Chapter 2

Night fell over Kings City slowly, like a dark cloth being pulled over a shiny stage. The same streets that were busy during the day changed into something else. Bright shop windows still shone on the main roads, and the sound of people laughing came from restaurants. Cars drove over and over on the wide streets, their lights making long lines of white and gold.

But away from those busy streets, there were other places—quieter parts of the city where the light wasn't as strong.

Dave Sun was walking on one of those quieter streets now.

His steps were slower than they had been earlier, his shoulders tired from walking so much. The excitement that had carried him through Kings City hours ago had turned into something dull and heavy.

He put his hands in his jacket pockets as a cool wind blew between the buildings.

He had been walking for a long time.

Long enough that the sounds of the busy parts of the city had slowly disappeared behind him.

Long enough that his legs now hurt with every step.

Dave stopped in front of a small hotel with a blinking light above the door. The word VACANCY flashed softly in the window.

A little hope sparked inside him.

He pushed the door open and went inside.

The entry area was small and not very bright. A TV made quiet sounds in the corner, and a man in his middle years sat behind the desk, flipping through a magazine.

The man barely looked up.

Dave walked to the counter, trying to sound sure of himself even though his voice was tired.

"Excuse me," he said politely. "How much is a room for tonight?"

The man glanced at him for a second, then reached for a small, plastic price list.

"One hundred and twenty," he said without much care.

Dave's heart sank.

"One hundred and twenty?" he repeated softly.

The man nodded, clearly not wanting to talk more.

Dave forced a small smile.

"Thank you," he said softly before turning and leaving.

Outside, the night air felt colder.

He kept walking.

Another hotel showed up a few streets away, its entrance lit by warm lights that spilled onto the sidewalk. Dave went inside with the same hopeful question.

The answer was the same.

Too much money.

The third place was even worse.

By the time Dave stepped back onto the street, the little bit of money he had in his pocket felt painfully not enough.

He stood there for a moment, looking down at the ground as people walked past him without noticing.

A tight feeling came into his chest.

Back home, even the biggest room in an expensive place had never cost this much.

Kings City, it seemed, wanted more money than he could give.

Dave sighed quietly and started walking again.

"I'll find a way," he whispered to himself, as if saying the words would make it true.

After all, it was just for one night.

He could survive one night outside.

He walked through another street where the buildings were closer together, their tall walls blocking most of the city lights. The air here felt different—cooler and strangely still.

Dave barely noticed when the loud sounds of the main roads went away completely.

He only realized how quiet it had become when his footsteps started making soft sounds on the ground.

The street became a narrow alley that ran behind a line of dark buildings.

Dave paused at the entrance for a moment.

Then he gave a small shrug.

It was probably just a quick way through.

He stepped forward.

The alley smelled a little of wet concrete and old garbage. A single dim light hung above one of the back doors, casting a weak yellow glow that barely reached the ground.

Dave walked a little faster.

Something about the quiet made him feel nervous.

He had only taken a few more steps when a voice suddenly spoke from the darkness.

"Well, well."

Dave froze.

Three men slowly came out from the shadows in front of him.

They moved with the slow confidence of people who had been waiting.

Dave's stomach felt tight.

The men looked rough—their clothes wrinkled, their faces in shadow under the dim light. One of them moved his shoulders as he stepped forward, his eyes immediately looking at the small bag on Dave’s shoulder.

"Look what walked into our street," another man said with a twisted smile.

Dave forced himself to stay calm.

"I—I'm just going through," he said carefully.

The men looked at each other with amusement.

"Going through?" the tallest one repeated. "You look lost, kid."

Dave took a small step back.

"I don't want any problems."

The third man laughed.

"Too late for that."

Before Dave could react, the tallest man moved forward and pushed him hard against the brick wall.

Pain shot through Dave's back as he hit the rough surface.

"Hey!" Dave gasped.

A rough hand grabbed the strap of his bag.

"Let's see what you have."

Dave's heart pounded fast.

"Please," he said quickly, trying to push the man's hand away. "That's all I have."

The answer was a sudden punch to his stomach.

The hit knocked the air out of his lungs.

Dave bent over with a choked sound, holding his stomach as the world spun around him.

The men didn't wait.

They ripped the bag from his shoulder and quickly started looking through it.

"Clothes," one of them muttered, sounding unhappy.

Another reached into Dave's jacket pocket and pulled out the small amount of money he had left.

"Well, look at this."

Dave forced himself to look up, panic filling his chest.

"Please," he rasped weakly. "I need that."

The man waved the money around carelessly.

"Looks like we need it more."

In a few moments, they were done.

The bag dropped to the ground, now empty and useless.

"Thanks for the gift, kid," the tallest man said with a fake smile.

Then, as quickly as they had come, the three men went back into the darkness of the alley.

Their footsteps faded until the silence returned.

Dave stayed where he was, bent over and having trouble breathing.

The pain in his stomach slowly got better, but a deeper hurt settled inside him.

After a long moment, his legs gave out.

He slid down the wall until he was sitting on the cold ground.

For a while, he just stayed there.

The alley felt incredibly quiet.

Dave stared blankly at the empty bag lying next to him.

Everything he had brought to Kings City was gone.

The money he had spent years saving.

The few clothes he owned.

All of it.

A shaky breath came out of his lips.

"What... am I supposed to do now?" he whispered to no one.

No answer came.

Minutes passed.

Eventually, Dave forced himself to stand.

His legs shook a little as he picked up the empty bag and put it back over his shoulder.

It felt strangely light now.

He stepped out of the alley and went back to the street.

The city lights seemed harsher than before.

Everywhere he looked, people continued their lives as if nothing had happened.

Cars drove by. Music came from nearby bars. Laughter echoed from groups of friends walking together.

Dave felt like he was invisible among them.

He walked without a direction, his thoughts heavy and mixed up.

The buildings around him seemed taller now, their shiny windows reminding him how small he truly was.

Hours seemed to pass.

His feet carried him through street after street until even the busy parts of the city began to disappear.

Finally, Dave found himself standing in front of something completely different.

A huge building stood high above him.

Its smooth glass walls reflected the city lights like a giant mirror. The building looked strong and fancy, with tall metal gates across the front entrance.

A big sign with the company's name was placed above the gate, lit by soft white lights.

Dave stared at the building for a moment.

Even though he was very tired, he could tell this place belonged to someone important.

The area around it was quiet.

Too quiet compared to the rest of the city.

Dave walked closer to the gate and wrapped his fingers around the cold metal bars.

The quiet here felt almost calm.

His legs shook from being so tired.

He couldn't walk any farther.

With a tired sigh, Dave slowly sat down on the ground next to the gate.

The pavement was cold under him, but he barely noticed.

He pulled his knees close to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.

For a long moment, he just looked through the bars at the dark path leading towards the building.

A strange feeling came over him.

He had imagined his first night in Kings City very differently.

But life, it seemed, rarely followed the stories people told about it.

Dave rested his head lightly against the metal bars.

"Tomorrow," he whispered quietly.

His voice sounded small in the empty street.

"Tomorrow I'll try again."

His eyelids felt heavy.

The tiredness of the day slowly pulled him into sleep.

Behind the tall gates, the silent building watched over the quiet street like a sleeping giant.

What Dave didn't know was that the building belonged to one of the most powerful men in Kings City.