Author's Note:
This chapter contains graphic violence, death, and scenes that may be disturbing to some readers. If you're sensitive to these topics, please read with caution.
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The morning sun rose over the small city of Oakhaven like it had done every day for as long as anyone could remember.
Golden light spilled over the rooftops, warming the cobblestone streets, painting the windows in shades of amber and orange. Merchants opened their stalls in the market square, calling out to early customers with practiced enthusiasm.
Children ran through the alleys, laughing, chasing each other, their voices carrying on the gentle breeze.
It was a normal day. A peaceful day. The kind of day that people would look back on and wonder how everything could have gone so wrong so fast.
In a modest house near the center of town, eight-year-old Arthur Vale sat on the front steps, watching the world go by.
