Clink. Clink. Clink. The small green vial bounced along the cracked concrete, the sound echoing through the dark, rainy alley. The rain came down steadily, forming dirty puddles in the uneven ground. A young boy walked down the alley, kicking the vial with each step, splashing through the water without a second thought. His black hoodie was pulled low, hiding a pale, dirty face, with brown eyes and messy brown hair, all matted down by greasy filth.

He moved slowly, almost mechanically, like he was going through the motions without really thinking. Tears ran down his face, but mixed with the rain, no one would notice the difference. They both just dripped down into the puddles at his feet.

Two men sat huddled in a dark corner as the boy passed. He walked across a metal grate bridge thirteen stories up, with sewage pouring down the sides into an endless ocean of filth below.

“Hey, isn’t that Robin’s boy?” one of the men said quietly.

“Yeah, I heard. Flux got her. Awful stuff. I can’t imagine what’s going through his head,” the other replied, nodding toward the boy.

“Keep it down, man,” the first one muttered. “He doesn’t need to hear us talking about him. Poor kid’s already been through enough.”

Yeah, don't think about me. The boy thought to himself. It's not like I matter. If only Flux hadn’t taken over this city. Ugh. What’s left now? My mom, my dad, my sister—all gone. Nothing left. Nothing to live for. Because of this!

The boy reached down, picking up the vial, anger flashing across his face as he hurled it against the alley wall. It shattered, the pieces clattering down the causeway and into the sewage below. Huffing and puffing, his rage visible in every tense muscle, he darted down the alley, away from the men whispering about him. He finally reached a rusted iron door, a small yellow note stuck to it. Yanking it from the door, he slammed his fist against the metal and slowly sank to his knees.

“If I go one day without something terrible happening, maybe I'll start believing in God.” He thought as the tears flowed freely. “The final notice... Not only do I not have any family left, but I don’t even have a home.”

The boy reached for the doorknob, but it was locked. He sank to the ground, hugging his knees and sobbing. The rain’s pitter patter nearly drowning out his sobs. A dim green light stone sitting to the right side of the door cast a faint glow on his head. A small crack sounded, and the pipe above the door cracked, adding more than just rain on the boys head.

“Hey, kid, you good?” a voice called out, barely audible over the patter of the rain.

He slid his foot on the wet pavement, contemplating whether to run from the mysterious voice. The aura felt dangerous, but at that moment, he thought, Who cares? What does my life even mean anymore?

The man walked up, glancing at the yellow note. “Ah, shit, kid. Well, I hope this helps.” He opened the boy’s other hand and pushed a silver coin into it.

The boy, unfamiliar with such generosity, looked up at the man, noticing a snake tattoo curling around his neck. “Why are you helping me?” he asked, blinking as the rain got in his eyes.

This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

“Because, kid, I’ve been in the same situation. If you want a place to stay, I’ve got an extra spot open. It's a tight living quarters, but at least it’s dry.”

“Alright, I’ll think about it,” the kid replied, still wallowing in despair. He scrunched his nose as a smell from the pipe finally hit him.

“8 alleys down from Slinky's. Go down the side alley with the snake mural; there’s a door with a diamond on it. Say you’re Robin’s boy.”

“I will. Thank you.” With that, the man walked down the alley, disappearing into the darkness.

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"Hey, Simon, I heard Robin's boy might need a place to stay. Could you check on him? The flux got her. I know you never really cared for her, but he is your son, even if it’s only by blood." A gruff voice called from an adjoined room.

"Is that right?" Simon muttered. "Damn, that woman was always hooked on that stuff. Fine, I’ll swing by and see if he’s there. If not, I couldn’t care less."

"You know, you’re a real asshole," another voice called out. "But that’s what I like about you."

Simon turned from the table where he’d been working, setting down the small pipe he'd been smoking. He blew out a thick, dark cloud of smoke that hung in the air, dimly lit by the green light stone struggling to cut through the haze. Slowly, he made his way up the staircase, mumbling under his breath.

“All right, I think it was over here,” Simon muttered, turning a corner, as he turned the corner a bald man with a snake tattoo walked by him giving him a slight glance. Behind him down the alley, a small boy sat slumped against a rusted iron door, his shoulders shaking as he sobbed under a broken pipe that poured sewage down on him. In his hand, he clutched a crumpled yellow note, smeared and barely legible and in the other a silver coin.

Simon sighed under his breath. “Damn… I’m probably too late.”

He walked up, pausing just a few steps away. “Hey, kid. I heard what happened to your mom. I’m here to give you a place to stay… if you want it, that is.”

The boy tilted his head slightly, acknowledging someone's presence but staying silent as he contemplated his choices.

“Hey, kid, I’m talking to you,” Simon snapped, grabbing the boy’s arm and hauling him to his feet. “You can stay here and wallow in your misery if that’s what you want, but I’m offering you a chance. A place to live. I’ll be damned if my own blood doesn’t at least get that. Now, I’m not leaving without an answer. You want to stay in this hellhole and rot away, fine. But decide.”

The boy lifted his head, locking eyes with Simon for the first time. There was a flash of recognition; he saw the resemblance, saw his father standing there, right in front of him.

“I don’t need your pity,” the boy choked out. “Where were you when my mom was dying? Where were you when we ate nothing but moldy bread every day because we had nothing. You were the one who got her hooked on flux!”

Simon’s expression hardened at the mention of flux. “Kid, I didn’t get your mom hooked on that stuff. That was all on her. She was just some girl I met over at Slinky’s. No one knew who your father was until you were five and someone saw you walking with Robin. You looked exactly like me—that’s the only reason I know you’re mine.”

He sighed, looking away for a moment before he continued, his voice cold. “Your mom was just… a troubled woman. But if you want to put all her mistakes on me, go ahead. I gave you a chance here. A much better chance than if you get caught up with Snivel. If you don’t want it, then ask for Kyle over at the Blue Cheese Factory—he’ll probably find you a spot. I don’t have time for this. Have a nice life, kid.”

With that, Simon turned to leave, his footsteps echoing down the alley.

The boy straightened himself up, his face set with a fierce determination. “I don’t need any help! ESPECIALLY FROM YOU!” he spat, his voice thick with anger. “I’ve made it this far on my own, through all the shit in my life without your help, and I’ll keep making it! I don’t need you nor do I want you!”

He clenched the crumpled note in his hand, his jaw tight. “And don’t think I don’t know the truth. Everyone comes around here, saying you’re a decent guy—but that’s a lie. My mom told me the truth, that you abandoned us when I was born! She always told me you were nothing but a bastard, working with the Mions! You bastard!”

His words hung in the damp, cold air, thick with anger, betrayal, and hurt.

Simon stopped turning towards the boy “Think what you want kid, no skin off my back.” then continued down the alley while shaking his head.

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