Clap. Clap.
At once, the gang members gathered around as Samir began treating them.
But within seconds, Alex and Samir both muttered under their breath, "Crap."
One of the boys had nearly sliced through his tendon. In this world, injuries like that could be treated easily, with only a day needed for recovery, but the treatment was costly.
'What a damn stroke of luck', Alex thought, urging Samir to start on the injured kid.
Reluctantly, Samir began cleaning the wound with antiseptic and bandaging it, but before he started, he whispered to Alex, "What about this kid? Treating him will run us at least 400 federal dollars."
"We'll figure something out," Alex sighed, glancing at the injured child. Injuries like this were all too common among nomad kids, with many left crippled over time.
"Just… don't play saint again," Samir muttered under his breath.
'Should I treat him?' Alex wondered. 'If I do, this month's school fees will go unpaid. Or… maybe I should use a favor.'
It was quite evident that no one in the higher ups are willing to spend 400 dollars to treat the child, as it would leave them and their families hungry. As the leader of the group, Alex understood this predicament very well.
His gang had a clean record—no injured kids so far—a fact that worked as both good publicity and a way to attract more recruits, which meant more money. Besides, he couldn't stand the thought of seeing a kid he'd known for years end up crippled. But that was a problem for the future, he told himself.
After freshening up with a splash of water, Alex gathered his scavenged goods and headed toward the market.
Unfortunately, today seemed to be a bad day for Alex and his group. Despite his efforts at the market, he had only managed to pick up a few items that were of little value and couldn't even be sold at the general store.
Feeling a sense of disappointment and frustration, Alex knew that he had to sell this thing to feed others. And so, he made his way to the scrap shop, hoping to sell whatever he could in order to earn some money. The shop was dimly lit and smelled strongly of metal and rust.
A gruff-looking man sat behind the counter, eyeing Alex with suspicion as he approached with his meager haul. With a heavy heart, Alex placed the items on the counter, hoping that they would be enough to earn him some much-needed cash.
The man examined each item carefully, muttering under his breath as he did so. In the end, the man offered Alex a small amount of money for his meager collection.
It wasn't much, but it was enough to keep Alex afloat for another day. "Sigh, I Don't like when Bad expectation became fulfilled."
Coming out of the shop he stretched his limb waist and back. Up in the sky the bright orange sun is already blazing with terrifying heat, add if to burn Everything under it's light..
Seeing this, Alex said "I guess it's time for me to go back. I don't wanna roasted by the Sun out here and waste little bit saved Water in my house I have.
Alex made his way through the bustling market, clutching a brown paper bag filled with plump oysters. With each step he took, the weight of the bag swayed in his hand, the delicate aroma of the sea wafting towards him.
As he made his way towards his humble abode, a piercing whistle interrupted his thoughts. He turned to see a group of children playing in the street, their laughter echoing through the narrow alleyway. With a smile, Alex continued his journey, feeling the tension in his shoulders ease with every step he took.
Finally, he reached his home, situated in the corner of the refuse-filled dumpsite. Despite its unassuming appearance, the small wooden house offered him a refuge from the chaos of the world outside.
Alex stepped inside, greeted by the familiar sight of old and dilapidated furniture. It may not have been much, but it was enough for a young man like him to call home.
Although Everything looks old and tattered the house is actually clean and tidy.
There is not even a speck of dust that can be found since Alex Always tries to keep his house clean to at least give it homely ambience.
"Ugh, I'm finally back. It's so hot outside, I want to drink some water."
"Grrhh Grrhh"
A hungry howl could be heard.
Guess I am hungry too.
Alex took pitcher of cold water from an old refrigerator that he had found in the dumpsite in the past.
Glurg,Glurgh,Glurgh ~~
Puah ~ now I feel refreshed!"
While humming a tune, Alex headed to the bathroom quickly washed his body and came out feeling cool and fresh.
Thinking of the oyster he bought Alex Cooked it and start to devoured the freshly shucked oysters, his eyes lighting up with pleasure as he savored each succulent bite. It was a moment of pure ecstasy, a rare respite from the struggles of his daily life.
Ahh~ after so many days feeling the luxury of Sofa. Alex Muttered under his breath, as he felt the comfort brought by softness of the sofa.
"I'm glad I took this back home yesterday", Alex said with a satisfied smile.
"Why not take a nap on something like this," Alex thought, closing his eyes as he rested his hand on the armrest.
Since the sofa was old, it still had some broken parts in need of repair. So, when Alex's hand settled on the armrest, his palm landed on an exposed, glossy black metal piece.
The moment his skin made contact, a sharp sting shot from his index finger.
"Ouch!"
He jerked his hand back, examining his fingertip, but found nothing unusual. Puzzled, he turned his attention to the glossy black metal embedded in the armrest.
"What the hell is this?" he muttered.
Suddenly, a wave of drowsiness struck him out of nowhere, overpowering him. In an instant, Alex and the mysterious black metal vanished from the sofa without a trace.
What Alex didn't know was that, when his finger touched the black metal, a tiny drop of his blood was absorbed into it.
When he opened his eyes, all he could see was an endless surface shimmering with colors, like a vast rainbow stretching out as far as his vision could reach.
This... Where is this? he thought, bewildered.