The morning light filtered through the narrow streets, casting soft rays across the rundown house where Orion stood waiting. His golden eyes reflected the soft glow of the rising sun as he looked out into the quiet city, his thoughts lingering on the events of the previous day. He had spent the night nearby, waiting, knowing that Ra would need someone by his side when he emerged. Ra’s mother was gone, and though they had only known each other for a short time, Orion felt a deep connection to the boy who, like him, had faced unspeakable loss.


    The door to the house creaked open, and Ra stepped out, his black hair wild, his face drawn and pale from a sleepless night. His emerald green eyes, normally so fierce, now looked tired and hollow, but there was something else in them—anger. A simmering rage that Orion could feel even without words.


    Ra glanced at Orion briefly but said nothing as he moved to stand beside him. For a long moment, neither of them spoke. The air between them was thick with unspoken emotions, grief, and pain. Finally, Ra broke the silence.


    “I want to bury her,” Ra muttered, his voice rough and strained. His words were quiet but filled with determination. There was no room for argument, no hesitation.


    Orion nodded. “I’ll help,” he replied softly, offering his support without question. This wasn’t something Ra should have to face alone, and Orion had no intention of leaving him to bear the weight of it by himself.


    They moved together through the early morning streets, keeping their steps quiet as they made their way out of the city. The outskirts were lined with patches of forest, secluded and silent, a place where they could find some peace. The journey was quiet, both boys lost in their own thoughts as they walked side by side, their breaths steady but burdened by the weight of what lay ahead.


    Ra found a small clearing just outside the city’s borders, a quiet place where the trees cast long shadows across the earth. He began to dig, his movements slow but steady, as if each strike of the shovel into the dirt was an outlet for his bottled-up emotions. Orion helped where he could, but mostly he stayed silent, letting Ra take the lead. Each scoop of earth was a reminder of the life Ra had lost, the mother who had once held him, protected him, and in her own way, loved him. Now, she was nothing but a memory, a presence that would fade into the earth.


    When the grave was ready, they gently lowered Ra’s mother into the ground. The wind whispered softly through the trees as they stood over the freshly dug grave, the only sound in the otherwise still world. There were no words, no final goodbyes—just a heavy, aching silence. Ra’s fingers curled into fists at his sides, his body trembling with rage and sorrow.


    Orion watched Ra carefully. The anger in Ra’s eyes hadn’t subsided; if anything, it had grown stronger, more focused. There was a tension in Ra’s posture, his jaw clenched so tightly Orion thought it might shatter under the force. He was holding onto something, something dark and dangerous.


    “What are you going to do?” Orion asked quietly, breaking the silence.


    Ra’s green eyes flickered with fury as he stared down at the grave. “I have to settle a score,” he said coldly, his voice filled with an edge of danger.


    Orion’s brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”


    Ra didn’t look at him. His gaze remained fixed on the grave, his fists still clenched. “The man who sold her the drugs,” Ra growled, his voice low and simmering with anger. “He’s responsible for this. He made her do unspeakable things for the drugs he gave her. He’s the one who ruined her life. I blame him for everything.”


    Orion felt a chill run down his spine as he listened. He knew that look in Ra’s eyes—the burning desire for revenge. “What are you planning to do?” Orion asked, though he already had an idea.


    Ra’s expression hardened. “I’m going to make him pay,” he said, his voice cold.


    Orion took a deep breath, weighing his words carefully. He understood Ra''s rage, his grief, and the justice he sought. This wasn''t just revenge—it was retribution. "Ra, we will give him the justice he deserves," Orion said steadily. "Together."


    Ra’s jaw tightened, but he didn’t respond right away. His hands trembled slightly as he stared at the ground. “Maybe not,” he said quietly, “but I don’t care. He deserves to die for what he did.”


    Orion studied him for a moment. He understood Ra’s anger, his need for justice—or vengeance, as it truly was. But he also knew that killing the man wouldn’t bring Ra any peace. Still, this was Ra’s decision to make.


    “I’ll go with you,” Orion said finally. “You don’t have to do this alone.”


    Ra looked at him, his green eyes hard but grateful. He nodded once, his jaw still set in determination. “Let’s go.”


    The previous day, Orion had met the drug dealer alongside Ra when they had gone to collect gold and drugs as payment for taking care of a rival gang. He had despised the man on sight, sensing the cruelty and malice in his demeanor. Now, as they made their way to the decrepit building by the docks, that hatred only deepened.


    Inside, the drug dealer smirked as Ra entered, as if he had been expecting him. "Back so soon, kid?" he sneered. "Didn’t get enough?" He glanced at Orion dismissively before looking back at Ra. "How’d your mother like the new drugs?"If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Ra froze, his expression darkening. His emerald eyes locked onto the dealer, a cold fury taking root. "So it was that..." he muttered.


    The dealer’s smirk widened. "New formula. More potent." His voice was laced with smug satisfaction, as if reveling in Ra’s suffering.


    A faint green aura flickered to life around Ra’s body, the air around him distorting slightly from the sheer force of his rage. Before the dealer could react, Ra lunged forward with inhuman speed. His fingers latched onto the man’s throat with crushing strength. The dealer barely had time to gasp before Ra’s other hand shot forward, tearing into the flesh of his neck. With a sickening, wet rip, Ra wrenched the dealer’s throat clean out, blood spraying across the walls as the man gurgled his last breath.


    Orion didn’t flinch. He was with Ra every step of the way. The man would get his justice, and they would be the ones to deliver it. The room erupted into chaos as the remaining henchmen scrambled to react, but they were too slow. Orion moved like a phantom, his blade flashing as he severed tendons and sliced through flesh. One man barely had time to scream before Orion’s dagger slashed across his Achilles tendons, dropping him to the ground in agony. Another lunged at Ra, but Ra caught his wrist, twisted it until the bone snapped, then drove his knee into the man''s ribs, sending him crashing through a wooden table. The room erupted into chaos as the remaining henchmen scrambled to react, but they were too slow. Orion moved like a phantom, his blade flashing as he severed tendons and sliced through flesh. One man barely had time to scream before Orion’s dagger slashed across his Achilles tendons, dropping him to the ground in agony. Another lunged at Ra, but Ra caught his wrist, twisted it until the bone snapped, then drove his knee into the man''s ribs, sending him crashing through a wooden table.  Orion surveyed the bodies scattered around the room, the thick stench of blood and death filling the air. He exchanged a glance with Ra, and without a word, they both understood what had to be done next. Ra stepped over the lifeless form of the dealer and reached for a lantern resting on the nearby table. With a slow, deliberate motion, he hurled it into the wooden crates stacked against the far wall. The flames caught instantly, consuming the dry wood in a hungry blaze.


    The fire spread quickly, licking up the walls, turning the room into an inferno of vengeance. The flickering light cast long, jagged shadows on the blood-splattered floors as the flames devoured everything in their path. The building creaked and groaned, the heat intensifying, but neither Ra nor Orion flinched. They watched in silence as the past—the pain, the suffering, the horrors this place had created—was reduced to ash.


    Stepping outside, the cool night air hit them like a shock, but neither turned back. The fire raged behind them, smoke curling into the sky, signaling the end of one chapter and the beginning of another.


    Ra turned to Orion, his emerald eyes still glowing faintly, the last remnants of his fury simmering beneath the surface. Without hesitation, he raised his hand and bit into the flesh of his palm until blood welled up. He extended his hand to Orion, his expression unwavering.


    “No matter what happens,” Ra said, his voice low but steady. “We stand together. From this moment on, we are brothers.”


    Orion didn’t hesitate. He mirrored Ra’s action, biting into his palm until his own blood dripped down his fingers. Then, he clasped Ra’s hand firmly, their blood mingling in the flickering firelight.


    A silent oath passed between them, one unbreakable, forged in blood and fire. Whatever came next, whatever trials they would face, they would do it together.


    For the first time in a long while, neither of them felt alone.


    As the last embers of the burning building faded into the night, Orion exhaled deeply, rubbing the drying blood from his knuckles. He turned to Ra, a question lingering on his lips. "So… what now? We just burned down the only place that had work for you. How are we going to get money? Food?"


    Ra cracked his knuckles, a slow smirk creeping onto his face. "Simple. We take what we want."


    Orion raised an eyebrow, then let out a small chuckle. "I guess so."


    And just like that, the two boys threw themselves into the underbelly of the city, carving out their survival one stolen coin at a time.


    Their days were spent weaving through crowded marketplaces, hands quick as shadows, pilfering coins and trinkets from unsuspecting merchants and nobles alike. Orion’s golden eyes made him a sharp observer, catching the slightest distraction in a mark’s stance. Ra, ever the risk-taker, would move in, slipping a hand into pockets, grabbing food off stands, snatching purses before vanishing into the bustling crowd.


    At night, their methods became more direct. The alleyways belonged to the desperate, and the desperate preyed on each other. Orion and Ra were no different. They stalked the streets, hunting for lone gang members or drunks foolish enough to wander into the wrong neighborhood. Their ambushes were quick, brutal. A hard strike to the ribs, a well-placed cut across the leg—whatever it took to ensure their target couldn’t fight back before they relieved them of their valuables.


    One evening, after a particularly profitable haul, the boys sat atop an abandoned warehouse, dividing their spoils beneath the glow of the city’s torches. Orion held up a silver pendant they had taken from a dockworker, letting it glint under the moonlight. "You think this is worth anything?"


    Ra shrugged. "Probably. If we find the right person. Jewelry moves fast in the black markets."


    Orion smirked, tossing the pendant into the pile of stolen goods. "We’re getting good at this."


    Ra stretched, laying back against the rooftop. "We have to be. If we’re not, we starve."


    The weight of his words settled between them. They had no family, no home, nothing but the streets and each other. And so they kept moving, kept stealing, kept fighting. They became ghosts in the alleys, whispers in the dark, the unseen force that turned the balance of power in the slums.


    One night, as they prowled for their next target, Orion spotted a small gang hoarding supplies behind a butcher shop. "That looks promising."


    Ra’s eyes gleamed. "Then let’s take it."


    They moved like predators, silent and deadly. The gang never saw them coming. Ra struck first, slamming his fist into the leader’s gut, sending him sprawling. Orion followed up with a precise kick to the back of another’s knee, toppling him before finishing with a punch to the temple. The rest tried to fight, but against two boys hardened by hunger and survival, they stood no chance.


    The fight was over in seconds. Blood stained the cobblestones as the gang members groaned in pain, clutching their injuries. Orion knelt beside the leader, rifling through his pockets, pulling out a pouch heavy with coins.


    "Looks like they’ve been eating well," he remarked, shaking the pouch before tucking it into his coat.


    Ra grabbed a sack of stolen bread and dried meat, slinging it over his shoulder. "Not anymore."


    As they vanished into the night, their laughter echoed through the empty streets, two lost souls finding their way through the darkness—together.