Rain drizzled down from the sullen gray clouds that drifted along the city skyline, bringing fat drops of the cool liquid drilling down towards the road, splattering onto the dull gray pavement. Sheets of snow slept above what used to be lush green grass that decorated the city’s parks and roadside attractions. The winter wind dryly blew over the nearly vacant streets, carrying orange and brown, brittle leaves trailing behind it, leaving it in an unknown destination along the sidewalks or roads. The gloomy atmosphere smothered the moonlight as the silver light competed with the city’s source of light along the sidewalk. A motionless body laid on the concrete pavement, blood trickling down the corner of his lips. The body let out a shuddering breath, squirming as muscular arms wrapped around his waist, pulling him up. Pairs of hands searched his body, pulling out multiple things from his pockets. 

The boy grunted, his frail and tired body hitting the floor with a barely audible thump. Gruff voices still echoed in his mind as he inched away from the group, hands searching for his phone in a panic. The blond fumbled with the device as he reached for it, the buttons seemed to slip away from his touch as his vision blurred. He whimpered, the feeling of pain soared throughout his body while he twists and turned his neck, trying to get rid of the cramp in it. “This boy’s spoiled! This should be a good enough amount to pay the boss.” He coughed, wiping the dried blood away from his forehead. The crimson liquid still clung to his sun-kissed skin while he crawled, hoping to get the blood pumping again. 

The city lights flashed in front of his eyelids, blinking in a peculiar pattern. “You’re lucky the boss didn’t send us to kill you off—this is just to give you a little warning. Remember, stay away from him. If we see you talking to him again, your children are dead meat to us, you got it?” The man voiced out again for almost the hundredth time. The pale body nodded, hugging the wound on his head. Everything stung, soreness spread faster than a disease. “Pathetic boy, he doesn’t even know what he got into.” The man chuckled, walking away with his group trailing right behind him. 

The boy sighed, turning himself so he would lay flat on his back. Sirens and yelling. That’s all he could hear. It was so hard to think with the pain pounding in his head and the iron-filled smell of his blood smothered over his face and onto his hands. “Careful, he might have a concussion.” More voices but this one was softer, huskier and deep. “Doctor Kim? The patient’s heartbeat is unstable. We’re not going to make it on time to the hospital.” A sigh and a prolonged silence were what kept him sane at the moment. He couldn’t open his eyes anymore. “He’s going to survive, I know it."