Two days later.
East Underground Street.
Inside a relatively fine house, Docklin and his men were feasting. The air was thick with the smell of cheap wine and roasted meat, laughter echoing off the walls.
A dozen gangsters lounged around their boss, raising their cups and flattering him:
"Boss, you really are the overlord of the East District."
"That's right. When that kid saw you, he didn't even dare touch his food. He just ran."
"Hah! A bunch of cowards. Next time, let's take everything from them!"
Laughter erupted.
Docklin leaned back in his chair, tearing into a slab of meat. Even as the East District's tyrant, meat was a rarity. The chance to eat it always made him feel invincible.
A few days ago, he had spotted boys hauling wheat through his territory. Of course he hadn't let that chance pass. And now, with both wine and meat before him, Docklin's greed only deepened.
Word had spread that Adrian Leonhart—the boy who had recently moved into the East—was connected to the merchant Akers. Docklin had half believed the rumor. After all, only merchants could afford luxuries like meat.
"Lucky brat," Docklin muttered, envy and hunger flashing in his eyes. If he can afford meat, he must have plenty of coin too.
He decided he would "visit" Adrian soon. So long as he didn't push too far, the merchants behind Adrian wouldn't interfere. After all, Adrian hadn't retaliated the last two times. Surely, that proved he was nothing but a coward.
Docklin shoved another chunk of meat into his mouth, washed it down with wine—
And froze.
A sharp cramp twisted his gut. The room spun.
Bang! His cup fell.
"B-Boss… the wine—it's poisoned!"
Docklin collapsed to the ground, vision blurring. Through the haze, he glimpsed a group of children slipping into the stronghold before darkness swallowed him.
…
Adrian stood in the hall, flanked by the five children he had gathered.
His gaze flicked to the half-eaten meat and spilled wine on the table. He felt a small pang of regret.
Those provisions had cost him two hundred steel coins. Wasted.
But this was necessary.
"They'll wake soon," Adrian said coldly, sliding a dagger from his belt. "And when they do… it's either them or us. Choose."
Without hesitation, he drove the blade into Docklin's chest.
Pfft.
Blood seeped onto the floor.
This was not Adrian's first kill. Over the past year, he had already cut down several children who had tried to steal his food. He had learned the harshest truth of this world:
To live, someone else had to die.
Behind him, the others trembled, clutching their blades. Then came the sounds—
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
One after another, Docklin's men were finished. The children emerged pale, hands shaking, but alive. Levi's face was chalk white, but his eyes were steadier than the others.
Adrian understood. His own first kill had left him retching for days. But you adapt—or you perish.
By nightfall, Docklin's stronghold was burning. Flames devoured the evidence, reducing the building and its secrets to ash.
No one cared.
In the eyes of the nobles and royal officials above, gangsters were nothing but parasites. Fewer mouths meant fewer resources wasted.
The fire died. The world moved on.
…
Three days later.
Adrian and Levi sat together on the stone steps of a ruined threshold. The East District around them reeked faintly of decay, but a single beam of sunlight spilled down through a sewer grate in the distance.
It was one of the few times they could glimpse the outside light. A small comfort after lunch.
Levi broke the silence. His young voice was firm, almost fierce.
"Big brother, I'll protect you from now on."
Adrian glanced at him, lips curling faintly. "You're still too young. Grow stronger first."
Levi's fists clenched. He remembered Adrian's terrifying expression when he saw him bloodied after Docklin's men had struck him. That image was burned into his mind.
I'll become stronger, Levi vowed silently. Strong enough to protect him, the way he protects me.
Adrian said nothing more. He hadn't killed Docklin only for Levi's sake—it had been inevitable. After the second robbery, he had understood Docklin would never leave them alone.
In the Underground, mercy was weakness. And weakness was death.
…
"Big brother, there!"
Levi's sudden shout pulled Adrian from his thoughts.
He followed Levi's pointing finger. In the shadows of a nearby alley, a small red-haired girl crouched low, watching them with wide, guilty eyes.
When she realized she had been spotted, she panicked. Spinning, she bolted into the darkness.
Adrian's expression hardened. He drew the dagger from his waist, eyes cold.
In a blur, he gave chase. His strengthened body carried him swiftly through the alleys.
He caught her easily, pressing her against the wall of a dead-end alley. His blade rested against her neck, his grip unyielding.
"Tell me," Adrian said, voice low and emotionless. "Why are you spying on us?"
His eyes glinted like steel.
"You only get one chance."