II. Survival's Trial

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"Hey catch that thief!!", A young boy was running through people.

2 men blocked his way he ran toward them, kicked the first in his stomach, and jumped on his back after the man leaned and punched the other one's face, the boy escaped from them.

The alleyways stretched like winding veins across the underbelly of the city, and darkness. concealing both secrets and dangers. Roku, now a mere shadow of the boy he once was, navigated these passages with the deftness of one intimately acquainted with the streets.

"Here's some food for you" he gave the food to 2 young kids who were sitting on the pavement.

The memory of leaving Kuchel remained etched in his mind, an ache that never dulled. The day he parted ways with her was eternally etched in his heart—a choice between survival and attachment.

He knew he couldn't be a burden; the underground, unforgiving and ruthless, permitted no such luxuries.

Alone, with nothing but his resolve and the memories of Kuchel's care, Roku embraced the life of a street thief. His agile frame and Ackerman lineage endowed him with strength that defied his age. Tenacious and resourceful, he learned to snatch morsels of food, evade the grasps of lawless gangs, and, when necessity dictated, confront men twice his size.

In this darkness, he encountered the worst facets of humanity. Greed had twisted these souls, morphing them into predators prowling the streets for their next victim. Roku witnessed desperation in the eyes of those willing to snatch food from a child's grasp, a stark reminder that survival in this domain demanded sacrifice.

There were moments when his stomach clenched with guilt, moments when he questioned the righteousness of his actions. But the underground was a cruel teacher, unforgiving in its tutelage. To survive, Roku understood he had to become the hunter, not the prey.

The night was draped in a shroud of ominous silence as Roku found himself cornered by a band of ruffians—older, hardened men whose eyes glinted with malicious intent.

His heart hammered in his chest, but his resolve remained unyielding. With swift movements born of desperation and necessity, Roku fought. Each blow, each maneuver, was a testament to his determination to endure.

The metallic tang of blood lingered in the air as the altercation ensued, the grim reality of survival starkly evident in this violent confrontation. As the skirmish reached its tumultuous crescendo, Roku's unwavering resolve and his acknowledgment of the bitter truth crystallized—he had to fend for himself, even if it meant submerging his conscience in the darkness.

Survival was paramount, even if it meant confronting the ultimate moral abyss, the possibility of taking a life in this cruel, unforgiving world.

Amidst the shadows and the stain of crimson, Roku vowed to persevere, defy the odds, and carve his path through the bleakness, even if it meant walking on the precipice of morality itself.

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End of the Chapter