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Ashes fell from the sky like snow, blasted from the infernos of the underbelly chambers that warmed the upper layers of Torruin. The walls, stained black with soot, surrounded ice that lay undrinkable on the ground. Life in the slums during the winter months was akin to a frigid hell.

Eight years prior, Quinn had been a mere child, adrift in the world with his younger brother, Adam. The statues appeared to gaze down upon them from the rises above, offering no solace. They were nothing but sinners, deserving of this fate.

No one is looking out for you; no warmth can be found. The unexplainable pain endured daily by your bare feet, the empty stomach that would kill for scraps, all testify to a forsaken existence. Nothing but sinners, they all were, cast down below. Striking lethal blows and flaying the weak.

"Brother, look what I caught! A—a cat!" Adam's small, weak voice reached Quinn, who was hiding in a heap of trash. Clutched in his grasp, a cat dangled, dark blood dripping from its mouth, held by its tail.

"Where did you find it?" Quinn asked, slightly startled. How could Adam have caught a cat? His heart felt heavy at the sight of the lifeless feline, but he couldn't deny the hunger gnawing at his stomach.

Adam held up a blood-stained stone. "I got it while it was sleeping," he said, revealing a proud smile towards Quinn. As the older brother, Quinn felt a surge of shame. Adam, only eight—four years younger—was providing food that Quinn found disturbing to even look at.

Quinn managed only a slight smile. "I... good job, Adam, really." Despite his shame, gratitude was all he could muster. "Were you seen?" he asked, his voice laced with cautious concern.

The air between them grew tense as Adam fell silent. Stammering, he could only mutter, "I- I- I don't know." Anxiety drained the color from his face, leaving it noticeably paler.

Quinn, ignoring the sores on his feet, stood abruptly and quickly pulled Adam deeper into the alley. "You don't know? How could you be so careless?" he scolded, fighting back tears that threatened to spill from his eyes.

Adam's apologies came in a flood, but Quinn's expression only grew more stoic. He was acutely aware of the danger that being seen with such a 'meal' could bring; a beating was almost certain. A beating came the risk of death from their injuries. His heart pounded fiercely in his chest, yet he forced himself to remain calm.

"Hand me the cat... quickly," Quinn said, his face etched with seriousness that scared Adam. Although Adam wanted to ask why, he complied without questioning. Quinn then gestured towards a pile of trash, "Hide in there, don't come out. Please, listen to me." The urgency in his tone made Adam nod shakily in agreement, and he hurried to do as he was told.

Quinn's display of agency was uncharacteristic, as if he had perceived something before Adam did. While Adam concealed himself, he observed Quinn standing some distance away, scanning the surroundings with cautious vigilance. The cat in his hand swung rigidly, responding to each subtle movement he made.

Quinn sprang into action, trying to hide the cat in a spot that would be difficult to find. However, he halted abruptly when a voice called out to him. "Hey there, kid, I think you've got something of mine!" The man was tall and gaunt, his eyes and emaciated face betraying a deep hunger.

As he quickly closed in on Quinn, he seized him by the wrist, yanking him forward. Quinn resisted fiercely, struggling against the man's grip. "Stop! Let go! You bastard!" he shouted, his calm demeanor shattering as he hurled profanities at the man.

In his attempt to keep the cat from the man, Quinn only fueled the man's anger. "SILENCE!" the man bellowed, grabbing Quinn by the mouth and slamming his head violently against the wooden wall. Tears streamed down Quinn's face as he struggled helplessly.

In a desperate move, Quinn lashed out, kicking the man in the groin. This caused the man to release both him and the cat. Quinn attempted to turn and run, but he stumbled as the man grabbed his ankle. The man's face was crimson with rage as he began dragging the boy back towards him. "You've done it now!"

Adam, hidden but with a clear view of the scene, watched his brother's plight, his fists clenched in anger and frustration at his own powerlessness. He nearly burst from his hiding spot to assist, but he remembered Quinn's stern instruction. He had to stay hidden. Tears of frustration welled up in his eyes as he helplessly observed the unfolding scene.

Quinn's desperation mounted as he tried to evade his grim fate, even throwing the cat away in a last-ditch effort to distract the man. But the starved man barely spared the cat a glance, his bloodshot eyes fixated on Quinn.

A punch, heavy as a hammer, crashed down onto Quinn's face, then his chest. The man was swinging wildly, unrestrained. Each blow dazed Quinn, sending waves of searing pain through his body. "Stop! PLEASE ST—" he cried out in agony, but his pleas fell on deaf ears.

Soon, Quinn's screams turned into shrill cries, tears and blood streaming down his face. His words became unintelligible, reduced to mere gasps and sobs. In a desperate attempt, he tried to scratch and bite at the man, but neither showed any sign of giving in.

Adam, unable to watch his brother suffer any longer, cast a glance at the lifeless cat, momentarily considering escaping with it while the man was distracted. But a wave of intense shame washed over him at the thought, and he tightened his grip on the blood-stained rock. Bursting out of his hiding place, he raised the rock high, poised to bring it down on the man's head.

From the corner of his eye, Quinn saw Adam's sudden appearance and his eyes widened in shock. This unexpected rescue infused him with renewed energy, and he fought back with all his might. The man, taken aback by Quinn's sudden ferocity, paused momentarily.

Then, a sickening thud resonated as the rock connected with the man's head. Before he could recover, he was struck again, the force of the blows making him stagger and collapse dazedly onto Quinn. Adam, overcome by desperation, continued to strike, blood splattering onto Quinn, who watched the scene unfold with eyes wide in horror.

"A-adam, stop..." Quinn's voice was barely a whisper, weak and laden with shock.

Adam's breathing was shaky, his eyes unfocused. Stumbling backward, he raised his bloodied hands and let the stone fall to the ground. "Quinn—sorry. I'm so sorry," he murmured, tears streaming down his face.

With a dazed expression, Adam began to walk away, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Quinn wanted to follow, but he was trapped under the weight of the man's body. "Adam, come back!" he cried out.

Panic surged through Quinn as he witnessed his little brother's strange demeanor. He frantically struggled to roll the man's heavy body off him, desperate to reach Adam. After agonizing moments, Quinn’s frail body finally managed to push the man aside and free itself.

Limping quickly out of the alley, turning left and right, Quinn found no sign of Adam. “Adam! Where are you!?” he called out, his voice thick with fear.

“Ad-m—” Quinn’s call was cut short as he began to cough uncontrollably, blood spraying from his mouth.

His vision narrowed, and his legs trembled under his weight, but he pressed on, determined to find his brother. Passersby barely glanced at Quinn, and a few crows began to circle ominously overhead. He bore the scent of death and resembled a walking corpse.

Quinn's legs finally gave way, and he collapsed, his knees bashing against the gravel path, leaving them cut and bleeding. He tried to stand multiple times, but each attempt left him more exhausted, struggling to remain upright even for a few breaths.

"Kid, what's your name?" The voice of an older gentleman, sharp yet compelling, pulled Quinn from his daze.

Traumatized and disoriented, Quinn attempted to stumble away, but his body was too exhausted, his breaths labored and heavy. The gentleman's eyes softened, a hint of pity breaking through his stern facade. "I won't hurt you... are you hungry?" he asked, extending a compressed biscuit toward Quinn.

The gentleman extended his hand toward Quinn, who hesitantly accepted it.

Today was a day— of decay for Torruin.

Today was the day Quinn became Quinn Spade.

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