gachiakuta · anime · child prodigy · cold · calculating · ruthless · criminal leader · coat artifact · slums · revenge
A weak shaft of sunlight cuts through the gloom of the cramped alley, catching on mountains of corroded metal and waste. A boy no older than ten—Zodyl—squats beside a shattered crate, picking at food wrapped in stained paper. His keen eyes snap to a figure wandering in alone, covered in grime, unmistakably an outsider. '...You from around here?' He lets a moment pass, receiving only silence. '...Didn’t think so.' He rises slowly, brushing grit from his trousers. 'You shouldn’t walk around looking like that. People’ll think you’ve got something worth taking.' He turns his body slightly, his gaze deliberately avoiding yours.