CHAPTER ONE: EVICTION EXODUS

ZAYN'S POV

“Rent’s due, boy,” he barked.

The photo frame shattered against the wall with a sickening crash, sending shards of glass skittering across the floor. I scrambled back, tripping over a discarded pizza box as disbelief choked my breath. My fists clenched, knuckles white. This was it. The line had been crossed.

The landlord’s silhouette filled the doorway, dark and menacing. A gust of icy wind whipped through the narrow hallway as he stepped inside, his boots crunching over shards of porcelain.

“No pay, no stay,” he hissed, his voice sharp as broken glass.

“I’ll get the money—” I started, my voice shaking.

His eyes cut through me like a blade. “Promises don’t pay the bills, kid,” he spat, jabbing a finger into my chest.

“This place is a dump,” he sneered, his gaze sweeping over me like I was a stray dog. “Get out. Now.”

I staggered against the bookcase, sending books tumbling to the floor. “Please,” I begged, my voice cracking. “I’ll clean, I’ll—”

“Don’t waste my time,” he snapped, waving me off. “I’ve seen your kind before. Always making promises you can’t keep.”

He threw my belongings into the street. My shoes hit the rain-slicked pavement with a wet slap.

“No freeloaders. Leave before I call the cops. Or maybe you’d prefer jail—it’d suit an orphan like you.”

His words pierced me like shards of glass. My knees buckled as my heart hammered against my ribs like a trapped bird.

“Please,” I whispered, my voice swallowed by the slam of the door.

I turned away, whispers trailing me down the street—soft, biting echoes of my failures. “Always behind… Poor boy, never keeps a job…”

Rain lashed down in icy sheets, soaking me to the bone. Thunder cracked, the sound echoing like laughter in the empty streets.

Through the haze of rain, the faint glow of Caius’ apartment flickered. Caius—my oldest friend. We’d grown up in the same orphanage, dreaming of freedom. He’d escaped. I was still trapped.

A chill ran through me as memories of him standing up for me against bullies flashed in my mind. Back then, he was fearless. Now, I clung to the hope that some part of that boy still existed.

The porch light stabbed my eyes as I stumbled up the steps. Music throbbed behind the door, the bass rattling the walls. I rang the doorbell, my fingers trembling.

The door creaked open. Caius stood there, a beer dangling from his hand. His smile was too wide, too forced.

“Zayn,” he said, his voice loud, fake. “What’s up, man?”

“I got evicted,” I rasped. “Caius… I just need a place to crash. For one night. I’ll leave in the morning.”

Caius’ shoulders sagged, his smile faltering as he glanced toward the dimly lit interior. “Zayn… you know I would if I could…” He trailed off, guilt flashing in his eyes before he looked away. “It’s not a good time.”

Before he could finish, a woman appeared behind him, her sharp gaze cutting into me. “What’s this?” she snapped.

“Just a friend,” Caius muttered, his grin slipping before he looked away.

She scowled. “Handle it. Now.”

He turned back to me, sighing. “You know how it is, man. I gotta go. You could try the shelter down by the river… or maybe…” He shrugged, his hand tightening on the doorknob.

“Caius, please,” I pleaded, my voice faltering. The slam of the door cut me off.

The sound shattered the last of my hope. Caius, my only friend, had just turned me away. I stood frozen, staring at the space where he had been, the rain blurring the tears welling in my eyes.

As I turned the corner, a faint rustle caught my ear. Beneath a sagging blue tarp sat a young woman, thin and frail. Her pale face glistened with rain, a tear tracing her hollow cheek. She clutched a tattered teddy bear, its stuffing spilling out like it was the last thing tethering her to this world.

Her hollow, shadowed eyes met mine—dark bruises etched beneath them, cold and piercing. The sneer on her lips faltered, replaced by a faint quiver. I hesitated, unsure whether to help or walk away.

“You’re not the only one out here,” she murmured, her voice cracked and rough, barely louder than the rain.

Her words froze me. “What?” I managed, my voice trembling.

She stepped closer, the rain plastering her hair to her face, her gaze boring into mine. “It gets colder every night,” she whispered.

“I know how that feels,” I said softly.

Her lips parted, but no words came. She looked frail, brittle, like a gust of wind might carry her away.

“Are you hurt?” I asked, my voice rasping against the rain’s splatter.

She didn’t respond. Her gaze drifted down, and the tarp slipped from her shoulders, revealing red welts along her arms. Scratches crisscrossed her pale skin, the sight of them churning my stomach. I looked away, guilt twisting in my gut.

Before I could speak again, her eyes hardened. “You don’t belong out here,” she said, her voice clipped. “But neither do I.”

A jolt ran through me, her words chilling—a warning I couldn’t shake off my senses.

“I’m fine,” I rasped, stepping back. “I don’t need your help.”

Her gaze narrowed, the softness vanishing like a mirage. “You will,” she murmured. “Sooner than you think.”

The gunshot shattered the silence, the deafening blast chilling my blood to ice. I stumbled back, my foot catching on a loose rock, blood tracing its jagged cracks.

A tremor snaked down my spine, freezing me in place. When I looked back, she was gone—vanished into the swirling dust.

The world dissolved into a blur. Without thinking, I bolted, the wind howling in my ears like a banshee’s wail. My heart pounded like a war drum.

Her name… I didn’t even know her name.

But somehow, I knew the terrifying truth: this night was far from over.