For the first time in his life, tears fell—not tears of hunger, or pain, or humiliation.
These were different.
These were tears of being seen.
Of belonging.
Of finally, finally knowing that somewhere in this cruel, indifferent world… someone had chosen him.
The boy with no name.
The forgotten boy.
For the first time, life didn't feel like a punishment.
For the first time, he didn't feel empty.
For the first time… he felt loved.
Tears rolled down his cheeks, and seeing this, Luna immediately asked, "Why are you crying?"
But this time, he simply smiled through his tears and said nothing. And after a while, they both started talking again, laughing softly together — and before they even realized it, time slipped away. Half the night had already passed.
Suddenly, Luna remembered, "I have to go back home too."
She looked at him with a soft expression and said, "While I'm here… I might not get another chance to meet you again. I'll have to leave very soon."
The boy asked softly, "Where… where do you have to go?"
Luna explained gently, "I have to return north, to a great magical academy. People from every land, every race, go there to study. Some of the greatest magicians and most powerful people in the world come from that place. I'm still studying there… and if I don't go back soon, I'll lose everything I've worked for."
The boy grew quiet, the weight of those words heavy on his heart. "So… does that mean we'll never meet again?" he asked.
But Luna laughed sweetly and said, "Have you forgotten our promise? We will meet again — no matter what happens."
With that, Luna stood up, waving her hand as she walked away, disappearing into the dark night.
But the boy stood there, staring at the path she walked. His heart twisted with worry. How could the daughter of a lord, walking alone through dark streets at night, be safe? He couldn't shake the feeling that something was going to go wrong.
Without thinking, he followed her at a distance, his mind filled with concern.
And just as he feared, his worries became reality.
A little while later, as Luna walked through the narrow village lanes, shadows appeared out of the darkness.
Someone suddenly grabbed her from behind. Before she could react, they knocked her unconscious.
"Hurry up!" one of the men hissed. "We've caught a real prize tonight. Once her father finds out, we'll get more gold than we've ever seen in our lives! We'll be rich, I tell you!"
Another one growled, "Stop talking and move! If anyone sees us, it's death for sure!"
But what they didn't know… was that someone had seen them.
Him.
The boy was already following them from the shadows, his fists clenched with rage and fear.
"I have to save Luna… no matter what happens. If I don't, she's doomed."
Deep inside, a strange dread had already been clawing at his heart from the start of the night —
and now that fear had become real.
They carried Luna deep into the forest, to a hidden den only they knew about. Quietly following them, the boy moved from tree to tree, hiding behind the trunks to stay out of sight. He watched as they laid Luna down on the ground and started talking amongst themselves.
"Now we'll tell her father we've got his precious daughter. Let's see how much gold we can squeeze from him!" one of them laughed wickedly.
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," the other replied.
Then one of them, staring at Luna as she lay unconscious, murmured, "Just look at her… even while sleeping, she looks so pretty."
The other man glared at him, "Don't you even think anything filthy! Have some shame—she's just seven years old!"
But the first one sneered, "Shame? Why should I feel shame? She's ours now, isn't she?"
"We're not monsters," the other hissed, "We're not going to harm a child like that!"
All of this… the boy heard everything.
Rage like never before boiled inside him. His hands trembled as his breath came in sharp bursts.
"How dare they... HOW DARE THEY even think something like that about Luna!" he screamed silently inside his mind.
"If any of them so much as lays a finger on her, I'll kill them!"
Without hesitation, he grabbed a rock lying by his feet and charged from behind the trees. With every ounce of strength in his small body, he smashed the rock against the head of one of the men, who collapsed to the ground instantly, unconscious.
The second man barely had time to react before the boy was on his throat, gripping it with furious strength, squeezing tighter and tighter. The man struggled, clawing at his hands, but the boy's fury was unstoppable. Soon, that man too slumped to the ground, barely breathing.
He had never harmed anyone before. But at just seven years old, this boy had taken down two grown men — a feat few could ever believe.
He rushed to Luna, lifted her gently over his shoulder, and began running back toward the village, his heart pounding wildly.
Meanwhile, back in the village, people were already looking for Luna.
Guards roamed the streets, calling out her name.
"Miss Luna! Where are you?!"
Among them was a female knight, someone who had often come to take Luna home during her childhood whenever she stayed out too late playing. She led the search, her voice sharp with worry.
Then they saw him — the boy, emerging from the woods, carrying Luna carefully on his back.
Without hesitation, the guards rushed at him.
The female knight charged forward, grabbed him by the collar, and shouted, "How DARE you touch Miss Luna!"
The boy opened his mouth to explain, but no words came out.
What could he possibly say? He didn't even understand what was happening anymore — all he knew was that he was only trying to help.
More guards appeared, pinning him down.
Confused and scared, Luna slowly woke up in the arms of the female knight. She rubbed her eyes and softly mumbled, "What… what's going on?"
The knight answered firmly, "Miss Luna, you were kidnapped. But don't worry—we saved you before they could hurt you."
At first, Luna was confused, but then she gasped. "Kidnapped…? By who?!"
The knight pointed at the boy, "By him. Some filthy brat from this village. The same worthless boy the villagers always warned you about. He probably wanted to ransom you off for money."
Luna's heart sank.
"No… no, that's not true…" she whispered. She knew this boy. She knew him better than anyone else. He wasn't like that. He had just saved her life.
Tears welled up in her eyes. "Where is he now?" she asked desperately.
The female knight shrugged, "He's still with the others. I don't know what they'll do with him next. But don't worry about that. You should rest now. Tomorrow, you must leave for your journey north. Remember?"
But Luna wasn't thinking about the academy anymore. Guilt and fear gnawed at her from the inside.
"This is all my fault," she thought, "What are they going to do to him now?"
She turned to the knight, her voice shaking, "Please… don't hurt him. He's not a bad boy. He didn't kidnap me. He saved me! Please… please let him go!"
But the knight shook her head sadly, "I don't have that power, Miss Luna. That decision isn't mine anymore. What happens next will be decided by the others."
"But… but—"
"No more 'but,' Miss Luna. Go to sleep. I'll speak to your father in the morning. Maybe then something can be done. But for now… try not to think about it. You need your rest."
But how could she rest, when the only person who truly cared for her was now in chains, facing punishment for a crime he didn't commit… all because of her.