Lian turned around to find a lanky bronze-colored mechanical soldier. The soldier was as tall as an average basketball player and as simple looking as a tin robot from a child's toy box. Lian couldn’t help but think it looked like something ripped off an old movie he used to enjoy where Civil War type soldiers would fight against ancient robotic versions of themselves. The robot appeared to be made of a glistening bronze-like metal. It had a single cylindrical body with what appears to be some sort of contained furnace at its heart made evident by a small circular window that peers into what may be a burning pulsating source. Lian scanned the robot just as it scanned him. The robot had a large bucket-shaped head with a rusted lamp light for an eye. His other eye, seemingly nowhere to be found. It wasn’t hard for Lian to notice it’s many missing or misshapen parts.

“What happened to you? What are you?” Thought Lian, his index finger digging into his chin, perplexed at the mechanical miracle present before him. The robot’s glared once more into Lian’s eyes, it’s rotating mechanical gaze focusing into him like a yellow lasered telescope.

Lian did his best to discreetly comb the robot but his makeshift wooden arms and legs were something to be admired, at least from the perspective of his mother. To Lian, this sort of ingenuity was something he’d see in the many concept stages of his mother’s endless inventions.

“Amazing! What the hell are you!?” Panicked Lian.

“Arc Police Unit #8945; ERROR! I...am… ERROR! I am Arc Police Unit #89-! ERROR! My name-NA-me-NAME my name is Layton, nice to meet y-. ERROR! FINAL WARNING: New Dwarden protocol #1010-337 details required compliance with authority in the event of suspicious activity.” Reported the strange robot.

“Oh! That’s Layton!” Shouted another voice from high above Lian. “He’s chasing after me so I’m sorry if he’s caused you any trouble.” Continued the grainy voice. “HEY LAYTON! Someone is smoking down the street! Hurry! You’ll miss the depravity! Oh, the humanity!” Stressed the voice.

“NEW DWARDEN PROTOCOL 207: dictates there is to be no smoking during a festivity. NO SMOKING!” Shrieked Layon, as he ran towards the voice. “Huma- error, monkey of no hair, you will face justice very soon. Error!”

Layton rattled away into the darkness of the alley leaving behind a trail of pungent gray steam through the alley’s many ins and outs and perhaps...into the distant noise of the city.

Endless brown shades of orange/red brick roads sprouted towards each horizon. A path in almost all directions. Lian could hear the bustling of a lively city just beyond the comforting shadows of the cloud-piercing iron structures. It was time to move.

Lian searched for guidance from the voice that had commanded Layton above him but could see nothing through the hundreds of metal stairs and pipes lined up haphazardly along the many buildings. It was far too dark to make-up anything else. Every now and then, the night sky would light up with colors from what appeared to be distant fireworks. However, the fireworks barely reached Lian and it didn’t really help illuminate much at all, that is until the fireworks stopped and the cosmic explosions began. An unexpected shimmer of dazzling star-like explosions blanketed the sky. It was bigger than any firework Lian had seen with far less of the noise. The special lights were like markers for the night sky, actively drawing amazing symbols. Symbols far to complex for Lian to make out.

"They are fireworks!" Lian couldn’t help but shout towards the sky.

"My voice? He coughed. It’s back but different. It's lower...? He admitted in further confusion. “Low...Low....low. Low. High. Higher. High. Hello. Hi....uhm...Lian!" Continued Lian, testing his newfound pitch in his voice. "This is not happening...puberty is a step in life. Right? Not a cliff. Did this robot do something to me? This doesn't even feel like me anymore." Panicked Lian aloud.

Lian shivered anxiously when he spoke yet he found comfort in the idea of the mysterious creature telling the truth as it warned him of such "prices". He knew that if his "prices" were real then so was his deal. He quickly glanced downward after trying his voice out and discovered himself to be a little taller, his pajamas seemed rather tighter. No more did his white pajamas sag down, his ankles now struggled to breathe. Even so, somehow Lian found the strength to accept his new physical differences with the help of a couple of words his father whispered from time to time.

“Lian, I am strength. You are strong for me and I shall be for you.” Whispered Lian in a kind of prayer.

"A child! Where is that child I was supposed to take care of?" He thought with a loud sigh.

The vibrant fireworks appeared to be giving way to the beginning of an even livelier festival. It's booming sounds orchestrated a symphony of joy from a distant crowd. What was once a barren alleyway of steam, brick, and shrubbery became a mecca of sensory fantasies. Mouth-watering aromas of fried and grilled foods sank through Lian’s dry lips and moistened them anew, sounds of eccentric dancing cheered Lian into taking his first steps, and the distant chanting of cheerful crowds reignited Lian’s desire to move forward. It reminded him of home. Before stepping any further into the darkness of the alley’s, he began to familiarize himself with the area every chance he could. If the lighting above permitted, he would scan every piece of brick, every shrub. The kid was nowhere to be found.

“Maybe it was a metaphor or something?” Pondered Lian. "That thing could have at least given me directions."

Lian journeyed through multiple twisting alleyways with the festival’s bombastic noise being his only guide. Suddenly he stumbled upon a strange piece of sniffling shrubbery. It was small and green and shook like a scared creature.

“A monster!?” Said Lian in a defensive spring.

Suddenly a tiny pale foot popped out from the inside of the tiny greenery. The bush stopped it’s shaking and sniffling thereafter.

“A human foot? This is a baby!? Is this the one?” Thought Lian.

Lian gently approached the bush, unsure of what he’d find. After some quick deliberation, he crouched next to it and gently brushed aside the soft tiny leaves that covered a baby like a gentle blanket. Lian took a moment to look at the baby with an eager brave of responsibility but just as he inched a little closer towards it he frowned, realizing he just agreed to raise a child at such a young age.

"Guess...this is the deal. Huh…. This is it." Sighed Lian.

"MOM LOVES BUILDINGS DWHEUHEUHEH.” Mocked an echoing voice loudly above. The voice continued to laugh from the darkness above for some time.

“The enigma thing? It’s it. It wants another deal?” Said Lian, fumbling in his thoughts.

Lian waited for the voice to stop laughing and after a couple of minutes, it did. After that, it was silence. The voice had gone quiet.

“What do I do now?” Shouted Lian towards the voice above.

No response.

“Please? I need help!” Pleaded Lian into the echoing silence above.

From the silence arose an echoing voice alongside the clink and clatter of metal.

“I’m sorry! I really am! I would have come down sooner but there was this puppy and you made me laugh so…” explained the voice growing louder. “What I was trying to explain is that...you… Y-O-U were electrocuted with a REV shock. It’s a revitalizing shock meant to boost your energy temporarily at the cost of being extremely exhausted later on. It’s kind of a medical thing. I think those robots use it for homeless people and drug addicts mostly, or so I hear. I’m just a kid.” Explained the voice, growing louder with each second.

“Help me and I’ll help you?” Asked the voice.

Lian nodded his head.

“Is this puppy yours!?” Wondered the voice.