The boy was walking listlessly down the street, unaware of his surroundings due to the huge sense of desolation within his heart.

He had many complicated thoughts in mind, thinking of how to brave over this period of difficulty in his life.

His thoughts then started to drift and the figure of his sickly mother slowly came into his mind.

'Mother, what have we done to deserve all this? Where did it all go wrong? Of all people in the world, why is it you that had contracted this sickness?'

He couldn't help but sigh.

It felt like there was a massive mountain pressing down on him and he feared the consequences of being unable to shoulder this massive mountain.

This mountain was just too heavy. This mountain, this responsibility was simply too much for him to carry.

‘If I fail… what would happen to her?’

His mother’s illness was worsening every single day. If she wasn’t treated soon...

‘It would be good if she dies. When that happens, I will finally be relieved of this burden.’

He paused.

His eyes went wide and his face turned pale.

“N-No, I…”

His body trembled as he clutched his head.

“I… I couldn’t have thought of that!”

He was horrified.

Did he really think of his own mother as a burden?

“NO!”

He suddenly ran away.

“Ouch! Watch out will you?!”

“Crazy kid!”

He didn’t pay any heed to those people he bumped and just continued running.

He ran and ran as if doing so would rid him of the guilt he felt in his heart. The guilt for thinking of his mother as a burden!

How could he think like that to the woman who raised him all his life? The woman who gave her blood and sweat to raise him? To his own mother who loved him with all her heart?!

Is he really that kind of a horrible person?

Later, the boy could be seen beside a crystal clear lake drinking water and washing his face.

He was dead tired from all the running he had done but he had successfully distracted himself from thinking any negative thought.

‘Mother…’

The ripples in the water that was made when he washed had finally subsided. He saw the reflection of himself on the water surface.

Splash!

He threw a hard punch on the water, messing his own reflection.

'I'm so disgusting. I hate myself.'

Sighing, he laid down on the ground beside the lake and gazed at the vast blue sky above.

It looked so serene and beautiful yet, it felt like there was an immense power emanating from it. Power that made him look so small and inferior under its might. Unknowingly, the inferiority in him had just made his reverence towards the heaven all the stronger.

“Beautiful isn't it?"

He thoughtlessly nodded his head but quickly came into realization.

He got up and looked around. When he saw no one, he was immediately alarmed.

‘Where did that voice come from?’

This time, he heard the voice again.

“Up here.”

He moved his sight towards a tree. There, he saw a blue-haired youth sitting on a branch and leaning on the tree with a relaxed smile on his face. He was wearing an elegant blue and white robe that made him look like a noble.

For some reason, looking at him feels like looking at the boundless heaven. They both have a similar aura and brought forth the same indescribable sensation within his being.

After he was done checking the youth, he spotted a small animal sleeping on his lap. It was a weird animal with a lion face and a bull’s body with four horns on its head.

‘It should be a young mythical beast.’

He didn’t regard the beast’s appearance as anything weird for he had seen many such strange creatures before. He had even once seen a fish run on land and talk with its mouth.

He then looked back to the youth and asked hesitantly.

“May this lowly servant ask for noble sir’s name?”

The youth just smiled.

“Why so polite? I can see that you look uncomfortable. Just act as you normally would.”

The boy was surprised. He had his own share of interaction with nobles before and most of them were pretentious pricks who looked down and oppressed all others with lower statuses than them.

It would seem that this noble is different from others.

Or maybe he is just bored enough to actually want to play mind games with a plebian? Who knows if this might just be a ploy to let his guard down? Once he starts to act casually, he will probably be punished for being disrespectful to a noble.

The youth hopped down the tree and came beside him with the young beast still sleeping safely in his arms.

“Mind if I sit here?”

He shook his head as he watched the youth sit beside him without any reserve while petting the young beast’s head with his right hand.

The boy started getting a bit conscious due to the close proximity he had with the noble. Moreover, the youth’s clothes were clean and luxurious whilst his was just dirty tattered clothes. He didn’t care about his clothes before but sitting beside him, he can’t help but compare their clothing.

‘What kind of noble is he? Isn’t he bothered with how dirty I am?’

The boy eyed him for a few seconds.

“Sir, are you not a Brahmin?”

“I’m not.”

"Sir is a Kshatriya?"

"Not a Kshatriya."

The boy started to hesitate.

"Then, a Vaishya?"

"I'm not. Stop guessing. I don't belong to any of the castes since I'm not from here."

'He's a foreigner?' the boy wondered and checked the youth once again.

"Where is sir from then?"

The youth thought for a moment before pointing his right hand towards the west-northwest.

"Hmm, it should be right there I think? Yeah, Greek pantheon's right there."

The boy sweatdropped at that but there was something he was curious about.

"Greek pantheon?"

The youth looked at him briefly and gave a short explanation.

“Greek pantheon is located in a country called Greece. Here in this country, the people mainly worship the Trimurti. However in Greece, many people worship the Olympians which consists of 12 major gods. These 12 gods are the most famous gods in the pantheon and also the most powerful ones.”

“The people in Greece don’t worship Lord Brahma, Lord Vishnu, and Lord Shiva?!”

The youth blinked his eyes before chuckling.

“Of course not. Not only Greece, but there are also many people from other countries who don't worship the Hindu gods. Each country is managed by a single pantheon but there are also different countries under the same pantheon and worship the same gods."

He noticed the boy having a puzzled look on his face.

He ruffled the boy's hair and said, "You are confused for now but in the future, if you ever go travelling, your horizons will widen and you will realize that the world is much bigger than you think it is. You will know of many interesting creatures and breathtakingly beautiful sights to see."

The boy got excited at the prospect of travelling and having an adventure however, his eyes soon dulled at the thought of his mother.

The youth noticed the boy's solemn mood and raised a brow.

"I have been watching you since you came here and I noticed that you've been in a pensive mood for quite a while. Is there anything that bothers you?"

The boy hesitated. The young man was nothing but helpful to him for satisfying his curiosity. He didn't even get mad or annoyed from him asking too many questions but instead answered him patiently.

The youth also seems trustworthy and full of wisdom. He seems to know many things so he finally decided to tell the youth.

"I have a person I love and greatly care about. However lately, I can't help but start thinking bad thoughts about her. I…"

The youth had a serious expression on his face as he listened attentively. He would nod every now and then and when the boy was finally done speaking, he said.

"Those are intrusive thoughts."

"I-Intru what?"

He chuckled and ruffled the boy's hair.

"Intrusive thoughts. It is a pretty normal occurrence that happens to people once in a while. This is nothing you should worry about. You having an intrusive thought doesn't mean you are a bad person at all. Just the fact that you are worried about this tells a lot about your character."

The boy looked at the youth in amazement.

'He really does know a lot!'

"Then, how do I get rid of this intru… intrusive thought?"

"For now, you can't. It's not something that will go away instantly just because you wanted it to. My suggestion is that you ignore these thoughts because the more you worry about it, the more you will think about it. If you ignore them, you will gradually find yourself not thinking about this anymore. If you think of them, it will just be a passing of mind."

The boy made a sigh of relief.

"Sir haven't told me your name yet."

"Oh, that's right. I'm Sarius and this puppy here is called Nian. What about you? "

The young beast's ears twitched when the word 'puppy' was mentioned.

The boy stood up and bowed his head to Sarius.

"Sir Sarius! I, Vihaan, thank you so much for your time and for clearing the doubts in my heart."

"It's nothing."

"Sir, I would like to speak with you more but my mother will be worried if I don't come back soon."

Sarius gently smiled.

"Go, don't leave your mother waiting."

Vihaan bowed once again and walked away in a hurried manner. Sarius watched the boy's figure disappear in the forest of trees as the boy headed home.

Nian hopped out of Sarius' arms and snorted.

"Show off!"

"Hmm?"

"What the fuck are you acting like a refined scholar for?! You make me sick!"

Sarius had a dark face.

"I'm not acting."

"Like hell, you're not! You're just a freaking battle maniac! Act as one will you?!"

"Like I said—"

"Watching you is like watching a carnivorous animal pretending to be a vegetarian in front of its meal! It's so funny it makes me sick! Hahaha, or are you perhaps trying to make me laugh? Hahaha fine, you win! I almost couldn't hold back my laughter earlier! Thanks for the entertain… Eh?"

Nian saw a yellow-coloured flame wrapped around his body, sealing his movements. Surprisingly, this flame wasn't hot at all and it didn't even burn a single strand of his hair. It does, however, feel tight in his body.

Nian knew where this flame came from so he looked at the culprit. The culprit looked back in return and smiled kindly at him.

Shivers went up to his spine.

It was at this moment that he knew, he fucked up!

"I didn't manage to hear clearly. Would you mind repeating that again?"

Nian laughed nervously.

"It was a joke."

The next thing he knew, he found himself submerged deep in the middle of the lake desperately struggling for his survival.

“BRRRR! BRRRR!”

Sarius ignored the bubbles in the water as he smiled to himself.

"What a good day."

…

Vihaan stood in front of a worn-out shack, trying to reorganize his thoughts. Taking a deep breath, he mustered his courage and opened the door.

"Mother, I'm home."

Not a second later, he was met with a warm embrace from a pale looking skinny woman. The anxiousness that was on her face during the time he was gone had all but replaced with one of relief.

"You're back!"

Vihaan returned the hug, tears threatening to escape from the corner of his eyes.

"Mother, please don't leave me no matter what happens!"

"Silly child. What brought this up? Of course, mother will never leave you. I will always be by your side. Oh!"

The woman then pinched Vihaan's side and frowned.

"Rascal, I almost got fooled by your sweet talk. Where were you last night? Why didn't you come home? I was worried sick about you!"

Vihaan looked down in guilt.

"Sorry. I got a job last night and it really pays well. I was offered the job suddenly and I had to start soon so I wasn't able to tell you."

The woman sadly sighed.

“I’m sorry Vih… you’re only 10 years old yet you’re already working for us. So young yet having such responsibilities. I’m a failure as a parent.”

“Mother is definitely not a failure. I’m so glad I have you as a mother. I wouldn’t trade you for any treasure in the world!”

She let out a loving laugh.

“Sweet talker!”

“Besides, mother doesn’t have anything to worry about. The job’s okay and it’s easy enough for me.”

Vihaan felt bad for lying to his mother but he had no choice since she will certainly get worried and forbid him from going to the arena again.

"As long as you're fine. That's all that matters. Have you eaten yet?"

He flinched at the first part since he was reminded of the beating he had undergone last night.

"Not yet."

"Come, we should still have some eggs left. I'll cook... some..."

The woman suddenly got dizzy and staggered. Vihaan quickly took action and supported his mother with his body.

"Mother are you okay?"

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I'm already used to it."

"You're not fine at all. You should get some rest. I'll cook."

The woman insisted some more but was eventually persuaded by Vihaan and was made to rest on the bed.

Looking at the boy cooking, the woman sighed.

'Vih, I didn't notice but you've already grown up. As for me… I’m just holding you back.’

BAM! BAM! BAM!

They heard a loud knock on the door making the mother and son duo frown.

“Mother, I’ll take care of this.”

“Then, I’ll leave it to you.”

Vihaan opened the door.

“Kid, where’s your mother?"

Standing outside was a tanned fat man of average height. When he saw it was Vihaan opening the door, he asked impatiently.

“So it's the landowner. Mother is currently suffering from an illness and has to stay in bed to recuperate. I apologize on behalf of my mother since she can’t welcome landowner right now.”

Vihaan didn’t like what he was doing. He had no actual respect for the man but he had no choice but to act as though he had for this man’s status is higher than theirs. He and his mother were just Shudras while this man is a Vaishya. If things go south, no one would go out of their way to help them.

“Well, I guess it doesn’t matter. Anyway, you already know what I’m here for right?”

“This…”

Seeing Vihaan’s expression, the landowner got even more impatient.

“What? Don’t tell me you’re not going to pay?!”

“Landowner, it’s not that we don’t want to pay. It’s because we don’t have money on hand right now. You already know my mother is ill so she can’t work. I had also just gotten a job last night and hadn’t had my salary yet.”

Understanding dawned on the landowner.

“I understand your difficulties but you should also try to understand me. This concerns my own living as well. If you don’t pay, how am I supposed to feed my family? You should know that there are many people out there who will gladly rent this place in your stead.”

Vihaan clenched his fist and immediately hid it behind his back.

“Landowner, how about this... three days. Give us three days and I will pay you 10 silver coins. It’s double the amount of the original rent.”

The landowner smiled and his thick hands gently patted Vihaan’s shoulders.

“Then that's a deal.”

Vihaan watched the fat landowner walk away and noticed him wiping his hands on his handkerchief and threw it away right after.

He couldn’t help but compare Sarius to the landowner.

Sarius looked more than a noble than this landowner but unlike the latter, the former had no qualms on petting his dirty head while the landowner didn’t even bother to conceal his disgust.

“Haah, comparing noble sir to that pig is an insult to him.”

He went inside and saw his mother’s apologetic face.

“Mother heard us?”

The woman nodded.

“Vih, I’m sorry it’s all my fault. The money we had was spent mostly on my treatment…”

“Mother doesn't need to apologize. I’ll find a way out of this I promise.”

She had a dazed expression on her face as she caressed Vihaan’s cheeks with a gentle smile on her lips.

“You’ve really grown up, Vih. I’m glad… so glad.”

“Mother?”

Vihaan had no idea why. At that very moment, his chest tightened and his heartbeat accelerated.

He had a bad feeling in his heart and he didn’t know what to do about it.

So…

He hugged his mother tightly.

In the hopes that this bad feeling will go away.

…

The next day, Vihaan was heading home with a bag of vegetables in hand. He had gone to the market earlier to buy some food to cook but since they lack money, he had to borrow some money from his mother’s good friend. Thankfully though, they lent out some copper coins enough to buy a week’s worth of food.

“I’ll make mother some boiled vegetables today. It’s one of her favorites.”

Just as he was about to get home, he noticed many people gathering outside their house, murmuring to each other and trying to get a good look inside.

He paused.

The bad feeling from yesterday had returned.

“Isn’t that her child?”

“You’re right.”

“So young!”

“How old is he?”

“Poor boy."

His heart started beating rapidly.

The crowd was noisy but he didn’t hear anything. All he could see was their mouth moving. Their voice didn’t even register in his mind. No, his mind simply refused to listen to them.

He continued to walk, trying to ignore these people.

His steps had gotten faster and faster and before he knew it, he had already started running towards his home, pushing all who were blocking his way.

Each step he took, the greater the bad feeling in his heart had gotten. When he was just a few steps away from the door, he could already hear the deafening sounds of his own heartbeat.

Though the sun was blazing hot today and there were many people around…

He felt cold and isolated as if it was in the middle of winter.

He stood unmoving away from the door, not daring to come near for he feared what he might see inside their house.

His chest heaved up and down, his breathing became erratic. Tears travelled down his cheeks.

“Mother…”

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind. After gathering his courage, he entered the house.

There were also people inside his house. None of which noticed him as their sight were all focused on one thing.

He followed their line of sight and the moment his eyes laid upon what they were looking…

He froze.

His heart chilled and he stopped breathing.

There was a woman hanging a few inches above the ground, rope tied tightly around her neck.

It was his mother.