Many years ago…
Winter blanketed everything in a layer of frozen white.
While others bundled themselves against the cold, a petite—almost skeletal—boy shivered in a narrow alley. He wore nothing but a loose, worn-out tank top that wasn't even his, and thin shorts that offered no warmth.
Nothing protected him from the cold except his own arms wrapped tightly around himself.
Cold…
His thoughts trailed off as he lowered his gaze, realizing tonight would be the end of his endless misery. Here. In the cold. In this dark alley. No one would find him until the snow melted—or until his body began to rot.
The young Lucian closed his eyes, slowly succumbing to his fate.
Then, like a dream, something warm covered his legs.
His eyes fluttered open weakly. His vision blurred for a moment before a young girl's face came into focus.
Her skin looked soft, her cheeks flushed pink beneath the cold. A thick red scarf was wrapped around her head. Her eyes gleamed with quiet curiosity.
