Psycho and Phyta Brooches, Child in Rubble

The aftermath of the flood still lingered over the outskirts of Constantinople.

For four days, the waters of the River Bathynias raged, swallowing everything in their path. Now, though the flood had finally drained away, it left behind a graveyard of debris and decay.

Shattered homes, broken carts, and splintered wood littered the streets. The air was thick with the stench of damp earth and rot, and the citizens—both adults and children—worked tirelessly to clear the wreckage of their ruined town.

Among them was a nine-year-old boy, Yusuf Athelif.

He stood near a collapsed house, struggling to remove a heavy piece of debris. His arms shook with the effort, sweat dripping down his forehead.

"Ah! It's hard to move!" he groaned. "Mumma!"

Nearby, his mother, Xayne Athelif, was also sifting through the wreckage. She glanced over her shoulder, her face weary but gentle.

"Don't get hurt, kiddo," she said before turning back to her work.

Just then, another woman—one of their neighbors—called out.

"Xayne, look! I found some animal bones!"

Xayne wiped her brow, stepping toward her.

"Let me see."

As his mother walked away, Yusuf remained determined.

His gaze flickered back to the mass of broken wood and stones before him. He refused to lose to it.

"I can do this," he muttered.

Gripping a sturdy branch, he wedged it beneath a pile of debris and jumped on it with all his strength. The seesaw mechanism worked—the pile shifted, causing a large chunk to slide away.

For a moment, dust filled the air.

Then—

A horrifying sight emerged from beneath the rubble.

Yusuf's eyes widened in terror.

"Anne!!" he screamed.

Xayne whipped around, heart pounding.

She ran toward him, panic in her voice. "What's wrong, Yusuf?!"

Yusuf, shaking, pointed at the pile of debris.

Xayne followed his gaze—and her breath caught.

Half-buried in the mud and rubble, a baby lay motionless.

The infant's tiny body was covered in filth, his fragile arms twisted awkwardly within the folds of his torn Roman-style clothing. His skin was smeared with dirt, his face barely visible.

But then—Xayne's fingers brushed against his forehead.

"His body is warm…" she whispered, eyes widening. "Maybe he's still alive!"

The crowd fell silent.

Despite their murmurs of concern, no one stepped forward.

Xayne's jaw clenched.

"He's in poor condition, but he's breathing! Someone, please—help him!"

No one moved.

A heavy silence settled over them.

Xayne's hands tightened into fists.

Enough.

Without hesitating, she scooped the child into her arms and turned away from the crowd.

"Anne!" Yusuf ran after her, alarmed. "Where are you going?!"

"To Uncle Saliz! He'll know what to do!" Xayne's voice was firm.

"No way!" Yusuf protested. "Byzantine is too far—we'll run out of time!"

Before she could respond, a voice rose from the crowd.

"Wait!"

Xayne stopped. Yusuf's head snapped up.

A girl stepped forward.

She looked young but confident, her dark eyes sharp with determination.

Xayne's expression darkened.

"Who are you?"

The girl ignored the question.

"We'll talk later. First, we save the child. Where do we need to go? Tell me the exact location."

Xayne hesitated. But there was something about the girl's presence—a quiet certainty, an unwavering resolve.

She made her decision.

"To Sofia, a village called Bézar."

The girl stepped closer, extending her hand.

"Hold my hand tightly."

Xayne frowned. "Are you kidding? This isn't the time for games."

The girl smirked.

"Trust me. I'm a Pro-Psycho."

Xayne's eyes widened in shock.

A murmur ran through the crowd—whispers of disbelief and fear.

For a moment, Xayne simply stared.

Then, she exhaled, steeling herself.

"Yusuf, come."

Yusuf clutched his mother's arm, his body tense.

The girl took a deep breath, closing her eyes.

"All set…" Her voice was eerily calm as she lifted her free hand.

Then, she whispered—

"𝘗𝘴𝘺𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘴 𝘛𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘱𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘶𝘴."

Darkness exploded around them.

The sounds of the town vanished.

An unsettling silence swallowed them whole.

Yusuf's stomach twisted in panic.

"Anne?! What's happening?!"

Xayne gripped his hand tightly, her heart pounding.

But the girl's voice remained calm and steady, cutting through the void.

"Don't worry…"

The silence deepened.

Then—

Everything disappeared.

For a moment, there was nothing but darkness.

Then—slowly—the world began to take shape.

The dust-covered streets of Bézar, a small village in Sofia, Byzantine Empire, emerged from the void. The mud houses, the faint outline of a bustling marketplace, the fields stretching beyond the town—everything stood eerily silent, as if the land itself was holding its breath.

And then—

A burst of light.

A sudden ripple of energy cracked through the air.

In the center of the village, three figures materialized from thin air.

Xayne stumbled forward, her chest rising and falling rapidly. The moment her feet hit the ground, she tightened her grip around the baby in her arms.

"W-We're… here?" she gasped, barely able to process what had just happened.

Yusuf blinked rapidly, his mind reeling. "Anne… how?"

A few feet away, the mysterious girl stood motionless, watching them. Her dark crimson eyes glowed faintly, reflecting the soft golden light of the morning sun.

"Welcome to Bézar," she murmured, a hint of amusement in her voice.

But Xayne didn't care about the girl's strange abilities, nor did she care about the baffled stares of the villagers around them.

The baby in her arms—his breathing was weak.

There was no time.

She turned sharply and ran.

"We need to find Saliz—now!" she shouted, her voice frantic.

"Anne! Wait!" Yusuf yelled, struggling to keep up.

As they sprinted through the village, a few townsfolk glanced their way, their expressions unreadable. Some simply shook their heads, while others ignored them completely.

It was as if a woman running with a half-dead child was… normal in Bézar.

Xayne didn't stop.

She raced through the winding streets until she reached a small hermitage-like house, its walls built from clay and stone, shaded beneath the branches of an ancient olive tree.

She didn't hesitate.

She burst through the entrance without warning.

Inside it, A man sat cross-legged on a woven mat, his thick, hairy legs stretched lazily in front of him. His clothing was made of stitched-together leaves, and in his hands, he held a banana leaf inscribed with strange markings.

The moment Xayne barged in, his gaze lifted from his reading.

A grin spread across his lips.

"Ah, sister," Saliz said, his voice calm, almost lazy. "What brings you here in such a hurry?"

Xayne didn't answer. She was still panting, her arms clutching the baby tightly against her chest.

Saliz's eyes flickered to Yusuf, who stood hesitantly at the entrance.

"You've grown taller, boy," he remarked with an approving nod.

But then, his gaze finally settled on the child in Xayne's arms.

His grin wavered.

"Aha! So, this is your new child?" Saliz teased, raising an eyebrow. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Yusuf snorted, barely holding back laughter. "Hah, as if!"

Xayne ignored both of them.

"We found him in the flood debris," she said hurriedly. "He's breathing… but barely. We don't have much time. Saliz, please!"

Saliz rubbed his beard, his expression shifting from amusement to quiet contemplation.

Without another word, he gestured toward the yard.

"Alright," he said simply. "Let's see what I can do."

Saliz called them in his backyard, asking Xayne to lay the baby down at the Fertile Land of his village. 

The soil of Bézar was cool beneath Xayne's trembling fingers as she gently laid the baby down.

Saliz knelt beside the child, his hands hovering over his tiny form—his forehead, his chest, his belly. His fingers moved carefully, feeling for something unseen.

And then—he stopped.

His eyes darkened.

Hidden beneath the folds of the baby's torn Roman clothing, he saw it.

A brooch.

A sharp breath escaped him.

"The… Sheem," he muttered under his breath.

Saliz in his thoughts had an undiscovered greedy idea, he tried to remove the Brooch from Baby's clothing but it didn't come out, the child's finger was stuck to it hardly as if he had fainted holding it tightly. 

"Ah! Filthy of it!" Reacted Saliz to his failure. 

Xayne didn't notice his reaction—her hands were clasped together, her lips murmuring silent prayers.

"Can you save him?" she asked, her voice trembling with desperation.

Saliz hesitated for only a second.

Then, his eyes hardened.

"Most probably, yes."

Yusuf exhaled in relief, stepping closer as Saliz peeled away his upper clothing.

The emerald-green brooch pinned to his chest glowed faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.

Saliz pressed his palm against it, his fingers curling around its surface.

At once, a golden-green aura rippled through the air.

He placed one hand on the baby's chest and whispered—

"𝘗𝘩𝘺𝘵𝘶𝘴 𝘔𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘰𝘴𝘴𝘢."

For a brief moment, nothing happened.

Then—the ground beneath them stirred.

Tiny seedlings sprouted beneath the child, their roots weaving into a soft cocoon of vines. They glowed with a faint, soothing light, wrapping around the baby's fragile form.

Yusuf's eyes widened in awe.

"Uncle! What was that?!" he exclaimed.

Saliz chuckled. "Magic."

"Wow, I also want to do this!" Yusuf's excitement grew. 

As the vines continued to bloom, the baby's tiny fingers twitched.

The brooch in his grip shimmered faintly.

Then—his eyelids fluttered open.

Xayne gasped, her eyes watering.

"Oh, thank God…" she whispered.

"He's awake!" Yusuf grinned, barely containing his excitement.

The baby blinked a few times, his gaze unfocused, confused.

Then, in a soft, weak voice, he murmured—

"…Daddy?"

The air grew still.

Xayne and Yusuf exchanged uneasy glances.

Saliz's brow furrowed.

Before anyone could speak, the shadows stirred.

A flicker of light—

And she was there.

The Psychic Girl.

She stood at the edge of the yard, her expression hidden behind an unreadable mask.

Her voice, soft yet distant, carried through the silence.

"Your father…" she murmured. "Has gone to the stars."

The baby's eyes flickered with confusion.

"The stars…?" he whispered.

Yusuf scoffed, finding the answer absurd.

But Saliz… he had stopped breathing.

His gaze locked onto the brooch pinned to the girl's shawl.

Recognition dawned upon him.

"A brooch…" he muttered.

Yusuf, his curiosity piqued, turned to her.

"She's a magician," he said excitedly. "She brought us here!"

Xayne, grateful, bowed her head slightly. "Thank you. Because of you, we could save him."

The girl simply smiled.

"My pleasure," she said. Then, after a pause, she added, "My name is Erythros Galanis. I'm a psychic."

Saliz's eyes darkened.

"A Greek Psycho…" he muttered under his breath.

But the baby wasn't paying attention.

His tiny hands reached for Erythros's sleeve, tugging gently.

"When will Daddy return from the stars?"

Erythros sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"He will," she whispered, her voice carrying a strange finality. "Soon."

Yusuf frowned, finding the answer strange, but the baby seemed satisfied, his fingers loosening.

After a brief pause, Erythros turned her attention toward Yusuf.

"You…" she said, tilting her head slightly. "What is your name?"

Yusuf stood taller, smiling warmly. "Yusuf."

Erythros nodded. "Please, take this child inside and give him a bath."

Yusuf grinned, eager to help. "Okay!"

Without hesitation, he scooped up the baby into his arms, his steps light with excitement as he hurried into the hermitage.

As the boy disappeared inside, the atmosphere shifted.

The air grew heavier.

Xayne, who had been silently watching, finally spoke. Her voice was low, uncertain.

"What was that about his father being in the stars, Erythros?"

Erythros sighed, crossing her arms. "Actually… his father is probably no longer alive."

Xayne's breath hitched. "What…?"

Erythros's red eyes darkened. "Do you remember when your neighbor called you over earlier?"

Xayne nodded slowly, feeling a sudden unease creep into her chest.

"They wanted to show you the bones they found," Erythros continued. "But after they cleared the debris… they discovered something worse."

She paused.

"A half-decayed human body."

Xayne felt her stomach drop.

"That man…" Erythros murmured, "he was most likely this child's father."

Xayne's hands clenched into fists, her gaze flickering toward the door where Yusuf had disappeared with the baby.

"So he's alone now…" she whispered, her heart twisting. "That poor child."

She took a deep breath, straightening.

"Someone has to raise him," she said. "That's simple."

Erythros didn't respond. Her eyes had drifted elsewhere.

She was staring—staring at Saliz.

Or more specifically—the brooch pinned to his chest.

Her expression changed instantly.

"Phytá!" she exclaimed, stepping forward.

Saliz, who had been watching the exchange with quiet amusement, let out a low chuckle.

"Ah, you noticed."

Xayne's head snapped toward him. "Noticed what?"

Saliz casually tapped his brooch, an emerald-green stone embedded in a metal clasp. It pulsed faintly under his fingers.

"It's true," he admitted, his voice almost lazy. "I'm the Phytá of Brooch… just as you are the Psycho of Brooch."

Xayne frowned. "What does that mean?"

Saliz waved a dismissive hand. "It's nothing."

Erythros smirked, tilting her head.

"Why lie?" she mused.

Saliz's jaw tensed.

Erythros folded her arms. "Why don't you tell her the truth?"

She leaned in slightly, voice dropping to a mocking whisper.

"Tell her that you, too, were chosen by the gods to help mankind."

Saliz gritted his teeth, muttering under his breath, "This foolish Psycho… It's a stupid kid's secret, na?"

But Xayne's eyes had already lit up with excitement.

"Oh?" she gasped. "If that's the case, then it's amazing, Saliz!"

Saliz groaned internally.

Xayne's grin widened. "That means I can leave the child to you."

Saliz froze.

"Wait. What?"

Her smile didn't falter. "You'll take care of him."

Saliz reeled back, his voice sharper than before.

"No way!"

He was about to argue further when his gaze landed on the child.

Something about him…

Something about his features…

Saliz's mind flashed back to something—some memory long buried.

Slowly, his lips curled into a smile.

A greedy smile.

"Ah… okay, fine," he said smoothly. "I'll keep the child."

Erythros narrowed her eyes.

"Oh?" she murmured, watching him carefully. "That was… sudden."

But Xayne clapped her hands together, beaming.

"Then it's final!" she declared. "Master Saliz will take care of this child from now on."

Saliz grinned, but Erythros wasn't fooled.

She watched him closely, suspicion flickering in her red eyes.

"Something about this doesn't sit right…"