A Proper Morning

Anthony straightened his striped tie and checked his reflection in the hotel mirror. His dark brown hair was perfectly combed, just as Mother insisted. The wooden practice sword hung at his side—a birthday gift from Father that had raised a few eyebrows at customs.

"Ready for Paris, old boy?" he said to himself, mimicking Father's voice.

Outside his window, the Eiffel Tower gleamed in the morning sun. Anthony had dreamed of seeing it since he was small. Now here he stood, eleven years old and entirely on his own for the first time.

He grabbed his blazer and headed for the door. The hotel hallway stretched ahead, carpeted in deep red. As he walked, something flickered at the corner of his vision—a pale woman in old-fashioned clothes standing by the elevator.

Anthony blinked. She was gone.

"Probably just tired from the flight," he muttered, pressing the elevator button with a slightly trembling finger.

The Wrong Turn

The elevator doors slid open with a cheerful ding. Anthony stepped inside and pressed the button for the lobby. As the elevator descended, he pulled out his phone to check the map app.

"Right then, Eiffel Tower first," he said, scrolling through the directions.

The lobby bustled with tourists chattering in different languages. Anthony walked past the front desk, nodding politely to the concierge, and stepped onto the busy Parisian street.

The morning air smelled of fresh croissants from a nearby bakery. Anthony followed his phone's directions, turning left at the corner. But after twenty minutes of walking, something felt wrong. The streets grew quieter, and the buildings looked different—older and more run-down.

"Blast," Anthony muttered, checking his phone again. No signal.

A woman with short gray hair emerged from a small shoemaker's shop, wiping her hands on a leather apron. She had kind brown eyes and wore a simple blue dress.

"You look lost, young man," she said in accented English.

"Rather," Anthony admitted. "I was heading to the Eiffel Tower."

"Ah, you've gone the wrong way entirely. But don't worry—" She paused, glancing behind him with a frown. "Those men have been following you for three blocks."

Anthony spun around. Two large men in dark coats stood at the corner, watching him intently.