In a small village where he's always been an outsider, seventeen-year-old Feji discovers a strange artifact that awakens something powerful-and dangerous-within him. As he struggles to understand his new abilities, shadows from the past begin to sti...
Minos sat quietly on the wooden stool outside his modest house, his shoulders hunched, eyes fixed on the dusty ground in front of him. The weight of life had taken its toll; the barren fields and the endless struggle had worn him down. As he sat there, lost in his thoughts, he heard familiar voices approaching. His friends, Enyiazu and Ike, had come to visit.
"Minos!" Enyiazu called out cheerfully, his tone doing little to mask the fatigue in his voice. The men greeted each other, and after a few exchanged pleasantries, they settled into their seats beside Minos, each exhaling deeply, as if even sitting down brought a sense of relief.
After a moment, Enyiazu leaned forward, his tone dropping to a serious note. "Alright, Minos. Let's get down to business."
Minos frowned, confusion knitting his brows. "What do you mean,?"
Ike sighed, casting a glance toward the fields beyond the house. "This village is not helping us, Minos," he said. "We're suffering, all of us, and we need a way out. We can't keep living like this."
Minos let out a heavy sigh, nodding in agreement. "I know. The farm hasn't been yielding much. There's barely enough to go around. But... what do you two have in mind?"
Enyiazu leaned in, his eyes darting as if wary of eavesdroppers. "Listen, Minos. I've been meaning to tell you about something I saw a few weeks ago. There's an old shrine, abandoned, sitting on the outskirts of the village. I came across it on my way back from hunting. No one's been there in years, and there are valuable items left behind, just lying around."
Minos's eyes widened, and he looked sharply at Enyiazu. "Are you suggesting... we rob the shrine?" His voice was low, but there was a hint of anger in it.
Enyiazu shrugged, unbothered. "Is it really robbing if no one owns it? The shrine is abandoned. No one even remembers it's there. All we'd be doing is collecting things that would only go to waste."
Ike, who had been listening silently, added, "Minos, would you rather starve to death while all that stuff just sits there? We could sell it, make enough to get by for a while."
Minos shook his head, struggling with the suggestion. "No. I'm not going to steal-not even from an old shrine. We're not that desperate. And I don't want to hear any more about this," he said, his voice firm but weary.
Just then, a young voice called out, piercing the tense silence. Minos looked up to see his son, Feji, racing toward him, his little face beaming with joy, his laughter filling the air as he ran, shouting, "Papa! Papa!"
The moment melted Minos's tension. He smiled, opening his arms as Feji ran into them, clutching his father's neck in a tight hug. Minos lifted him up, his expression softening. "Feji! How was your sleep, my boy?"
Feji giggled, his small hands patting his father's cheek. "It was good, Papa!"
Minos turned to his friends, Feji still in his arms. "I appreciate you both, truly. But let's leave that matter where it belongs-in the past." He nodded firmly, signaling the end of the conversation.
Enyiazu and Ike looked at each other but gave Minos a respectful nod. "We understand" Ike said. "We'll leave it alone."
With that, the two men stood, bidding Minos farewell, and Minos watched as they walked back down the path, talking as they went.
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