The sky was rainy, and it appeared darker than usual. Many people in the red district were trying to find a place to shelter from the rain. Among them was a man who looked wealthy; he wore fine clothes and adorned himself with several pieces of jewelry. However, there was something unsettling about him, an aura that felt dangerously menacing.
As the chaos unfolded, a young boy darted through the sea of umbrellas and drenched pedestrians. His jet-black hair clung to his forehead, and his dark eyes sparkled with gloom. Suddenly, in a moment of distraction, he collided with the imposing figure of the dangerous man.
"Sorry..."
He muttered, voice barely above a whisper, before slipping into a shadowy alley that seemed to swallow him whole. The dangerous man turned to watch the boy's retreating figure, a twisted smile forming on his lips as he followed the child's path.
The boy's heart raced as he sprinted through the labyrinthine streets, determined to evade capture. He zigzagged around corners, until he finally paused to catch his breath. Glancing at his palm, he discovered a glinting bracelet nestled there, its surface adorned with a scattering of radiant crystals. Unaware of its true value, he examined it closely.
But wonder quickly turned to dread.
Before he could fully comprehend his circumstances, the menacing figure loomed before him, blocking his escape. With an iron grip, the man seized the boy by the neck, lifting him effortlessly off the ground, the world tilting wildly around the frightened child.
"Agh—!"
"You know what happens to little rats who steal?" the man growled, voice thick with cruelty.
Kgh!
"They get tortured, Hahaha."
His laughter was jagged, a broken sound that echoed down the alley.
And then he dragged the boy deeper into the dark.
No one saw that boy again. At least, not in that neighbourhood.
And far above, unnoticed by any, the clouds were beginning to swell.
Rain began to fall, slowly at first, then with growing force. As if the sky itself mourned him.
***
The rain hadn't stopped since dawn. It sang its gentle rhythm across the rooftops and rippled over the river, turning the air cool and fresh. Each droplet shimmered like a jewel as it fell from the sky, weaving a delicate, silvery curtain between the clouds and the earth.
Clouds hung low and heavy above the slums, casting the world in a muted twilight despite the hour. The bridge, their refuge, was quiet.
Luca stood at the edge of the shelter, staring into the distance. Today, they had awoken late. Perhaps it was the cold or their exhausted bodies that begged for more rest.
Then… a sound.
Low, distant, unfamiliar.
His eyes narrowed.
Am I hallucinating? What was that?
He waited.
A second sound followed, louder this time.
Not thunder. Not wind.
It was too deep. Too slow. A groan stretched over miles, vibrating with something primal, like a world mourning in its sleep.
Luca stood abruptly, grabbed his cane, and stepped outside. Rain slammed into him, cold, unrelenting. But he barely noticed.
He looked up.
At first, only the grey veil of stormclouds met his eyes.
Then something moved.
A shape—slow, unnatural.
It shifted behind the mist like an illusion struggling to take form.
Too large for the sky to hold. Too smooth to be a cloud or storm.
And it emerged, unveiling a massive underbelly darker than the night, pushed through the clouds. Its skin pulsed faintly, etched with shifting patterns that refused to stay still.
A whale?
No… that would've made sense.
Its presence felt wrong, ancient, as though it belonged to an ocean of nightmares.
What would happen if it were to land here?
The mere thought sends a shiver down his spine. He drew a sharp breath. His skin turned cold. Pale.
A third sound rang out. Longer, deeper, echoing through the bones of the city.
Below the bridge, the homeless stirred. Sleepy voices murmured in confusion.
Evelyn stirred as well, rising with bleary eyes. "What happened, Lu?" she asked gently, brushing strands of damp hair from her face.
Luca's voice faltered.
"T-There is... a massive whale. In the sky."
"Oh no…" Evelyn's tone turned sharp with fear.
"The Sky Shepherd is coming."
"What do you mean?" he asked, eyes still fixed upward.
"There'll be a storm—a bad one. We need to hide. Follow me!"
Without hesitation, Luca followed her back beneath the bridge. Just as they reached shelter, the whale cried once more, an ethereal call that pierced through every wall, every bone.
The storm began in earnest.
Rain intensified, slashing sideways under the bridge in torrents. Wind howled like a chorus of wailing spirits. Lightning streaked across the sky, illuminating the massive underbelly of The Sky Shepherd as it swam slowly above the city.
Luca's eyes remained wide, breath shallow.
This is real. This is really happening.
"What is going on, sister?" he shouted, voice nearly drowned by the storm.
"It's The Sky Shepherd!" Evelyn called back, clutching his hand.
"Sometimes it brings gentle rain to the world—but if it appears on a rainy day like this... the storm follows."
He barely heard her over the crashing thunder, but he understood enough.
The next few hours passed in relentless misery. The rain showed no mercy, and the cold crept deep into their bones. Beneath the bridge, their meagre shelter was failing. Worse, the river had begun to swell. Water rose steadily, creeping closer with each minute.
"We have to move! There's going to be a flood!" Luca shouted to Evelyn and Rin.
"I know a place! Follow me!" Rin yelled back.
Without wasting time, they gathered their soaked belongings. Luca's leg aches bitterly, slowing him down. Evelyn noticed and grabbed his arm, helping him as they hurried through the flooded streets.
Finally, they arrived at an impressive house located at the edge of the slum. The area next to it was somewhat shielded from the storm.
It's owned, but at least in this storm, they will ignore people who find refuge beside it.
Although there was occasionally a small amount of rain that reached them, it was safe for now.
They sat close together on the floor, huddled with their knees drawn to their chests. Shivering. Exhausted. Their breath misted in the air.
"Lu, come closer—it's cold," Evelyn said softly.
He hesitated, but after glancing at her. He saw her lips were pale, nearly blue. After a pause, he moved closer.
Evelyn smiled faintly and wrapped her arms around him. Her embrace was trembling but warm.
"Hehehe," she giggled, though her voice quivered.
Luca felt her body cold, shivering form against his own, so he stayed quiet.
"... Thank you, Lu," Evelyn whispered.
Rin, who had been staring at them, blinked.
"Me too!" she cried, and immediately latched onto Evelyn's other side.
The three of them embraced tightly, sharing every ounce of warmth they had.
Then Evelyn began to hum softly, her voice fragile in the cold, but steady.
"Under the willow, soft winds cry,"
"Stars fall slow through a broken sky…"
Luca blinked. There was something hauntingly familiar about that lullaby. Rin nestled closer, quiet for once.
"Hush now, darling, close your eyes,"
"Morning waits where silence lies…"
It drifted like breath, trembling on the edge of sleep and storm.
Even with the Sky Shepherd's eerie calls above, for a moment,
The night felt a little bit gentler.
When the air bit cold against their skin, the darkness stretched endlessly in every direction, and the storm howled as if it would never end.
Somewhere in that unrelenting blackness came the eerie call of a whale, distant and haunting, making the night feel not just strange, but almost unreal.
The storm raged until midnight. Only after the Sky Shepherd let out a final, distant call did the wind begin to calm and the rain gradually came to a stop.
But by then, they were soaked, starving, and chilled to the core. The bridge had flooded, so there was no going back.
And as Luca stared into the night, he didn't just wish for a way out anymore.
He needed one.
Before this life swallowed them whole.