Gunshots.
Loud. Sudden. Too close.
Jayden didn't think.
He ran.
His heart pounded hard against his chest as his feet hit the pavement, fast and uneven. The alley stretched ahead of him, dark and narrow, filled with trash cans and broken glass.
"Yo! Stop!" someone shouted behind him.
Another gunshot rang out.
BANG!
A bullet hit the wall near his head, sparks flying.
Jayden ducked instinctively, turning sharply into another alley without slowing down.
"This wasn't supposed to happen…" he muttered under his breath.
His lungs burned.
His legs screamed.
But he didn't stop.
Couldn't stop.
Not now.
Not when he knew what would happen if they caught him.
Another corner.
Another turn.
He finally slipped behind a dumpster, crouching low, trying to control his breathing.
Silence.
For a second.
Then footsteps.
Closer.
Jayden clenched his fists.
"Think… think…"
Hours earlier…
Everything was different.
The studio lights were bright.
The music was loud.
And for once—
Life felt right.
Jayden stood in front of the mic, headphones on, nodding to the beat.
"This one's it," the producer said from behind the glass. "I'm telling you."
Jayden smirked slightly.
"Yeah… I feel it."
Because this wasn't just another song.
This was his way out.
The door opened suddenly.
One of his boys stepped in, looking tense.
"We got a problem."
Jayden frowned. "What now?"
"They outside."
Jayden's expression changed instantly.
"Who?"
The answer came quietly.
"…Opps."
BACK TO PRESENT
Footsteps again.
Closer.
Jayden held his breath.
A shadow passed by the alley entrance.
"Where he go?" one voice said.
"He couldn't have gone far."
Jayden stayed still.
Silent.
Focused.
Because this moment—
This exact moment—
Was where everything changed.
Jayden closed his eyes briefly, then opened them again—sharp, alert.
Because one thing was clear now—
If he wanted to make it out…
He was going to have to survive first.