The orange sunrise shimmered across the sea, its light caught on the skyscrapers of Cell City. Freshly polished windows reflected its blinding glory upon the citizens below. Sunlight filtered through buildings in brief flickers of fleeting moments, casting shadows upon some, and light upon others. The streets were stirring with people, ready to begin yet another day. And as the sun rose, its brilliance spread everywhere except for the sewer. A place whose value to society is commonly overlooked. A place drenched in black, never to see the sun's radiance. A place for all humanity's waste to be forgotten.

But we're not talking about the city...

Below the surface lies a labyrinth of empty halls, as streams of sewage circulate its channels. Sounds of dripping water and smells of decay fill the stale air. Within the depths of neglect there is nothing, and yet, someone lives. A boy walked the sewers alone, following a dimmed path marked by storm drains along the walls. His frame was slouched to fit the tight space as his echoed footsteps slowed to a stop. "Wait a minute." The light shifted and revealed the boy like a hidden treasure. He squinted, checking his surroundings. "Am I lost?"

His oversized clothes were tattered, littered with patches of colored fabric that were stitched at crucial points. The boy ran his dirty hands through his dark brown hair, each strand seamlessly fading to a light blue at the tips. Sweeping the mass away from his brown eyes, they caught just enough light to tell him where he was. "Yes, yes I am," he whispered. "Damn it Jai, you've only lived here, what?" He began counting his fingers, catching his point before finishing. "Your entire life! Get your head in the game!" Jai groaned, slapping his cheeks to focus.  He turned back the way he came, each step taken with extra care. 

"What the hell is this?" 

Distant arguing from above ground caught Jai's attention. With each step the muffled voices grew more distinct until he was directly underneath them. "A couple?" Jai mumbled. He stood quietly, intently listening to their conversation. 

"What are you hiding?!"

"It's not what it looks like!"

"Bullshit!"

Jai's eyebrow cocked with intrigue, "Jackpot." 

"You were never supposed to find out! Not like this!"

"How long have you been keeping this from me!?"

"Yeah! How long!" Jai mumbled, the anticipation rising.

"A few months..."

"Months!?"

Jai sucked in a breath through his teeth, nearly shedding a tear. "This just keeps getting better."

"I was waiting to surprise you tonight."

"What do you mean?"

"I knew the crowds would get overwhelming, so I booked us a seating reservation instead."

Jai took a minute to process, the suspense fading.

"You did all that for me?"

"Of course, but we'll need to head out early to grab some food before the announcement."

"Announcement?" Jai asked himself. "Oh... Right... Savior Selection."

"So do you think one of us has a chance at getting chosen?" 

"Not a chance!" Jai chuckled to himself. He pressed his back against the wall, sliding down onto the concrete. "People like us—don't get chosen," he muttered.

"Who knows... Maybe one of us gets lucky..." 

Jai got up slowly, deep in thought. The couples voices grew distant again as he lingered beneath the pavement, watching them with a wistful stillness. After a minute of silence, his attitude snapped back to normal. "Welp, I better get moving before these streets get too crowded." 

He sprinted ahead, not slowing down long enough to feel the weight settle in. Backtracking through the corridors, he counted each step. "There's that exit," he said sliding to a halt just before a manhole overhead. Climbing up a small ladder, he pushed the cover up just enough to take a peek. "All clear." he said to himself, throwing the lid clean off. The heavy lid slammed onto the ground just beside the hole, catching the attention of bystanders. Jai jumped out of the shadows, landing just by his escape hatch. Taking in the fresh air, he made himself known.

"Wooooooooooooo!" Jai shouted, feeling energized. The sound echoing longer than expected; he moved before the silence could answer back. "Let's do this!"

Jai slid the lid back over the hole, sealing it shut as it awaited his return. Stares stuck to him like glue as he waltzed through the empty road. Every so often somebody had something to say, but their words never reached Jai. A smile remained on Jai's face as he danced the streets of Sector Omina, acting as if nothing else in the world could reach him.

The lights went green and vehicles reclaimed their space. Horns blared as cars rushed by Jai, swerving just enough to get out of the way. The commotion attracted officers who walked the sidewalk. Orders were shouted but drowned out by the sound of running engines. Jai finally gave notice to them, cupping his hand to his ear. "What was that officer? I can't quite hear you!" Jai taunted. He grinned wide, wider than need be. Anything to keep the knot in his chest from tightening.

"Get out of the road, you sewer rat!" The officer shouted. "Before you cause an accident!"

"Okay okay, no need to yell sir!" Jai responded, taking a step forward. A bus blew by just in front of the officers, blocking his view. By the time it passed, Jai had vanished without a trace. The bus carried him away from the scene as he clung tightly to a pole on its exterior, hanging off like a flag. The wind howled in Jai's ears loud enough to drown everything else out. He liked it that way. 

After a while the bus screeched to a halt and let out a hiss of air, having reached its destination.

"This is me," Jai quipped, jumping down from the side of the bus. Wrapping around the back end, he officially stepped onto the sidewalk, waving the bus farewell. As the doors snapped shut and the bus drove off, a man rushed past Jai in a hurry. Slowing down in defeat, he rested his hands on his head, breathing heavily. Jai watched, pitying his situation before walking away. 

Crowds thinned as the morning drew on, leaving a moment for Jai to slip away from the main streets. The back alleys welcomed him with a familiar, sour air. Walls lined with treasure troves of possibility—dumpsters filled to the brim with what the city had given up on. "Sweet! They're freshly stocked!" Jai pumped, lifting the lid of a dumpster. "Let's do this!" He dove in headfirst, rummaging through heaps of garbage in search of anything salvageable. Edible food, wearable clothing, or redeemable junk. Anything that proved useful was stored away for later. 

Checking one dumpster after another, the finds piled up. After his final search Jai threw a large sack of his findings out beside the dumpster. Items clanged together as it hit the ground, the bag sagging under its own weight. As he reached to pull himself out, the backdoor of a business just across the alley flew open. The rusted door slammed against the outer wall, kicking up dust. 

Jai ducked back behind the dumpster, holding his breath.  "Shit..."

The alley filled with uneven footsteps as a man stumbled out through the back door. His jacket half buttoned and his sleeve twisted like it had been recently yanked on. Another figure followed him on his way out, visibly annoyed.  "Don't touch anything else," he snapped. "You're done here."

"I can explain!" Leto said. 

"No. No more excuses Leto." The man snapped. "Unauthorized downtime! Missed quota! And today, the last of your three strikes, late to work—again!"

"That's not fair! I work overtime every day! I do everything I'm told!" Leto countered. "I'm essential to this business!"

"No, Leto. You were useful—to this business. There's a difference." The man said, walking back to the door.

"Wait! Please give me one more chance!" Leto cried. "I need this job!"

"My condolences Leto, but I cant bend the rules for you. You need to learn that life—isn't fair." The man explained, slamming the door. The sound echoed down the alley like a verdict. Faint clicks came from the door as it was locked from the inside.

He stood in silence, staring at the door as if it might reopen if he waited long enough. Anger flashed through Leto, pushing him to act out. He flailed at the door in a rage, pounding on the iron as he wailed and cussed. He stopped after a short while, his energy spent. Leto's shoulders sagged as the blazing fight in him died out like a fire.  

Leto staggered back, his head falling into his hands. The crushing weight of reality in full effect. Slamming against the dumpster, he slid down into a squat. The only thing separating the two was the thin sheet of the dumpster. Their hearts pounding in sync, opposite sides of the same shitty spectrum. Jai pressed himself flat, close enough to hear Leto mutter under his own breath. 

"Damn city..."

*Yeah*... Jai thought. *That tracks...*

After a moment, Leto straightened up. He stood slowly, squaring his shoulders in a fake pride before walking back toward the street to reface society. Jai quietly lifted the lid of the dumpster, acknowledging Leto as he walked back out into the light. His gaze never left him until he was out of sight.

The backdoor suddenly creaked, but Jai was already gone. The man stepped out, glanced down the alley, and found it empty — as it always was. Satisfied, he shut the door and locked it behind him one last time.

Leto walked the sidewalk, the world slowing around him. Sounds of chatter and passing cars were drowned out by his thoughts. His mind raced, calculating possible futures where everything turns out okay. But every path he traced seemed to end the same way. 

Reaching a bus stop just on time, he subconsciously boarded the empty vehicle and took his seat. Leto sat near the front, leaning his head against the window. He scanned the passing streets, reflecting on a life that never seemed to move forward. His reflection stared back at him with hollow eyes, yearning for a purpose beyond his current life. But his view remained trapped within the confines of Cell City.

He pulled out his phone, looking down at it for a moment. The black screen lit up, displaying his lock screen bombarded with dozens of missed calls and voicemails. Leto clicked play all, bringing the phone up to his ear.

*Beep*... "You're still late on last month's rent Leto, and this month's already damn near over. I have no choice but to revoke your apartment until you pay up." *...Beep*

*Beep*... "Leto, you're last paycheck will be sent to your apartment in 2 to 3 business days. Best of luck finding another job." *...Beep*

*Beep...* "Yo Leto! How ya been man? Listen... me and some buddies are throwing a party tonight in room 3133. Hope to see you there!" *...Beep*

Leto decided to respond to the last one, tapping his phone and bringing back up to his ear.

"Hey! I appreciate the invite, but I'll pass. I've got other plans for tonight." Leto spoke softly.

After he finished checking up on everything, Leto slid the phone back into his pocket. The bus screeched to a halt at his usual stop. Leto stepped off the bus, feeling the evening air hit his face. The bus went on with its usual route, the sound of its engine fading into the distance. The streets were quiet and empty, the masses gathered for tonight's announcements. Leaving Leto alone— unnoticed, unaccounted for.

A metal balcony stood as the last line of safety. The sun was beginning to set, the light dimming ahead. Leto gripped the rail firmly, feeling it beneath his hands. Cold. Solid. Real. Leto stayed there longer than he meant to, waiting for another thought to come. Another answer. Anything that pointed somewhere else.

But nothing did.

He wasn’t looking for an ending, but for a way out. And this was the only one that hadn’t disappeared.

Leto carefully pulled himself up onto the fence, facing his reality with two choices. His breath and body shook, and the noise in his head had gone frighteningly quiet. He looked down at the street below, where the world kept moving. From here, everything looked so small, insignificant even. “This is it…” he murmured, more to himself than anything else. He spread his arms slightly, feeling the wind press against him, holding him in place. He closed his eyes. The silence stretched.

Leto drew in a breath, waiting for something — anything — to tell him which way to go.

“Hey…”

A voice spoke softly from behind him.