The Price Of Survival

   The night had already fallen, and the broken street lamps lit up the ruins of streets littered with scraps of torn posters, broken glass, and the desperation of those who had lost everything. Livia, Magnus, and Lucian had decided it was best to search together in case of danger. They wove through the wreckage, their eyes scanning frantically for anything that could resemble a ticket.

"They've got to be here somewhere..." Lucian whined, about to give up.

"The ones who hid them aren’t idiots, y’know," Magnus scolded Lucian for his childishness yet again. "We won’t find them just lying around."

"They must be hidden in unexpected places like..." Livia paused to think. "A garbage dump... I think... I don't know."

"You're as useless as always," Magnus muttered, rubbing his temples in frustration.

"What? Why?"

"Why the heck would they hide them somewhere like that? The tickets would get ruined."

"Oh yeah? Watch me prove myself." She rushed to the first garbage can her eyes landed on and started rummaging through it.

"You're getting yourself dirty."

"Just stay quiet for a sec..."

"You're an idiot."

Magnus's statement was met with Livia groaning at him.

"Shouldn't we head home by now? It’s getting late," Lucian suggested, completely ignoring the other two's banter.

"No, we shouldn’t. Father will kill us if we go back empty-handed."

"Uhm... guys..." Livia's voice wavered, her eyes wide in shock.

"What?" They both said simultaneously.

Livia's hands trembled as she lifted them to show her brothers what she had found.

A ticket.

No—five tickets!

A moment of silence followed as they processed the news.

"Liv, you're a genius!" Magnus grabbed onto Livia, ruffling her hair.

"Didn't you just call me an idiot...?" she said, trying to free herself from his grip.

"No, I didn—"

Their joy was interrupted by laughter.

A group of menacing figures approached from the other end of the alley. The gang members were dressed in tattered jackets, their faces plastered with amused smirks.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" one of them, a tall, scarred man tilted his head, his smirk widening as he stepped closer.

Magnus instinctively grabbed onto both of his siblings, hoping to protect them.

"Such good little children," the man taunted. "You found the tickets." His amusement grew as he knelt in front of them, extending a scarred hand drenched in fresh blood.

"N-no, we were the ones who found them!" Livia stammered.

"You're not getting anything from us. If you want the tickets, find them yourselves," Lucian shot back, glaring at the man.

"Wrong answer."

"Get 'em, boys."

With that, the gang lunged at the poor kids.

Livia didn’t see it coming. A fist slammed into her stomach. She gasped, the air escaping her lungs. Pain shot through her body.

She stumbled back, trying to regain her breath while keeping a tight grip on the tickets.

Lucian was right there. He lunged at one of the attackers, wanting to take them down. But then, bam! A knee struck his ribs.

He collapsed to the ground, coughing.

The fight was chaotic.

Magnus fought back as best he could, dodging a few swings before one of the gang members caught him by the collar and threw him hard against the alley wall. His head cracked against the brick.

The fight erupted into madness. Wild swings filled the air. Bodies crashed to the ground.

A gang member pulled out a switchblade. Its dull silver caught the dim light. Livia’s heart pounded. She twisted just in time as the blade sliced through the air.

But it wasn’t enough. The blade cut her sleeve, leaving a stinging gash on her arm. Pain flared, and her grip on the tickets loosened.

The tickets went flying. Livia’s eyes widened in horror.

Fear surged through her. She had to think fast. The stakes were high.

In a moment of desperation, she sprinted without thinking, hoping to grab at least one back. She hadn’t noticed the man lunging toward her with a sharp knife.

Magnus forced himself up, getting between them and taking the hit right below his ribs. A sharp pain surged through his side, forcing a strangled gasp out of him. His hand clamped over his wound, blood dripping between his fingers.

With his free hand, Magnus punched the attacker, knocking the air out of him. That was all he could do before the next second, he fell to the floor, coughing up blood.

Out of nowhere there was loud, sharp whistle

The gang was momentarily distracted. Lucian took the chance to knock down a pile of junk onto them.

"Run!" Lucian ordered as he sprinted like a cheetah.

Livia forced herself up, shoving a ticket into her pocket. She quickly grabbed Magnus’s arm and bolted, dragging him behind her.

Boots pounded on the pavement. The gang was close, their angry shouts ringing through the night air.

Pain coursed through their bodies, begging them to stop. But fear propelled them onward.

The alleys twisted like a maze. Each corner revealed rusting fire escapes and broken fences. They were trapped in a city that felt alive yet hostile.

The orphans gasped for air. Their hearts raced. Sweat and blood blurred their vision.

Every step was a fight. Every breath felt heavy. They couldn’t look back. They had to keep moving.

Then...

A dead end.

Lucian spun around, pressing his back against the cold wall.

Livia’s hands clenched into tight fists. Magnus winced as pain shot through his side, but he gritted his teeth.

The gang was getting closer. They could hear footsteps. Each step echoed in the quiet. The tension thickened.

What would they do next? Time was running out.

They had to act fast.

Then…A presence.

A girl.

Tall and skinny, her hair as dark as the night. She stood eerily still, untouched by the howling winds.

Her face was blank. No warmth, no fear. Just a cold detachment, as if she were observing a scene that didn’t matter.

Without a word, she grabbed Lucian’s hand, muttering a quiet, "Follow me."

Before he could even react, Lucian had been yanked away by the girl. The other two instinctively followed.

Then they ran.

She led them through a narrow path hidden behind the wall, slipping between two buildings. With a light kick, she knocked down the paper-thin barrier blocking their escape.

Her pace was quick. The others could barely keep up, especially with their injuries.

The gang’s voices roared behind them—furious, but fading.

They ran.

And ran.

And ran.

Until finally, silence.

The girl stopped. She let go of Lucian’s hand.

Lucian, Livia, and Magnus leaned against the cold wall, gasping for air.

This alley felt different. It was narrower, quieter. An unsettling chill hung in the air. It felt untouched, almost eerie.

In the distance, shouts from the gang echoed. But they didn’t sound right. The noise twisted and warped, like something out of a nightmare.

The girl stood still, staring into space. Then her gaze flickered to the crumpled ticket in Livia’s pocket.

"If you're looking for the tickets," she said, her voice eerily calm, "try looking in that abandoned warehouse east of the giant statue."

Livia blinked her breath still heavy. "How do you even know that?"

The girl turned her gaze toward her—blank, emotionless.

"You don’t need to know that," she replied bluntly.

Something about the way she said it sent a shiver down their spines.

Then her eyes flickered over their wounds. Blood soaked Magnus’s shirt. Livia’s sleeve was torn, the cut beneath it seeping red.

The girl didn’t react, didn’t frown, didn’t show concern.

"The hospital’s that way."

Her voice was flat, unbothered.

The orphans exchanged glances, processing everything in the split second of silence that followed.

They looked back at the girl

She was gone.

No footsteps. No sound.

She had simply vanished.