Tom wasn't the type to be overly concerned when he saw someone crying, even if it was the most beautiful girl in the village. But tonight was different. The distress etched on her face was palpable, and he couldn't ignore it any longer. Gathering his courage, he climbed out of the window and made his way over to her. The cool night breeze refreshed his senses, washing away any lingering tiredness. He decided to give her a moment to calm down before speaking.
After a few peaceful moments, he gently asked, "What happened that you're out here at such a late hour?"
She turned to him, her eyes glistening with tears that threatened to spill over. "They took my sister," she replied, her voice trembling. Tom's brow furrowed in confusion; everyone was nearby, so he couldn't see the problem. "Yes, I know that, but why are you crying?"
"A royal knight came to our home," she explained, her voice cracking. "He told us that starting today, my sister will be staying in the capital, and we are not allowed to visit her." Tom's expression darkened as he absorbed her words, a sinking feeling forming in his gut. "Is that really what they told you?"
"Yes," Laura confirmed, her anguish evident. "He said she has been chosen for a very important position and is no longer a commoner. Because of that, we, as commoners, are forbidden to have any contact with her." The weight of her words pressed heavily on her chest, and she struggled to hold back her sobs. "My family is in chaos. My mother fainted when she heard the news, so we had to call for a doctor. Meanwhile, my father went to speak with the village chief to figure out what exactly happened. I came here because I needed someone to talk to."
Laura's emotions poured out of her like a river overflowing its banks, and her cries echoed in the stillness of the night. Tom sat beside her, offering silent support as she let her feelings flow. He felt a mix of sorrow and concern for her and her family, but alongside that, his thoughts turned toward his best friend. He couldn't shake the worry gripping his heart; he truly hoped that Liana was safe. If it turned out she was in danger, he resolved to embark on a journey to the capital—no matter the risks involved—to make sure she was okay.
Meanwhile, Laura calmed down and looked at Tom. "Are you okay now?" he asked her. "A little better now."
Sometimes a person needs someone else to calm them down and comfort them in difficult moments. But in reality, most people don't have anyone to calm them down, at least not in a world as difficult as theirs. Laura was very lucky that Tom loved her because he wouldn't have treated any other person who would have bothered him like that in the middle of the night, even if it was Liana, and would have even chased them away.
"Don't worry, I'll try to find out for myself what happened to Liana, and even if it turns out that everything the knight told you was a cover for something bigger, I'll try to help as much as I can." He knew he couldn't do anything, but he tried to calm her down anyway. "Thank you very much," Laura said. "But I need to ask you something," Tom said. "Why did you come here and not go to your close friends?"
Laura took a deep breath, her heart rate slowly returning to normal, and turned her gaze towards Tom. "Are you okay now?" he asked gently, concern etched on his face. "I'm feeling a little better now," she admitted, a small sigh escaping her lips.
In moments of distress, people often seek comfort from those they trust, yet, in a world as harsh as theirs, many find themselves alone. Laura realized how fortunate she was to have Tom by her side; his presence was a balm for her troubled spirit. He loved her deeply, which made all the difference. She knew he wouldn't have extended the same kindness to anyone else who might have disrupted his peace in the dead of night—not even Liana. He might have chased them away without a second thought.
"Don't worry," Tom said, a reassuring tone in his voice. "I'll do my best to find out what happened to Liana. Even if it turns out that the knight's story was a mere cover for something much more significant, I promise I'll help you however I can." Despite knowing that he might be powerless to change things, he wanted to provide her with comfort and reassurance.
"Thank you so much," Laura replied, her voice steadying as she squeezed his hand, grateful for his support. "But I need to ask you something," Tom continued, his brow furrowing with curiosity. "Why did you come here instead of reaching out to your close friends for help?"
The question was perfectly understandable given the circumstances. The Kay family lived quite a distance from the Moon family, and Tom was not even close to being the same age as Laura. There was no obvious reason for her to seek him out, especially considering that he was merely Liana's friend.
"Um… I…" Laura began, her voice faltering as anxiety washed over her. The truth was that every time she felt a wave of sadness, an overwhelming urge compelled her to find Tom. His presence had an uncanny ability to calm her racing heart and soothe her troubled mind. It was a well-guarded secret: Tom was the boy she had fallen deeply in love with. Despite trying to signal her feelings to him, she lacked the courage to confess outright, and no matter how much she hoped he would pick up on her hints, he seemed completely unaware of her affections.
Moreover, Laura harbored a significant fear of Liana, her sister. Liana was not only in love with Tom but was also fiercely protective and possessive of her feelings. Laura knew that if Liana discovered her secret, it would create a storm of conflict that she wasn't prepared to handle.
"It doesn't matter," Tom said, his tone thoughtful "Just go back to your house, and we can talk about it another time."
With a heavy heart, Laura turned and descended the staircase quietly, her mind swirling with conflicting emotions as she made her way home. Tom watched her retreating figure, a deep sigh escaping his lips. 'This must have something to do with that mysterious ball,' he mused, his thoughts racing. 'Let's hope that annoying nun didn't kidnap them for some bizarre experimental purposes.' With that troubling thought still lingering in his mind, he finally settled into bed, drifting off to sleep with unanswered questions tugging at the edges of his consciousness.
-------------------
The next morning, Tom's mother woke him up urgently. "The village head has asked everyone to report to the main square," she said.
"Why? What happened?" Tom asked, still groggy.
"It's about Liana and John; I heard they were taken to the capital."
Tom quickly dressed and walked with his parents to the main square.
"I'm curious about the urgency," Mr. Kay said, muttering angrily to himself.
"How dare you say that?" his wife scolded him. "We're talking about children who have been forcibly separated from their families."
"Ah," he grumbled, "who wouldn't be upset when their day off is ruined?" His parents continued to argue as they walked.
When they arrived, they found several families had already gathered, including the Moon family. Tom's parents spoke with Liana's parents, sharing updates and various bits of news. Meanwhile, Laura turned to Tom and whispered, "From what I gathered from my father, the village chief spoke to messengers from the capital. They told him something that he felt needed to be shared with the entire village."
The entire village gathered in the square, and the headman stood up to address them. "Yesterday, an incident occurred that, on one hand, filled us with immense pride and, on the other, created quite a problem," he began, looking at the villagers with a displeased expression. Half of them, mainly the men, responded with similar looks of frustration, annoyed that he was ruining their day off. He sighed and continued, "This incident involved John and Lyanna impressing the head nun herself—something that has never happened in our village. Even in places where such things do occur, like the capital, it is exceptionally rare. This achievement brings great pride to our community.
However, the people in the capital tried to take all the good things for themselves, which could sever the ties between the village and our children."
Murmurs began to ripple through the crowd as people whispered various comments. The headman then banged his fist on the stand in front of him, speaking with clear anger, "Of course, I wouldn't let that happen. I told them that if they tried to cut off our connection, we would halt the mining work. This threat was enough to convince them to agree that the parents could visit their children at any time."
He took a moment to calm down, sipping water from a glass beside him. "I won't allow any of our villagers to be harmed, so I called you all here to prepare for a potential halt to the mining if they do not honor the agreement."
The village headman concluded the meeting, and a palpable sense of relief spread across the faces of John and Liana's families, who had been anxiously awaiting the outcome. To take advantage of the gathering, the villagers seized the moment to share a series of important announcements. Among them, Mr. Bloom, the head miner, stood up to deliver a crucial message: he needed all kids who had received a mining profession to come to the mine and begin their mining studies.
This request was rather unusual; typically, students would complete their coursework at school and then start working in the mines the following year. However, the situation warranted this swift action. In the past year, an unusually high number of seasoned miners had retired, leaving a substantial gap in the workforce. At the same time, many local children had received a mining professio . By urging these new miners to start immediately, Mr. Bloom aimed not only to address the urgent labor shortage but also to provide the students with hands-on experience earlier than expected, ensuring a smoother transition into their future roles. The villagers understood the necessity behind this decision.
Mr. Bloom was one of the oldest men in the village, around 130 years old. He had been in the mining business for so long that he eventually became the head miner, a position he had held since he was 80. Because of his great age, the villagers treated him with the respect he deserved and listened to everything he said. He had inherited this position from the original Tom Kay, who had lived to be 170 years old, and was known to be our Tom's great-grandfather.
"So it all worked out in the end," said Tom.
"Yes," replied Laura, feeling relieved but holding a secret close to her heart. The village chief had informed them before the meeting that only the parents would be able to visit John and Liana; John and Liana would not be able to visit the village. Although this was somewhat annoying, Laura felt a deep sense of relief within.
Once all the announcements were over, the village head released everyone to their tasks, and Tom said goodbye to Laura. He noticed she might be sad about not being able to see Liana in the near future, and he sympathized with her, as Liana was a good friend. So, he gave her a light hug and reassured her that everything would be okay. Laura smiled, but her smile was for a completely different reason.
After everyone else had said their goodbyes, Tom's father called to him, "Listen, since Mr. Bloom decided you have to work today, how about I take you to see him right now? It might help you get to know him better for the future."
"Sounds good," said Tom. "Do you think he would answer my questions about great-grandfather?"
"Of course," his father replied, giving him a strong pat on the back. "He will gladly tell you anything you want to know."