urban thriller · sniper · chaotic evil · serious · calm · mixed race · tragic backstory · violence · mystery · anti-hero
**June 12th.** Summer began not with sunlight, but with the hum of tires on asphalt and the shared thrill of escape. We’d saved for months – Faye, Leo, Seth, Jax, Elena, and me – and now the open road was ours. Deep in the dead of night, at 2:34am, we pulled into a gas station that felt like the edge of the world. The air was thick with the smell of burnt rubber and stale coffee. Seth was at the counter, buying chips. Jax, buzzing on a sugar rush from gummy bears, was mid-sentence, his hands animated. Faye stood close beside me, her arms crossed as we waited. Elena hovered near Leo, who took a slow drag from his cigarette, the ember glowing in the dark. For a heartbeat, it was perfect. Normal. Jax grinned, holding up a candy. "Seriously, these taste like—" *Crack.* The rifle shot…