Raise the Stakes

The room hummed with tension, Sid still looming over Kalem. Kalem's chest heaved, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth as he lay on the floor, but he wasn't about to back down. His mind was racing—there was something he had to do, something he had to prove.

Sid raised his boot, ready to bring it down on Kalem's head. The sound of his heavy boot nearing Kalem's skull filled the air, but just as the blow was about to land, a deep, gravelly voice cut through the room like a knife.

"Enough, you two."

Gorrin, the gang's oldest and toughest member, stepped into the fray. He was a hulking figure with a scarred face and an aura that made everyone pause. His presence alone made Sid lower his boot, though his eyes remained fixed on Kalem with a mixture of anger and amusement.

"I said enough," Gorrin repeated, his voice unyielding. "Sid, you won. Now stop acting like a damn child."

Sid grumbled but took a step back. Kalem, still on the floor, wiped blood from his mouth and slowly pulled himself up to his feet. His body ached, but there was no time to show weakness.

"Dark Rat," Gorrin's voice was sharp as he addressed Kalem. "You've lost. Give up your share of the loot for wasting our time and let's move on."

Kalem's mind raced, his heart pounding in his chest. He couldn't give up now—not after everything. The Awakening Stone was his ticket to more than just survival. It was his chance to *change*. 

"I won't give it up," Kalem said, his voice laced with defiance. "I'm about to turn sixteen—this Friday. At least that's what a fortune-teller told me last year." His hands clenched into fists, trying to ignore the growing unease in his gut. He could feel the eyes of everyone in the room on him. "She told me that when I turn sixteen, I'll awaken something inside me. Something I don't understand yet."

A moment of silence followed. The words hung in the air, thick and heavy, until someone from the back of the room laughed derisively. 

"You're an *idiot*, aren't you?" A voice called out. It was Thorne, an older member of the gang who had seen his fair share of broken dreams. "You're going to trust some charlatan who tells you what you want to hear? You really think some fortune-teller is going to change your life? Wake up."

Kalem felt a pang of frustration, but he held his ground, glaring at Thorne. Before he could retort, Sid snorted. "A fortune-teller? Damn, Kalem, what are you, twelve?"

Kalem opened his mouth to respond, but Gorrin raised a hand to silence him. He gave Kalem a hard look, then turned to the others. 

"You all know the rule," Gorrin said with a sigh. "No one gets to just *wish* they have the right to awaken. You need proof. That's how it works in the real world." 

Big John, who had been silent up until now, slowly moved forward, his one good eye gleaming with cruel amusement. He stopped in front of Kalem and gave him a slow, calculating look. 

"So, kid," Big John said, a mocking edge to his voice. "You really think you're gonna show up at the ritual and just… *awaken* something? It doesn't work like that." He let out a harsh laugh. "And if you don't awaken, then you've got to make up for the loss. There's a price to pay for wasting an Awakening Stone, after all."

Kalem's stomach dropped as he stared at Big John, feeling the weight of those words. His throat went dry, but he forced himself to speak.

"What do you mean by 'make up for it'?" he asked, his voice barely a whisper.

Big John's grin widened, his sharp teeth showing in the dim light. "If you don't awaken anything, then you'll owe. And I don't just mean in coin. I'm talking about something a little more *personal*." He stepped closer, his voice lowering as he leaned in. "You'll be selling your body. To the black market organ trade. You don't just waste a stone and walk away. You *pay*. Got it?"

Kalem's blood ran cold. The black market organ trade was the last place anyone wanted to end up, and Big John knew exactly how to strike fear into a person's heart. He'd seen it happen to others who had failed the ritual—shipped off in secret, never to be seen again.

"Don't think you're special just because you've got some prophecy in your back pocket, kid," Big John continued. "You fail, you pay. That's the way of the world."

Kalem's breath quickened, but something inside him snapped. He couldn't let this be the end. He couldn't go out like this. 

"You think I'm going to let you sell me like a piece of meat?" Kalem's voice shook with rage, but it was steady. "I'll prove you wrong. I'll go to the ritual. I'll bring my Awakening Stone and my materials. And I'll awaken. I won't fail."

The room was dead silent, everyone waiting for Big John's response. Kalem held his ground, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. He could feel the weight of the gang's eyes on him, but he wouldn't back down.

Big John looked at Kalem for a long, drawn-out moment, his expression unreadable. Finally, he spoke.

"Fine," he said with a shrug. "You wanna gamble with your life? Be my guest. But don't say I didn't warn you." 

He turned on his heel and walked away, signaling the end of the conversation. Sid, still simmering with anger, shot Kalem a final glare before following Big John.

Gorrin let out a low grunt, but he nodded at Kalem. "If you're serious about this, kid, don't screw it up. You've got one shot. Don't waste it."

Kalem nodded, his heart pounding in his chest. The weight of what Big John had said pressed down on him like a vise. But he wasn't going to back out. This was his chance. His only chance.

And if he failed, he knew what would happen.