Usually, it takes him two minutes to get to the other side of the street. They call it the dungeon.The place where he reports back to after a long day of performing his sacred act – Foreshadowing... Or rather stealing.
Why should he report back? Or who was he reporting back to?
... Good question.
Just as the peaks of Aldon had a system that supported the rules passed by the emperor, the streets also possessed such system.
They have a leader. The one who takes up to 60% of their daily income, just like the emperor.
Some say his robbery was more favourable because he took less, but it doesn't cut it that he was just like the greedy monster of a ruler who deprived people of peace and good living.
Is he a dangerous man?
Well, yes.
In several ways than one.
One of which if he doesn't get his cut on time, it puts the young boy on the wrong side of the coin.
His strides became quicker as he hummed in satisfaction. He wanted to get this done as quickly as possible then return back home.
Who knew what Yumi had prepared? Good cripes! She makes the best meals...
You know those people who show up in your life when you are in your most vulnerable state like guardian angels? The ones who take up certain roles in your growth that leaves you speechless because you have no say for some reason and you secretly enjoy their company because you feel safe with them?
They give you a sense of family, and now, you can't leave without them... You go home straight to them, and your entire life revolve around them.
Yeah, that's who Yumi was to him.
Only the thought of it had him feeling overly excited.
Too excited and way too engrossed in his thoughts as he hopped like a child that he hadn't realized what awaited him just at the end of the same alley he had gotten to the center of.
He felt the wave of goosebumps arouse from his skin the moment their distant chuckles and laughters drifted through his hearing.
Ah Shit!
Their familiar voices, and loud cusses had him pausing his steps.
Why were they at this alley?
He had an instant instinct to turn the other way, to exit quietly before they'd noticed... Hell, for the first time in his life, he wished he could dissipate into thin air.
Fucking... Hell.
Subconsciously, his feet began to take a turn unknowingly to him. This was his body already seeking ways to escape danger.
Yeah, that's right, he had been traumatized to the point where he doesn't need to think before he moves.
But just as his legs took the second step backwards, the sound under his feet had him jolting in the most embarrassing way...
KEERRRK!
Mostly because the sound exposed him in a cowardly way as though striping him completely naked before so many eyes.
What?
A fucking stick?
Of all times!!!
He already knew what was coming... Man, he didn't even need to announce himself... That stupid stick already did.
Maybe they didn't hear him?
Pfft...
Yeah, anyone could've heard that all the way from Mars.
And there was no conviction otherwise...
Because the squinted eyes of his bullies that rested on him, with their necks turned, then finally, that sluggish, weird grin which lifted the sides of their faces already proved him right.
The look of recognition...
He was fucked.
"Hahaha, well, look who we have here".
The blonde dude with the shaved spiky cut yelled with excitement in his tone as he jumped down from the old stock abandoned table just by the wall end/ entrance of the alley where they were having their little meeting.
God, the day was already starting to end well until now.
He was the leader of these jerks.
Rutni.
And well, they had history.
If he didn't know them so well, he'd think they follow him around, waiting for the right moment to make his life miserable.
He was their punching bag stress reliever whenever they'd gone about their shitty day.
"What a pleasant surpriisee". Rutni spread both arms as though welcoming him into a hug even though they were feet's apart, erupting laughter from the throats of his lackeys.
"Eian baby came to visit, hahaha".
What a fucking nutjob.
His first step closer to him and he was already triggered, breathing like a trapped rat.
But that wasn't even what even him feared the most...
What terrified him was his usual instinctual reflexes... His inability to have control over his body.
Because before they could even blink, the air parted to his shadow.
Eian bolted into a sprint.
"Get him!" Rutni yelled behind him.
He could hear their footsteps but it wasn't for long until he couldn't anymore.
Not that it was a flex or anything, but not one freaking person in the streets of Aldon wasn't aware of how fast this young man ran per minute.
If anything, Eian could drift past someone walking on the street and be mistaken for a passing wind.
They were all aware.
Actually, this was his flex.
The kid was way too fast for his own good, which was why he was able to live for so long on these streets even though he was the weakest being alive... And poorest.
As light as a feather, they called him the smartest and the eye of danger. One who wasn't afraid of death.
Little did they know he was the opposite.
The only source of this amount of speed from his body was the obvious drive...
Fear.
With wide eyes, Eian ran for his life.
He had taken more than enough hit for the day and was sure that if he took anymore, they were going to take his lifeless body back to Yumi.
Everywhere that fat punk from earlier hit him ached.
His cheeks throbbed, his back throbbed, his arm throbbed... Hell, even his head throbbed.
Maybe that was why he was distracted for a second there...
And probably why he didn't see the trap...
So desperate for a breather, an escape, he didn't see them lurking and waiting patiently in the dark corners.
"NOW!!"
One minute he was running on air, and the next minute he was falling face flat on the wet concrete floor carelessly like a haggard rag doll.
WHACKAM!!!
Shit...
Everything was buzzing... His head spun continuously just as blood dripped down both nostrils and corners of his mouth.
He blacked out...