Hours of half-sleep passed as Kael tried to find a position that did not hurt. It seemed like his increased sensitivity also affected the rest of his body, making him aware of every little bump or edge he was resting on. As day turned to night, Kael finally could not stop himself from giving up on sleep anymore. While he had slept for most of the time, that was in chunks of half-hour or even quarter-hour segments, making him feel even more tired than before.

The passage of time had, however, brought some positives to his situation. Looking outside, he began to inspect his surroundings, taking care to pay attention to his senses. There was still a lot of information flooding his brain, but he seemed to have adapted to it a little. Instead of having way too many details repeatedly assault his mind, a lot of it had seemingly moved to his subconscious instead. The process was not perfect yet, far from it, but at least it was a start.

Ducking back under the tarp, Kael pulled out some of his emergency rations and had an impromptu dinner of biscuits and water. His improved sense of taste helped him understand how very bland the food was, and he made a mental note to buy better quality rations in the future. Eating in the cold already sucked might as well try to at least make the food good.

With his hunger sated and his headache at a reasonable level, Kael began to think through his options for the next few days. There was still the meeting with Martin on the horizon, and he would have to prepare for it adequately. The teen was his only link to the magical world regardless of how much he actually knew. Besides, Kael genuinely liked talking with him.

Setting up a meeting far in advance might work from time to time, but in the end, he would need a way to communicate with Martin remotely. He also needed some new clothes if they were to spend some time in a restaurant or café. He had enough money to pay for a coffee or maybe dinner, but that was about it for his budget. There was also the possibility of having to buy some expensive items for his magic. He needed money and fast.

Thinking over his options, he quickly settled on visiting Dreamstreet. If the weather was good, it would be the ideal mix of not enough people to warrant a lot of police, but enough people so that he would not be noticed easily. There were other options for rainy days, except those tended to be a lot riskier.

There was not much to do during the night but try to get some more sleep. In the end, Kael got a few good hours of sleep and spent the rest in self-imposed exposure therapy to get himself used to his new senses. Time passed, and when the sun was high up in the sky, it was time to go to work.

Buying something to eat, Kael hit the road. The distance between Lower Babingon, where the Dreamstreet was located, and Odenvale, the district he was living in, was long. Still, Kael decided to walk instead of taking public transport. He would need to wait until it was in the later hours of the day anyway, and like this, he got more time to get used to his problem.

A long two-hour walk later, he saw the bright and artful design of the entrance gate to the home of arts and crafts: Dreamstreet. Stepping through the wrought iron gate, situated between two high office buildings, was like stepping into a different world. Gone were the wide roads. Gone were the cars, concrete walkways, and office buildings.

Small winding alleys of brick and cobblestone greeted Kael when he passed the gate. There were people everywhere, strolling and looking through the wares offered by the countless little shops along the alley. Galleries, jewelers, sculptors, and crafters of other kinds of art presented their wares next to each other. This was Dreamstreet, the mecca of arts.

Sadly, Kael did not have the time or leisure to enjoy the visual feast. Instead, his eyes were focused on the patrons of said stores. Wandering through the crowded alleys, Kael kept his eyes open for a potential target. He had despised stealing when he first became homeless. His parents had always reiterated the importance of obeying the law.

Kael still tried to keep his stealing to a minimum, conserving money as much as he could. But over time, it had just become a necessity. Still, he had standards. Half an hour later he finally found a target. In front of an art dealer, he had spotted a young man, maybe in his mid-twenties. Sporting lots of flashy jewelry and oozing self-importance. The woman by his side looked like she would rather be anywhere else as the young man tried to touch her as he boasted about buying the whole store for her if she wanted it. While, at the same time, talking down to the clerk trying to be helpful.

Stealing was bad. But if you had to... This was just the kind of person he would not feel bad about fleecing. Kael spent another two to three minutes waiting for the best time to act. When the woman finally ripped herself free of her would-be suitor, it was time to act. Smoothly Kael interposed himself in between the leaving woman and his target. Appearing nonchalant with his senses working overtime.

A step forwards, then a slight sway to his right as if he was interested in something he saw, and then rocking back right into the guy. Quickly, he was apologizing for his mistake even as his hand sneaked into the guy's jacket. He had seen him put his wallet there before and had no problem finding it with just his fingers and memories to guide him. Gripping the leather-bound wallet in two fingers, he slit it out of the inner pocket while disengaging from his target.

Slipping his booty into the wide sleeve of his hoody, he apologized again, asking if there was anything he could do. Now he just had to make his exit, and doing his best to keep the guy from getting past him did the trick. He was quickly shoved out of the way as the guy tried to catch up to the woman. Staggering a bit, Kael grumbled a little for the benefit of the audience before he moved on, disappearing in the crowd.

In a quiet corner, he quickly checked his catch. The wallet was full of credits. Enough to afford him a new outfit, smartphone, and have plenty left for food. He transferred the credits to his own wallet. After checking if there was anything else of value left, he dropped the stolen item in a nearby dumpster, shedding himself of any incriminating evidence.

The rest of the day was spent buying everything that he needed and getting back to his hideout. By night, he was finally set up and sent the only number he had saved in his new smartphone a message: "Hello, this is Kael, from the alley. How bad is it? I hope your parents weren't too angry. Text me when you have time to meet. I don't know if I ever said it out loud, but... Thanks for helping me that night. Hope you are well and Jason has left you alone in school. Kael."

It had been a long time since he had written to anyone, making him feel awkward as he typed. After pressing send, a yawn escaped him. The last night was about as unrestful as it could be, and with all the running around he had to do today, he felt it was time to catch up on some sleep. Laying down, he wondered when or if Martin would respond, only to have his thoughts interrupted by the vibrations of his smartphone.