Reign of Discord

6

The dirty homeless little boy had a lazy day. Indeed, he had many lazy days. The daytime was his time to sulk away from the public, and there was rarely much for him to become occupied with. 

Jayce dragged himself away from his corner alley, perhaps to get away from the newly growing crowd. Sometimes it seemed the loud rush of society was too much for him, and he hated it most when it invaded his previously quiet area. He struggled to find quiet outside, but it didn't matter an awful amount- the loudness inside his mind would never cease.

But Jayce, to his surprise, found a quiet corner, a calming one, like the world came into slow-motion. His eyes wandered and his mind unraveled. This part of town was new to him. The unfamiliarity gave him an air of easiness, and he found a brick wall to lean against, seemingly content with this peace. The stone beneath him hadn't been swept in what seemed like ages, and the houses surrounding him had a rusty eeriness to them. But the quiet was sufficient satisfaction for him, so the scenery was of little importance.

But not to his surprise, came something to disturb this quiet. A thundering boom shook the ground beneath him and the child jolted to his feet, grasping the wall as he searched around him. Seconds later, as his heavy breathing continued harshly, the quake was over. Jayce had never felt an earthquake before, but he figured it wasn't so bad after all.

That assumption was, of course, before he heard muffled yelling, and a cloud of smoke caught his attention: all of it coming from the litter rotten house in his very corner. Was a sliver of tranquility really so much to ask?

But little Jayce was curious, too curious to stay away. If the rumbling caused this, he would be content with the scene. So, wasting no time, Jayce bolted to the window, hoping to catch a glimpse of what was going on. The wooden slabs composing such window were rotten and crumbling, so Jayce had no problem looking in from the street.

The inside of the house was just as rotten as the outside, and it wore its cluttered insides quite proudly. The dark walls were covered in dirt and millions of frames, patches of different colored carpet scattered the floor. Books and scrolls galore, inhabited every corner Jayce caught a glimpse of.

But the yelling continued, Jayce noticed. This curiosity embodied him, and he worried, too, if this yelling man needed help of some kind.

Knowing he couldn't help even if that was the case, Jayce tried pulling open the window, hoping it wouldn't crumble to ash in his grip. Fortunately, at one single light touch, it swung open harshly in the wrong direction, hitting him straight in the nose. Not even muttering an 'ow', he crept in quietly, careful not to be seen. After all, this adventure of his would be cut short if that was the case. And his boredom was painted into a stupid courage in him.

But there was no one in this room, and it was the only room lit. Jayce began backing away towards the window once more before he felt a hand on his shoulder, tugging him the other way.

Twisting to see who it was, Jayce nearly fell over seeing...absolutely no one. He knew the touch was real, and began wondering if perhaps he just had a ferocious imagination. The house was eerily dark, and strange to the point of filling Jayce's body with eager curiosity, leaving out common sense and even fear itself. But he had been pulled towards a dark room further in the corner, and Jayce didn't' think it over before grabbing a lantern from the wall and walking towards it, mind equally lit with this new sensation: excitement.

Further creaking open a large oak door, not without struggle, Jayce wandered in, eyes bulging open and ready for any encounter. The yelling had long since stopped and was now replaced by a low groaning- someone was in pain, now Jayce knew for sure. Dragging his feet to prolong his time before exposure, he had finally ran into the source of the screams.