EON

Eon stopped going to school after his parents separated. He never knew the real reason behind their separation. All he knew was that his mother had left him in the care of his aunt. At first, everything seemed fine. His aunt's family welcomed him and treated him as one of their own. But as the years passed, things slowly changed. His mother stopped sending money, and the family's kindness toward Eon began to fade. They often took their anger out on him, even when he had done nothing wrong. Eventually, even being hurt by them became something he had grown used to. Eon couldn't take it anymore. One day, he decided to leave. He had no money, no job, and nowhere to go. He didn't know what awaited him outside, but he knew one thing: he could no longer stay there. That night, Eon found himself beneath a bridge. The air was cold, and his stomach growled from hunger. With nowhere else to go, he sat in a corner and tried to rest. Just as he was about to close his eyes, a loud shout broke the silence. “Thief! Catch him!” Eon looked up and saw a man running away while several people chased after him. Without thinking twice, Eon stood up and ran after the thief. He was already exhausted, but he kept going. His legs grew heavier with every step, and his vision slowly began to blur. He tried to push himself a little farther. But his body could no longer keep up. Eon stumbled and fell to the ground. He tried to get back up, but he had no strength left. Moments later, everything went dark. --- The next morning, Eon slowly opened his eyes. He stared at the unfamiliar ceiling, confused. A soft blanket covered his body, and a pillow rested beneath his head. This wasn't the bridge. He slowly sat up and looked around. He was inside a small house with simple furniture and old belongings. “Where am I?” he murmured. Before he could ask anything else, a man approached him. “Oh, you're awake.” The man smiled and placed a piece of bread nearby. “Have some breakfast first.” Eon stared at the bread for a moment before taking it. He was so hungry that he began eating almost immediately. After a while, the man sat beside him. “What's your name?” “Eon,” he answered quietly. “I'm Elias.” Eon looked at him, still unsure of what was happening. Elias explained that he had seen Eon chasing a thief the previous night. When Eon collapsed, Elias brought him home instead of leaving him there. “Why did you help me?” Eon asked. Elias simply smiled. “I couldn't just leave you there.” Eon fell silent. He wasn't used to someone helping him without expecting anything in return. For now, he didn't know who Elias was or why a stranger had taken him in. But at least, for the first time since leaving his aunt's house, he had somewhere safe to rest.