Another six years passed in a flash since Mahito joined the gang, making it eighteen years since he'd been born in this rotting city.
Today was his birthday. Mahito stood atop a large mountain of trash—the tallest heap overlooking all of Meteor City—With a bindle slung over his shoulder. The wasteland beyond showed the decaying buildings he'd terrorized, while the rotten stench of trash and rusted metal mixed in the air around him. He took a deep breath, smacking his lips as though tasting the air, his eyes lifting to the sky to savor its texture, before he released a long, wistful sigh.
"Ahh, Meteor City… What a dump." He mused aloud, cracking a little smirk. "I'll almost miss it!"
Tapping his hip, he felt the dull, wooden knife he'd stolen years ago, which had taken on a reddish tint over time. The item was a small memento of his escapades, and he'd kept it around for just that reason. Unstrapping the knife from his belt, he lifted it to his face. Ugly things had a charm to them, but this one had lost all its appeal. An eerie aura and a foul stench crept from the blood-stained blade, but Mahito seemed unbothered.
He tossed it forward, watching as it tumbled down the pile of rubble. It was no longer useful—so dull it couldn't pierce a thing. He placed his hands on his hips as a large gust of wind swept across the mound. Meteor City itself had grown boring. He had become the pseudo-leader of the gang he joined; his aura unnerved them, and they wouldn't dare challenge him in their wildest dreams. He took pride in doing jobs himself, but the fear had grown stale, leaving him yearning for more.
With a final huff while overlooking the city, he muttered, "Well, that's it, I guess." Picking up his bindle, he swung it over his shoulder and turned his back toward the setting sun. Its blinding light peeked over the mountains, and he squinted, adjusting to the light.
Looking down the steep hill, he prepared to slide down the trash mound. He took a half-step forward but paused as he heard slow footsteps behind him. They weren't close, but they weren't far, either. He didn't need to turn to know who it was. Kouta—his supposed brother but he knew better—had come to see him off. Mahito smirked, chuckling a bit.
"Came to see me off?" Mahito turned, glancing over his shoulder to see Kouta, his short blond hair fluttering. His brother's face seemed disappointed. Mahito looked toward the sun once more as he spoke his last words to Kouta.
" Well, you can't come, but you can find your path, Don't disappoint me now"
He kicked off, and the trash mound beneath him gave way into a landslide, carrying him down in a cloud of dust and dirt, leaving Kouta to watch him disappear before even getting the chance to respond.
"Time to see what this world has in store for me!"
Reaching the bottom with a large crash, dust and dirt kicked up, forming a thick cloud.
Cough! Cough!
Mahito stumbled out, coughing and wiping his eyes, which had started to tear up.
"Oh dear, I didn't think that would happen."
He hurried away from the cloud, jogging to escape the settling dust. As his pace slowed, he glanced over the trash heaps. Thinking it over, he realized it probably wasn't the best idea to start his journey at dusk.
Night fell quickly, draping the world around him in darkness. The worst part about nighttime in Meteor City was the lack of light. People didn't keep lights on at night; thieves prowled, and drawing attention to yourself was dangerous in a place where murders went unsolved. Houses blended with the dark sky, as people prayed that bandits would pass them by unnoticed.
Mahito didn't mind the darkness too much. It wasn't ideal, but the general idea was to walk straight until he hit something. He marched ahead, scanning his surroundings to ensure no one snuck up on him. Turning his head, he paused, his eyes catching his right shoulder.
Where was his bindle? He'd lost it!
"Oh no, no! Where is my bundle? I had nothing in there, but I wanted it!" Frantically, he looked around until his eyes spotted the white rag tied to his bindle swaying in the distance. Someone was fleeing with it!
"Hey, get back here!" he shouted, giving chase. Squinting, he caught sight of a little child with a red bucket as a helmet. The kid wore a tattered white undershirt, and short blue shorts, and was barefoot. Mahito didn't care; the kid had something precious to him!
As he closed in, the child disappeared over a trash mound. Mahito dove over the mound, hoping to tackle him.
"I've got you!"
Crash! Ruffle!
Mahito's body bounced down the decline, reaching the bottom of the pit. He got on his hands and knees, looking around, annoyed and confused. Where had the kid gone?
The child was hidden in a crevice nearby, having expertly concealed himself despite his youth. He'd never had someone close the distance so fast before, and it alarmed him—who was this man?
Mahito's voice rang out. "Whoever's out there, just know you stole a stick and a piece of a torn t-shirt! And if I find you, it won't be pretty!"
The boy's eyes widened as he realized the bundle was empty. He'd risked his life for nothing!
"Hey, you know, I wouldn't have found you if you'd breathed through your nose."
The boy went silent, holding his breath as though hoping to disappear. But it was obvious—the voice came from right behind him, hot breath brushing the back of his neck.
"Oh, fun! We're playing the quiet game now. Let's see who can hold their breath the longest without passing out."
The jolly voice behind him sent a chill through his bones. The boy fought the urge to turn, but he creaked to the side until his head slowly met Mahito's.
"Gah!"
Mahito's face was close: bulging eyes, cracked lips, and a patchwork smile stretched ear-to-ear. His long, stringy hair framed his head. The boy's lips quivered as he gasped in shock. He wanted to run, to escape right then and there!
Mahito's smile faded, and his gaze narrowed. "Why did you stop? We didn't even get to the good part."
Mahito's size completely overshadowed the boy like a monster hidden in a closet.
"Ahhhh!" The boy screamed, trying to dart past Mahito, but a tight grip seized the back of his neck, lifting him into the air like a doll. He kicked out, struggling.
"Oh, look at you struggling! I'm proud of you, but you do know it's futile."
Mahito released him, and the boy hit the ground, bouncing down the slope. He landed on his hands and knees, coughing and gasping for breath. Mahito approached slowly, standing above him.
Cough! "I have food—water! Supplies! Just let me live!" the boy begged, his eyes wide with fear.
Mahito's smile deepened as he looked down. "Is this how you humans beg for your lives? It's cute!"
The boy stared in confusion. "Humans? Aren't you human too?"
Mahito's smile faltered, seeming momentarily discomforted by the question. His eyes lifted toward the moonlight. "What's your name, kid?"
"K-Kasuma. Katsuma Shimano," he stammered, raising himself to one knee.
Mahito nodded. "Do you have a place to stay, Katsuma? It's chilly, and I want to continue my journey in the morning."
Katsuma hesitated, looking at the ground. "Yeah, I do, but you have to promise me something."
Mahito raised an eyebrow. "And what would that be?"
"Please don't kill me!" Katsuma clasped his hands, bowing his head, bracing himself.
"Now, how would we arrive at your place if I killed you, silly?" Mahito chuckled, lightening the mood.
"And… you won't kill me when we arrive?" Katsuma asked, still wary.
"Yeah, sure." Mahito shrugged.
Kasuma gulped, uncertain, but he motioned for Mahito to follow. They exited the pit walking amongst the trash, a short distance, until they approached a small shack made of rusty metal sheets and loose supports. Kasuma pointed to a loose sheet that acted as a makeshift door.
"H-Head in; it's a lot warmer in there."
Mahito didn't hesitate, diving headfirst inside, only to bump his head as he stood up. The cramped space was clearly built for a smaller frame.
Kasuma slipped in after him, hands on his hips. "So, what do you think? this is my house—"
Mahito ignored him, picking up a large, broken-action figure. "These toys are brittle and dirty; you should toss them." Creak! Snap! The sound echoed in Kasuma's heart. Mahito had broken one of his oldest toys!
He dashed over. "Hey! Uh, there's cooler things to do than that, you know!" Kasuma tried to grab Mahito's attention, hoping he would stop destroying his belongings. Mahito just sighed, settling down and bumping his head again.
"Uhhh, I'm going to bed. Mahito's tired."
Mahito crouched as he walked back to the metal sheet, sliding it closed as he sat with his back against the door. Katsuma gulped, realizing he was practically trapped for the night and that his only way out was through Mahito.
Mahito dropped to the ground hands first, rotating onto his bottom and settling down softly, a little dirt kicking up from his movement. He swiped the dirt away with his hand, letting his head slowly tilt down.
Katsuma took this time to sit in front of Mahito; he hadn't had company in a long while, and the surprise was evident on his face.
"So, uh, Mahito, is it? Where are you coming from?" Katsuma asked.
Mahito chuckled at the boy's attempt at small talk.
"From some random bummy city. How about you, Katsuma-kun?"
Katsuma shied away from the question, glancing down at the ground.
"Uh, I live out here in the dumps; I don't come from a particular town or anything like that."
Mahito nodded subtly, choosing not to respond as he was already focusing on sleep. But Katsuma, persistent, had one more question he wanted to ask.
"Mahito-san, why were you traveling with a bindle? Are you migrating to another town? I'll have you know, other towns don't take kindly to refugees."
Mahito chuckled again, a smile cracking on his face as he opened a singular eye to look directly into Katsuma's.
"Because I'm not migrating to another town. I'm leaving Meteor City!" he announced proudly, his voice a little too loud for the dead of night. Katsuma's reaction was mixed; his mouth dropped open in confusion.
It wasn't often you heard of people leaving Meteor City—was there even a place to go? Most who said they were leaving simply disappeared; some were found dead. Nobody really knew what lay beyond the rocky mountains, and anyone who left certainly wasn't coming back to be a trailblazer.
"So how do you—"
"Shhhh! I have a long walk in the morning, Katsuma-kun, and I don't want to be groggy for it!"
Katsuma closed his gaping mouth with an audible snap, nodding. Mahito slowly shut his eyes once more, resting his head on his knees as he began to snore.
Katsuma glanced at the small open crack in the metal sheet, shifting his gaze between Mahito and the exit. He could escape right now, but he didn't. Too many things could go wrong.
Number one: the house could collapse, and Mahito could send him to an early grave. Second: Mahito might not even be asleep and could be waiting to see if he tried something stupid. And last: he didn't want to turn his back on Mahito.
For some reason, though, he truly wanted to stay, just a feeling he couldn't shake. Anyway, he had things to do in the morning, so he might as well get some sleep, too.