Leaving home

"Will! Come down for breakfast!" Will's mother called out from the stairwell, but after a while, there was no response.

"Enough, Sophia. Let him be for now," Terry said, standing beside the table, holding a knife in his hand as he prepared to slice the bread in the center of the table.

"It seems like this blow has been quite heavy on him," Sophia remarked, turning and slowly walking toward the table.

"Yes, but he has to learn to grow. I believe this setback will become a valuable asset for him in the future. This bread smells wonderful!" Terry said, taking a piece of the freshly cut bread and savoring it as he spoke with Sophia.

"No, no matter what, he must eat," Sophia said firmly, then turned and headed back upstairs toward Will's room.

...

One minute later.

"Terry! Terry! Will—he... Will is missing!" Sophia rushed downstairs, panic in her voice.

"Whoa, whoa, what's going on?" Terry coughed, nearly choking on his green tea at the sudden shout from Sophia.

"Will, he's gone!" Sophia cried, rushing to his side, her face full of anxiety.

"Calm down, I'll go check," Terry reassured her, quickly stepping toward Will's room.

Terry opened Will's door. The bed had been made, and the desk was neat and tidy. The window was half-open, suggesting that Will had likely climbed down from the second floor. Terry then opened Will's chest of clothes.

"He took the black iron armor, the short sword, and the shield I gave him. Will, what are you up to?" Terry muttered, as he carefully rummaged through the chest.

Then, Terry walked over to Will's bed, where he found a letter bearing both his and Sophia's names. He opened it and read aloud:

"Dear Mother and Father,

After a night of reflection, I have decided that I must venture out and explore the world. After all, I am twenty now and have never been beyond the borders of the Parall Empire. I wish to test myself, and I promise that when I return, I will be stronger, and the Holy Order will look upon me with new respect.

Will Gibson"

"Good boy, is this what they call running away from home?" Terry said with a grin, not angry but rather pleased.

"He's just like you when you were young," Sophia said, her expression full of reproach as she looked at Terry.

"Indeed, he's my son. He even took my armor, sword, and shield with him." Terry said with a proud smile.

"I hope he doesn't get into any trouble," Sophia suddenly said, her concern growing.

"He'll be fine. He won't come to harm," Terry reassured her, patting her shoulder.

...

That evening, as the sky gradually darkened, Will, who had slipped away early in the morning, found himself lost in a forest. This was his first time leaving home, and he had no idea where to go.

"Damn it, it's getting dark. If I don't find a place to rest soon, I'll have to spend the night in this forest," Will muttered to himself as he hurried along, head down in frustration.

"Ouch!" As Will hastily walked, he accidentally bumped into something, causing him to fall to the ground.

"Damn it!" Will exclaimed, sitting up angrily.

"Hey, young man, why are you walking so fast? You knocked me down!" An old woman's voice responded. It turned out Will had bumped into an elderly lady. It was no surprise, though—what was she doing alone in the forest at this hour?

Realizing he had knocked someone over, Will quickly got to his feet and helped the elderly woman up.

"Grandmother, what are you doing out here so late?" Will asked.

"I... I was looking for my child, but now I'm lost, and it's getting dark," the old woman said, her voice laced with worry.

"Where is your home?" Will asked, continuing to assist her.

"It's not far, in a small village nearby," the old woman replied.

"Let me help you get home," Will said.

"Thank you, young man," the old woman replied, smiling kindly.

With that, Will supported the elderly woman and slowly guided her along the forest path.

...

"Grandmother, are you sure this is the right way?" Will asked, his weariness showing. They had been walking along the small path for some time, but there was still no sign of a village.

"We're almost there. Look, young man, just ahead," the old woman said, pointing calmly ahead. Will squinted in the distance and, though partially obscured by trees, saw the faint smoke rising into the sky, confirming that a village was indeed close by.

"Ah, we're almost there. Let's hurry. I'm getting tired, and once I get you home, I'm going to find an inn and rest," Will said, his energy renewed now that the destination was near. He quickened his pace, helping the old woman along.

"Oh, slow down, young man. My legs are still sore from the fall," the old woman complained, struggling to keep up.

"Alright," Will replied, slowing his pace.

After a while, Will and the old woman finally arrived at the village she had spoken of. It was a settlement at the edge of the forest, surrounded by a few simple huts made of thatch. The village had an ancient feel to it, with a few dozen huts clustered together, and the perimeter was loosely marked by a rudimentary fence made of branches.

"This place is so humble," Will remarked, gazing around in awe. It was hard to believe that he, who had grown up in a prosperous family near the capital of the Parall Empire, was now standing in such a poor and desolate place. The contrast was stark.

"We've arrived. My home is over there," the old woman said, pointing to a hut at the far end of the settlement.

"Let's go," Will said, feeling a sense of relief that he would finally be able to rest. He helped the old woman toward the village.

It was around seven or eight in the evening by now, and the sky had grown dark. A few of the huts had torches lit outside, but most of them were shut tight. As Will passed by, he noticed a few villagers sitting in front of their doors. They looked impoverished, their clothes patched with more than a dozen patches, and they seemed to be suffering from some illness, coughing incessantly. As Will passed, they stared at him with fearful, distrustful eyes, as if he were an omen of disaster.