A lone figure slowly limped down a dimly lit stone path, gripping five copper pieces in his right hand with what little strength he had. In his left hand was a sturdy wooden stick being used as a makeshift cane in order to keep balance.
The feeble boy was slightly hunched as he took slow, deliberate steps - walking as if he was an old man soon to die of old age. You could tell at a glance that he was horribly starved, yet, despite this, his expression was calm and sincere.
Down the path he was walking lay a small shop that was still open despite the time. Outside the shop, there were two masked individuals crouched on the floor. Both held daggers drenched in crimson blood as they cautiously surveyed their surroundings. In the middle of the two was a dead body, the poor soul's stomach was entirely split open, innards hanging to the side of the decaying corpse. Digging through the dead man's pockets, one of the murderers glanced at the boy, seemingly pondering something, before completely disregarding him as they made their swift escape.
Such events were a common occurrence in The Depths, so the boy didn't pay it much mind. He simply gave the corpse a despondent glance and made his way into the shop.
Behind the counter was a rough looking old man who was reading a book. To his side rested a straight sword that acted as a warning sign for anyone who dared to steal from him. The man briskly locked his eyes onto the boy, before letting out a heavy sigh.
"Morrow, it's you. You'll get murdered any day now if you keep lurking around this late at night."
Morrow chuckled.
"Not like I have much of a choice."
Years of barely scraping by with the small amount of food and water he could afford had led to Morrow developing a chronic bone disease. This restriction meant he couldn't do jobs as physically demanding anymore, forcing him to complete various odd jobs that paid even less than his previous work.
"Anyways, can I get a loaf of bread like usual?"
Morrow stared at a few shelves lined with rows of bread. The shopkeeper quickly grabbed one of them and placed a loaf on the counter. The bread was hard, almost stale, and wrapped in cheap plastic. The bare minimum, but it was enough.
Dropping his five pieces on the counter, Morrow reached out to grab the loaf, but was swiftly interrupted.
"Ah… wait a minute. I forgot to tell you last time you were here, but… I've had to increase some of my prices. It's gonna cost you 8 pieces for a loaf. If you don't have that, then, uh… I can do 1 piece per slice."
Is he serious?
Five pieces was already an egregiously horrible price to pay for a loaf of bread. But eight? That's absolute nonsense!
However, this wasn't a complete surprise to Morrow. The sector of The Depths he lived in was notoriously poor. Many people were on the brink of starvation and would do absolutely anything for even just a simple loaf of bread. So, the fact that the shopkeeper, a decently well-to-do middle-class man, decided to go out of his way and set up a shop in this hellscape... was incredibly suspicious.
The man was scamming Morrow, and the worst part was that he couldn't do anything about it. Trying to find a different shop was completely out of the question, shops were incredibly scarce in his area, and he would have to walk an hour or two just to find another. Of course, he had no time for this considering how often he works and how little time he gets to rest.
Morrow suppressed his distaste and gave an awkward smile.
"That's quite the unreasonable price, no? Besides, this is the last time you'll ever see me. I turn seventeen tomorrow."
The shopkeeper's eyes widened as he froze for a moment. For some reason, these words instilled a feeling of obvious pity within him.
"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that, Morrow. However, if I gave a discount to every soul who came to me with a sad story like yours, I'd run out of business real fast. I lost count of how many customers I lost because of that twisted ritual."
Morrow stared at the bread lying on the counter in front of him.
The bread… it's lying right in front of me.
What if I just took the bread and ran for my life. He has the sword, but in time it would take to wield it and attack me…
He's most definitely faster than me though, he'll catch up immediately, even while holding a weapon.
Morrow looked up at the man with the same calm expression that he entered the store with.
No, no… it's far too risky.
"I see. I'll just... take 5 slices then."
***
Morrow continued down the same path he was traveling previously, hiding the five slices he had purchased a few minutes ago in the loose sleeve of shirt. The mangled brown tunic had loose strands hanging to the side, barely held together by the weak fabric that wrapped around him.
Not too much time later, Morrow finally caught sight of his… home.
It was a small wooden hut that seemed just a light push away from collapsing. It used to be a public restroom, however, it was abandoned many years ago for an unknown reason. After their parents passed, Morrow and his younger brother were forced to find somewhere to live. A few weeks of searching later, the two settled on living here. While it smelled horrible, was infested with rats and barely holding on… it was still a home. It was much better than sleeping outside.
Morrow trudged towards his house, lost in thought.
I hope-
Before Morrow could finish what he was thinking, he felt the cool steel of a dagger placed right against his neck, much too quick for him to react or even fight back - not that he would be capable of doing so, anyways.
Then, a girl's cold voice whispered into his ear.
"Give me anything you have on you, now."
Are you serious?
I just got scammed not so long ago… and now I'm getting robbed, too.
What a terrible last day.
"Uhm… I don't have anything on me."
"I'm not an idiot, I saw you go into that store. Give me whatever it is you have on you right now… or I can just gut you and take it from your corpse."
"Listen, please. My brother, he-"
The girl brought her blade slightly closer to Morrow's neck, causing a tiny drop of blood to slowly form.
"I don't care about you or your brother. This is your last chance."
Morrow reluctantly shortened his loose sleeve, revealing the slices of bread that were held in his palm. The girl saw it, instantly snatching the bread without any hesitation. She waited for a moment to see if Morrow unveiled anything else. Another moment later, the feeling of the cold daggers steel had abruptly disappeared.
The girl was gone… the encounter had barely lasted 20 seconds.
Morrow sighed as a melancholic expression formed on his face. He then stumbled his way to the cabin as quickly as he could, in case any more unfortunate events were to occur.
The interior of the cabin was about as you'd expect. It was worn down and nearly pitch black. In the corner was a small space where the toilet had once been, which was removed a long time ago. In the other corner of the room was a small kid, who was looking up at the ceiling, dozing off. To his side was a half-filled carton of water.
The kid's eyes slowly moved towards Morrow, before he managed to muster a weak smile.
"Brother…!"
He mirrored his brother's smile.
"Hey, Roy."
Morrow grabbed a cheap piece of rope that was hanging to the side of the door. He took it in his hand and wrapped it around the door handle, tying the door shut. Then, he sat down next to his brother, who was still lying on the ground.
The room was completely silent for a few moments.
"So… was it a bad day?"
"Yes, yes it was."
Morrow lightly exhaled before continuing.
"I got scammed by the shopkeeper… and robbed on my way back just a moment ago with the few slices of bread I could afford. I have nothing for us to eat today. Not even a single slice of bread."
Roy looked down and thought for a few seconds before coming up with a suitable answer.
"Well, that's okay. I'm confident that I won't starve to death today. I know things will change from how they are now."
His brother's hopeful attitude always cheered up Morrow, but today, not so much.
"Listen. I'm sure you remember, but, today's my last day here. In the morning, in just a few hours, Enforcers will come to this place and arrest me. I have no doubt about it, they think I'm useless. They'll brand me with that accursed mark and exile me from The Depths forever. I've come to terms with everything… everything except for the fact that you'll have no one to keep you alive."
While Roy was younger and much weaker than Morrow, that wasn't what made his life so difficult to live. Unlike Morrow who developed a disability as a result of malnutrition, Roy was born with a disability. This impairment completely prevented the boy's use of his legs. No matter how hard he tried, no matter how much he practiced, nothing he could do would allow him to move his legs. It's as if they weren't connected to his brain. The fact that Roy had managed to survive 13 years of life in The Depths with a disability like this was nothing short of a miracle.
Morrow had always dreamed of buying a wheelchair for his brother - something he had heard of from his parents. Apparently, this miraculous device would allow someone with no legs at all to move around, even without help from someone else. However, this prospect was completely out of the question, such a commodity was expensive beyond comprehension.
There was also magic. That idea was even more of a nonsensical thought. To become a Caster and cast a spell, you needed to absorb a spell scroll, and those were reserved for only the elites of The Depths. Obtaining any spell scroll, even if it was a weak, almost useless spell, would cost more than Morrow could ever make in a lifetime.
"I know."
A frail smile appeared on his brother's face.
"But, maybe something great will happen. When they take you, I'll stay here and live for as long as I can. I'll endure everything, and keep hoping that change will come, because… I know. I just know that we'll meet again one day."
Morrow frowned, before his brother continued.
"Tomorrow will be better, right brother?"
Morrow pondered. He tried one last time to think of something that could get them out of this horrific situation.
Of course, nothing came to mind.
"Yes, Roy… Tomorrow will be better."