Scruffy Man: "Useless little sack of shit..."

  Two tarnished coppers rolled across the splintered table, coming to a stop in front of the child. Across from him, a wiry man with a bloated belly glared down, his scowl etched deep into his unshaven face. His voice dripped with disdain, and his eyes gleamed with a hunger for more than just sustenance.

  Scruffy Man: "How're we supposed to get by with this?!"

  The child flinched, his gaze falling to the cracked wooden floor. A trembling hand clutched the small leather pouch that carried the meager earnings he had scrounged that day.

  Child: "S-sorry... I'll do better tomorrow, I promise."

  With a sharp exhale, the man reached for a near-empty bottle. He tipped it back, shaking it in frustration when only a few stray drops clung to the rim and fell into his mouth.

  Scruffy Man: "Bah!"

  With sudden force, he hurled the bottle across the room. The glass shattered against a rotting wall, and the sharp crash echoed through the cramped space. The child jumped, clutching the pouch tighter.

  Scruffy Man: "Y'know, Barr..."

  The man leaned forward, his sour breath reeking of alcohol as it washed over the boy's face. Barr instinctively covered his nose, his face contorting in disgust.

  Scruffy Man: "There comes a time in a man's life when he's gotta be ready to do anything -- and I mean *anything* -- to survive."

  A heavy, calloused hand landed on Barr's head, the weight of it making his small frame buckle slightly.

  Scruffy Man: "Momma was weak, she didn't realize this... That's why she died. Do we wanna be like momma?"

  Tears welled in Barr's wide eyes as he shook his head furiously.

  Barr (Child): "N-no..."

  The man gave a rough pat to Barr's head -- too hard to be comforting, causing the boy's head to jerk forward with each thud.

  Scruffy Man: "Course we don't. So we gotta fight, kid. Get our hands dirty if we have to. You understand me?"

  Barr hesitated, his lip quivering.

  Barr: "But... Momma always said that --"

  Scruffy Man: "Momma's not here anymore, is she?!"

  His voice rose, making Barr flinch.

  Scruffy Man: "She was useless. Look at me, boy."

  The child hesitated, staring at the ground.

  Scruffy Man: "LOOK AT YOUR FATHER, BARR!"

  Startled, Barr obeyed, his tearful eyes meeting his father's cold, bloodshot glare.

  Scruffy Man: "Yer momma worked her fingers to the bone, day and night, week after week. You see where that got her? Six feet under. All that hard work got us is this shitty, rotting house."

  The man grabbed Barr's thin shoulders, shaking him slightly as he growled through clenched teeth.

  Scruffy Man: "It's not about workin' hard -- it's about workin' smart. So learn to work smart."

  He released the boy with a huff, slumping back into his chair. His lids drooped as though ready to drift into a drunken nap.

  Barr: "H-how come you never work at all...?"

  The words left Barr's lips before he could stop them. His father's eyes snapped open, locking onto him like a predator spotting prey.

  Scruffy Man: "What did you just say...?"

  Barr stammered, stepping back instinctively.

  Barr: "I-I just mean... If you worked too, maybe we'd have enough to eat, and you wouldn't need so much wine --"

  The slap came fast and hard, cutting off Barr's words and sending him sprawling to the floor. Pain flared across his cheek as he clutched it, tears spilling freely.

  Scruffy Man: "You pickin' up her habits, huh? Bitchin' and naggin' me like yer momma?"

  His voice rose to a roar as he loomed over Barr, who scrambled backward on the floor.

  Scruffy Man: "I didn't take her shit, and I'm not takin' it from you!"

  He grabbed the boy by the scruff of his shirt, yanking him up. The worn fabric tore slightly under the strain.

  Scruffy Man: "You better start fallin' in line before I start hittin' ya like a real man. Then we'll see how much lip ya give me!"

  With a final shove, he dropped Barr to the floor. The man snatched the two copper coins from the table, slipping them into his pocket.

  Scruffy Man: "Tidy the place up. I'll be back soon."

  The door slammed shut behind him, leaving Barr alone in the silence.

  He sat there for a moment, cradling his stinging cheek, his small frame trembling with the effort of holding back sobs. Little Barr glanced at the shattered glass littering the floor and the disheveled state of the room.

  Wordlessly, he picked himself up and began cleaning, knowing full well that the coins he had worked so hard to earn would likely be spent on yet another bottle.

  Screeching Voice: "DEEPER... DEEPER..."

  The voice clawed at his mind, shrill and jagged, like nails scraping across glass. It was not a voice one could hear -- it was a voice one felt, vibrating in the marrow of his bones. As it invaded his consciousness, a suffocating black tide poured in, seeping through the cracks in the walls of his home. The viscous liquid slithered toward him, threatening to consume him whole.

  Just before it could reach him, Barr's mind yanked itself backward, away from the encroaching darkness and into another memory -- a memory just as haunting as the tide.

  Tired Woman: "I MEAN IT! IT'S HIGH TIME YOU GOT OFF YOUR DRUNKEN ASS AND STARTED SUPPORTING YOUR GODDAMN FAMILY!"

  The voice of his mother cracked through the air like a whip. She stood in the dimly lit kitchen, fists clenched, her face etched with fury and exhaustion.

  Scruffy Man: "Shut your mouth, you worthless whore! Who the fuck d'ya think keeps you and your boy from getting stabbed in the middle of the fucking night?!"

  His father's voice bellowed back, drenched in alcohol and contempt.

  Tired Woman: "HA! That's rich... You? Really?! Did you forget what happened two weeks ago? WHERE'D ALL OUR FOOD GO? WHERE'D ALL OUR MONEY GO?!"

  His father's posture stiffened as he glared at her, his bloodshot eyes daring her to continue.

  Scruffy Man: "Shut the fuck UP..."

  Tired Woman: "IT WAS STOLEN! STOLEN! Right under your drunk, useless ass while you were passed out in the middle of the living room!"

  Scruffy Man: "It wasn't fuckin' stolen! We ate the goddamn food, and you spent the money on groceries --"

  Tired Woman: "We ate the food?! ALL the food in one night?! And I took ALL our savings for groceries? Oh, really?!"

  She laughed bitterly, her voice dripping with venom.

  Tired Woman: "Then I guess we must've eaten the groceries too, huh? Because all we've got left is moldy bread! GET A GRIP, YOU USELESS SON OF A BITCH!"

  Her words struck like daggers, and Barr's father could take no more. His hand swung up and cracked across her face.

  Scruffy Man: "You fucking SLUT -- !"

  Before she could recover, he lunged at her, his larger frame pinning her to the ground with brutal force.

  Scruffy Man: "WHO THE FUCK D'YA THINK YA ARE?!"

  His fists rained down in a flurry of violence. She twisted and turned, trying to shield herself, but he was relentless.

  A cry shattered the storm.

  Barr: "Stop! STOP!"

  A very young Barr, barely able to waddle, stumbled toward the chaos, tears streaming down his small face.

  Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

  His mother's bloody lips trembled as she tried to call out to him. His father froze, his raised fist trembling mid-air, inches away from another strike.

  Scruffy Man: "Barr...?"

  The little boy threw himself between them, his tiny arms spread wide as he looked up at his father with tear-filled eyes.

  Barr: "Please, stop..."

  The man's drunken haze faltered, and for a moment, the rage in his eyes dimmed. He gazed at his son, his clenched fist slowly lowering.

  Scruffy Man: "Dammit... Why's the kid not in his room?!"

  The woman coughed, spitting out blood before rasping her reply.

  Tired Woman: "He... He was in his room. Fast asleep. You're the one who woke him up... With all your fucking yelling."

  The man cursed under his breath, his hand gripping Barr's small shoulder as if seeking some kind of anchor.

  Scruffy Man: "Fuck's sake..."

  With Barr still in his arms, the man rose, pulling away from the crumpled figure of his wife. But as he stepped back, her body started to dissolve. At first, it was subtle -- the edges of her bruised form rippled unnaturally, as though caught in an unseen current. Then, her entire figure liquefied, collapsing into a growing puddle of black sludge.

  Barr's breath hitched as the darkness spread across the floor, the sharp edges of the memory crumbling into an abyss.

  The screeching voice returned, louder than before, filling every corner of his mind with its unholy pitch.

  Screeching Voice: "MORE... MORE...!"

  Memories churned violently in his mind, dragging Barr back into his teenage years. He was walking home, his arms weighed down by a bag of groceries, when he heard the jeering voices behind him.

  Teenage Boy: "There he goes again... Bedbug Barr, scurrying off into that disgusting rat's nest he calls a home!"

  The mocking chorus grew louder as a group of boys and girls his age closed in. Barr gritted his teeth and quickened his pace, his eyes fixed on the ground. But escape was futile.

  A hand clamped onto his arm, yanking him to a halt.

  Teenage Boy: "Oh man, the stink...! Is something dead in your house, or what?!"

  Barr twisted his arm, trying to break free, but the boy's grip only tightened.

  Teenage Boy: "Don't tell me it was your drunken loser of a dad who finally kicked the bucket...! Maybe now you can start growing a pair and standing up for yourself!"

  A wave of fury surged through Barr, and he dropped his groceries, shoving the boy away with all his strength.

  Teenage Boy: "Well, well! Kitty's got claws, huh? Hold him for me, guys..."

  Two more boys lunged forward, grabbing Barr and pinning his arms behind his back. He thrashed and struggled, but their strength overwhelmed him. Blow after blow landed against his ribs, each one stealing the air from his lungs.

  Teenage Boy: "Lost your fire already? Man, are you useless..."

  A teenage girl stepped forward, her expression brimming with malice.

  Teenage Girl: "Can us girls have some fun too?"

  The boy smirked, draping an arm around her waist.

  Teenage Boy: "Of course, sweetheart... He's all yours."

  The girl approached Barr, who now hung limply in the boys' grip, his head bowed in defeat.

  Teenage Girl: "You're so fucking pathetic... No girl would touch you with a ten-foot pole."

  She spat in his face, the warm saliva dripping down his cheek. Another girl sauntered forward, sneering as she looked him up and down.

  Mean Girl: "He's such a pussy... I wonder if he's even got any balls at all."

  Her cruel words were followed by a sharp kick to Barr's groin. Pain exploded through his body, and he crumpled to his knees, trembling and gasping for air.

  Laughter erupted around him, cruel and mocking, echoing like a twisted symphony in his ears. Tears welled in Barr's eyes, but when they spilled, they weren't clear -- they were black. Thick, tar-like droplets fell from his face, splattering onto his trembling hands.

  The laughter distorted, twisting into something far more sinister, as the screeching voice returned, slicing through the darkness like a jagged blade.

  Screeching Voice: "CLOSER... CLOSER... GETTING CLOSER NOW..."

  The world around him dissolved into blackness. The mocking voices, the cruel faces -- they all faded, leaving only an endless void.

  And then, cutting through the abyss, came a familiar voice...

  Cabdan: "Ready for the next family, kid?"

  Barr stood paralyzed, his pulse roaring in his ears. Fear surged through him, icy and unrelenting. This was the night he took his first life.

  Jargen: "For gods' sake, Cabdan... let the kid go home!"

  Cabdan: "Enough whining. He needs to learn what life in the slums is really like."

  The decaying stench of death and poverty hung heavy in the room. That was when Barr first saw them: Tyssa and Yiel. Two children trapped in circumstances even worse than his own, their hollow eyes reflecting the pain he knew too well.

  His chest tightened. Every heartbeat hammered like a war drum.

  Cabdan: "... Your mommy and daddy owe me some money. Do you know where they keep it?"

  Jargen: "There's nothing to take. Look around, for fuck's sake!"

  Cabdan ignored him, his predatory gaze fixed on the trembling children.

  Jargen: "I'm done here. I'll take the kids and leave. If you want to find your coin, search the place yourself...!"

  Jargen stepped forward to usher the children out, his massive frame shielding them from Cabdan. But Cabdan's cold voice stopped him mid-step.

  Cabdan: "I told you to shut your mouth, Jargen... I'm the one in charge here."

  The air grew suffocating as Jargen froze, his fists clenched so tightly that his nails pierced his palms. Smoke began to wisp from his reddening skin, his barely contained fury bubbling to the surface.

  Barr panicked. He had to act -- had to do something before things spiraled even further out of control.

  Barr: "I-I'll look for the money!"

  Cabdan: "That's a good lad! Get to it."

  Barr scoured the ramshackle home, opening every drawer and cupboard, finding nothing but rotting food and insect carcasses. He returned to Cabdan, defeated.

  Barr: "Nothing..."

  Cabdan: "Hmm..."

  Cabdan's gaze flicked to Tyssa, the younger of the two children.

  Jargen: "Cabdan..."

  Cabdan raised his hand, silencing him.

  Cabdan: "Say, little one. How about you come with me? If you do, I'll forget all about your mommy and daddy's debt."

  Tyssa's wide, teary eyes darted to the corner where her mother's skeletal remains sat slumped. Her father's body lay nearby, bloated and crawling with flies.

  Tyssa: "B-but mommy and daddy are..."

  Her voice cracked as she clutched Yiel's sleeve, her tiny frame trembling.

  Jargen: "I've had enough of this shit, Cabdan."

  Jargen erupted, seizing Cabdan by the lapels of his fine suit. His skin glowed a fiery red, wisps of smoke curling around him like a warning.

  Jargen: "LEAVE THESE KIDS ALONE!"

  Cabdan didn't flinch. He laughed, his composure unnervingly intact.

  Cabdan: "Or what, Jargen? What will you do? Kill me? Right here, in front of the kids?"

  His voice turned razor-sharp.

  Cabdan: "Violence is all you know. Look at you -- nothing but a rabid animal. Go ahead, strike me down. I've made friends in powerful places... they'll burn everything you care about to the ground -- including that woman you've become so obsessed about lately. I've noticed the stupid grin on your face when anyone so much as mentions her name... it'd be a shame for someone you hold so dearly to meet such an ugly end!"

  Jargen's fiery resolve faltered, his blood boiling as his mind raced.

  Cabdan: "Don't forget -- I made you what you are, Jargen. I can take it all away. Now... let go."

  Shaking with barely contained rage, Jargen released Cabdan, his skin cooling as the smoke dissipated.

  Cabdan: "If you don't have the stomach for this work, leave. In fact, I beg you -- get lost. You've lost your edge, anyway. You're nothing more than a walking disaster, far more trouble than you're worth. Want coin? Start looking elsewhere."

  Jargen turned to Barr, his voice raw with desperation.

  Jargen: "Whatever he asks of you... don't do it. It's not worth it. Leave while you still --"

  Cabdan: "If you'll excuse us...!"

  Cabdan leaned in close, his voice a venomous whisper in Jargen's ear.

  Cabdan: "I've shown you more mercy than you deserve. Test me again, and I'll make sure you regret it."

  Jargen hesitated, his fists trembling at his sides, before storming out of the house.

  Cabdan: "Now, back to the matter at hand."

  Yiel stepped in front of Tyssa, spreading his arms protectively.

  Yiel: "You're not taking sis!"

  Cabdan: "Oh? And why not, young man? You think she's happy here? Look around! I'm offering her a better life."

  Yiel: "Then... then take me too!"

  Cabdan knelt, his expression almost fatherly.

  Cabdan: "I'd love to, Yiel... But there's only room for your sister. Don't worry, though -- you can visit her anytime."

  Tyssa clung to her brother, tears streaming down her face. Barr couldn't take it anymore. Seeing them mirrored his own pain, his own suffering.

  Barr: "Mister Cabdan, please... We can't leave him here. He doesn't deserve this."

  Cabdan's eyes gleamed, an unsettling spark of opportunity flickering in their depths. He leaned close, his voice smooth and poisonous, whispering directly into Barr's ear.

  Cabdan: "I know, Barr... I don't wish to leave him here either. Think about it -- just imagine how much he will endure. No mother... No father... No family. Nothing but the harsh realities of life ahead of him. And you know, better than anyone, how cruel this life can be..."

  Barr's throat tightened as memories of his own pain clawed their way back. He nodded slowly, his lip trembling.

  Cabdan: "But, you know, Barr... in some ways, this boy is luckier than you or I ever were."

  Barr's brow furrowed in confusion, his tear-filled eyes searching Cabdan's face.

  Cabdan: "He has nothing left to fear. His family is gone. We will care for his sister. He is free from the chains that bind us to this existence... the chains that force *us* to keep enduring."

  Barr's breath hitched, his chest rising and falling unevenly.

  Cabdan: "What if we could free him? Send him to a better place -- a place without pain, without suffering. Wouldn't you have wanted that, Barr? Back when the world was crushing you under its heel... wouldn't you have wished for freedom like that?"

  Barr's tears flowed freely now. He nodded weakly, his voice barely above a whisper.

  Barr: "There's nothing I'd like more... nothing..."

  Cabdan knelt, wrapping his arms around Barr in a mockery of comfort, holding him tightly as if he were a father consoling his child.

  Cabdan: "And now, Barr... we have a chance to do something good. Truly good. To ease the suffering of another. We suffer so that others don't have to. We carry the weight, so that they may be free. There is no greater act of love... no greater kindness..."

  He pulled back slightly, his tone soft and deliberate.

  Cabdan: "...than the gift of death. Can you give him this gift, Barr? Can you free him?"

  From beneath his coat, Cabdan produced a sharp, glinting knife, holding it out to Barr.

  Barr: "I... I must. I must end his pain. It's the only way."

  Cabdan: "That's right, Barr. It's what anyone would want in his place... It's what you would want."

  Barr took the knife, his hands shaking violently as his fingers closed around the hilt. His mind raced, his thoughts a storm of anguish and manipulation.

  Cabdan: "Come now, little Tyssa..."

  Cabdan gently pulled the girl away from her brother, his movements calculated and calm. From his pocket, he retrieved a damp cloth. He pressed it firmly against her mouth, and within moments, her small body went limp in his arms.

  Yiel: "NO...! SISTER!!"

  Yiel lunged forward, but Barr caught him, holding him back.

  Cabdan: "I'll be waiting outside, Barr... I trust you. You'll do what's right."

  With a self-satisfied smirk, Cabdan carried the unconscious Tyssa out of the house, leaving Barr and Yiel alone.

  Yiel: "Please... don't... Please don't!"

  Barr tightened his grip on the boy, his face twisted with grief and a sickly determination.

  Barr: "I know you're scared, Yiel. I would be too... But this is for the best. You'll see your mother soon... and your father too. Don't worry about your sister -- mister Cabdan will take care of her! She'll have a better life... but you... you deserve peace."

  Yiel thrashed, his desperate cries filling the room.

  Yiel: "I don't want to die! I don't want to die!"

  Barr: "You do, Yiel... You just don't know it yet. You don't have to be scared anymore. You can leave all this behind. You'll finally be happy. Forever. Okay?"

  Barr's tears mixed with Yiel's as he pressed the boy closer, trying to convince himself as much as Yiel.

  Barr: "It'll all be over soon..."

  The knife moved swiftly, and Yiel's struggles ceased. Barr cradled the small, lifeless body, whispering broken apologies as blood pooled beneath them. But as he looked down, Yiel's form began to twist and shift, dissolving into a viscous black tar that seeped through Barr's hands.

  The voice returned, louder and more triumphant than ever.

  Screeching Voice: "YES...! YES! YOU ARE WORTHY!"

  Barr gasped, staring at his hands as the tar spread up his arms. It consumed him, pulling him into an infinite darkness. The memory of Yiel's terrified eyes lingered, but even that began to fade as Barr felt himself becoming one with the black tide.