Chapter 3: The Fallen Wings

When Aurel woke at sunrise, he heard someone calling his name.

“Sleepyhead! Wake up! Your clothes are ready. Go wash your face and get prepared. Your dad is waiting for you at the farm,” his mother said.

“Uhmm… fiiine…” he murmured, stretching his arms lazily.

He walked to the bathroom and stood in front of the mirror, washing his face several times, wiping the sleep from his golden eyes.

After a while, fully dressed and ready, he stood by the front door.

“I’m leaving, Mom.”

“Take care,” she replied, smiling as he closed the door behind him.

Aurel walked slowly along the narrow paths leading toward his father’s farm. His eyes wandered over the world around him. Green trees swayed gently, leaves drifting with the breeze. Wide plains stretched ahead, framed by distant mountains. From afar, the village houses and the market stalls were still visible, small and quiet in the early light. In the other direction, the farm spread out in rich green tones, calm and alive, lifting the mood of anyone who looked upon it.

When he arrived, his father’s voice rang out across the fields.

“Ah! Finally! You’re here!” Kaelar called, carrying a bundle of hay toward the sheep. “Go water the seeds over there!”

Aurel began watering the seeds around the farm, moving from one patch to another, one by one.

It took him a few hours to finish, working alone beneath the rising sun.

When he was finally done, he walked toward the sheep stable, climbed the wooden ladder, and sat on the roof. He drank deeply from his water bottle, letting the breeze cool his skin as he rested.

His gaze drifted across his father’s land. The fields stretched wide and green, quiet and familiar. This farm was everything to them their livelihood, the way they paid their dues, bought what they needed, and survived.

As he looked up at the sky, something caught his golden attention.

A bird was flying above the fields… but not properly.

“Uh… what’s wrong with that bird?” he muttered, his eyebrow lifting in confusion.

The bird wobbled, its movements weak and uneven, before slowly falling toward the ground.

“Uh-” Aurel froze for a split second, then quickly climbed down and ran toward where it had landed.

“Oh… hey, little guy,” he said softly as he knelt beside it. “What’s wrong with you?”

The bird was still alive, breathing, but it couldn’t lift one of its wings.

Aurel gently cupped it in his palm, carefully examining its small body, searching for any sign of injury. There was nothing. No blood. No broken feathers.

“You look fine enough to fly…” he whispered, confusion thick in his voice.

“So why can’t you?”

“You’re warm,” he murmured, still holding the bird gently in his palm.

“And you’re breathing… f—your breathing is getting faster…”

He lifted his eyes to the sky, squinting slightly at the sun. It wasn’t that hot. Not hot enough for a bird to fall like this.

“I’ll take you with me,” he decided softly.

He carried the bird across the fields to his father, who was milking a cow, the steady sound of liquid filling the bucket breaking the silence.

“Dad… I found this bird,” Aurel said. “It fell from the sky. It’s still alive, though.”

“A fallen… bird?” his father repeated, finally glancing at the small creature in Aurel’s hands.

“Yeah. It’s alive for some reason, but it can’t fly. I saw it fall,” Aurel explained.

“A bird with no wings is a dead bird, son,” his father said flatly, turning his attention back to the cow. “Leave it to its destiny.”

“A.. D..D..Dead bird? “ Aurel repeated, his voice tightening.

“But… it has a soul. It’s still breathing.”

“Souls are what keeps us breathing as it seems, yes,” his father replied calmly, never looking back.

“But a human without a heart or a brain is already dead. Just like a bird without wings.”

He continued milking the cow, slow and steady, as if the matter had already ended.

“But I wouldn’t let a living creature die while it’s still breathing,” Aurel said, his voice tight but honest.

“I’ll at least take it to Rin. I’ll make a small cage for it… we’ll keep it at home.”

“Hmph… really?” his father replied, rolling his eyes as he stopped milking.

“Yes. Really,” Aurel said firmly. “It can’t fly anymore. Keeping it at home would be safer.”

“So instead of letting it die,” his father said suddenly, turning toward him, “you’re going to imprison it until it does?”

“W–what? No,” Aurel stammered, confusion spreading across his face. “It’ll be safe. We’ll feed it, give it water..”

“Aurel. Stop this.”

His father’s voice was sharp, final.

The boy met his gaze, golden eyes locking with golden eyes as he took a small step back, the bird still trembling in his hands.

“Why?” Aurel asked quietly.

“Because I said so,” his father replied, lifting the milk bucket and turning away.

“Go home. You’ve done enough for today. And don’t bring that bird with you.”

Aurel stood there for a long moment, staring after him. His lips twitched, his jaw tightening as he held the fragile weight in his palms.

By the time he returned home, the morning had stretched long and heavy.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

Elariel opened the door with a warm smile.

“Hey, my love. Welcome back. Lunch is ready..come in,” she said, kissing his cheek.

“Uh… what’s that bag you’re holding?” Rin asked, his eyes catching the small leather pouch in Aurel’s hand.

“Oh… it’s a gift,” Aurel said softly. “For you.”

“For me?!” Rin’s eyes lit up instantly.

Aurel opened the bag and gently revealed the bird—the same one, its wings resting uselessly at its sides.

“Here,” he said. “It’s a bird.”

“WOOOW! It’s so cuuute!” Rin gasped, cheeks flushing as he cradled it carefully.

“It’s not trying to fly away,” Elariel noted, watching closely. “Is that normal?”

“Not really,” Aurel answered. “It fell… and it can’t fly anymore. I don’t know why.”

“But… we don’t have a cage to put it in,” Rin said, glancing down at the bird.

“Well,” Aurel replied calmly, “I figured that since it can’t actually fly, we don’t really need one.”

“That’s such a sweet thing to do for your little brother, Aurel,” Elariel said warmly, kissing his cheek, this time tighter than before.

Aurel smiled at her, a quiet, gentle smile.

“Then I’ll keep it safe!” Rin said proudly.

“Too safe!” Rin giggled a bit.

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