Favored by God

Excitement bubbled inside me as I finished breakfast. Today was different—instead of usual lessons, I was heading to town with Rowan, Maya, and Micah. I couldn't wait, so I rushed outside to meet them.

Maya's energetic voice erupted the moment they appeared. "KAI, LET'S GO TO TOWN!"

"Yeah, I'm excited," I replied, a smile spreading across my face.

I greeted Rowan, who responded with a shy "hey" that was barely above a whisper. Then I turned to Micah, who looked at us like we were something unpleasant.

"H-hey Micah," I ventured.

He responded by shoulder-checking me and walking ahead, radiating pure disdain.

"Micah, be nice or I'll hurt you," Maya declared passionately.

"Yeah, whatever," he muttered back.

We set out on the main gravel road. The town wasn't far—just a 10-minute walk from the orphanage. As we walked, I realized I didn't know our mission.

"Hey, what are we supposed to be getting in town?" I asked.

Maya smirked. "Mainly food, but Ms. Clemintine also wants us to pick up some books." Then, with a mischievous glint in her eye, she added, "Since me and Micah are the only ones with magic, we have to protect you guys. And it would be faster if we split up, So Micah and Kai, you'll grab the books on the list."

Before I could protest, Micah erupted, "Why do I have to babysit the new kid?"

"Because I said so," Maya declared. "Now hurry, so we're not too late!"

With that, Maya and Rowan bolted off, leaving me with a very reluctant Micah.

"S-so should we get going?" I asked hesitantly.

Micah sighed. "I'm no babysitter," he muttered, walking away.

I followed, having no other choice.

The town was fascinating. Stone-lined streets filled with vendors, taverns, inns, and stores. Wagons rumbled past, and people of all types bustled about—a stark contrast to the quiet orphanage.

We reached a small bookstore tucked away on a street corner. A rotting wooden sign hung above the entrance. Inside, dust and the musty smell of old books greeted us. An older lady stood behind the counter, writing intently.

Micah wandered off to find the books, leaving me to explore. I began opening various books, surprised to find I could read this world's language perfectly. Ryan's memories, I suppose, I thought.

After collecting the books and checking out, we walked back to our meeting spot in complete silence. The awkward tension was suddenly shattered when a man burst between us, knocking Micah to the ground and snatching our bag of books, money, and supplies.

Micah scrambled up, furious. "HEY, COME BACK!"

He shot a rock bullet at the thief, but somehow, the man dodged without breaking stride. Micah grunted in frustration and broke into a sprint.

"MICAH, WAIT!" I yelled, but he was already gone.

Without hesitation, I followed. Our quiet book-buying mission had just turned into an unexpected chase.

The chase was brutal. Micah darted ahead with surprising speed, gaining on our target, while I struggled behind. My new body—weak and frail—could barely keep up. We weaved through crowded streets, narrowly avoiding collisions as the assailant desperately tried to shake us off.

He pulled down vendor stands, took sharp turns, but Micah remained relentless. I, however, was falling apart. My lungs burned, my legs trembled, and finally, I had to stop.

Catching my breath, I lost sight of them both.

When I started running again, the streets seemed endless. Then—a scream. My heart raced as I followed the sound into a narrow alleyway.

The scene that greeted me was horrifying. Micah cowered on the ground, the knife-wielding thief towering over him. For a moment, time seemed to stop.

I spotted a small wooden plank on the ground. Courage I didn't know I possessed surged through me. I gripped the plank, every muscle tensed.

Breaking into a sprint, I approached the assailant. He turned—but too late. With every ounce of strength in my body, I struck him over the head. He crumpled unconscious.

"Hurry, get up. Let's go!" I yelled, grabbing our stolen bag.

Micah, still shocked, muttered painfully, "I can't. My ankle—I sprained it."

Without hesitation, I slung the bag over my shoulder and helped him up, letting him lean on me. We ran, putting as much distance between us and the unconscious thief as possible.

When we finally stopped to catch our breath, Micah looked at me with a mix of confusion and gratitude. "Why did you save me?"

"What do you mean, why?" I responded.

He looked down, regret coloring his voice. "I've been nothing but horrible to you this whole time."

I couldn't help but smile. "I still wouldn't have been able to forgive myself if I did nothing."

Micah chuckled. "Well, thanks, Kai." It was the first time he'd called me by name.

Our relief was short-lived. "We should probably head back," I suggested.

Micah's worried face told me everything before he spoke. "Yeah, one problem—I don't know where we are."

Our chase had led us far from the town's main path. Darkness was falling, and we were hopelessly lost.

Eventually, we made it back to our meeting point hours after originally planned—but it was deserted. I could only assume Maya and Rowan had gone to get help, thinking something terrible had happened.

The orphanage greeted us with a mix of worry and anger. Ms. Clemintine's scolding was swift and intense. After healing Micah's ankle as best she could, she sent us to bed.

Lying in bed, I reflected on the day. What should have been a traumatic experience felt like a gift. The void between me and Micah had somehow narrowed, replaced by something closer to understanding—maybe even friendship.

As sleep claimed me, I realized that in this new world, unexpected heroes can emerge from the most unlikely places.