"Maverick!" Alex yells, where his sword has been pulled perfectly. Repelling the sudden and quite brutal attack because these big cats are very different from the animals that have been showing the way to this strange forest. Where pine trees that used to look dense now begin to shift or not, who knows. In Alex's eyes, everything seems to be moving away as if bringing them to a fairly large but rocky place.The sky is still as dark as Alex knows. His sword swings several times, pressing the cat to retreat, but it seems their strength is immense. Alex fights against almost four animals, which have very long fangs. Their orange eyes and hisses are terrifying. Alex is sure that if he gets bitten by those fangs anywhere on his body, it will result in a deep wound. Moreover, if these creatures are mythical, it means the injuries they cause can be severe."Try not to get bitten," Alex says loudly. His sword swings again to hit one of the heads of the creature that suddenly jumps to attack h
Blood continued to flow from the wound he got, just pouring out. Wanted to ignore it like twenty minutes ago, but the pain kept building up. He paused for a moment. Took a breath and suddenly his body slumped down to touch the ground. The fight earlier really overwhelmed her."Damn," he cursed, seeing her hands covered in fresh blood.The sound was deafening, almost bursting he eardrums. Echoing. Making anyone who heard it shudder and choose to run as far away as possible. The man glanced up, slightly shifting his body to avoid being too visible from aerial surveillance. Above, there's this spinning object emitting bright light. He knew each side of it was surrounded by weapons.As soon as the object scanned movement, the weapons ruthlessly thrust with hot lead.There was no other choice but to move into the Sunken Forest. Where the risk was the same: death.But the man still had plenty of guts. No matter how precious his life was, getting out of this area was his goal.Taking a gambl
"Geez, late again?"Gala, just putting on his apron, goes quiet. "It's not even five minutes, Mr. Kim," he quips."You! Help wash all the cooking utensils. Don't leave any oil residue there. If there's any left, Gala, you're fired."Gala nods, his eyes darting around, watching the stocky man almost filling the gap between the kitchen table and the cooking area, looking pretty cramped. Mr. Kim's way of moving seems difficult to Gala, especially with his reddening face."Cheer up, Gala," he says quietly, striding towards the sink where, to Gala's surprise, there's already a pile of pots and other cooking utensils. Gala wonders what's happening.Yesterday evening, Gala cleaned this area, so why does it look like it's doubled now?"Gala," Luke calls loudly from the kitchen door. "Don't take too long washing up; the kitchen area stinks. Us cooks can't work if it smells rotten."If only... yeah, if only he didn't rely on Mr. Kim's pay for survival. Plus, trying to find a job in South Metro
Gala feels like he's cursed beyond belief. He's been very cautious riding his old bike. Occasionally, he gives way because other vehicles cut in abruptly, making the road a bit wobbly. His mind is solely focused on the paper bag and Marta's order: don't spill Mrs. Weird Old Lady's tomato soup.But unfortunately, when he was about to turn into Lot 5, where Mrs. Gennie lives, a car suddenly slammed on its brakes. It made Gala's bike behind it veer off. He had tried to be careful, but because of the sudden movement earlier, Gala lost his balance.Or was it because he was daydreaming all along?Gala deliberately passes through the main door of Mr. Kim's restaurant for the first time in the afternoon. This chance is rare, right? Besides, if he takes the main road, he can get there faster and the order will arrive on time.As he passed earlier, what Luke often says is true. The restaurant is never empty. There's Mr. Kim near Marta's station. Sitting near the cashier's table, Gala can see hi
"What are you doing, Gala?!"Gala doesn't dare to lift his face. Trembles run through his entire body, he can't contain it. It's the first time Mr. Kim has been this angry, using such a high tone. He knows he's returning with a messed-up bag and appearance. Gala is sure Mrs. Gennie has already contacted the restaurant, complaining about her lunch being a mess on the asphalt.The strange woman's cane hits Gala's back twice. It stings a bit, but he ignores it. Gala apologizes repeatedly, but Mrs. Gennie's anger cannot be contained. Whether out of fear or unwillingness to engage further with the strange woman, the girl who had helped Gala earlier is already gone. She didn't even say goodbye or tell her name. Good Lord, Gala meant himself, who hadn't said thank you for the help given.Gala returns, struggling, pushing his half-broken bike to his workplace. Apologizing to the angry woman feels pointless. Curses echo along the street, making Gala a free spectacle. His face is lowered betwee
Gala chooses to ignore her, grabbing the apron he had taken off before delivering that cursed order. He goes back to cleaning his area, now filled with dirty dishes.Today he's starving, while at the same time, people at Mr. Kim's restaurant waste food at their leisure. Some barely touch their food, some refuse to eat their toast. Gala, feeling the pain in his stomach, quickly grabs the toast and half a portion of the grilled chicken from the stack of dirty plates. He eats it hastily.Then... Gala chokes violently."Are you out of your mind, Gala?!"Hanry, hearing Gala's disturbing choking sound, quickly turns towards him. He holds a leftover piece of chicken, unsure whether Gala had bitten into it or if it's about to be thrown away. He thumps on Gala's chest firmly. Hastily, Hanry grabs some water for Gala, offering it with a puzzled furrow in his brow."What are you doing, you silly kid?"Gala, seeing the glass of water, immediately gulps it down, trying to catch his breath and rega
Gala wraps himself in a thick blanket, shivering in fear, his breath heavy. He vividly recalls how it all unfolded. Why does he have to face such a fate? He feels like cursing, but he's just too exhausted. Gala, driven by curiosity, finally dares to approach the voice. The orange glow begins to dim slowly. It leads him to a spot where the orange light seems hidden behind one of the stacks of old cardboard boxes. Gala slowly moves the pile. The sound of chirping rats and scurrying cockroaches doesn't stop him from getting a closer look."Dice?" Gala asks, astonished by what he finds. A die as big as his fist, orange in color, which was shining brightly before. And... talking? He cautiously picks up the black die with colorful dots on each side. The orange glow starts to fade completely, leaving Gala staring at it in bewilderment. He picks up the die slowly, dusting it off with the edge of his old shirt sleeve, trying to see it clearly.The die moves! It seems to split on its own, altho
During the so-called lunch break, which wasn’t much of a break considering the short time given, Gala still felt grateful for the chance to fill his stomach. Though this time, his stomach, which normally held hunger well, wasn’t as painful as usual. Whether Gala should be thankful or not, one thing's for sure, today Gala feels like he's been hit with more than just bad luck.Or could it be the opposite?Lucky?Gala doesn't know whether to call it luck or misfortune wrapped in joy earlier in the morning. Where he was having the available food on the table. Later. Later, he would think about where all of this came from. None of his neighbors in the flat are too good. They're all just okay, or more often than not, adding to Gala's list of misfortunes.But...Gala chokes as he chews a piece of chicken without caring where all the food in the fridge and on the dining table came from. Hunger shrinks his brain. Especially since yesterday, he's eaten so little. He quickly drinks the water on