The distant glow of the alley's exit beckoned like a distant sanctuary. The boy's heart pounded in his chest, the bundle of bread a weighty reminder of the risks he faced for the simplest of sustenance. Each stride brought him closer to the edge of the alley, a threshold between the oppressive darkness and the uncertain promise of escape.
The shadows seemed to conspire against him, elongating and distorting as he neared the alley's end. The boy pushed himself to the limits of his endurance, his breaths becoming labored as the pursuit intensified. The bundle of bread, though a source of sustenance, felt like an anchor, a tangible reminder of the vulnerability that marked his existence.
