"02/29/3024"
"I met a mysterious old man a few days ago."
"He looked homeless. Not just regular homeless, but super homeless. Like the world itself had forgotten he existed, and he was perfectly fine with the arrangement. Suspicious eyes, though. Sharp. They followed my every step like he was reading a book only he could see."
"At first, I figured he wanted money. So every day, I'd toss him a few bronze coins as I passed. The island's currency. Enough for a meal. Maybe two. I didn't think much of it. Just a strange old man sitting in the same spot every morning."
"He never spent them. I noticed that on the third day. The coins just sat in a pile beside him, untouched. But he'd nod at me every time I dropped one, like it wasn't the money he wanted—it was the gesture."
