Prologue

As Collin stood on a busy street corner with his worn-out hat in hand, he felt a pang of anxiety in his chest. It wasn't easy to beg for money, especially in such a crowded area where people rushed past without even glancing in his direction. But he had no other choice, and he knew that if he didn't ask for help, he wouldn't be able to afford a place to sleep for the night.

He took a deep breath and mustered up the courage to approach a middle-aged man who looked like he had some money to spare. "Excuse me, sir, do you have some spare coins for a person in need?" Collin asked, trying to sound as polite and humble as possible.

However, the passerby didn't even bother to look at him and yelled out some hurtful words instead. "Leave me alone!" he barked, scowling at Collin. "It's your own fault that you ended up here, anyway!"

Collin felt his face flush with embarrassment and shame. He had never been in this situation before, and he didn't like being judged by strangers who knew nothing about his past or struggles. He knew that some people looked down on homeless individuals and saw them as lazy or irresponsible, but he also knew that his own circumstances were beyond his control.

After a few more unsuccessful attempts to ask for help, Collin gave up and started to make his way back to the shelter where he had been staying for the past few weeks. As he walked, he felt a mix of anger and sadness brewing inside him. Why did people have to be so cruel and judgmental? Why couldn't they see that he was just a human being who had fallen on hard times?

When he finally arrived at the shelter, he tossed the few coins he had collected to the lady at the front door and made his way to his usual spot. As he lay down on his thin mattress, he couldn't help but think about his past and how he had ended up in this situation. It wasn't just one mistake or one wrong turn that had led him here - it was a series of unfortunate events that he had no control over.

He closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh, wishing that he could turn back time and undo some of the choices he had made. But he knew that dwelling on the past wouldn't help him now - all he could do was try to make the best of his current situation and hope for a better future.

Samuel gulped and sat next to Collin, preparing to comfort him when necessary. Collin continued, "I was so lost about what I had to do with my life, and I am still grieving to this day. My mother was my only family, and she died suddenly from an illness. People sent by the higher-ups told me that she had a huge debt. They wouldn't put the debt under my name, but they did tell me that I could no longer live in the house because they would sell it to earn back part of her debt."

Collin started to tear up and, without thinking, leaned against Samuel, who hugged him tightly. "Poor guy..." Samuel sighed while comforting Collin. Collin continued after a while, "I had nowhere to go and no one to turn to. I went to ask my dad if I could stay with him for a while. He hesitated for a bit but ultimately rejected me and went back to his daily life, acting as if I never existed." Collin sat up and took in a deep breath and punched the wall while tears came down his eyes. "Why did the worst possible scenario come true?" he cried.

Samuel was unsure what to do since he hadn't experienced anything like this before. Suddenly, a young girl with long black hair in a ponytail and a rusty old hair band walked over and gave Samuel a glare. This was Maya, a few years older than Collin but far younger than Samuel, who, like Collin, had ended up homeless at a young age. However, Maya's situation was partly due to her own fault. She dropped out of high school without a certificate and ran away from home, hoping to start a new life in the province of Greenmont. She hopped from one city to another, which failed miserably because there was nowhere she could really stay until she ended up at this shelter.

After a local gang robbed her and forced her to work under them despite having no experience in the area, she quickly realized she was nothing more than cannon fodder. Her rather soft and caring personality didn't help either, so it didn't take long before the group tried to 'get rid' of her. Luckily, she managed to escape, but being in an unknown province without anyone she knew, she quickly ended up on the streets.

"Why would you even ask about such a sensitive topic? You're at least thirty. I'm sure you have had more life experience than either me or Collin," Maya crossed her arms while still glaring at Samuel. She lowered her arms to her hips and looked at them both. "Either way, it's almost 8pm. It's time to go to the food bank to get something to eat tonight."

Both Collin and Samuel nodded in agreement. Maya was the newest addition to their group, having arrived at the shelter just a week ago. She was a young girl with long black hair, and her eyes reflected a sense of wisdom beyond her years. She had been through a lot, having dropped out of high school and run away from her home. She tried to start a new life in the province of Greenmont but failed miserably and ended up homeless. After being robbed and forced to work for a local gang, she managed to escape and ended up on the streets quickly.

The trio followed the old road beside the building they had just exited. The building was a shelter for the homeless, and it was their temporary home until they could find something better. They were grateful for the shelter, but the food was barely enough to keep them going. The food bank was their only hope for a decent meal.

Suddenly, without reason, sirens were heard, and a burning smell spread throughout the neighborhood. Smoke started to surround them, and Samuel pushed the others with him to the ground, trying to lay low from the smoke. "What is happening?!" Collin said, starting to panic and looking around.

"Stay down!" Samuel yelled.

"A bomb?" Maya asked, while remaining alert.

Collin shook his head. "There is no way we would still be talking if that were the case..."

Collin observed his surroundings, trying to see what was happening outside. As the smoke slowly cleared up, Collin and the others were dumbstruck. Behind the thick, fading smoke, a shape was becoming visible. There was a huge steel gate with stairs leading up to it right in front of their eyes. Collin didn't have any words. Just a moment ago, there was an empty old road leading to the food bank that used to always be there. Now, out of seemingly nowhere, a big gate appeared.

As Collin was trying to believe this entire situation, the steel gates slowly opened, and behind it was what seemed like a portal with a swamp green color. Collin rubbed his eyes and looked slowly at both Samuel and Maya, who were in a similar state of shock

Slowly rising to his feet, Collin surveyed his surroundings to confirm that he wasn't dreaming. "Is this reality?" he muttered to himself.