The city's heat had not lessened. It pressed down on them like an invisible weight. Luca could see it in the way Mira's steps dragged and Alec leaned more heavily against him.
They had nowhere to go.
Luca looked around the street until he spotted a narrow gap between two houses, a sliver of shade cast by leaning walls.
"Let's rest here for a bit," he said, guiding them to sit.
The stone beneath them was warm, but it wasn't as scorching as the sunbaked roads. Alec leaned back against the wall. Mira curled beside him, her small hands resting on her knees.
"I'll be right back," Luca told them, brushing a hand through their hair. "Don't move from here. I'll find something for us to eat."
They nodded without complaint.
Luca's stomach twisted painfully as he stepped back into the street. The crowd flowed past him like a river he couldn't swim in.
He found a corner shop tucked into the side of the road. The scent of fried batter and stale sweets clung to the wooden stall. Behind it stood a thin man with narrow eyes and a sharp expression.
Luca approached and opened the small pouch. He laid the coins on the counter.
The shopkeeper glanced at them, then at Luca. "That's all?"
Luca nodded. "Anything, please."
The man sniffed and scraped together a few candies from a jar. He slid them across the counter without a word, scooping the coins into his hand.
"Thank you," Luca said quietly.
The man didn't respond.
Luca walked back with the candies cupped carefully in both hands. Alec and Mira looked up as he returned.
"I got these," he said, crouching beside them.
But Alec shook his head. "You eat them, brother. We're not that hungry."
Mira nodded. "We're okay."
They were lying. Their eyes lingered on the candies.
Luca stared at them for a moment, his chest aching. Then he pulled them both into his arms.
"You little fools," he whispered, voice trembling.
Mira pressed her face into his shoulder, and Alec gripped his shirt tightly. The tears came without warning. All three of them cried but not from pain.
Luca held them until their tears faded.
They shared the candies after all, biting slowly, letting the sweetness melt on their tongues like it was something sacred. It wasn't much, but it quieted the gnawing ache for a little while.
Then, Luca looked toward the street.
He stood up and dusted off his hands. "Stay here," he said gently. "I'll be back soon."
Alec blinked. "Where are you going?"
"To find help," Luca said.
He didn't know what he'd do yet. But something had to be done.