The sun beat down on the uneven streets of the urban neighbourhood. A chorus of distant chatter and laughter echoed around the walls. But amid the regular urban symphony, there was another sound - that of frantic footsteps pounding against the concrete.
Young Udo, a lad of 14 with a rucksack strapped to his back, sprinted through the labyrinth of narrow alleyways. His pursuers, three older boys led by the wiry Yohan, hot on his trail, their malicious jeers rising and falling with the wind.
"Come here, adopty!" Yohan sneered. "You can't run forever!"
With every labored breath, Udo thought of the power he held within him. He could easily overpower them, but drawing attention was the last thing he needed. But as thoughts crowded his mind, his foot caught an unsuspecting rock, sending him sprawling.
The laughter grew louder, more triumphant. Yohan and his cronies circled their prey. The leader's mocking grin was all teeth. "C'mon, what's the deal? We just wanted to say hi..."
Yohan teased, though the glint in his eye told a different story.
Before Udo could react, a series of blows rained upon him. Hands gripped his arms, pulling him upright to meet Yohan's sinister gaze. "Nothing personal, adopty," Yohan's voice dripped with malice. "We just want to send a message to your 'brother'."
As Udo gasped for air, his vision blurry from the onslaught, Yohan's taunts continued,
"Come on! Fight back! Fight back, you weakling!"
Udo's thoughts swirled. Maybe, just maybe, he should unleash his power. As his fingers began forming a familiar sign, an unexpected shriek tore through the air. One of Yohan's cronies, an arrow lodged in his back, stumbled and fell.
Yohan's sneer faltered. Time seemed to freeze for a moment. Then, emerging from the shadowed alley, a figure stepped forth. Bowen. The very embodiment of controlled rage, he was a force to be reckoned with.
Fixing a seething gaze on Yohan, Bowen growled, "What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot!"
Yohan, trying to mask his fear, shot back, "Well, if it isn't Superman himself!"
Bowen stepped menacingly closer. "Get lost before I break every bone in your body."
But Yohan, defiant to the end, smirked. "Our message is sent. Let's go, boys."
The remnants of Yohan's gang scampered away. Alone amidst the dust and debris, Bowen approached Udo, offering a gentle hand. The warm smile on his face was a stark contrast to the cold fury from moments ago.
"You good?" he asked, extending a hand to help Udo up.
Udo hesitated for a split second, eyes shimmering with a blend of gratitude and surprise.
But as he reached out, Bowen disintegrated. Like sand in the wind, he turned to dust, swirling around Udo, who choked and coughed amidst the sudden haze.
"What the..." he spluttered, blinking hard against the stinging particles. "Bowen?"
As the whirlwind of dust began to settle, the silhouette of a dark-skinned stranger loomed, holding a limp figure aloft. Udo squinted through the clearing mist, the realization hitting him like a freight train. "B-Bowen? Bowen!" he cried out in anguish.
The stranger's face twisted into a malicious grin, revealing itself under the fading cloud.
Udo's heart thundered in his chest, a potent mix of rage and despair coursing through him.
"No... no," he whispered, the weight of reality sinking in.
Overcome by emotion and driven by impulse, Udo lunged at the dark-skinned assailant, a desperate scream tearing from his throat. "Nooo!"
Suddenly, the world shifted.
With a start, Udo found himself bolting upright, gasping for air. His rapid heartbeat echoed loudly in his ears. The surroundings were unfamiliar, stark in their whiteness. Sterile walls framed a simple bed, on which he sat, trying to gather his thoughts. Confusion clouded his eyes as he murmured, "What the... where the hell am I?"
The faint, melodic hum of a voice carried through the still air, teasing Udo's ears. It was soft, bewitching, a song filled with warmth and emotion. "Whose voice is that...?" Udo wondered aloud, the curiosity pulling him from the unfamiliar bed.
As he wandered the hallway, the walls around him seemed to pulse with life, adorned with intricate art and patterns that seemed to dance and shift as he passed by. The further he went, the clearer and more enchanting the voice became. Soon, he found himself before a curtain of colourful beads, shimmering and swaying as if in rhythm to the song. Beyond it lay a vibrant, bohemian kitchen alive with colour and scents.
"Whoa..." Udo murmured, his gaze drawn to the source of the melody.
At the heart of the room, beside a stove, stood Atamai. The Samoan beauty moved gracefully, her long curly locks cascading down her back, catching the light in their waves.
With each stir of her pan, the fragrance of spices mingled with her song, creating a symphony for the senses.
Mustering his voice, Udo managed a hesitant, "Um...yo..."
She turned, and her gaze met his, her eyes an arresting shade of green that seemed to see right through him. "Oh, hey! You're finally awake!"
Udo shifted on his feet, suddenly bashful under her gaze. "Um...yeah." He thought to himself, Holy shit, who is she? She's absolutely mesmerizing.
Atamai approached him with an easy grace, her dress swishing softly against the floor.
"Anything wrong?" she inquired.
"Um, nah... just-" He started, but she interrupted with a soft smile.
"The others are waiting for you upstairs. Follow me."
As she led the way, Udo's thoughts raced. Get a grip, man! He chided himself. Their journey brought them to an elevator, its doors kept secure with a keypad. Atamai entered a code, and the doors slid open, revealing its vacant interior.
She gestured for him to enter, but Udo, trying to play it cool, murmured, "L-ladies first..."
She cocked her head slightly, not quite catching his mutter. "Hm?"
"Oh, nothing, don't worry 'bout it..."
Stepping into the elevator first, Udo was hyper-aware of her presence as she joined him.
His inner voice berated him, Udo, you absolute twit! But the elevator doors closed, sealing them in the brief shared silence.
As the elevator doors slid open, Udo was momentarily struck by the vivid transformation of his surroundings. The soft lighting of the Kroeg Van Liefde pub welcomed him warmly, while the electrifying pulse of indie-rock music resonated through the vast space, coaxing his feet to tap along.
"Whoa..." he whispered, feeling momentarily transported.
Beside him, Atamai's voice pulled his attention. "Welcome to the Kroeg Van Liefde," she began, an amused glint in her eyes, "Alko's pride and joy." She gestured to the left, where a charismatic Alko, donned in an elegant bartender's uniform, held court.
With a sly grin, Alko leaned in towards a blushing young woman, "Every bottle in this bar must be green with envy, because your beauty is the most intoxicating thing here."
Her friend, however, rolled her eyes and countered, "He got that line off Google."
Undeterred, Alko shot back with another zinger, "Speaking of Google, are you named after it? Because you have everything I've been searching for."
The friend was unimpressed, "That one too."
Atamai chuckled softly before directing Udo's attention elsewhere, "Over on the right is Ren, likely deep in another car conversation."
True to form, Ren was engrossed in an animated discussion with a couple of young men.
His passion evident, "If you're considering options, I'd suggest the up-trim CX5. The Rav 4 Hybrid is decent but not as luxurious inside as the CX5. The FPace? Well, it costs a lot more for a smidge more 'lux' and potentially less reliability."
One of the young men, clearly appreciative of the advice, replied, "Thanks, Ren! I definitely want a crossover, especially since I drive a Jeep Cherokee. But honestly, I don't know the first thing about cars."
The other young man, less enthused, downed a mouthful of his beer. "Can we switch topics? Feels like cars are all we ever talk about."
Ren shot back, "No! Cars is life!"
Amidst the loud chatter and rhythmic indie beats, Atamai pointed out another lively corner of Kroeg Van Liefde. There, illuminated by the vibrant glow of a flat-screen TV, was Kimberley, her fingers dancing over a game controller like a pianist on keys. The screen reflected the intensity of Nightmare Heat Seeker III, and the group encircling Kimberley consisted of a blend of admirers and sceptics.
Atamai said, "And there goes Kim, taking bets on Nightmare Heat Seeker III..."
One boy, wide-eyed in astonishment, remarked, "Holy shit man, she's not even looking, and she's still annihilating you..."
Kim's opponent, frustration evident on his face, spluttered, "She-she's cheating! She messed with my controller!"
Never breaking her stride, Kimberley retorted with a hint of mischief, "Hey, we can switch if you want."
His response was a terse, "Shut up!"
On the game screen, the climax approached. In a series of deft movements, Kimberley's in-game character delivered the final blow, gunning down her opponent's avatar. The real-world response was immediate. The room erupted in cheers, a few groans of disbelief echoing amidst the revelry.
Lifting her gaze from the screen, Kimberley wore a triumphant smirk. "Ten quid. Now."
The defeated opponent, defeated in more ways than one, reluctantly produced a £10 note and handed it to the reigning champion. Revelling in her victory, Kimberley challenged,
"Easy money. Who's next?"
Udo, observing from a distance, muttered to himself, "They all seem to be having a lot of fun..."
Suddenly, Alko materialized behind him, slinging an arm around Udo's shoulders and thrusting a cold can of beer towards him. "We sure are! Want a beer?"
Udo hesitated, then declined, "Um nah, I'm good."
Alko shrugged with a playful smirk, taking a long sip from his own beer, "Your loss." He then bellowed across the pub, "Kim! Ren!"
The duo turned at Alko's summons. Kimberley gracefully stood up, a sigh of disappointment wafting up from her audience. "Alright lads, time's up. I have some important business to attend to."
As she moved away, the cacophony of "awws" and playful jeers from the crowd was a testament to her prowess and the impression she left behind.
In a dimly lit, cavernous room marked by its chilling quietude, Udo sat desolately on a rickety wooden chair. The weight of his thoughts seemed to pull his shoulders and head downwards, almost as if he were trying to disappear into the floor.
He rasped, the scratchy rawness evident in his voice, "Look, I appreciate you lot for saving me, but I don't have time for this."
From the shadows, Ren's silhouette leaned against the wall. His voice dripped with disdain,
"How about you show a bit more gratitude, you prick-"
"Ren," Kimberley interjected. Her commanding tone echoed even as she perched effortlessly on the backrest of an old couch. At her curt remark, Ren fell silent. Gracefully, she dismounted from her seat and began her slow and deliberate approach towards Udo.
Eyes locked onto his, she said, "Udo, you probably do feel like you have more important things to do right now, but you need to hear us out first. And as the people who saved you, I think we're entitled to that."
Udo's eyes, sharp and unforgiving, didn't waver. "As I said, I appreciate you lot for saving me, but I don't remember asking for your help, so I don't owe you anything. Now if you'll excuse me-"
Kimberley's face contorted in a mix of anger and disgust, "Without us, you would've still been rotting in that dungeon, slowly waiting for your execution day to pass by. Instead, you got a second chance at life, thanks to us. Treat us with a bit more respect. We could always hand you back in."
The room's temperature seemed to drop a few more degrees at Udo's next words, "You might want to take the bass out of your tone. I'm not sure you know who you're talking to here. Hand me back in? I could literally stomp you all out right here right now, and none of you would be able to do anything about it."
From a corner, Alko lounged comfortably on another couch, an amused expression playing on his face. "Challenge accepted."
"Alko. Stop." Kimberley's voice rang out again, trying to maintain a semblance of control over the rapidly deteriorating situation.
Udo's smirk held a dangerous edge. "What's wrong? You said you were gonna hand me in right? Or have you just realized the situation you're in?"
Ren's agitation was clear. "Kim, this Fiend prick's chatting too much shit."
Without breaking eye contact, Udo leaned in closer, voice dripping with menace. "That's right. I'm a Fiend host. Meaning, I could kill you all right here...with no consequences."
Kimberley's voice remained eerily calm, "Except, there would be consequences."
Udo's steely facade wavered, "Huh?"
With a cold smirk, Kimberley landed the final blow, "You would be eliminating your best bet of ever seeing Bowen again."
Udo shot up from his seat, face ashen. "What did you say? How do you know about Bowen?"
Her smirk widened, a predatory gleam in her eyes, "Oh? Now you want to hear us out?"
He gritted his teeth, "Answer me."
Without missing a beat, Kimberley responded, "We were watching, Udo. We saw everything. Your brother impaled by those paper hawks. And your fury that followed.
Seems like that kid was really important to you, Udo."
His voice trembled with barely suppressed rage, "What are you getting at?"
With the air of someone holding all the cards, she coolly replied, "We know who took Bowen, and...we have leads."