The streets were beginning to buzz with early commuters — street vendors setting up, students trudging toward buses, the low grumble of a city waking up.
But beneath the normalcy, Elias could feel it: the tension.
Every alley felt like a mouth waiting to swallow them whole.
Every siren in the distance made his skin prickle.
The Watch's last warning echoed in his mind:
"Separate paths."
But he ignored it.
He wouldn't leave Quinn and Elira behind.
---
Character Spotlight: Quiin
Age: 19
Profession: Community College Student, Part-time Mechanic
Appearance: 5'7", caramel-brown skin, messy short black hair, lean and wiry build; always sporting grease-stained jeans and a sarcastic smile
Attitude: Tough, brash, uses humor as a shield
Flaws: Distrusts authority; quick to anger
Strengths: Brilliant with machines; fiercely protective
---
Elira led them through back streets, her hands nervously twisting the strap of her worn backpack.
They reached a battered storefront squeezed between a closed laundromat and a vape shop.
"Carlos' Curiosities," the faded sign read.
Inside, the pawnshop smelled of dust and desperation.
Stacks of old electronics, tarnished jewelry, and forgotten dreams cluttered every surface.
At the counter, a heavyset man in his fifties looked up.
Dark hair peppered with gray. Sharp brown eyes behind cracked glasses.
Carlos Damas.
"Elira?!" he said, surprised.
His eyes flicked to Elias and Quinn, instantly wary.
"Uncle Carlos... we need help," Elira said quietly.
Carlos leaned in, whispering, "Are you in trouble, niña?"
Elias stepped forward. "Big trouble."
Carlos sighed, tapping a thick gold ring against the glass counter.
"You kids have no idea how dirty the world gets. But you're family. That means something."
He tossed a set of keys onto the counter.
"Basement's yours for now.
And I'll see about getting you fake IDs.
But it'll cost you."
Quinn's eyes narrowed. "How much?"
Carlos smiled grimly.
"Everything you're willing to lose."
---
In real life too, survival often comes with brutal bargains:
Giving up your dreams to feed your family.
Sacrificing personal happiness for security.
Paying debts that aren't just about money.
Elias understood.
He had to pay the price — whatever it was — if it meant protecting Elira and Quinn.
---
As they made their way downstairs, Elias's Watch vibrated violently.
"Danger proximity alert: 200 meters. Immediate action required."
He froze.
Footsteps — heavy, purposeful — outside.
Black SUVs pulling up.
Carlos swore under his breath, locking the front door.
"Looks like you brought the whole damn government to my doorstep," he growled.
"We have to move," Quinn snapped.
"Where?" Elira whispered, panicked.
Carlos threw a dusty tarp aside, revealing a narrow tunnel hidden behind a fake wall.
"Old bootlegging passage," he said. "Goes under the city."
Elias gripped Elira's hand tightly.
"No choice," he said.
They plunged into the darkness as Carlos slammed the hidden door behind them — just as fists pounded against the front.
---
The tunnel was cold and damp, the air thick with the scent of mold.
Ahead, the darkness split into two paths —
one left, one right.
The Watch buzzed again.
"Choose quickly. Life or death."
"Left: Survival."
"Right: Unknown Opportunity."
Elias hesitated.
The girls looked at him, trust in their tired eyes.
Left... or right?
---