1. The Nameless Thief

 The smell of fresh bread.

...

Some people probably call it comforting.

Others call it delicious.

I call it dangerous.

An empty stomach starts making stupid decisions whenever it smells fresh bread.

...

Mine had been making those decisions since yesterday.

...

The market was crowded.

Good.

Crowded places have one advantage.

Nobody remembers one more face.

...

I stood quietly across the street.

Watching.

One baker.

Still dusted with flour.

Meaning the bread had just come out.

...

Two customers.

An old woman.

A man arguing and bargaining over the price.

Perfect.

People arguing are surprisingly useful.

Everyone else watches them.

Nobody watches the bread.

...

Two guards.

One pretending to be alert.

The other pretending to enjoy his job.

Neither of them was looking where they should.

...

I took a slow breath.

Don't rush.

Rushing attracts attention.

Attention attracts guards.

And guards...

Well.

Let's just say I wasn't their favourite person.

...

I started walking.

Not too fast.

Not too slow.

Just...

Another person passing by.

Nothing special.

Nothing memorable.

Just a normal boy.

...

The baker turned around.

Probably because the arguing customer got louder.

Good timing.

...

One step.

...

Another.

...

My hand quietly reached toward the basket.

Warm.

Still warm.

...

Got it.

...

I kept walking.

No running.

Running is basically another way of shouting,

"I DID SOMETHING!"

...

Three steps.

Four.

Five.

...

Still nothing.

...

Six.

Seven.

...

Then—

"WHERE'S THE BREAD?!"

...

Right on schedule.

I almost smiled.

Almost.

...

People immediately started looking around.

The arguing customer stopped arguing.

The old woman looked confused.

One guard sighed.

The other finally remembered he was a guard.

...

I didn't look back.

Looking back is suspicious.

Innocent people rarely look back.

...

Well...

Technically I wasn't innocent.

But there was no reason to advertise that.

...

I quietly disappeared into the crowd.

The shouting slowly became quieter.

Another successful day.

...

Actually...

Calling this "success" felt a little sad.

After all...

The greatest achievement of my day...

Was stealing a loaf of bread.

***

The shouting was far behind me now.

Good.

That meant today's performance was over.

...

I turned into a narrow alley.

Nobody came here unless they had a reason.

I had one.

Eating.

...

I leaned against the old stone wall and looked at the loaf.

Still warm.

...

Fresh bread always smells better after you've stolen it.

Probably because you're finally allowed to eat it.

...

I tore off a small piece.

...

...

"...Brother?"

...

I froze.

...

That wasn't a guard.

Guards don't call people "Brother."

...

I slowly looked toward the corner of the alley.

A little girl sat there.

She couldn't have been older than six.

Her clothes were worn out.

Her shoes...

Actually...

She wasn't wearing any.

...

She wasn't looking at me.

She was looking at the bread.

...

Our eyes met for a second.

She immediately looked away.

"...Sorry."

She whispered so quietly I almost didn't hear it.

"I wasn't staring."

...

You were.

...

But I understood why.

...

...

My stomach suddenly became very interested in convincing me to ignore her.

It had a fair argument.

I was hungry too.

...

I looked at the bread.

Then at the little girl.

Then back at the bread.

...

"...You win."

I muttered.

Although...

I wasn't sure which one of them I was talking to.

...

I tore the loaf in half.

Then stopped.

...

Half?

...

I looked at her again.

...

No.

She looked worse than me.

...

I quietly switched the pieces.

The larger one went to her.

The smaller one stayed with me.

...

I held it out.

She blinked.

"...For me?"

I nodded.

She hesitated.

"...Really?"

"...Before I change my mind."

...

She carefully accepted it with both hands.

As if it were something precious.

...

"...Thank you..."

She smiled.

A small smile.

But somehow...

It felt warmer than the bread.

...

She didn't start eating immediately.

Instead...

She broke off a tiny piece.

Then carefully wrapped the rest inside her old cloth.

...

"You aren't going to eat it?"

I asked.

...

"It's for my little brother."

...

...

I quietly looked at the small piece of bread in my own hand.

...

Suddenly...

It didn't feel very small any more.

***

The little girl left first.

She turned around once.

Then waved.

...

I waved back.

Just once.

...

That was probably the first time someone had smiled at me today.

...

I looked at the small piece of bread still in my hand.

Not much left.

Still enough.

...

I finished it in two bites.

...

Back to reality.

...

The streets were quieter now.

Most people had already gone home.

Lucky them.

...

Home.

...

Must be nice.

...

I walked without thinking.

When you've walked the same streets enough times...

Your feet eventually learn the way before your head does.

...

A public fountain came into view.

Good.

I was thirsty.

...

I stepped closer.

Before I could even reach the water—

"Hey."

...

An old shopkeeper looked at me.

"You."

I looked behind me.

Nobody.

...

Right.

Me.

...

"What are you doing?"

"Getting water."

...

"No."

...

"...No?"

...

"Customers first."

He pointed toward a small wooden sign.

Only then did I notice it.

Water for customers only.

...

"I don't have money."

"I noticed."

...

Fair enough.

...

I quietly stepped away.

No point arguing.

Arguments don't create water.

...

A woman standing nearby looked at me for a moment.

Then she looked away.

...

People are interesting.

They usually pretend not to see things that make them uncomfortable.

It's easier that way.

...

I continued walking.

Another street.

Another corner.

Another day.

...

Nobody stopped me.

Nobody greeted me.

Nobody even looked twice.

...

Funny.

Being invisible has its advantages.

...

It also has its disadvantages.

...

Nobody notices when you're hungry.

Nobody notices when you're cold.

Nobody notices...

When you're just a kid.

***

...

The sun was already beginning to disappear.

That meant one thing.

...

Time to go home.

...

...

...

I wasn’t in a hurry.

The guards had probably stopped searching by now.

Hopefully.

...

The shortest way home passed through the Central Plaza.

Which also meant...

Passing that building.

...

The Naming Hall.

...

It was unusually crowded.

Children stood in a neat line with their parents.

Some looked nervous.

Some looked excited.

One little boy couldn’t stop laughing.

...

Lucky.

...

A man in white robes stood near the entrance.

One by one, the children walked inside.

A few moments later...

Cheers.

Applause.

Laughter.

...

Another child received a name.

...

I stood there for a while.

Because...

My feet refused to move.

...

“Next.”

Another family entered.

The father gently placed his hand on his son’s shoulder.

The mother smiled proudly.

...

“...Congratulations.”

I quietly whispered.

The words somehow felt heavier than they should have.

...

“Hey.”

A voice called from behind.

...

I already knew who it was.

No need to turn around.

...

“You again?”

An official walked toward me.

He wasn’t angry.

He wasn’t smiling either.

He simply looked...

Tired.

...

“This ceremony isn’t for you.”

...

“I know.”

...

“So stop standing here.”

...

“I know.”

...

He sighed.

I think it’s because he’d probably said those same words before.

More than once.

...

I turned around.

...

“Wait.”

...

For a brief moment...

I thought...

...

No.

Never mind.

...

“Stay out of trouble.”

...

That was all.

...

I nodded once.

Then quietly walked away.

Behind me...

Another child received a name.

The crowd applauded.

...

Nobody noticed...

The boy who left without one.

...

***

The sun had almost disappeared.

Good.

Night doesn't ask questions.

...

I preferred it that way.

...

The road toward my "home" wasn't very exciting.

One broken street.

Another broken street.

A broken lamp.

...

Actually...

Most things around here were broken.

...

Including people.

...

I stepped over a loose stone.

Almost tripped.

...

That would've been embarrassing.

Imagine surviving another day...

Only to lose against a rock.

...

A cold breeze passed by.

I pulled my old cloak a little tighter.

...

Winter wasn't here yet.

But it was already practising.

...

I kept walking.

...

Something felt...

Off.

...

I stopped.

...

Why?

...

I didn't know.

...

I looked around.

The same empty street.

The same old buildings.

Nothing unusual.

...

Probably just tired.

...

I took another step.

...

Then another.

...

...

No.

Something was definitely wrong.

...

The birds.

...

I couldn't hear them anymore.

...

Now that I thought about it...

I couldn't hear anything.

...

No footsteps.

No people talking.

No wind.

...

Even the city...

Had become strangely quiet.

...

"...That's unsettling."

I whispered.

...

I looked up.

The sky looked exactly the same.

Nothing strange.

...

Then why...

Did everything suddenly feel...

Like it was waiting?

...

I laughed quietly.

...

"Great."

"Now I'm imagining things."

...

Hunger really does strange things to people.

...

Still...

For some reason...

I couldn't shake off the feeling...

That I wasn't walking alone any more.

***

...

The city slowly disappeared behind me.

The streets became quieter.

The buildings became fewer.

Good.

Nobody comes this far unless they have a reason.

...

I did.

...

Home.

...

Well...

Something that legally shouldn't be called.

...

An abandoned storage building stood between a few dead trees.

Half the roof had collapsed years ago.

Nobody bothered repairing it.

Nobody bothered tearing it down either.

...

Perfect.

Nobody bothered with me, too.

...

I pushed the old wooden door.

Creeeak...

...

Good.

Still alive.

Unlike the owner.

...

The inside looked exactly the same.

One blanket.

One wooden box.

One cracked cup.

...

Luxury.

...

I dropped onto the blanket.

Dust immediately protested.

...

"Sorry."

I muttered.

"I live here too."

...

Silence.

...

At least the dust didn't complain.

...

I looked at the ceiling.

The missing part of the roof showed a piece of the evening sky.

When it rained...

I simply moved to another corner.

Eventually...

You learn which corners leak less.

...

I reached for the cracked cup.

Empty.

...

Figures.

Water was harder to steal than bread.

...

My stomach had finally stopped complaining.

That usually meant one thing.

It had accepted today's outcome.

...

Lucky.

Tomorrow...

We'd probably have this conversation again.

...

I closed my eyes.

Just for a minute.

That's all.

...

Tomorrow would arrive soon enough.

It always did.

...

***

...

"What's your name?"

...

A question I hated.

Not because I didn't want to answer.

Because I couldn't.

...

People usually stop asking after hearing the silence.

Then they simply make one up.

"Magicless."

"Street Rat."

"Thief."

...

Funny.

People have called me many things.

Except a person.

...

I finished the last bite.

Now what?

Sleep peacefully?

Try not to get caught?

Wake up tomorrow?

Repeat?

...

Life is surprisingly repetitive when you're poor.

...

...

Sleep never came immediately.

It rarely did.

Hunger has a strange habit of keeping people awake.

...

I turned onto my side.

The blanket scratched against my arm.

Same blanket.

Same ceiling.

Same broken roof.

Same tomorrow.

...

...

A bird landed somewhere above.

I heard its wings.

Once.

...

Then...

Nothing.

...

I opened my eyes.

...

Strange.

Birds don't suddenly become quiet.

Not all at once.

...

I slowly sat up.

...

The wind had disappeared.

...

Not weaker.

Not slower.

Gone.

...

Even the trees outside had stopped moving.

...

"...That's..."

...

Actually...

I had no idea what that was.

...

I stood up.

Carefully.

The old wooden floor creaked beneath my feet.

...

Good.

At least something still remembered how to make noise.

...

I stepped outside.

The city lights were still visible far away.

People were still walking.

Smoke still rose from chimneys.

Everything looked...

Normal.

...

Then why...

Did everything feel wrong?

...

It wasn't fear.

Not exactly.

...

It felt more like...

The whole world had stopped talking.

...

"...I'm definitely imagining things."

I rubbed my eyes.

Maybe I was more tired than I thought.

...

I took one step forward.

...

The feeling followed.

...

Another step.

...

Still there.

...

"...Who's there?"

...

Silence.

...

"...Thought so."

I quietly laughed at myself.

Talking to empty air.

...

Looks like living alone for too long isn't very healthy.

...

I turned around.

Ready to go back inside.

...

"...Interesting."

...

...

...

I didn't turn around immediately.

...

Because my brain was still deciding...

Whether I had actually heard that.

***

...

"...Interesting."

...

No.

I definitely heard that.

...

I slowly turned around.

...

Nobody.

...

"...Behind you."

I looked behind me.

Still nobody.

...

"...Above?"

Only stars.

...

"...Below?"

Stone.

Dust.

My own feet.

...

"...You humans really do enjoy looking everywhere except the correct place."

...

"...Who's there?"

I asked.

No answer.

...

"...If you're a ghost..."

...

...

"...Can ghosts get hungry?"

...

A quiet chuckle.

...

It wasn't mocking.

...

It sounded...

Old.

Very old.

Like someone laughing after forgetting how.

...

"...That..."

The voice said.

"...is certainly a question nobody has asked me before."

...

I folded my arms.

"If you're not going to show yourself..."

"I'm going back to sleep."

...

"...You won't."

...

"...Why?"

...

"...Because..."

Another long silence.

"...You have been waiting for me your entire life."

...

I blinked.

...

"I'm pretty sure I'd remember that."

...

"...No."

The voice answered calmly.

"...You wouldn't."

...

For some reason...

That answer bothered me.

More than it should have.

...

"...Tell me your name."

...

I looked away.

...

"...I don't have one."

...

Silence.

...

Longer this time.

...

...

"...I see."

Not pity.

Not surprise.

Just...

Understanding.

...

"For thousands of years..."

"I searched for kings."

"I searched for heroes."

"I searched for sages."

...

"I was looking in the wrong places."

...

"My name..."

...

"...is Arsenium."