The birds continued to chirp their hearts out, and Irene just laid there listening to it for as long as possible until she couldn’t take the boredom anymore. She sat upright on the bed and once more stared out the window.

The wind is particularly nice today. Maybe I’ll just take a walk outside.

After several more minutes of staring out the window feeling the spring breeze, Irene got out of the bed and changed into a dress. The dress was the ‘casual wear’ for the people of the lower caste, and it consisted of a simple white fabric with no sleeves and came as long as up to her knee. Although the fabric was initially white, now it was more becoming of the color tan. Usually, she preferred wearing pants but due to the wounds on her legs, she didn’t want to take the chance of reopening them.

Her neighborhood consisted of some Unemn, but the majority of them were Dauns – people who were farmers, servants, and plain workers. Most of them were friendly and civil and earned the respects of Irene. The old wooden houses were aligned next to each other and were located by the side of the paths. Although it was only 9 a.m., the street of her neighborhood was lively and cheerful. That’s what she liked the most about it. Despite the adversities, people still managed not to lose sight of what was important. Children were running up and down the streets playing games, and neighbors greeted each other on their way to work.

Irene walked down the road, and she was greeted with several people. Although she was an Unemn, the people of her neighborhood treated her as an equal.

“Well, look who it is. It’s Irene! Where have you been these past several days?” The old man several blocks down talked to her as he was exiting his house.

Irene sheepishly smiled. “I had something to do. It’s good to see you too, Mr. Knov.”

The old man took notice of the wounds on her legs and arms, but did not question anything.

“Haha, well, you should come by more often! My wife’s been worried about you, ya know! Well, I gotta go to work before I’m late. Have a great day!” Mr. Knov waved and said goodbye.

“You too!” Irene smiled as she looked at the hunched-back figure of the old man. At the age of seventy-seven, he worked as a farmer of a Xenil family who had a notorious reputation for being greedy.

The world is unfair. It’s too cruel.

She continued to stare at the old man’s figure until it faded away. Then, Irene continued down the path to the town market which was the exact place she got arrested several days ago.

The market place was a few miles away from her neighborhood, and it was where all the exciting stuff happened. Well, at least for the lower castes. People gathered there almost every day, and there wasn’t a day in which it was loud. The market place was where people bought their needs whether it’d be food or clothes. Some underground stuff went on in the market place, but not much. After all, it wasn’t like people with pocket full of money gathered here. It was just a place for the hard worked workers to gather and have a drink to forget their worries, and for the bored wives to gossip away after a day full of chores and children.

Irene walked down the market place, and she couldn’t help but be amazed every time at how people managed to be cheerful and bright in the darkest situations. At least a little, it gave her hope.

As she continued to stroll down the path with eyes wandering around her surroundings, she caught a glimpse of bright red. Irene focused her gaze at th