“Oi. Oiiii. Wake up.”

I slowly open my eyes as a guy who looks around a year younger than I shakes me awake. Two other guys who look slightly older than me stand behind him.

One of them stands directly in front of me while the one who woke me up stands to the side.

This looks bad.

“I don’t like beating around the bush so I’ll be frank. I want you to join my gang. All three of us have been in your place, hungry and weak, but we banded together and we were able to feed ourselves. We need one more person cause we’re planning to rob Balrha’s Jewellery and get outta Astata.”

Well. That was frank indeed.

“I understand you. You’re starving, you have to sleep in an alleyway, you desperately need a bath but can’t and everyone resents you for it. The system itself is against you. But it doesn’t have to be like that. Fuck em. Come with us and we’ll feed you, it doesn’t matter how many cunts we have to kill, we’ll dish out the pain they’ve given us. We’ve done it plenty of times, we can show you the ropes.”

He reaches out his hand.

You know what, this might be my ticket to success. I’ve been rejected so much that it feels nice to have someone who wants me. I haven’t been treated fairly at all, it’s not unreasonable for me to turn to crime.

Then, a faint memory pops into my head, almost like a fever dream. I can see a girl with long black hair, though I can’t make out her features or her face. Even so, her beauty radiates a bright white aura around her. Is she an angel? It seems that we are having a conversation.

“I only shoplifted a bag of chips…” 

What sounded like where her name would be is replaced by the sounds of water swirling in my ears.

“It’s nothing serious.”

Then, from her comes a familiar voice. When I first heard it, it was a voice filled with sadness and grief, but now it sounds like a gentle whisper.

“Hehe, I know. When I was young, my father was killed by a burglar right in front of me. They shot him and took his life right there. Maybe they needed whatever they took from him, but that would never excuse what they did. All theft and murder are evil, no matter the circumstances. Please never do it again.”

“I’m… I’m sorry to hear that. I won’t do it again, I promise.”

Though faint, I can make out a smile.

“Thank you. I’ll remember that K-“

Her radiance then starts turning into watery darkness, her next words become muffled as if water is clogging my ears again.

I can’t remember who she is, but in me, I can feel the weight of those words. It’s like it means the world to me. I can’t betray her.

Why am I only remembering something like this now?

“You alright there man? You just kinda froze.” He says as he leans down and places his hand on my shoulder.

I slap away his hand. Scum who kill and take advantage of others for their own gain have no right to comfort me.

He stands up. I then get the wind knocked out of me as he slams his foot into my diaphragm. A bruise starts to form.

“‘You’re one of us,’” he scoffs, “the fuck was I saying?”

He then grabs my ear and pulls me upwards. I struggle to even get his hand off me.

“Listen up twat, if you’re willing to starve to death then fine, but sunrise is in about half an hour. We’re gonna use this alleyway after then, so if I see you again, you’re not getting away with just a kick to the chest.”

He drops me to the ground.

“There should be others who aren’t morons. Let’s go before the scouts see us.”

In the end, I got rejected again, but at least it was by my own choice this time.