"Hey, come here," a voice whispered. Footsteps raced across the stone as laughter echoed against the nearby walls. "Look!" the voice continued. One by one, several heads slowly rose above the ledge. Five children, each peeking over a fence, scanned the scene below. The furthest to the right shuffled, his striped shirt shimmering in the sun.
"Over there." His voice was low. "Okay, guys, we have to be very careful this time, alright?" They looked at him and nodded. The striped kid spoke again. "Daichi, Ralma, you two take the left side. We'll go this way." They nodded once more, then took off.
Below them, an old dagashi store stood like a fortress of sweets and sugar. Their mission? A heist. Operation Candyall. The two boys, Daichi and Ralma, would distract the fort guards, while he and Demiro would sneak through the open castle gates and seize the crown. But this was no ordinary mission. The very fate of the children of this land depended on this heist, and these boys would not let them down.
Daichi pressed his back against the wall, with Ralma following shortly after. "Be careful, Daichi," Ralma whispered. "Don't worry about me, Ralma. Just make sure you don't fall!" The boys edged across a thin ledge around the castle walls. Below them stretched the ocean, vast, oppressive, and filled with monsters of the deep. Daichi took a breath. He was about to make the jump. The jump. The one that had ruined the mission last time, the one that had nearly cost him his life. There's no going back now.
He looked ahead. The Castle Bridge was just a few feet away. He held his breath. Behind him, Ralma froze, his own breath caught in his throat. This was it. Daichi bent his knees, gathering every ounce of energy. This time, he would make it. This time, he would activate his VX Pathways. And so, he jumped.
Meanwhile, Demiro raised his head, his brown hair flaring uncontrollably. "Hey, Demiro, I see it!" his partner called. "Come on already!" The two had scaled the castle roof, avoiding all surveillance, and now they had reached the castle gates. But the mission had only just begun. Demiro looked down. Two guards patrolled the castle entrance. Then they heard it.
"Heeey~"
Demiro paused. The two castle guards turned to face the strange voice. Across the castle bridge stood two women clothed in light pink robes. Their hair hung below their chins, covering their faces. The guards stood still at first, confused, then they moved. Like pawns on a chessboard, there was no rhythm in their motions, only the inevitable closure of distance. Demiro climbed down, the striped boy followed soon after.
"Okay, this is our chance, Demiro!" They hid behind the castle gate, their heads popping out from its edges. The two women down the bridge danced and waved. "Yoo-hoo!" one of them called. "Wow, two strong men!" Demiro paused, glancing at the first woman, then the second. Both stood at an incredible height of three feet. He dropped to his knees and giggled. The two boys couldnât help but watch as the women danced and sang. Their mistake.
"OI, OI, OI!"
The laughter stopped. Their smiles vanished, replaced with wide, open mouths and wide, open eyes. "Oh no..." Demiro whispered. The striped boy turned slowly, trembling more with every second. Then he saw it. The King of the fortress. The ruler of candy.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Daichi continued to dance, the guards slowly approaching them. "Oi, Ralma." Ralma tilted his head slightly. "What?" he replied. Daichi looked at him. "..."
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN WHAT?! THEY'RE GETTING CLOSE!"
Ralma paused. "Hmm... Then there's only one thing left to do," he said. Daichi blinked. Confusion washed over his face. The plan hadnât gone this far, so what could Ralma possibly have in mind? Before he could ask, Ralma answered. "Okay... so the plan is very simple." Daichi leaned in, his heart racing. The guards were close, the mission over. If he couldnât think of something fast, thenâ
Ralma said it. "RUN!"
Daichi froze as Ralmaâs shadow zipped past him. There was no time to think before two more shadows zipped by. He turned around. "Demiro... M-" But before the thought could fully arrive, a presence manifested behind him. He turned and screamed. "WHATTT!" Without hesitation, he dashed across the gate, chasing after the others. They had been caught. But they werenât being chased by the guards, no. They were being chased by the King himself.
In the centre of a small village stood a diner where locals gathered for food and ale. Outside, a woman sat. She had decided to rest for a few minutes, a breath between screams. She closed her eyes as the sounds of passing locals, marching horses, and singing birds echoed around her. Each one was normal. Expected. Except one. The laughter of children. She always waited for it before heading back inside. Today would be no different.
Then she heard it.
"RUN, DEMIRO!"
"I am!" another voice called.
The voices of children filled her heart. She smiled. A simple job, a simple life. She stood as the children ran past, their bright faces glimmering in the sunlight. Quietly, she turned and stepped back into her shop.
An hour later, a man blurted, "Hey, you!" His voice was tinged with confusion. Another stood, equally puzzled. "I won this challenge fair and square!" he said, swaying as he struggled to stay upright. His words hit the faces of those nearby like spilled ale. A third man rose. "Hey, you just spat on me..." Now, two men stood face to face. The first one, the one who had started it all, stood off to the side, blinking. Wait... why was I standing up again? He sat back down. The diner fell silent. Eyes shifted to the two remaining men.
"It's about to begin," someone whispered.
From the back kitchen, the woman emerged. She had heard the raised voices but hadnât expected this. Her eyes widened. One of the men towered over her, nearly double her size. The other, barely taller than she was. She hesitated, then lunged for the flap door that separated the kitchen from the main floor. She had to stop them. Even though she was small and fragile, even though she was running straight into danger, she didnât hesitate. If no one stepped in, the smaller man might not make it out alive.
But fate had other plans. The front door slid open. Golden light spilt across the floor. The grass outside shimmered. Everyone turned, blinded for a moment by the glow. The woman shielded her eyes. Then she looked up. The world had changed. The two men now sat drinking in silence, as if nothing had happened. An old man was seated nearby, gently adjusting his cane. Nobody reacted. Nobody stared. Nobody cared. It was as though she had imagined it all.
She staggered slightly, then steadied herself. I'll just... She paused. I'll see if he needs anything. Just part of her normal routine. Maybe she was imagining things. "I'll see my doctor after work," she whispered to herself, walking toward the elderly man. As she approached, she scanned him instinctively. An older gentleman, short hair, an old cane.
"Good morning, sir. What would you like?" Her voice was calm and soft, no longer in shock, for now. The elderly man turned and offered a faint smile. "Any soft drink will do, dear. Thank you." His voice was warm. Gentle. She smiled. "Okay, sir." She turned to walk toward the kitchen, then paused. Something caught her eye. Tucked into the right pocket of his jacket was a strip of cloth, torn and striped. She froze. It looked familiar. But there was no time to think. She continued to the kitchen, back to her job. A single life in the cosmos, unimportant, insignificant, just another ant in the colony. One part of something greater.