The tunnels stank of rot. FHK's stomach growled louder than the rats skittering past. They tugged at the yellow cloak, the only thing keeping the chill off their bones. Beneath it, ragged black clothing clung to their frame clothing that had been part of some Hornet Knight costume, but recently thrown ima. Dumpster .
Food was a distant dream they had . Money was a bigger dream . Jobs didn't exist for someone like them… or so they thought.
A group of street thugs blocked the alley, laughing as they tossed a smaller kid around. FHK ducked behind a crate. Their first instinct wasn't heroism it was self-preservation. But the smell of bread from the kid's stolen lunch? That stirred a thought, if they save the kid and get their lunch back they could ask for their food.
The thugs noticed them.
"Oi, knucklehead! What're you doing here?" one shouted, waving a pipe.
FHK froze.
The first thug charged. FHK's hands shot up infront of them as they flinch, The thug slams the pipe across their head and kicks them in the stomach. FHK fell down and scrambled to their feet the other thug then yanked them backward, using the timing to crash Fhk into a pile of crates.
Eventually the left fhk alone after giving them a good beating
Breathing hard, FHK grabbed a loaf of bread the thugs had dropped while busy attacking lifting up the mask slightly and tore off a piece.
That night, while hiding in the ruins of a burned-out building, FHK remembers a time they heard rumors of a place called a "mercenary market" jobs posted for anyone daring or desperate enough or even to buy real mercs with a permanent contract. They didn't know where it was, didn't know if it was real. But the idea of earning enough food for a week without getting stomped to death was… tempting.
Tomorrow, they would decide if they'd try to find it.
FHK curled up under their cloak, stomach full enough to sleep, but mind racing. Maybe I'll die tomorrow. Maybe I'll eat. Or maybe… I'll find a way to survive for real.
And above, somewhere in the city they couldn't reach, lights twinkled in a world that didn't care.
End of Chapter 1.