The market smelled of rot and spice. Crates of onions stacked unevenly, their skins bruised, their scent sharp enough to sting the eyes. TSUF stepped carefully over puddles of spilled water and discarded scraps. His back still ached from yesterday, and each step reminded him how much the dock had demanded.
He felt the eyes before he saw anything. Not menacing, not approving—just lingering in the corners. Unnoticed by most, but they were there. He ignored them, focusing on the crates he had to move.
"Careful with that one," a merchant muttered, voice sharp as the knife in his belt. TSUF nodded once, shifting the heaviest crate with a grunt. Rope burns itched, muscles pulled, but he kept moving. Step. Lift. Set down. Repeat.
A young boy watched from a stall across the way, eyes wide. TSUF didn't meet them. There was nothing to teach here. Only work. Only motion. Only survival.
The onions were heavier than they looked. Each crate seemed to add weight to his arms and shoulders. Sweat ran down his temples, stung his eyes, but he didn't stop. Not for the smell, not for the burning hands, not for the watching corners.
Coins jingled faintly in his pouch. Not enough for much. Enough to keep his parents fed. Enough to keep moving. That was all that mattered.
Another crate shifted unexpectedly. He caught it before it toppled. Fingers grazed splintered wood, drawing a sharp hiss. He gritted his teeth, adjusted his grip, and carried on.
The afternoon sun pressed down through the marketplace, turning everything slick with heat. TSUF's steps were careful but relentless. The watching presence remained, light but constant, threading through his awareness like a second shadow. He didn't acknowledge it, didn't falter.
By the time the crates were stacked and counted, his back ached, palms raw, and he could taste the sweat in the back of his throat. He straightened, shook his arms, and exhaled slowly. Tomorrow would bring more work. Same eyes. Same weight. Same motion.
But for now, the crates stood where they belonged, and he was still moving.