DOR!
The gunshot was deafening… shattering the silence of the dark, opulent room filled with luxurious items and a throne at its end. The space was only illuminated by the faint light from the window. Gunpowder smoke danced in a sliver of moonlight.
A man dressed in noble attire—a black velvet jacket embroidered with gold, a fine lace white shirt now stained with blood, and a family ring still gleaming on his finger—staggered. Then he collapsed right in front of a young child standing not far from him. Thick, dark red blood seeped out, forming a pool on the carved wooden floor.
The toy the child was holding slipped from his grasp, falling with a thud beside his feet.
"Dad…?"
From behind the fallen noble's body, the shooter became visible. He too wore noble clothing—a wine-colored velvet jacket paired with a silk vest, his haircut was neat, and his appearance was perfect, like a party guest. Yet, all that elegance was shattered by the pistol still smoking in his hand. The sharp smell of gunpowder and the metallic scent of blood still hung in the air, starkly contrasting the luxury he wore.
The child stared at him with glassy eyes, his pupils shaking violently, unable to believe what he was seeing.
The killer lowered his head slightly, looking straight at him. A faint smile crept onto his lips—not a smile of victory, but something deeper, darker, full of a terrifying satisfaction. The moonlight illuminated half his face, leaving the other half drowned in shadow.
Then he raised his weapon directly to the child's head.
"Perish…"
***
The sound was still echoing in his head when he jolted awake.
For a panicked few seconds, his eyes stared wide into the darkness, not recognizing the cracked ceiling of his room. It felt cold. Very cold. The smell of gunpowder and blood seemed to still cling to his nostrils, mixing with the actual musty odor of his room.
His heart was pounding wildly, almost wanting to leap out of his chest. He fumbled around the bed, searching for something—or someone—who wasn't there. Only then did his consciousness slowly return.
His eyes snapped open. His body felt intensely hot… He sat up on the edge of his rickety bed, which was only covered by a thin, faded sheet.
He stared blankly around. The room was so narrow, its walls covered in cracks and damp stains, the musty smell piercing his nose. The ceiling sloped, nearly collapsing, as if waiting for the right moment to cave in on him. The night air crept in through gaps in the boards, bringing a bone-chilling cold.
Darkness swallowed almost the entire room. The only light was a faint glimmer slipping through a small, dusty window. This light didn't come from a candle or lamp in his room, but from afar—from the magnificent city center, towering, full of neon lights and giant screens that never went dark.
He stared at that light for a long time, silent. As if the light from the modern city was mocking him, reminding him how close yet untouchable it was. Here, in the squalid outskirts, people were crammed together, fighting for breath, squeezed dry by never-ending taxes. While over there, just a few kilometers from where he sat, people lived with luxuries he couldn't even imagine without feeling a pang of pain.
His hands clenched on his knees. The sound from the dream earlier still echoed in his head, faint but piercing. Yet he forced it away, pushing it deep into his chest.
All that remained was disgust. Disgust for this cramped room. For this prison-like life. For that magnificent city—shining brightly, but only for those sitting at the top.
Tok! Tok! Tok!
A knock on the door suddenly broke the silence, making him flinch slightly.
"Bro, Leo is looking for you downstairs. He said you have an appointment," a young girl's voice called from outside. Her tone was soft but clear, sounding innocent.
He let out a long sigh, trying to calm his still-racing heartbeat. "Yeah, Nina. Tell him I'll be right down," he answered hoarsely.
A moment of silence. Only the sound of small footsteps retreating from the door, leaving him alone in the dark room. He closed his eyes briefly, then slowly got up. The thin, rumpled sheet slipped off his legs. The night wasn't over yet, but the world outside was already demanding his presence again.
With the remnants of sleep still clinging to him, he put on his clothes: a worn white shirt already tinged with yellowish stains and faded black pants. A shabby black jacket—that might have once looked elegant—he wore over it, hiding part of his shirt's condition.
Then he put on a gleaming emerald green pendant necklace and tucked it inside his shirt.
His eyes fell on a cracked mirror on the wall. In the dim light seeping through the window, he stared at his own reflection. With a sigh, he brushed the thin dust off his jacket shoulders, straightened his collar, and smoothed his messy black hair just to look slightly more presentable.
His hand, already gripping the doorknob, let go.
I think I'm forgetting something…
He turned around, his eyes scanning the surface of the dusty, worn wooden table. Among a pile of small items, a thin plastic card lay.
Name: Adrian Hale
Age: 16
Status: District 7 Citizen
Code: D7-0811-HL
Next to it lay another ID card. Its name was obscured by melted aluminum, only the letters 'Volc...' still legible. The card had a hole in the upper right corner—where the chip should have been embedded.
He snatched his own ID card, blew off the dust, and put on his round hat.
Then, with a firm step, he pulled open a hidden rack. Inside lay a pistol. Adrian looked at it for a long time, as if calculating every possible consequence. Finally, with hardened resolve, he took the weapon and stored it inside his jacket pocket, hiding it from anyone's view.
The aroma of warm soup greeted him as he opened the door.
Tok. The door opened.
Behind it, Nina stood with wide eyes. The little girl looked him up and down, as if not believing her brother's appearance. From the corner of the kitchen that merged with the living room, an old woman—Aunt May—also stopped her activities and watched him with a attentive gaze.
"Where are you going?" asked Nina.
Adrian was stunned for a moment, then hid his unease with a bitter, awkward smile. "I want to look for a job," he answered while scratching the back of his head, trying to appear relaxed.
Nina didn't look convinced. Her lips pursed into a pout. "Don't be home late."
Hearing that, his heart felt sliced. He bent down, approached his sister's innocent face, and said in a soft yet confident voice, "I won't be late, I promise."
His hand patted Nina's hair slowly, trying to reassure—both his sister and himself.
"Alright then, I'm going now," said Adrian, taking his sister's hand. He bowed and kissed it gently, like a knight honoring a princess.
Nina's pouting expression finally melted. "You really are—!"
"Bye, Nina. If anything happens, call Aunt May right away, okay?" said Adrian, ruffling his sister's hair.
"Okay, Bro! Be careful on the road!" Nina replied sweetly.
Adrian returned the smile, then saluted with his hat before turning to leave.
Just as he was about to touch the exit door, Aunt May's worried voice greeted him. "Young Master, won't you have lunch first?"
Adrian stopped for a moment, then waved without turning, seemingly in a hurry but still polite. "Sorry, Aunt. Not this time. I'm in a real hurry."
"Well... at least take this!" the old woman replied, holding out a small piece of bread wrapped in cloth. "Don't go on an empty stomach."
Adrian's face wrinkled for a moment. He accepted the gift with a bitter smile, feeling how such simple care felt so meaningful yet torturous. "Thank you, Aunt. Bye."
He immediately descended the stairs of the tenement building they shared with several other families. Once at the main door, Adrian opened it.
Outside, a young man his age was waiting. He wore equally shabby clothes and held an old suitcase tightly. "Did you bring it, Leo?" asked Adrian. Then he stepped past him, and they walked side by side.
"Of course. Hopefully we win big today," Leo replied full of hope.
Adrian chuckled. "Do you want to play this time, Leo?" He cut the bread and gave half to his friend.
"No. Of course you play. If it were me, I'd definitely lose," replied Leo, accepting Adrian's offering.
"How's your mother?" asked Adrian.
Suddenly Leo's expression turned gloomy, then he answered slowly. "Her fever hasn't gone away… My father is really useless; he keeps using his earnings for his own pleasures without thinking about mother."
Adrian listened carefully but couldn't respond to Leo's statement.
He is a good person. When I moved here, Leo's mother always helped my family.
"Leo, may I visit her? It's been a while since I last saw her."
"Of course you can," answered Leo.
They walked through the slum area. On the wide roadside, many homeless people slept through the cold night. The remaining vegetable sellers only offered wilted goods that were almost unfit for sale.
Adrian shifted his gaze, staring at the skyscrapers in the distance. Their glitter was the only light in his dark area, separated only by a large, sturdy, towering wall.
Then the morning light began to peek faintly on the eastern horizon, illuminating the thin mist that shrouded the slum settlement. Adrian and Leo walked quickly, navigating the narrow alleys that wound along the large wall—the sturdy boundary separating their world from the luxury of the city.
Finally, they arrived at their destination. It was hidden, just a steel door almost invisible, leading underground. In front of it stood two burly guards. The sound of an argument broke the morning silence.
"Let me in!" shouted a fat man with a red face, trying to push through.
"Show your card. Without it, you can't pass," one of the guards answered in a flat voice, his hand easily holding back the fat man.
"I'm Volcots Audrey! My card is lost! Stolen, damn it!"
Adrian and Leo glanced at each other…
"Adrian, isn't that the guy from yesterday?" whispered Leo, his voice trembling almost inaudibly.
Damn, he's the one whose card I stole yesterday.
"Stay calm," Adrian whispered to Leo, then tilted his hat forward, hiding part of his face.
Their bodies were straight, but their steps were relaxed, as if this was a usual routine. However, the fat man suddenly stopped causing a scene and looked at them suspiciously, his eyes glaring with suspicion as if confirming something.
Adrian's fingers reached for his ID card. When the scanner shone on the code on the card, his heart beat fast. The screen briefly displayed a different name— "Volcots Audrey". For a split second, his eyes stared sharply at the guard's face, ready for the worst. However, the guard, busy expelling the troublemaker, didn't pay any attention. A green light lit up, and the steel door opened with a soft hiss.
Suddenly, the fat man shouted loudly, "He's the thief!!" pointing directly at Adrian, trying to break through the guards' barrier.
Only when the door closed behind them did a faint smile finally spread across Adrian's face, held back with difficulty.
Leo narrowed his eyes, his voice a faint whisper, "Smooth."
They quickly descended the stairs, passing through a labyrinth of branching underground corridors. Every intersection seemed to offer a path to a different world, but Adrian and Leo kept walking firmly south, following a map memorized by heart.
Then, they arrived.
All the narrowness and squalor above ground vanished instantly, replaced by an almost unimaginable grandeur. A vast room stretched out, illuminated by sparkling crystal chandeliers that replaced the sun. The sound of clinking coins, slot machines, and gamblers' cheers filled the air, which smelled of expensive perfume and cigars. This was a completely different world—a world built from the dreams (and debts) of people like them.
'The Gilded Cage' was written above the place.
Adrian navigated the luxurious place, his eyes sweeping every gambling table, looking for the table he had booked. However, his gaze suddenly caught on a display in the middle of the room that they had just put up.
A large blue cube, made of a material like crystal or advanced glass, rotated slowly and gracefully. Inside it, as if caught in an eternal dance, swirled pure energy glows of electric blue, emitting bright light that pulsed calmly yet full of power.
So they use energy cubes for their electricity.
Adrian was still mesmerized, his mind wandering to the possibility of stealing the cube. However, that intention soon vanished. In the midst of such a dense crowd and tight security, that action was impossible to do without getting caught.
They walked through the room, looking for the reserved table. Finally, he found the chair with his name on it. In front of him sat a middle-aged man covered in gold jewelry. One of his legs was propped up on the chair, and on both sides stood his large bodyguards. An elegant chessboard was set up in front of him.
"Where is my opponent?!" the man said, slamming the table.
So that's my opponent? Adrian thought, his eyes widening as if he had found prey. Someone like him needs to be taught a lesson.
A spark ignited within him, pushing him to knock down that man's arrogance.
"Adrian, H-he's…" whispered Leo, before being cut off by Adrian's steps.
Calmly, he approached and sat in the chair that was his right. He took off his hat and placed it gently beside him.
"A child? My opponent is a child?!" the man exclaimed in surprise, before finally chuckling. "This is no place for children."
All eyes around turned, looking at Adrian with disbelief and full of skepticism.
"This is so disappointing… I've been waiting for so long and my opponent is just a child?"
However, Adrian remained silent. Without much talk, he took out a sum of bet money and placed it on the tray. "As agreed," he said briefly, his voice firm and full of confidence.
The man smiled faintly at the little boy's bravery in front of him.
"Don't you know? Who am I?" said the man, trying to intimidate Adrian.
"Grandmaster Eldric," said Adrian, his voice clear and cutting through the room's roar. "Three-time defending champion. Win ratio 98.7%."
He paused for a moment, his eyes scanning the chessboard as if he had already read all the possibilities that would happen. The atmosphere fell silent, waiting.
"But those numbers," he said, finally looking straight into Eldric's eyes, "are just history written on paper. They won't help you today. You are the opponent I've been looking for."
The small smile that had previously adorned Eldric's face vanished. His gaze changed from dismissive to wary, then angry. His bodyguards, who had been relaxed, slightly tightened their postures. A slight hiss was heard from the crowd of spectators, surprised by the boy's audacity.
Eldric was silent for a few seconds that felt long, his face gradually reddening. "Very well," he said, his voice suddenly very flat and dangerous, "You want a lesson? I'll give you one. I double the bet. No... triple it. So you remember the price for that insolence."
Adrian only nodded slowly, his face still a perfect mask of calm. Without hesitation, his slender fingers reached for the chessboard and with a smooth, confident movement, he lifted his knight and made the first move.
"Thank you," said Adrian without the slightest pressure. "I won't disappoint you."