The sun had already set. Daniel reached the town gate and began walking toward his home, but his thoughts lingered on Renery, whom he hadn't seen in a couple of days.
"Should I check renery? Let's check him," he whispered, shrugging slightly as he headed east.
A moment later, he arrived—only to find his house tightly shut. He stepped through the gate, but the door was locked solid.
Daniel's eyes swept across the front of the house, catching a narrow gap in the window. He leaned closer and peeked inside. The room was bare—no bed, no table, nothing. Just emptiness.
'What the… there's nothing inside. But why?' he thought, stepping back. 'Maybe he's at his usual stall today. Hm… let's go.'
…
But as he reached the marketplace, Renery's stall was empty, just like the past few days. He walked closer, and almost immediately, a street vendor noticed him and hurried over.
"Hey, sir! Where have you been? We've been waiting for you," the man said, his face lighting up with a warm smile.
