After enduring endless questioning about what had happened and suffering through painful treatment for his injuries, Kael finally lay on his bed. His room was small, with an old mattress on the floor serving as his bed, and pieces of worn cloth acting as his blanket. In the corner stood a rickety chair and table, cluttered with stacks of recycled paper.
Unlike other gang leaders, Kael didn't mind his minimalistic room, preferring to spend his group's funds on more important things. He was used to much harsher conditions anyway, so as long as he could sleep in a warm bed without worrying about his safety, he was satisfied.
Exhausted, Kael finally allowed his weary body to rest, his consciousness slipping into the realm of dreams.
He dreamed of his mother—her unconditional love for him, unwavering even during their darkest days in the slums.
He dreamed of the time he found an old book while scavenging for food and the joy in her eyes when he gave it to her as a gift.
He dreamed of...
***
Waking up with a strange sense of melancholy, Kael stood and checked his condition. He removed the bandages and examined his side. The wound was now neatly sewn together, with no blood seeping through. The surrounding skin was charred, a painful reminder of the crude disinfecting method using a heated piece of metal. Kael flinched at the memory of the throbbing pain, but he knew it was necessary.
In the slums, an infected wound almost always meant death.
Happy that he would be healthy again in a few weeks, Kael's gloomy mood brightened. Humming a melody, he made his way to the dining room.
He was met with an interesting sight. In the center of the room stood a large round table with about twenty chairs around it.
About half of the chairs were occupied by children of various ages. Some ate in silence, while others were engaged in conversations on different topics. The most striking conversation was happening between two children, a boy and a girl, both of whom looked no older than twelve.
They seemed to be arguing over who would claim ownership of a knife, which lay on the table between them.
"I was the one who killed the guy, so obviously, I should be the one to get it," the girl said confidently.
"Killed him?!" the boy scoffed. "The guy was half-dead after I was done with him; you just finished him off!"
"So what? A kill is a kill," the girl replied, standing her ground.
"That wasn't a kill; it was an execution."
"Well, if you'd done your job right, I wouldn't have had to clean up after you. The guy was about to stab you in the back when you turned around, so you should be thanking me on your knees."
At that last remark, the boy's face turned bright red, and he started to get up. The girl, unfazed, showed no emotion.
Sensing the conflict heating up, Kael finally decided to intervene.
"Hey, that's enough, guys."
Suddenly, all gazes in the room fell on him. The first one to break the silence was the girl.
"Good morning, Boss. Nina told us you came home with some bad injuries last night. How are you feeling?"
In his mind, Kael smiled, noticing her attempt to steer the conversation away from the argument that had just taken place.
"I'm fine, thanks for your concern. However, that's not what's important right now. What's important is that you're all squabbling over something trivial again. Arin, how many times have I told you not to tease Jay? You know how bad his temperament can be."
Seeing a shameful reaction on Arin's face, Kael shifted his attention towards Jay.
"And you, Jay, need to stop getting worked up over such petty stuff. Controlling your emotions was one of the first things I taught you all, or have you forgotten?"
Getting the desired reaction from both kids, feeling they had truly taken it to heart, Kael took a thick piece of bread and some jerky off the table, making his way out of the room. Just before leaving, he turned around, unable to resist nagging the kids a bit more.
"And for the thousandth time, don't leave those damn weapons on the table!"
***
Enjoying his breakfast, Kael listened to the reports being delivered by Nina. As the second oldest and most experienced member of the gang after Kael, she held the position of "second in command." Her job mainly involved managing internal affairs—allocating funds, ensuring they had food, weapons, and clothing—basically all the tasks that Kael found incredibly boring.
"So, as I was saying, Boss—hey, are you listening, Boss? Kael?" Nina paused her report, noticing the distant look on his face.
"Oh, sorry! My mind just wandered off for a bit. Please continue," Kael hurriedly apologized.
With a slight frown, Nina wrapped up the last few sentences of her report. They were currently in his room, Nina perched on a shabby wooden chair while Kael sat on his mattress, leaning comfortably against the wall.
Looking down at him, Nina added, "Also, I heard there was a fight earlier in the dining room. Did something happen?"
"Please, calling it a fight is a bit exaggerated," Kael smiled. "It was just another quarrel between Arin and Jay. Those two argue all the time. Don't forget that, despite being fearsome fighters, they are still kids."
Nina opened her mouth to respond when the door to the room flew open.
A hurried kid burst in, gasping for breath as if he had sprinted all the way here. Realizing he had interrupted their conversation, he quickly apologized.
"Ah, sorry for barging in, Boss, but you're not going to believe this."
Noticing the urgency on the boy's face, Kael's features stiffened slightly.
"Sure, what is it that needs my attention so urgently?"
Catching his breath, the messenger finally blurted out,
"Gideon's gang is invoking the right of a duel."