The Delivery Guy

From the rooftop of Krynn Delivery Services, Leo gazed at Atlanlane stretching as far as the eye could see. In the distance, skyscrapers shimmered with giant holograms curving against the polluted sky. The projections pulsed with glowing promises: cutting-edge flying cars, bionic implants guaranteeing physical perfection, and flawless lives in the central district. A reality he would never reach—as distant as the stars.

However, life was different below—chaotic, noisy, real. Buildings stacked like mismatched blocks choked the narrow, overcrowded streets. Electrical cables dangled between structures like spiderwebs, occasionally sparking. Neon signs, flickering like defective hearts, illuminated the cracked ground with an intermittent glow. It was raw beauty, like an old machine that kept running—almost out of stubbornness.

Leo perched on the ledge, feeling the hot metal under his palms. Below, the improvised market thrived like a living organism. Rusty stalls, second-hand goods, used chips, android parts—everything was traded amidst shouts and laughter. A merchant hawked “Used memories chips, almost as good as new!” while another tried to sell fruits glowing unnaturally under the trembling lights.

Leo liked the view. The chaos had its own pulse here. Imperfect but alive.

The soft beep of the holographic watch floated before him, breaking the moment. His break was over.

Leo sighed but didn’t hesitate. His movements were automatic. He leaped from the ledge, his feet finding grip on a narrow metal beam, his hands grabbing a pipe with mechanical precision. The city was a jungle, and he knew it better than anyone. Since he was a child, climbing has made him feel free. The higher he went, the farther he felt from the crushing weight below.

Parkour was no longer just a habit but a part of his identity. Every leap, every slide, and every last-second foothold made the world feel smaller and more controllable—at least for a moment.

He landed on the ground with a soft impact, his worn boots absorbing the weight. The hot, metallic scent filled his nostrils again as he pushed open the door to Krynn.

Inside, Julia was as usual: seated behind the counter, her face illuminated by a holographic book floating before her. Her eyes scanned the glowing pages, absorbing the information with relentless focus.

“Done with your break?” she asked without looking up from her reading.

Leo smirked. “And you? Still lost in your studies?”

Julia lifted her eyes, returning a brief smile. “Someone has to think about the future.”

Leo didn’t respond but admired her stubbornness. Julia dreamed of attending university in the central district, of a life far from here. She had tried once and failed, but the spark in her eyes while studying showed that giving up wasn’t an option. She believed there was a way out—that the system could be beaten.

Leo, on the other hand, never had that kind of hope. To him, the game was too rigged, and people like them didn’t get anywhere. Still, he liked watching Julia try. If anyone could escape, it was her.

The back door slammed open with a bang. Victor Krynn stormed in like a whirlwind, his expression sour as always. The man was short, and bald, with the look of someone who woke up ready to hate the world. His wrinkled clothes seemed permanently stained, and the heavy thud of his steps filled the room.

“Leo!” Victor barked, his hoarse voice dripping impatience. “I’ve got an urgent delivery. URGENT, got it? And you’re here lounging around!”

Leo crossed his arms and raised an eyebrow, the sarcasm escaping before he could hold it back.

“And when is it not urgent, boss?”

Victor glared at him, his face reddening like an overheated engine. For a second, it looked like he might punch him, but instead, he turned to Julia.

“The package, Julia! Come on, I don’t have all day!”

Julia quickly grabbed the object. It was thin, wrapped in opaque plastic with red holographic labels pulsing like tiny warnings. Victor snatched the package and shoved it into Leo’s chest, almost knocking him off balance.

“This is for an important client. Be careful, kid! And don’t screw it up.”

Leo held the package firmly and took a deep breath, suppressing his rising irritation. The knot in his stomach tightened further. He tried to keep his voice neutral, but the question slipped out before he could stop it:

“And about last month’s payment?”

Victor froze abruptly, his face growing even redder.

“I’ll pay you when you get back! Don’t pester me about it now,” he growled, spitting the words out.

Leo’s fists tightened around the package. The urge to snap back was almost irresistible, but he swallowed it. Arguing wouldn’t help. Words didn’t pay bills, and sometimes not even the work did. He exhaled slowly through his nose, forcing his shoulders to relax.

Before leaving, he glanced at Julia, who gave him a small, sympathetic nod.

“Good luck,” she said.

Outside, the sun scorched the narrow streets. Leo adjusted the package on his back and took his first leap, scaling the side of a low building. Every movement was fluid, automatic. The city stretched around him, the rooftops covered in antennas and rising steam. Every jump, every slide between rusty structures was a dance only he knew.

Up here, the world felt smaller. Manageable.

But confidence was also a trap. When he glanced down at a vendor—a stout man shouting about the freshness of fruits glowing too brightly under the sunlight—his foot slipped.

The void beneath him became real. The world spun in a blur of cracked concrete, faulty neon, and smoke.

The fall was brutal. The hard impact knocked the air out of his lungs as if his chest had been punched. Pain radiated through his ribs, climbing up to his neck. He lay there, motionless for a moment, feeling the hot, rough ground beneath his hands. The smell of dust filled his nostrils, suffocating.

“Kid, are you alright?”

The voice was weak, belonging to an elderly woman who approached cautiously, her wrinkled face etched with genuine concern. Leo opened his eyes slowly, blinking against the bright sunlight.

“I... I’m fine,” he murmured, coughing as he tried to catch his breath. Every inhale burned, his ribs protesting.

Around him, small groups of onlookers gathered, their faces a mix of curiosity and indifference. Few seemed willing to help, but the old woman stepped forward, her hands steady despite her age. A young man in a tattered jacket also knelt down, quickly collecting some of the scattered belongings—a pair of gloves, the holographic watch, and a small tool key.

“Thanks...” Leo said with a tired nod. He forced himself to sit up, his muscles screaming in protest.

Then a realization hit him.

The package.

A chill ran down his spine. Leo froze, his eyes scanning the ground and the faces around him with growing desperation. Nothing. No sign of the package.

“Where’s the package?” he asked, his voice rough and urgent, his eyes darting frantically around the scene.

And then he saw it.

Through the legs of the crowd, three figures were moving away too quickly. Two men and a woman. One of them held something under his arm, the opaque plastic blinking with red labels. It was the package.

Leo’s heart raced. For a moment, everything seemed to freeze—except for the sound of his heartbeat pounding in his ears. The voices, the footsteps, and even the suffocating heat of the sun faded into the background.

The three thieves glanced back at him briefly, then quickened their pace, weaving through the stalls of the makeshift market.

Leo clenched his fists, anger burning in his chest like a fire about to rage out of control. He tried to get up in one swift motion, but a sharp stab in his ribs made him lose balance and collapse onto his knees.

“Damn it!”

The crowd began to disperse, the spectacle seemingly over. The old woman tried to approach him again, but Leo raised a hand, signaling that he was fine.

Ahead, the figures were already blending into the shadows between the stalls. He couldn’t lose them.

Leo took a deep breath, the air coming in with difficulty. His palms pressed against the rough ground trembled. Every fiber of his body protested, but he knew he had no choice.

“You’re not getting away with this...” he muttered through gritted teeth, his eyes locked on the direction the thieves had disappeared.

He stood up, feeling the pain pulse with every movement. His muscles trembled with exhaustion, and his breathing was uneven, but his mind was sharp. The hunter’s instinct was beginning to awaken.

Leo adjusted his body, like a spring about to be released. The chase was on.