KALDUN SHORTS

The fluorescent lights of the Kaldun precinct buzzed overhead, casting a harsh, sterile glow over the cracked linoleum floor. Across the scarred metal table, a tired-looking desk sergeant rubbed his temples, staring down at Alix.

"Yes, I'm Alix... Alix Izer, 22 years old..." Alix muttered, keeping his voice carefully subdued, playing the part of the nervous, run-of-the-mill citizen.

"And you're telling us he just shoved you and sprinted down that alley?" the officer pressed, tapping a pen against the logbook. "You didn't even try to stop him?"

Alix shrank back slightly in his metal chair, leaning into the act. "Sorry, but I'm scared of these street grunts. I've heard rumors they might be carrying illegal firearms."

The officer sighed, leaning back and eyeing Alix with a mix of suspicion and mild disappointment. "You really didn't see his face at all?"

"No," Alix replied, shaking his head firmly.

The sergeant waved a hand in dismissal. "Fine. You're wasting our time. You can go."

"Thanks, officers," Alix said quickly, pushing himself up from the chair before they could change their minds.

He slipped out of the station and back into the cool, restless air of Kaldun. The island nation's streets were already waking up, packed with the usual morning rush of fishmongers, dockworkers, and rusted vehicles coughing up exhaust.

As he walked, his route took him past the edge of the city where the cobbled streets gave way to the sweeping, gray-sand beach. The ocean breeze hit him hard, carrying the scent of salt and seaweed—and right then, a sudden realization hit him like a physical blow.

He glanced up at the cracked clock tower hanging over a corner storefront. He was late again.

Alix cursed under his breath and broke into a full sprint down the shoreline path toward the hardware shop where he worked as a humble shop helper.

"The boss is going to skin me alive," Alix muttered, dodging a pair of fishermen hauling nets. "Damn this police department and their endless questions..

Alix slipped through the back entrance of the general store—a sprawling, chaotic cavern of grocery sacks, canned goods, and miscellaneous hardware stacked wall-to-wall. Moving like a ghost, he ducked into the cramped changing room before anyone could spot him, quickly shedding his street jacket for his faded, flour-dusted work tunic.

Stepping back out onto the shop floor, he immediately grabbed a broom and fell into a steady rhythm sweeping the aisle, moving as though he had been standing right there since sunrise.

A few feet away, his co-worker paused stocking a shelf of canned tomatoes and raised an eyebrow, about to speak. Alix flashed a sharp look, pressing a finger to his lips. The co-worker smirked, shook his head, and went back to work, keeping quiet.

For a while, the morning passed in relative peace—until heavy footsteps echoed from the back office.

The boss stomped out, his face flushed and scowling as he marched straight up to Alix.

"So. Where were you today?" the boss demanded, crossing his arms.

Alix blinked, feigning complete innocence as he leaned on his broom. "What? I'm on time today."

The boss let out a harsh, disbelieving laugh. "You really think I'm a fool? See that?" He pointed a thick finger up toward the ceiling near the front entrance. "We just had to install a security camera because of these damn street thugs running around—and guess who it caught sneaking in twenty minutes late?"

Alix let out a dramatic sigh, dropping his shoulders. "You're really comparing me to a common thief? Boss, I got caught up as a witness in a police interrogation because of a street crime this morning! That’s why I was late. Otherwise, I swear, I was right on time."

The boss narrowed his eyes, studying him. "Sounds like a convenient excuse. Get back to work—and let this be your last warning."

"Thanks, Boss," Alix muttered, letting out a quiet breath of relief as he went back to sweeping.

The boss turned on his heel and walked away, pausing for a moment to glare back up at the unblinking lens of the new security camera mounted by the door.

"This damn city," the boss muttered under his breath, shaking his head.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long, bruised shadows across the gritty streets of Kaldun, the long workday finally came to an end.

Alix walked the familiar route back to his building, his boots crunching against the gravel. But as he approached the entry of his one-room rusty old apartment, he froze.

Standing right there in the dim light of the hallway was a familiar face—someone he recognized from earlier today.

Alix’s heart skipped a beat, but he forced his feet to keep moving. He didn't flinch, didn't make eye contact, and walked right past the figure as if they were a complete stranger. Slipping into his room, he slammed the heavy wooden door shut and locked every deadbolt and latch in place.

Leaning back against the door, Alix let out a breath he didn't realize he'd been holding.

"Fuck that person, I know it..." he whispered to himself, his chest tightening.

For a frantic second, his mind raced, turning every worst-case scenario over in his head. Wait, why am I even nervous? I didn't do anything wrong, and I didn't give any info to the police, so I'm safe...

He paced the cramped room, trying to calm his breathing. Kaldun was a rough place, and everyone knew how deep the corruption went.

I know some of those officers are probably teamed up with the gangs, Alix thought grimly.

If they think I know something, they might just finish me in the dark.

A small, defiant smirk crept onto his face as he looked toward the window, watching the wind rustle the corrugated roof outside.

Let them try. If things go wrong... I've got a trick.

Ten minutes later, a sharp, heavy knock rattled Alix's apartment door.

Alix crept forward, his stomach twisting with nerves, but the moment he reached the handle, he smoothed his features into a mask of bored annoyance. He pulled the door open just a crack, letting out a heavy sigh.

"Who?" Alix asked, though deep down, he already knew the face standing in the dim hallway.

The man offered a polite, practiced smile. "Actually, sir... we have a delivery for Mr. Rays. Do you know where he lives?"

"No, sorry," Alix said flatly, and began to push the door shut.

Before the latch could catch, the man’s hand shot out, wedging against the frame to stop it. He peered closer, narrowing his eyes. "Sir, I think I know you... Have we met somewhere?"

Alix didn't blink. "No, I don't think so. Or even if we have, I don't remember."

The man chuckled, though his eyes remained sharp and calculating. "Yeah, yeah. This city is too small, everyone's bound to cross paths sooner or later." With a polite nod, he turned on his heel and walked away down the hall.

Alix let out a long, trembling breath and slid the deadbolt back into place.

"Safe for now," he muttered, collapsing onto the edge of his narrow bed. "What a hectic day... And college also starting from tomorrow as well."

---Midnight in Kaldun

While the rest of the island slept, the lower dockyards came alive with shadows.

"Today we get the supply at 1:00 AM, be ready," a gravelly voice ordered among the crates. "It’s from Mr. Vance. We can't afford to lose a client this big..."

A low, deep ship horn echoed across the dark water, cutting through the thick, rolling fog that swallowed the streets of Kaldun.

At night, Kaldun transformed into a brooding, atmospheric labyrinth. Relentless sea waves slammed against the island's rocky base, sending a cool, damp mist that drifted inland to blanket the narrow alleys. In the distance, the steady beam of the old lighthouse swept a golden arc across the black sea, guiding unseen ships through the treacherous waters.

The city itself was a patchwork of mid-rise apartments, weathered wooden storefronts, and rusty, potholed roads lit by the dim, sickly-yellow glow of flickering street lamps. It was a mid-sized, isolated world: one side bordered by a dense, whispering forest, while the rest housed the industrial dockyards, the local schools and colleges, and the municipal police and fire stations.

Life didn't entirely stop after dark. Down on the main avenues, a pack of rival biker gangs revved the engines of their vintage, retro-fitted bikes, leaving behind the roar of exhaust and fresh spray-paint tags smeared across the asphalt. Every few blocks, a lone, exhausted pedestrian hurried home under the shadows.

As the fog rolled past a peeling brick wall near a rusted bus stop, two posters fluttered side by side in the midnight breeze.

One of them in bold ink: **THE GREAT DISASTER IS COMING.**

Right beside it, a election poster hung fresh, featuring the smiling, ambitious face of a local political candidate named Fox, promising a bright new future for Kaldun.

---

*Chapter 1 Ends.*