Pain. That was all he could feel.
Blows rained down on him like a relentless storm. Fists, feet, and curses landed with merciless precision. Blood dripped from his lips as he lay curled up on the cold, dirty ground of the alleyway. His body screamed in agony, but he had long stopped resisting. What was the point? He was weak. Always had been.
"You dare sneak into our territory, you little rat?!" one of the rogue teens sneered, slamming his boot into the boy's ribs. A sickening crack echoed in the narrow alley. The boy gasped for breath, his vision blurring.
He was going to die here. Forgotten. A nobody.
His body trembled as he felt his life slipping away. The world around him faded into a dull haze, his mind teetering on the edge of unconsciousness. He had given up. It would be easier that way.
Then, from somewhere deep within, something stirred.
A flicker of will. A spark of survival.
Gritting his teeth, he forced his pain-ridden body to move. With a desperate surge of strength, he lashed out, pushing his attackers aside. The element of surprise granted him a brief opening, and he took it. He stumbled to his feet and ran. His legs screamed in protest, but he ignored them. He dashed through the alley, his ragged breath mixing with the distant hum of the city beyond.
They were chasing him. He could hear their furious shouts, their footsteps pounding against the pavement. But he didn't stop. He couldn't stop.
The alley twisted and turned, a maze of shadows and despair. Then, he saw it. A dead end.
Panic surged in his chest. He spun around, his heart hammering against his ribs. They were close, their silhouettes looming at the alley's entrance. Trapped. Nowhere to run.
A cruel smirk played on the leader's lips. "It's over."
The boy clenched his fists, feeling the weight of his fate crash down on him. And then—
A whisper.
No, not a whisper. A hum. A vibration in the air behind him.
He turned, and his breath hitched. There, against the brick wall, space seemed to warp and ripple. A shimmering vortex, glowing with an eerie, pulsating light, had appeared from nowhere. It was unlike anything he had ever seen—like a tear in reality itself.
"What the hell is that?" one of the gang members muttered, momentarily distracted.
The boy didn't wait to find out.
With the last of his strength, he threw himself into the portal