At that moment, Ryder kept running so he wouldn't get caught by them. Blood still clung to the corner of his lips, dripping slowly without him realizing it as he kept running.
Ryder kept clutching his stomach, the pain he felt was no joke.
Every now and then, he glanced back, seeing the two men still chasing him. The flickering lights in the alley made it even harder for him to see.
"Wait, Ryder!" shouted the man with the burn scar.
The two of them didn't give up on chasing Ryder.
"Tch, it's so hard to see in this condition," Ryder muttered, glancing at them.
The alley seemed endless, covered in graffiti and trash scattered everywhere.
Finally, Ryder ran into something, causing him to fall to the ground.
Ryder tried to get up, but his body had reached its limit.
The two men were getting closer to him.
He looked up at the night sky, seeing countless stars scattered above him.
Ryder wanted to try running away from them one more time, but his body was already exhausted. His breathing was erratic, and he had given up on the situation.
Now, the two men stood before him.
They both smiled.
"Where do you think you're going, Ryder?" asked the man whom Ryder had punched earlier, now staring at Ryder with a disgusted look.
Ryder could only smile back at them.
"That smile of yours disgusts me, Ryder!" The man with the burn scar immediately kicked Ryder in the face.
The kick landed squarely on Ryder's face, sending him crashing back to the ground. He couldn't get up again, his body felt numb.
The man immediately crouched down next to Ryder's body. "Remember this, Ryder, you can't run from us. If you try to run, we will find you wherever you go," he said coldly, rummaging through the pocket of Ryder's hoodie.
After taking the money from Ryder, the man with the burn scar stood up and kicked Ryder in the stomach.
"Argh…"
Ryder coughed up blood from his mouth once again.
It wasn't just him kicking Ryder, his friend joined in, also kicking Ryder in the stomach.
After they were satisfied kicking Ryder, the two of them started to leave him alone. Their job was done, and they let Ryder live so that he could pay off his father's debt.
Their footsteps gradually faded away.
"Dad, why did you leave your debt to me? I'm suffering so much right now." Ryder's eyes glistened, trying not to cry.
The cold night wind pierced through his wounded body. He felt like he had failed to save his mother, who was still lying in the hospital.
There was nothing Ryder could do that night. He could only look up at the star-filled sky. For a moment, he thought he saw his mother's smiling face.
"Mom, please get well soon. I miss your smile," Ryder tried to smile to himself, but he couldn't form that smile.
Tears began to fall onto the asphalt of the alley. He couldn't hold back his tears because he realized that his fight against Brizks had been for nothing.
The money that the two men had taken from him was gone for good.
As Ryder cried, someone suddenly threw a gold coin at him.
The coin hit Ryder's body.
Without realizing it, Ryder glanced at the coin. He wiped away his tears, not wanting anyone to see him in this condition.
"What is this? This... a gold Crowns coin," Ryder muttered as he still lay on the asphalt of the alley.
Ryder quickly grabbed the coin and stuffed it into the pocket of his sweatpants. He considered the coin as a stroke of luck.
A sound of clapping echoed from the end of the alley. Ryder squinted his eyes, feeling fear when he heard the sudden clapping.
A dark silhouette in the shadows of the alley made it impossible for Ryder to recognize who was clapping for him.
"Impressive, Ryder, you really amazed me," said a man, praising Ryder while leaning against a flickering streetlight.
"Who are you?!" Ryder shouted, forcing his voice out.
"You seem really happy with that money, Ryder."
The man's words made Ryder freeze for a moment.
How could this man know what he was thinking just now?
Ryder did indeed want money badly; he believed money could change his life.
"Not really," Ryder replied, trying to lie.
Ryder's breathing grew heavier, his mouth unwilling to speak any further. He tried not to look at the man, closing his eyes, wishing the man would disappear.
The man walked toward Ryder, his footsteps clear in Ryder's ears.
When he arrived, the man stood next to Ryder's body and tossed another coin onto Ryder's stomach.
The moment the coin hit him, Ryder's eyes shot open.
As his eyes opened, Ryder could see the man's face clearly. His skin was pale, different from Ryder's tanned complexion.
"What do you want?" Ryder asked the man calmly.
"Come on, Ryder, you know why I'm here," the man said, staring at Ryder seriously.
The man wore a plain black bucket hat, a green checkered shirt, and long blue pants.
Ryder didn't understand the man's words. His mind raced, trying to figure out what the man really wanted.
"Speak honestly, what do you want?" Ryder demanded, forcing the man to tell the truth.
"Relax, Ryder. There's no need to rush."
"You're making me even more curious."
The man laughed loudly, seeing Ryder's battered condition from being beaten by the two men earlier.
"Try to remember, why did you crash into something earlier?" the man asked Ryder, prompting him to recall what had happened.
Ryder's eyes widened as he remembered why he had fallen earlier. It felt like something large had been thrown at him.
"I remember," Ryder said quickly.
Before Ryder could guess, the man quickly told him, "I threw a box of noodles at you," while pointing at a cardboard box not far from where Ryder lay on the asphalt.
Ryder glanced at the box. No wonder he had fallen earlier; it was all because of this man.
"Do you want to be healed, Ryder?" the man offered Ryder something.
Ryder simply nodded.
The man took out a pill from his pocket and told Ryder to open his mouth. "Open your mouth now!" he ordered.
Ryder immediately obeyed, opening his mouth wide, ready to receive the pill from the man.
The man dropped the pill into Ryder's mouth.
As the pill entered, Ryder felt a gas-like sensation spreading throughout his body.
Ryder writhed like a caterpillar, rolling on the ground, unable to endure the effects of the pill.
The man quickly stepped back from Ryder.
The medicine seemed to slowly heal Ryder's wounds, even though the side effects were extremely painful.
Ryder couldn't handle the pain from the medicine, and his body felt like it was forcing him to fall into a deep sleep that night.