Chapter 10
The town was both comforting and alien to Kenny, like a dream half-remembered. The streets, the buildings, even the scent in the air—it was all familiar, yet the weight of years had altered it just enough to make him feel like a stranger.
He took slow steps, his body exhausted, but his mind was restless. Here, at least, he was far from the people hunting him. Maybe, just maybe, he could breathe for a moment.
As he neared his childhood home, the emotions hit harder than he expected. The house stood just as he remembered—worn but sturdy, its faded paint peeling under the strain of time. And next to it, Chidi’s house.
He stood there, caught in a moment between past and present, memories flooding in. The warmth of laughter, the smell of his mother’s cooking, the sound of his father calling him inside at sunset—it was all here, but empty, nothing more than echoes. His eyes stung, and he clenched his fists.
Then, a voice cut through the air.
“Who’s there?”
Kenny turned sharply. A woman had stepped out of Chidi’s house, eyeing him with suspicion.
“I…” Kenny hesitated before speaking. “I used to live next door. Just visiting.” His voice was rough, uncertain. “I wanted to check up on my old neighbors.”
The woman studied him for a moment before her expression softened. “Kenny?”
He blinked. “You know me?”
She smiled, though it carried a tinge of sadness. “Of course, I do. Your parents… well, everyone knew your family. I'm Maura by the way.”
Kenny nodded, though he didn’t know her.
She stepped closer. “How are you doing?”
"I'm fine, thank you. So..."
"Come on in... " She invited him inside for tea, eager to talk, to learn about where he’d been, but Kenny wasn’t in the mood for small talk.
"I'm sorry, I was on my way, just stopping over, do you perchance know what happened to Chidi"
Maura sighed, shaking her head. “Hard times fell on them. They had to move to Stellena, really horrible place to live in. 3rd house on the 5th street! You should really avoid that place, lots of dangerous elements. I hear that ...” She said it casually, about to go on with a gossip, but Kenny felt a weight settle in his chest.
“I should go,” he said abruptly. “Thank you.”
Maura looked disappointed. “Be careful out there,” she warned as he stepped outside.
The difference was night and day.
Stellena was a mess of crooked alleyways, makeshift homes, and the constant scent of damp rot. Shadows clung to every corner, and people lurked with wary eyes.
Kenny pulled his coat tighter around himself, ignoring the way people sized him up as he passed. Eventually, he reached the address Maura had given him—a small, rundown house with cracks running along its foundation.
He knocked.
After a few seconds, the door creaked open, and a young boy peered out. Kenny’s breath caught.
It was Chidi’s little brother, Ike. He had grown, but his face was unmistakable.
“Yeah?” the boy asked.
Kenny cleared his throat. “Is Chidi home?”
The boy frowned, then turned his head. “Chidi!” he called.
Inside, the house was worse than Kenny had imagined. The air was thick with the scent of alcohol, and on the couch lay Chidi’s mother, passed out, an empty bottle still in her hand. Two younger boys sat on the floor, playing with old, battered toys.
Footsteps sounded, and then Chidi emerged from the back room.
The moment her eyes landed on Kenny, she froze.
“Kenny?”
A grin broke across her face, and suddenly, she was hugging him tight, laughing in disbelief.
“Gosh, look at you!”
Kenny couldn’t help but laugh as well. “Yea, here I am.”
Chidi looked around, and gestured that he and Kenny leave the house. They stepped outside for a walk, away from the stifling house. The sun was dipping beyond the horizon, painting the sky in deep purples and oranges.
Chidi glanced at him sideways. “So, where the hell have you been?”
Kenny exhaled. “It’s… a long story.”
“Good. I like long stories.” She said as she gave him a shoulder brush.
And so, as they walked through the dimly lit streets, Kenny told her. About the mantle, about the world beyond this one, about the people after him.
Chidi listened, nodding along, but when he finished, she smirked. “So, what you’re telling me is—you’re royalty?”
Kenny rolled his eyes. “Of course, now you must call me, 'Your Highness'”
Chidi let out a snort. “That’s the dumbest thing I’ve ever heard.”
Kenny barked out a laugh, relieved. it felt like old times, she was still Chidi—his friend, the one person who could look at him and see just Kenny.
“I missed you,” he admitted.
She nudged him playfully.
As darkness settled, they returned to the house. Chidi stretched, cracking her neck.
“You can take my room tonight,” she said.
Kenny frowned. “Where are you gonna sleep?”
Chidi shrugged. “I’ve got work.”
He eyed her suspiciously. “What kind of work, this late?”
Chidi smirked but didn’t answer. She disappeared into her room and emerged minutes later, dressed in fine clothes, her hair neatly styled.
Kenny raised an eyebrow. “Seriously, what do you do?”
She winked. “Wouldn’t you like to know?”
Before he could press further, she grabbed her coat and stepped out. Kenny stood there for a long moment, staring at the door she had just closed behind her.
Finally, he sighed, rubbing his face, and lay down on the bed.
And for the first time in a long time, Kenny felt safe enough to close his eyes.