Marie was running. Her breath came in ragged gasps as she clutched the pouch of gold coins tightly to her chest, her small frame darting through the dimly lit streets of the city.
(I've done it now… I stole…)
Marie had lived a hard life, but never before had she resorted to theft. Yet here she was, fleeing through the alleys, her hands shaking and her heart pounding.
(I'm sorry… I'm so sorry… please forgive me…)
She hadn't intended to steal the money.
When she first approached Uta, it was because of the incredible power he had displayed in the alley earlier, easily dispatching the three men who had accosted her. She had hoped he could help her rescue her sister. But when Uta mentioned leaving the city the next day, her desperation consumed her.
And then he showed her the gold—more wealth than she'd ever seen in her life. Overcome by the urgency of her situation, she had taken it in the heat of the moment.
"I'm sorry… I'm so sorry…" she whispered again, tears streaming down her face as she ran deeper into the slums. Her legs burned, her lungs ached, but she pushed forward until she finally reached her destination.
The building was incongruous with its surroundings, its grand facade standing out amidst the dilapidated shacks. It was the headquarters of the gang that ruled the city's underworld.
"Oi, what's this?"
Marie's heart sank as she spotted one of the gang members loitering near the entrance. He was one of the men from earlier, now alone and visibly injured, his clothes soaked in blood.
"You've got some nerve showing your face here, kid!" the man snarled, his face twisting with rage. "Because you didn't come quietly, my men got killed by monsters! You hear me? Killed!"
Marie had no way of knowing what had happened. After Uta had sent the three men away, they had been teleported to the forest outside the city—by sheer coincidence, a place teeming with dangerous creatures. While the forest wasn't far, it was far enough to seal their fate.
Two of the men were mauled to death by wolves, leaving this one to barely escape with his life.
"That bastard… I'll find him… I'll make him pay!" the man growled to himself.
Marie interrupted, her voice trembling. "P-please! I have the money! Please take it and let my sister go!"
The man turned to her, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as he noticed the pouch she held out.
"What the hell? Where'd you get that much gold?"
"I… I…"
"Doesn't matter," he said with a smirk, snatching the pouch from her hands. "I bet you stole it. Fine by me."
He tucked the pouch into his coat and turned to leave.
"The debt's paid. I'm not gonna sell you off. Now get lost, kid."
"W-wait!" Marie cried, her voice breaking. "What about my sister? Where is she?!"
The man stopped and turned back, his expression dark. "Your sister? She's dead."
"Wha… what?"
Marie froze. Her legs trembled, and her vision blurred as the words sank in.
"She worked at a brothel to pay off your dad's debt," the man said cruelly. "Bad luck for her, though. Some nasty customer got violent, beat her to death. Happens all the time."
"No… no, you're lying…" Marie whispered, her voice barely audible.
"Lying? Why would I? She's dead, kid. If she couldn't pay off the debt, you were next. Plenty of sick bastards out there who'd pay good coin for a brat like you."
He sneered, his face twisting into a mockery of pity. "Be glad you got out of it alive. Thank God or whoever for that."
Marie's knees buckled, and she collapsed to the ground. Her hands pressed against the cold, dirty cobblestones as her body heaved with sobs.
"No… no, no, no… this can't be happening…"
She had worked tirelessly to save her sister. She had stolen, betrayed, and risked everything.
And it was all for nothing.
"Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Marie's anguished scream echoed through the empty streets.
Her cries carried into the night as despair consumed her. She felt hollow, a gaping void of loss and guilt pulling her into darkness.
She wanted to disappear. She wanted everything to end.
"Are you okay? You look like you've been through a lot."
The soft, calm voice cut through her despair, sinking into her mind like a drop of water in parched soil.
Marie's head jerked up, her tear-streaked face illuminated by the faint moonlight. Standing over her was a boy she knew all too well—his black hair and eyes unmistakable in this world.
"Y-you…" she stammered.
It was Uta. The same boy she had tricked and stolen from. He was standing before her, his expression unreadable as he gazed down at her.
Her heart sank further, and she could do nothing but stare.