Eurus walked amidst the sea of demons, rushing around all kinds of stores. Though the crowd felt overwhelming, he kept his goal in sight. He approached a trinkets shop and stared at the owner.
The owner let out a yawn as he idly tossed an apple in the air. He looked down and raised a brow.
"Well, that's an unusual hair and eye color. What are you looking for? Wait, first things first. Do you have money to buy anything from my shop?"
Eurus contemplated and decided that it was faster to speak than use gestures.
"Crown Prince, where?"
"...Are you asking about His Highness Zerath?"
He nodded.
The owner scrutinized Eurus from head to toe. He smiled a moment later. "Nothing is for free in this world."
Eurus blinked at him, puzzled.
He stretched out his palm and said, "Two silver coins to help you."
Eurus opened his little pouch and handed him the silver coins as requested. The owner jingled the coins in his hand and pointed in a certain direction.
"You see that tower? Take that turn and you'll reach there. Your Highness should probably be there."
"Esthar om ven."
Eurus thanked him and made his way towards the tower. He kept his attention focused on his destination but soon felt the world turned upside down as he fell flat on his face. A snickering voice reached his ears as he grappled with pain.
"Where are you going, you ghoul?"
Supporting his weight on his palms, Eurus pushed himself back on his feet. He touched the space between his nose and upper lip, feeling the moist sensation of blood. A drop got smeared onto the tip of his finger.
As he felt several shadows approaching and surrounding him, Eurus looked up. Three older children loomed over him, using their bulkier frames to intimidate him. He studied them one by one, sensing their menacing intentions. The curious and tense whispers of passersby reached his ears.
Eurus realized that the demons strolling in the streets had slowed down their pace, their gazes fixed on the drama unfolding before them, but none came forward to berate the three bullies.
"What is with that strange color, ghoul?"
The middle kid pressed his palm on Eurus's shoulder and forcefully pushed him a step back.
Eurus stared at the middle kid without any particular fear fazing his expression. He didn't know what the term 'ghoul' meant, nor was he interested to learn. Instead, he was solely focused on meeting Zerath.
When he saw that the kids wouldn't move, Eurus tried to turn around them himself. But the kid on his right shoved him back to his original place. The middle kid pulled a lock of his hair and sneered.
"I asked you something, you disgusting ghoul. What is this with silver hair and eyes? Where did you come from? You're not a demon, are you?"
Meet Zerath.
With that in mind, Eurus grabbed the kid's wrist and tried to free himself, but his grip only grew stronger and harsher. Pain began to tingle on his scalp.
"How come a ghoul like you is roaming around the festival?" The middle kid growled.
His two side-kicks snickered and joined the humiliation. Eurus made no attempt to answer their questions or mockery and only kept trying to regain his freedom.
By that point, the middle kid was beginning to lose his patience with Eurus's indifference. He noticed a small pouch hanging around his waist and raised a brow. He grabbed the pouch and jingled it in his hand.
"A ghoul like you has money too?"
Eurus's eyes widened. He tried to take the pouch back, but the middle kid simply raised his arm to a height Eurus couldn't reach.
'You're responsible if you lose them.'
Eurus remembered Valtor's words, and a strong feeling of not losing the pouch gripped his heart. He continued struggling, but the only sound that reached his ears was of the kids' disdainful laughter.
The middle kid and his side-kicks played with his struggle, finding amusement in Eurus's failed attempts. Getting bored, he finally released him but not without pushing him back until he fell on his back.
"Ghouls don't get to keep money, okay? So get out of here and don't show your face again, or I'll punch it the next time I see you," he threatened.
The kids began to walk away and with them, the crowd began to disperse too. Some did pity Eurus but weren't too motivated enough to intervene.
Eurus saw them leaving, panic setting in his chest. He wasted no time reaching out to grab the middle kid's waistband, pulling him back.
"What did you…How dare a ghoul like you touch me!"
Eurus felt a sudden and sharp jolt on his left cheek. He didn't see the punch coming. Pain swelled in his face as if a carriage had run over it. He staggered, trying to reorient himself. He gasped and breathed erratically but refused to give up.
"Pouch. Give back…"
"Give it to you? It's mine now. You forgot that I took it from you? Should I punch you again so you remember?"
"Give back."
Eurus felt the bully's alarming shadow loom over him, making him stumble backward. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of his ear.
"Touch me again, and it'll be your right cheek this time and it'll be way more painful," he snarled. "Ghouls like you have no place here, so I can do whatever I want."
Eurus felt his heart pounding loudly as if it reached all the way up to his ears. His fingers moved ever-so-slightly with a small burst of mana faintly flowing along his fingertips.
'You can use your ice magic but only if the situation calls for it, so think wisely before you decide.'
He froze, recalling Valtor's warnings. A fog of confusion enveloped his mind.
Can I freeze him…or no?
Yes? No?
His contemplation broke off when he fell back with a hard thud. His elbow scraped against the gritty ground and he winced. Seeing them leave again, Eurus made another hasty attempt to follow them.
"Pouch!"
But a rain of harsh beatings made Eurus feel paralyzed because this time it wasn't only the middle kid but his underlings who had joined in too.
"You don't give up, do you?"
Eurus curled into a ball to shield himself. The taste of dust settled on his tongue, his face jammed against the ground. He deliberated on the same question again and again. He couldn't be sure. He couldn't decide.
Freeze them? Not freeze them?
He imagined Valtor and Vivia's disappointed expressions and his heart sank. He had already lost the pouch to the bullies, so was it wise to use his ice magic and bring more chaos?
After what it seemed like eternity, Eurus could finally breathe as the beatings stopped. His body ached all over, and he raised his head with much difficulty. He clenched his fists, seeing the sneer on their lips through his blurred vision. He hated their scornful laughter and the bitter taste of dirt on his tongue. He was tempted to freeze them this instant, but he couldn't.
His ears could barely catch what they were saying, but he knew that they were only mocking him further. For the third time, Eurus watched them leave. He saw the middle kid playing with the pouch in his hand.
But this time writhing in pain and uncertainty, he remained where he was.