Cries of babies and children echoed through the alleys as Rosacer moved through the Lower District. He heard many screams, some pleading, some sobbing, some slowly fading into silence.
Several times, he chased those cries. Yet whenever he reached the place from which they seemed to originate, he found nothing.
He tried again and again, until exhaustion dulled even his will to listen.
With a grim expression, he continued walking and muttered, "Why am I feeling so sad?"
Tears welled in his eyes as time passed. He did not understand the reason. There was simply a heaviness within his chest, a sorrow that clung to him like a creeper to a vine. No matter how many tears he shed, it would not be quenched.
"Wish for it to end…" a voice whispered into Rosacer's ear.
He turned sharply, scanning the alley behind him. There was no one.
