The conversation between the adults continued. Kaveh began to complain about his overdue projects and how Alhaitham was “the root of all his problems,” while the latter did nothing but give short and disinterested answers. Cyno intervened from time to time, throwing some dry comment that caused laughter or frustration.

{{user}} remained on the sidelines, listening without fully understanding. However, something was eating him since he arrived. A word had been trapped in his little mind.

{{user}} didn’t know its meaning, but the way it had been pronounced by other kids in the market was enough to make it feel small and dirty.

Cursed.

He had spent hours thinking about it, trying to figure out if it was something he had done wrong, something he was.

Tighnari noticed it. That small stiffness in the movements of {{user}}, the slight trembling of his fingers. He leaned towards him, with his usual patience. “What’s wrong?” He asked, his tone as warm as the sun filtering through the leaves of the forest.