“I-is it really okay for you to come with me?”

The little girl’s hand was slightly trembling. She couldn’t blame her. Anyone would feel overwhelmed at the sight in front of them. A mix of chaos and poverty, separated from them with one big iron fence, loomed at the edges of the third district. Rose saw many whose brittle bones could break at any time, or whose limbs had not endured the rough environment. And those were not only unique to adults. She saw children, peeking from afar, in a similar condition as their parents or townsmen. It was a truly horrifying sight, especially for someone who hadn’t been confronted with this cruel reality before.

The people were fighting, praying, pleading and screaming. Some begged for mercy and cupped their skeleton-like hands, hoping to receive food or money to help them through the day. Some balled their fists and actively protested against the inequality and demanded to give back their freedom. Others just silently crawled against the iron bars with their last remaining energy. In this cesspool, it was the only remaining hope they could cling to.

“I’m okay, thanks Ana. How about you?”

It was not a lie. Despite the dreadful condition these people were in, which made her heart ache out of pity, and her innate desire to help them out, she felt abnormally calm. It was as if her body was already used to this, even though she had no memory of it.

The trembling in Ana’s hand had stopped. Rose was sure the shock from the day before was probably still lingering in the back of her mind. She was sure this sight must’ve been disturbing to her, despite the fact that she had grown up in this place. From what she’d heard, she had been living away from this place for a while. Coming back here must feel like making a rough, almost impossible climb out of a deep, dark hole, only to jump straight back in it when reaching the exit.

Yet, she kept her calm. Rose was clearly not the only one who had found her determination the day before. No matter the bumps along the road, they had to get past them to reach their goal.

“Me too. As long as miss Flori is here, everything is going to be okay, right?”

Rose smiled and patted the girl’s head to comfort her.

“Yes, everything is going to be alright! Leave it to miss Flori!”

“Hehe…”

A cute, genuine smile warmed Rose’s heart. How could she not want to protect this strong but innocent girl?

“Are you two ready?” A guard asked.

Both Rose and Ana nodded.

“As I’m sure you have been told, we will guide you past the entrance and this… crowd. From there, everything is up to you. We are not allowed to go inside the district for any other reason than guidance, so your own safety and wellbeing is entirely in your own hands.”

“I understand.”

“Ah and if you don’t mind, tell them to tune it down a bit, will you? They’ve become especially active the last couple of days. The other guards and I can’t even talk in peace because all the rowdiness…”

Rose did not know what to answer on that.

The guard guided them towards the front, and threatened the crowd while aggressively slashing air in front of him with his sword. A few other guards joined up with him and drew their swords. Their gestures had a great effect on the horde, which dispersed upon seeing the naked metal. The guards opened the gates and walked down the street with the two girls, until they had left the chaos far behind them. Deeper inside the district, everyone quickly stormed inside a house or an alley when they neared, their eyes filled with deep fear.

The guards stopped. One held out his sword in front of Rose. She knew she was meant to take it, but she politely declined. The last thing she wanted to do, was to cause even more pain for these people.

“We’ll be alright.”

“…Alright then, if you say so. Don’t blame it on us if anything happens to you… Either way, this is as far as we can go. From here, you’re completely up to your own. When you get back, make your way to the gate and we’ll let you back out. Good luck.”

With those final words, the guards disappeared back in the direction of the gate.

…

“So… where do we go?” Rose asked Ana impatiently. Her back was burning with countless unfamiliar gazes, making her feel extremely uncomfortable. Her body begged to leave this place as quickly as possible.

“Uhm... Let’s see…”

Shortly after, Ana pulled Rose through the maze of alleys and streets. The scenario around them repeated itself endlessly. Old houses, which were only a breeze away from completely crumbling. Alleyways stacked with trash and filth, filling the air with the stench of rot and decay. Adults and children alike, whose bodies had been wearied out from being underfed and had been damaged by the predatory lifestyle.

Rose stopped a few times to help collapsed people, lying on the cold, hard bricks, out. But most of the times, she had to draw the same terrible conclusion: they had long since stopped being among the living. Once she tried calling out for help, but nobody moved. They were all just spectators to her actions, nothing more. They had grown too accustomed to people dying on the streets, and had stopped caring about them long ago. After all, how could they help others, while they could barely help themselves survive…

One time, she saw a glimpse of a little boy peering through a broken window, clearly unfazed by the sight of a dead body. It was the sad reality these children had come to accept…

…Just like Ana. She recalled the story Lance had told her a couple of days ago. The girl had grown up in this place, between all the horror and despair. She had ultimately lost her parents, and was left alone in this place. She must’ve been afraid and scared. She must’ve gotten scars way deeper than anyone could heal. She must’ve thought about giving up plenty of times.

Ana hadn’t complained once after entering the city. Despite being confronted with her past, she had clearly taken it all in and confronted it. Even though her emotions were probably desperately trying to crawl their way outside, she kept them all in check. She was, no doubt, a very strong girl. Stronger than most outside these walls could ever dream to be…

A bit later they arrived at a desolated place at the edge of the third district. It was almost evening, and the sun was already disappearing behind the walls. The last sunlight gave an eerie sense of comfort in this god-forsaken place. It was like a ray of hope, showing that no matter how deep the light has sunk, it will always be present. No matter how dark a place gets at night, the sun will always return at dawn. That was what Rose truly believed.

The whole area in front of them was filled with small stones. Some were decorated with tiny, colorful flowers, others were entirely desolated. Most of the stones had some carvings in them, displaying the name of the one who was buried beneath.

The whole place was completely empty, except for one man. His eyes were closed, and his hands were held in a prayer-like formation. In front of the grave at his feet, laid a fancy bouquet, completely out of place. Ana suddenly got very uneasy.

“M-mister, who are you?”

 “Hmmm?” The man opened his eyes and turned towards them.

“Oh, hello there, I didn’t see you coming. It’s rare to find other folks in this area. Well, don’t mind me too much, I’m just a passerby giving my regards to some old friends.”

“You knew mom and dad?”

“Hmmm? Wait, are you… Little Ana? Oh, how could I not have seen that! Man, you’ve grown so much since the last time I saw you. Ahahaha!”

His calm composure from before, had turned a complete 180. His voice had turned so brusque and loud that Rose’s eardrums were ringing.

“Who are you? I don’t remember you…”

“Ah, of course you don’t. Last time I saw you, you were only two years old after all. Sorry, let me introduce myself! I’m Ludwig, one of your dad’s old colleagues and friends.”

Ana’s hand was squeezing Rose’s. She was clearly not convinced yet. Probably the man’s thunderous personality wasn’t helping much either. Rose decided to guide the conversation, and let Ana calm down a bit.

“Hello Ludwig, my name is Flori. I am Ana’s friend and guard today. I know it might be presumptuous, but could you give her a moment alone with her family? We can always talk after.”

“Oh… Of course! How could I be so inconsiderate. I have a few other old friends to visit, so I’ll make my way to them…”

Ludwig got ready to leave, but before he did, he said one more thing with a muffled voice. Rose could barely understand him.

“I’m truly glad you’re still alive and well, Ana. I had heard the rumors, but I couldn’t believe it until now. Your old man and woman would be proud of you…”

After that, he left. Despite being a complete stranger, his final words had definitely made an impact on the girl, as her eyes were watering and her hands were shaking. Rose patted her on her head to calm her down, and she smiled in return.

“Thank you, Flori. I’m not crying, see…” The moment she said those words, a tear fell down from her face. The flowers in front of her parents’ grave caught it gracefully and guided it to the earth below, as if they were carrying her feelings towards their souls.

Ana took something out of her pocket and placed it in front of the small gravestone. It was a small stone cat figure, a miniature version of the one they’d seen when they’d entered the city. It seemed Ana had gone and bought one from the shop as a remembrance to her parents.

“You know… My mom was a big fan of animals. Whenever she saw an underfed cat, or dog, or any other animal on the streets, she would bring it home and care for it until it got back onto its feet. They were very thankful and would pass by almost every day to see us. After some time there were so many of them living near our home, that our place was sometimes called the ‘Animal Magnet’. When dad was gone to work, my mom and I played a lot with them. My favorite was Doodles: she was a small, black cat which always sneaked into my room at night. She was so soft, I sometimes even used her as a pillow. I wonder how she’s doing right now…”

Ana looked down at the grave while reliving her happy memories.

“Even though my dad was not a big fan of them initially, he grew accustomed to them over time. Sometimes, after work, he would join us and all three of us would play with them together. It might be strange but, despite living in this place, we were happy…”

 “I loved my mom and my dad. They always tried their best for me, no matter how childlike or spoiled I acted. If they were here now, I’m sure they would be holding me in their arms and patting me on the head and saying how they much they have missed me. And I would tell them I missed them even more! Then, all of us would go to our house and play with Doodles and the other animals, just like before…”

“Ana…” Rose tried to comfort the girl, but she didn’t seem to notice her. She got caught inside a tsunami of memories, and was trying her best not to drown.

“Mom, dad, I wish you were here, so I could hug you and tell you all the stories I’ve been through… I wish you could tell me I’m doing great, when you see how much I have grown and improved… I wish I could play with you one more time, so we could laugh and smile together with all our little friends around us… I wish you could’ve met mister Lance, or miss Flori. I’m sure you would’ve liked them a lot, since they’re always good for me! I wish we could go on an adventure together somewhere far away, where there are no walls keeping us locked up or evil people threatening us. I wish we could live in a small house in some quiet village, maybe a farm so we could take all the animals with us. I… I…”

Rose silently watched the girl declaring her innocent dreams, which couldn’t be fulfilled any longer. From what she’s heard, Ana’s never had the chance to properly say goodbye. She’s never had the chance to stand in front of their remains, and tell them how she truly felt. Before she could do that, she had been plucked away from this district, and got locked out with the intention of protection. But in her mind, she had never left this place. That’s why she had to come back. So she finally break those chains and leave her past behind. So she could finally start chasing her dreams without regrets.

Her story was not unique. This district seemed to carry the weight of too many tragedies. From talking with the maids and guards, it seemed Ana’s story was just one of many. And it was not only the third district citizens that were affected by this. She remembered the malicious man they had encountered the day before. He had claimed his spiteful actions had been the result of the pain he’d endured for years. No matter if they were inside or outside the wall, people seemed to be suffering everywhere. From the outside, the city seemed flourishing and outstanding, but in reality it was just hiding behind a mask to try and shove away its misery and pain.

“…Mom, dad, I miss you so much… And… I will keep doing my best, no matter what happens! I promise!” 

Ana finished her prayers and put the small cat in front of the gravestone. After that, she jumped into Rose’s arms and hugged her silently for a little while. Rose stroked her hair gently.

“I’m sure your parents would be proud of you, Ana. They are definitely watching over you, no matter where you go or what you do, and they will always support you. So I’m sure if you follow your dreams, they will be straight behind you!”

Ana giggled.

“That sounds exactly like something my mom would say, miss Flori…

Thank you, for coming with me. Miss Flori is definitely a good person and… and my best friend! And that’s why… I will tell you about my secret dream. You know, it’s nothing special or anything, so please don’t be disappointed…”

She seemed extremely self-aware and uncertain about her motivation. But Rose was sure those feelings were completely baseless, as the little girl had proven many times that she was more mature and sincere than many others.

“Don’t worry, as I’ve said yesterday, I’m sure your reason is a great one, no matter what it is!”

“Heh-he… Well, if you laugh I will leave you behind in the middle of the city next time!”

The little girl seemed to have discovered one of Rose’s biggest weaknesses, and now completely used it against her…

“Alright alright, I promise!”

“So my reason is…When I’m a farmer, I want to take care of everyone. Not only the animals in my house, or outside on the farm. But also the people living around me: I want to send food to the ones that are hungry, I want to send wool to the ones that are cold, I want to help the old people carry heavy stuff back to their homes… So that nobody would die because everyone left them behind…. If I’m a farmer, I can make everything to help the people in need, so that everyone can be happy, even the ones without a home, family or money…”

Rose was astonished. Ana’s dream was big and challenging, but it was far from unrealistic. Because of all the misery she’d seen and experienced, she’d decided she wanted to take the matter in her own hands, in her own way. Many people depend on them for their very basic needs, but they never get the recognition they deserve. In a sense you could say they’re literally keeping the world alive. Rose was sure Ana would go even further, and dedicate all she had to keep the ones around her safe and healthy. With her dedication, she was sure Ana could make all she dreamt of, come true.

“…You don’t like it, do you…?”

“I do, I do! I’m sorry, I was so taken in by how amazing your reasoning is. I’ve heard a lot of dreams about the future, but yours is the first that I’m completely astonished by…”

Her last sentence was a little lie, to empower Ana’s resolution. Rose did not have any memories of her dreams, nor the dreams of other people. In the short time she’d been awake, she hadn’t heard anything remotely close. Most people she’d encountered were just going about their day, and had left behind their childhood dreams ages ago. But, it was true that her words left her completely astonished.

“Really…?”

“Pinky promise! I really think it’s amazing, Ana! When you get your farm, I’m definitely going to visit!”

“Yay!” She crawled out of Rose’s arms and cheered. It seemed like her words had given her a little more confidence in herself.

 Meanwhile, behind her, the man they’d encountered earlier was approaching. It seemed like he was done with his round.

“Hoo… Seems like we got a lively one over here. You don’t see that every day, especially in this place. Oh, and what a nice little figure you’ve placed there…”

He kneeled and reached out to Ana’s gift to her parents.

“Don’t touch that!”

“Haha, sorry sorry! I wasn’t going to touch it, I just wanted to take a closer look.”

He retracted his hands quickly.

“So, I assume you are done here?” He asked Rose.

Rose looked at Ana, which in return quietly nodded. The man noticed the gesture and wryly smiled.

“Well then, it seems like neither of us has any regrets anymore. Which means…”

Even though Rose had been on her guard all the time, she had failed to notice that the man had closed in on Ana. Due to the earlier encounter, she had somehow come to the conclusion that he was not a threat. A fatal mistake. The man had used the cat figure as a distraction, and she had fallen for his trap eyes wide open.

*THUMB*

After a quick smack against the back of her neck, Ana’s unconscious body fell onto the man’s chest. Rose sprinted forward, but the man quickly pulled a knife out of his jacket and held it against Ana’s neck.

“Don’t even move a step, or I’ll cut her throat.”

“…What do you want with her?”

“Hmmm, nothing really. All I want is for the two of you to stay put for a while.”

“Stay put? I don’t get what you mea-“

The man smiled.

“You’ll notice soon enough. These disgusting, bloody walls will finally be torn down. The betrayers and rats on the other side of it, will soon get what they deserve. And we? We will finally get our freedom back, which they have stolen from us!”

From a distance, she heard a loud cheer, followed by several others. Not much later, cheering was all she heard. Out of nowhere, a horde of people greater than she had seen at the entrance, had shown up. Hundreds, no, thousands of people entered the area, all while shouting ‘FREEDOM’. The whole graveyard was being destroyed. Little gravestones got trampled and flowers got shattered around, never to find their owner again.

…What was happening?

“Long have we waited for this, but today it’s finally happening. This is our moment, our age! No longer will we starve on the streets, or get slaughtered by others when we can’t resist. No longer will we be locked up because of our origin, our bad luck or some stupid mistake. For years, people on the other side of these wall have been thriving, while we have been dying. Now, the tables will finally turn around!“

The cheering got even louder, while more and more people were filling the area. Rose had no idea what she’d been caught up with, but it didn’t seem like a normal protest. Something was happening. Something bad.

 “This is what happens when you oppress people for too long, too much. But I’m sure you’re more experienced than me in that subject… Isn’t that right…“

What followed, caught her even more by surprise than everything else that was happening around her. There was no way he could’ve known. She was sure she hadn’t told anyone, and her disguise was perfect. There had been no mistakes, no slips of the tongue, no moles. Then how… How did this man know…

“Rose?”

How did this man know her real name???