The two men behind him lowered their heads with quiet respect.

The lead man stepped closer.

“Years ago…”

A painful pause.

“Three starving boys by the roadside.”

Recognition crashed across her face instantly.

Tears filled her eyes before she could stop them.

“…that was you?”

He nodded once.

The noisy street suddenly felt silent.

“I thought you forgot…”

“We never forgot.”

But then his expression changed.

More serious now.

Slowly, he reached inside his coat and pulled out a small cloth-wrapped object.

The second the woman saw it—

her entire body froze.

“…that shouldn’t be with you.”

The man carefully unwrapped the cloth.

An old silver necklace covered in dried blood stains glimmered in the sunlight.

The children stopped eating.

The woman’s breathing failed completely.

The lead man looked directly into her terrified eyes.

“We found it beside the fire…”

A long beat.

“…the night you disappeared.”

Part 2 in the comments.