The boy raced, his legs quickly picking up speed. His senses, alerted. He was quickly snapped away from his slumber mood, even with the midnight's "sun" shining so lovingly.

His purple hair was still unruly from bed, and it shook quite a bit, but it didn't matter to him. All he cared about was that there was an intruder in his and his family's house and that he needed to get away as soon as possible.

Perhaps, by staying in someone else's house can he feel more safe. It wouldn't put them in danger, right?

No. If he knocked on their doors–anyone's door–it'll surely wake them up. And with a conscious person will be a warning flag. Protection. Shelter.

To not get captured. Or whatever the man did. The boy saw him hold a blood-covered knife, after all.

So, briskly, he knocked on each door. Knock, knock!

The first door opened to a woman with bright auburn-colored curls and a mole on her face. She grunted with a curmudgeonly, agitated-stuck face and slammed the door on him, saying that he "disrupted her sleep" and that "he should feel ashamed for such pranks, why can't you act mature already since you can walk on your own?!".

The boy watched helplessly as she shut the door on him. BANG!

Next was his attempt at a tall, narrowed-eyed man who just grumbled before the boy managed to hear the first word.

Racing, feet quickly lifting on the sidewalk, the boy kept racing and knocking and getting rejected by every door. He could feel the man's footsteps vibrate on the cobblestone path.

He was just lucky that he didn't see him nearby.

Then he knocked on a one-story house. It was in the Oceanuris Market, where people would shop in the daytime. A little cart stood outside, quite empty of any goods.

The boy glanced around and knocked. His stomach squirmed and he bit his lip as he kept peeking left and right. And left and right again.

I hope that man lost track of me. He literally had blood on his knife! Did he kill my parents? The boy bit his lip at the thought. Either way, I can't go back in.

The door slowly creaked open as a middle aged woman appeared behind the door. She wasn't the tallest–not compared to the man from the other door, though the people of Oceanuris were naturally shorter. She had curly hair, the color of peaches, cantaloupe, and light autumn leaves, and wore a long dress stretching to her ankles in a rather apple-like, saturated yet slightly pale shade of red, with white laces tracing the edges like a cupcake liner. There was a white yarn that was tied neatly around her waist. She gave a warm smile to the boy.

"Hello, how may I help you?"

"Hi miss! Sorry to bother you but I think there was a man who broke into my famil''s house and he might've killed my parents and so I need a place to stay!" He spilled out.

"Oh, really?" The woman's eyebrows jumped, not out of skepticism.

"Now where did he go?" A shadow figure tiptoed in the night. "I gotta make this quick..."

The woman examined the area. Her mouth slightly hung.

"Okay, then." She hushed her voice. "Quick, get in!"

The boy raced in as the woman shut the door, a click sound from the lock.

"What was that?" The woman asked him.

"I don't know! But I think he was out for me!" The boy was greeted to a warmly lit room, by the Youmlay berries glowing inside their clear, glass jars. And there was a small table with two seats made of wood, with clean bowls sitting atop it. Meanwhile, the cupboards held some creations. A ceramic sword, some painted rocks and cups. Another cupboard held some books, a thousand words and two hundred pages encased in leather and silky bookmarks.

The woman glanced at the door and shook her head before smiling at the boy.

"Well, then. You can stay here for as long as you like." She told him.

He let out a sigh, a full breath in and out as his heart slowed to a walking pace. "Thank you. With that man, I actually think I'll be with you guys for a long time." He responded with a smile, examining the room.

"I only have two beds. You can sleep in my son Heski's bed in his bedroom. Just make sure to leave the Youmlay berry glowing." The woman poured a glass of water from a jug and handed it to the purple-haired boy. "And you can just call me Nai Idinci. What may your name be?"

"Kario. Kario Wiln. And thank you, for letting me stay." Kario drank from the glass as the Youmlay light glowed on him. He smiled, glad to find shelter to stay and a family who can look after him, after the sudden disaster with his own. Though it made his stomach pinch, he was glad to find this welcoming, warm place.

And there was his new home.