Narukaze perched on the edge of the orphanage roof, legs swinging as he stared at the massive city walls. Beyond them, the ruins of a destroyed city stretched as far as the eye could see, blackened by fire and scarred with craters. Monsters once roamed there, leaving nothing but ash and silence. Even from here, he could feel the danger, the chaos that existed outside the safety of the walls.
Inside the walls, life was controlled and orderly. Guards patrolled, merchants shouted their wares, and children ran through streets filled with laughter. But Narukaze felt invisible, trapped in a cage of safety while the world beyond screamed of power and destruction — a world he was far too weak to survive in.
A commotion below snapped him back. A group of older children had cornered someone smaller, laughing as they tried to snatch their lunch. Without thinking, Narukaze leapt from the roof, landing clumsily but determined. He had no strength, no special skill — only a burning refusal to watch someone weaker suffer.
"Leave him alone!" he shouted, voice trembling but louder than he thought possible.
The bullies turned, smirking, confident in their victory. They shoved him back, laughing at the frail boy daring to challenge them. Narukaze stumbled, sweat and bruises forming, but he didn't retreat. Moments later, the child he defended escaped, and the bullies disappeared, still taunting him.
Breathing hard, bruised and trembling, Narukaze looked back toward the ruined city beyond the walls. That wasteland, with all its monsters and chaos, was terrifying — yet it also stirred something inside him. One day, he thought, he would leave these walls. One day, he would grow strong enough to face that world and survive.
For now, he returned to the orphanage roof, alone, yet with a spark of determination ignited. The weak orphan at the edge of the city was starting to dream.