice hoarse and trembling. "I didn't steal anything…I swear it. I just wanted food. That's all…please save me."
Kaelith looked down at him. The boy's eyes were wide, brown, and filled with tears. He looked exhausted, terrified, and desperate.
Scarlet looked around nervously. "Kaelith… the guards are coming."
