Scene I: A Storm and a Promise
The sky cried that night.
Not with gentle rain — but with a storm that roared like the world had lost something precious. The streets of Nareth echoed with thunder. Rain hit the roofs like angry fists.
In the dark, near an old broken house, stood a man in a black cloak. His coat flew in the wind, hiding his body. Only his eyes showed — cold, tired, distant.
In his arms: a small boy. Barely two years old.
The child didn't cry. He just looked up, calm, unaware of what was about to happen.
The man stared at the wooden door in front of him. A soft yellow light glowed behind it. Someone was home.
He took a breath.
And knocked.
Footsteps came closer. The door creaked open. A tall man, maybe in his thirties, looked out — first confused, then shocked.
> "Is that... Tenma?"
The cloaked man nodded.
> "Please," he said softly, "keep him safe. Just three years. I'll come back. I promise."
> "Three years?" the man asked, surprised. "What's happening?"
No answer.
The cloaked man gently passed the boy into his arms. For a moment, Tenma's little hands held on tight to the cloak — but then, he let go.
The man turned away.
And disappeared into the storm.
---
Scene II: Waiting Without Answers
Three years passed.
Tenma waited.
Every time the door opened, he looked up, hopeful.
But no one came.
Two more years went by.
The man who was raising him started to grow distant. Life was hard. And Tenma — he was different. Quiet. Always staring out the window. Never speaking much.
One day, the man had enough.
---
Scene III: The Bench
The sky was grey.
The man took Tenma by the hand and walked with him through empty streets. They stopped at an old bench in a park. Rusty. Broken. Forgotten.
> "Wait here. I'll come back."
And then he walked away.
Tenma sat.
He waited.
The lights dimmed. People passed. No one stopped.
Tenma didn't cry.
He didn't move.
He just sat there.
Alone.
---
Scene IV: Not Alone for Long
That bench wasn't empty for long.
A wild dog — big, rough, full of scars — returned and saw a boy sitting there.
It growled.
Tenma looked at him. Calm. Blank.
The dog stepped closer, growling louder.
Still, Tenma didn't move.
After a moment, the dog backed away, unsure. He walked in circles, then finally lay under the bench — like he didn't want to fight something already broken.
Days passed.
At first, they ignored each other.
Then they shared leftover food.
Then warmth.
Then small, rare laughter.
They chased crows. Stole fruits. Slept under the same torn cloth.
Tenma named him Kael.
And Kael stayed.
---
Scene V: Growing Wild
Three years passed.
Tenma turned ten.
He wasn't the quiet boy anymore. He had become sharp, fast, and wild. A street prince. Dirty, clever, full of energy.
He and Kael made a team.
Tenma would crawl under carts to grab fruits while Kael barked to distract the vendors.
They laughed. They ran. They survived.
Until it all changed.
---
Scene VI: The Day Everything Broke
It was a dull, cloudy day.
Tenma tried to steal bread from a bakery.
He got caught.
Three men dragged him into an alley. They didn't care he was just a kid.
They hit him.
Kael barked, tried to fight — but there were too many.
Tenma tried to crawl away, bleeding, dizzy.
And then—
A car.
Too fast.
He stumbled onto the road.
And just before it hit him—
Kael jumped.
The dog threw himself between Tenma and the car.
Crash.
Silence.
---
Scene VII: No Tears Left
When Tenma opened his eyes, Kael was lying still beside him.
Not moving.
Not breathing.
Tenma didn't scream.
He didn't cry.
He just picked up the broken body.
Carried it back to the bench.
And lay down beside him.
For three days.
No food.
No water.
Just the silence.
---
Scene VIII: The Old Man
On the fourth day, an old man came down the path.
He was carrying vegetables. Hunched, slow, tired.
He saw the boy.
He saw the body.
And he stopped.
Something in his eyes changed — like he remembered something long forgotten.
He walked closer.
The wind shifted.
The story had only just begun.
[TO BE CONTINUED...]