Mark POV
That morning felt way too still. Like the usual noise was gone. No yelling down the hall, no heavy steps, nothing hanging in the air like always. I woke up before it got light, my body all stiff from sleeping wrong.
Part of me waited for my dad's voice to cut through or my mom's door to open with that creak. But it stayed quiet. The kind of quiet that sits on your chest, makes every breath a little off.
Even the house seemed empty somehow. I knew it wasn't really, but it felt that way.
I sat up and just stared at those thin cracks in the wall. They were like the problems in our family, you could pretend they weren't there from far off, but up close they stared right back.
Maybe that was my cue or something. To finally go.
Didn't pack a lot. Just two shirts, that old book of mine, and some bread from last night wrapped up. No note either. Words in that place never did much good. They just got turned around on you.
Slipped out before the sun was all the way up. Moved through the halls quietly, like I wasn't even there.
Outside the cold hit my face, woke me up for real.
Years since I'd felt that. Not scared at all. More like free, I think.
The road went on forever, alone and empty. Didn't have a plan for where. The only thing clear was that staying put wasn't an option. Sky full of clouds, sun staying hidden, maybe not wanting to see.
My steps sounded too big in all that quiet morning air.
Kept walking for what seemed like hours.
Legs started burning by the old bridge on the edge of town. Stopped there and glanced back just once. The mansion roof was hardly in sight anymore, just a dark spot among the trees.
Like a memory starting to fade already.
Didn't think twice, turned and kept going.
Around midday, things picked up. Passed some farmers going on about the rain, an old lady with apples and these tired eyes, kids running after a dog down the path. Nobody even looked my way.
For once I wasn't that Mark Callen guy.
Just some stranger passing by.
And that brought a kind of peace, sort of.
The sun got lower when this wooden sign showed up in the mist.
WELCOME TO NOCTRYA
The town looked beat up, restless even. Walls with cracks everywhere, streets squeezed narrow. People moved quickly, heads down, shoulders all bunched. Air had this mix of smoke and sweat, plus stuff nobody mentions. A dog barked close by, then a curse cut in sharply.
Noctrya wasn't pretty or anything.
But it had life to it.
I found a bench by the market square, sat and watched. People swap coins for bread, or bread for keeping quiet sometimes. That's when the old man caught my eye, over at the fruit cart.
Beard thin and silver, eyes steady like he'd seen the world and stopped hoping for nice from it.
He asked if I was travelling, and called me a boy.
Yeah, I said. Just through.
Looked at me for a second, then pulled a small brass key from his pocket and put it in my hand.
I need a place to crash, he said. Am down the way.
I frowned a bit. Why bother helping?
He gave this small smile. Because somebody did it for me back when I had nothing.
Didn't wait for more, just turned and whistled off softly.
That night the inn was this crooked spot over a bakery. Walls cracked up, floor groaning underfoot, but the bed was soft, pulling me right down. I fell asleep to Noctrya sounds, voices getting loud, laughs far off, rain hitting the window.
First time in years without dreaming about home.
The next morning came with noise.
The market is already going strong, vendors yelling, metal banging, and the smell of fried fish is everywhere thick. Grabbed a loaf of bread, leaned on a wall and picked at it slowly.
Then this scream sliced right through.
Three guys had a woman pinned by a cart. One shoved her, and they laughed. Folks around just looked off, acted blind.
Something broke loose inside.
Hey, I yelled. Back off from her.
The whole crowd went still.
One turned, face twisted mean. Like who are you supposed to be?
Somebody who gets that hitting a woman is wrong, I said. My voice wobbled some, but I held ground.
He spat on the dirt. Better walk off.
Not moving.
Came at me quickly. First aimed for my face, I dodged a little, but it caught my shoulder. Pain raced down my arm. Pushed him back, made him trip some.
The woman took off running.
Before he could come again, this steady voice broke in.
Enough of that.
A tall guy stepped out from the crowd. Long black coat, neat and still. Stuck out in the market, everybody sensed it.
The three paused.
He said go, quiet like.
They went.
Looked at me, eyes dark and hard to read. You have fire in you. That gets people killed around here.
I don't care for seeing folks hurt, I told him.
He smiled a touch. Then hear this. Too much caring and you vanish in Noctrya.
Then he was just gone.
Like he'd never owned.
Thunder rolled that night, rain pounding hard on the roof. Lay their eyes on the ceiling, his words sticking in my head.
A storm is going wild outside.
But inside, something risky was stirring up.
Whatever secrets Noctrya kept, I'd walked straight in.
No way back now.