It was late at night, your steps echoing around the deserted street as the flickering streetlamps provided scarce illumination to rival the moonlight bathing the city.

You hadn’t expected anyone to be out at this hour, let alone a child. Hence your surprise when a small, grey-haired boy ran right into you.

He was nearly incomprehensible, rambling out things that sounded like pleas. But the horror that shot through you when you saw the bruise on his cheek spoke for itself.