The sun peeked through the high trees of Lumina Vale, brushing gold across the rooftops and painting warmth onto the stone paths. Birds fluttered between the houses, chirping their endless songs, while the wind rustled the old banners hanging from the school gates.
A small figure darted across the open field behind the northern houses. His arms were spread wide like wings, and his voice echoed out like a trumpet:
"Zoom! I'm the fastest in the world! No one can catch me!"
The boy was five years old, with tangled black hair and a grin that barely fit on his face. His clothes were stained with grass, his knees scraped from a fall he already forgot about. He was Hsyko, the happiest child in Lumina Vale—though, maybe not the cleanest.
A few yards behind him, a ball bounced once, then rolled into a patch of flowers. Hsyko spun around and ran after it.
"Gotta save the mission!" he yelled to no one in particular, diving into the flowers like a hero charging a battlefield.
His voice disappeared for a moment beneath the petals, then popped up again with a triumphant, "Gotcha!"
He stood up, held the ball over his head like it was treasure, and looked around. No one clapped, of course. He had no audience. But Hsyko always imagined one.
"And the crowd goes wild!" he whispered with wide eyes. "'Hsyko wins again! The world's last hope returns victorious!'"
Then he laughed. A loud, silly laugh. The kind only a kid could pull off with full sincerity.
The stone path back home felt warmer than usual. Maybe because he ran so much. Maybe because the sun liked him. He didn't know. He didn't ask.
As he turned the corner, his little feet tapped in rhythm:
"Doop-da-doop, doop-da-doop, I'm home, and I brought the sun!"
The house wasn't big, but it always smelled like fresh herbs and tea. The door creaked when it opened, and before he even saw her, he shouted:
"Mama, I saved the kingdom again!"
From the kitchen came a quiet laugh, soft and comforting. "Is that so? How many kingdoms is that this week, hero?"
"Uhhh… seven? No, eight! Because yesterday's was double!"
Lira Hoshima stepped out from the kitchen, wiping her hands on a cloth. Her long hair was tied back, and her smile was the kind that could stop a storm.
"Then my little king must be hungry after all that saving. Sit. I'll get your favorite."
He hopped onto the cushion like it was a throne. "Yeah! But Mama… next time, can I bring a sword? I need a real one if I'm gonna fight sky monsters."
She laughed again, placing a warm bowl in front of him. "Maybe when you're six."
"Deal!"
He started eating with loud, exaggerated slurps. She watched him, resting her chin in her hand, eyes distant for a moment.
There were no sky monsters. Not here. Not now. But one day…
She blinked away the thought.
Later, the wind picked up. Hsyko stood on the roof again, arms spread like always.
"If I fly long enough, I'll reach the moon!" he declared.
"And what'll you do there?" a passing gardener asked.
"I'll say hi, then teach them how to eat noodles!"
The gardener chuckled, shaking his head. Hsyko stood tall against the wind, eyes bright.
He didn't know what he was.
He didn't know what slept inside his small frame.
He only knew the wind felt good, the sky was wide, and tomorrow had more games waiting.
And for now that was enough.