Luca finally returned to their side. It had taken him a long time to gather everything they needed. He had even gone as far as the bridge to check the river, collecting a cup of water along the way. The flood had subsided. It was safe enough for them to return.
He limped toward the place where Evelyn and Rin were resting. His body ached with every step. His leg was injured, his stomach hollow from hunger, but he carried food and medicine with determination, refusing to stop.
When he finally reached them, he asked Rin.
"How is my sister?"
"No good," she said, shaking her head. "She's still hot."
He knelt beside Evelyn and gently shook her shoulder.
"Sister... Can you hear me?"
"Lu...?" she mumbled, barely conscious, her voice a faint whisper.
"Here. Eat this and take the medicine," he said, lifting a small bowl of porridge made from soaked bread.
"Mmm..." Evelyn gave a slow nod, too weak to speak clearly. She took a small spoonful.
"Eat slowly," he whispered, steadying her hand as she ate.
Luca helped her drink the medicine, watching carefully to make sure she didn't choke. When she had finished, he turned to Rin.
"Rin, can you help her walk?"
"Okay," Rin said, already moving to Evelyn's side.
"Leave it to me."
Since Luca's leg was still injured, he couldn't support Evelyn himself. Instead, he carried their few belongings while Rin used her shoulder to help Evelyn stand and walk.
They walked in silence for a while, the world around them still and cloudy after the storm. When they finally arrived at the bridge where they used to live, exhaustion weighed heavily on all of them. Other homeless had begun to return as well, reclaiming their little corners beneath the arches.
Luca laid out a bundle of worn cloth on the ground, gently placing Evelyn on top of it. He covered her with their thin blanket to keep her warm.
Then, he took out two small loaves of bread and began preparing more porridge. When it was ready, he handed a bowl to Rin.
"Here," he said.
"Thank you, Luca." She smiled, accepting it with both hands.
"No, thank you for helping my sister."
"I just helped her walk. That's all."
"It means more than you know."
Rin just smiled and he sat down beside her. They ate in silence, the night pressing in around them. The food was barely enough to fill them, but it was warm, and it helped.
Luca's leg throbbed painfully. He had walked too far on it today. But he couldn't afford to rest just yet. The situation was getting worse by the day, and if he didn't act now, nothing would change.
He brought over a cloth soaked in river water, drained the water, and gently placed it on Evelyn's forehead. She murmured something, too faint to hear.
"Rin," he said, glancing at her, "Can you help me again?"
"Sure. What do you need me for?"
"Can you watch over my sister for a while? When the cloth gets warm, soak it in the river again. Drain the water well, and place it on her forehead like I just did."
"Got it. But… where are you going?"
"To the Red District."
"Don't do anything dangerous," she said quickly, worry flickering in her eyes.
"I won't. I need to find a way to change our situation."
"Alright. I'll take care of Evy"
"Thank you"
Luca stood and limped away once more, pushing past the pain in his leg. The light had faded into dim twilight. The red moon loomed above, and for the first time, the thick clouds in the sky had cleared, revealing four moons. One of them was glowing with a vivid red light that bled across the sky.
Luca felt uneasy looking at it—it reminded him of a massive eye.
Evelyn had told him that the sky had always looked like this since she was born. But now that he could see it for himself, it made his skin crawl.
This really was another world.
He had encountered the Sky Shepherd too, the massive, sky-floating creature that warped the air with its presence. He still couldn't understand how something like that existed. Luckily, it had only caused rain and storms so far.
But if it ever decided to descend to the ground…
No, he couldn't think about that.
This world hid terrifying secrets beneath its surface. He didn't know how he would survive, but survival was no longer enough. He had to find a way to rise out of poverty. To protect Evelyn.
Eventually, he reached the Red District.
Surprisingly, it was far more alive at night than it was during the day. People filled the streets. Lights strung across the roads glowed with a steady, artificial warmth, and laughter echoed between the brothels and taverns.
He also noticed streetlights glowing softly along the road, actual light bulbs illuminating the path. It just confirmed his suspicions, this world wasn't as primitive as it looked from the slums.
Then, he tried to gather information as discreetly as possible. Some sisters called out to him, teasing him with seductive voices, but he ignored them. He had only one goal, to find a path forward.
That's when he heard it.
Music.
His eyes lit up.
At night, when the crowd swelled, music played from the brothels. Piano, violin, guitar, those instruments did exist here.
Inside, girls from the brothel perform a song and dance, each act a showcase. Men gathered to watch, placing bids to take a girl performer for the night. The highest bidder won her time.
Luca studied the rhythm, the instruments, and the transitions. The music was unfamiliar yet beautiful. He would need to memorize it.
As he observed from the outside, someone stepped onto the stage. A dancer with irresistible beauty and an alluring figure that made the crowd roar for her. She moved with elegance and heat, drawing every gaze. In the end, someone claimed her.
Luca turned away and focused his mind on the instruments.
That's when a voice called out.
"Hey."
He turned. A girl, perhaps twelve or fourteen, stood in the doorway. She looked out of place. It wasn't just her beauty, but because there was something unique about her presence, an aura that set her apart from the girls in the brothel.
Her golden hair shimmered beneath the glow of the streetlamps and her deep blue eyes held a strange innocence.
"What are you doing here?" she asked.
"...Watching the show"
"Just watching? You don't want to go inside?"
"No…" he said simply.
She glanced at his figure and seemed to understand.
His clothes were little more than layered rags, a shirt full of holes stretched over a bony frame. Dirt pressed into his body, but his face was quite good-looking for one of the shadows of the streets.
"I should go back," he murmured, turning away.
"Mm..."
She nodded quietly, watching him limp down the street until he disappeared.
Luca returned to the bridge around midnight, hope quietly burning in his chest. Rin was still awake, watching over Evelyn.
"Welcome back, Luca"
"How is she feeling now?"
"I just changed the cloth. Her fever's going down."
"Thank you… truly." Luca's voice was soft.
Rin smiled warmly, her eyes gentle.
"Even if you hadn't asked, I would've helped her. She's my friend." Her smile lingered, a kind, gentle expression of resolve to help.
He knelt beside Evelyn and gently touched her forehead. Her temperature had dropped, still warm, but far better than before. The medicine worked. He would have to find Erika soon and repay her.
"Lu…" Evelyn whispered.
"I'm here," he said softly.
"Hehe…"
She murmured something he couldn't catch, and slowly drifted back into sleep. He stayed with Evelyn until her breathing calmed, then glanced at Rin, who curled up beside them.
"... Goodnight, Rin," he said quietly.
"Night…" she said before falling asleep.
The rest of the night slips by as he trains his hands, repeating motions over and over until the control returns, almost as precise as it once was.
That was how he spent the night.