The night everything changed started like any other: cheap weed, loud sirens, and the faint smell of piss by the stairwell
Last light of the block hit different when you had no money. Lex leaned against the rusted railing on the stoop, arms folded, hoodie zipped halfway up like armor. His breath hung in the air even though it wasn't that cold—just damp, April wet, Bronx wet. The kind that crawled through your sneakers and stayed in your socks all day.
He watched the bodega cat across the street piss on a busted parking meter like it owned the city.
"Yo," Bones said, "you see that cat? That lil' bitch been alive longer than most dudes on this block."
Lex didn't answer. Just nodded once.
Bones didn't take offense. He was used to Lex not saying much.
A Civic with one headlight rolled by slow, music thumping with blown-out bass. Inside, two Dominican kids, maybe fifteen, heads bobbing like they were starring in their own music video. They didn't look up. Nobody did.
South Bronx didn't do eye contact unless you had something to prove.
Across the street, Mona leaned against a brick wall, hoodie off, curls tied up with a knockoff Fendi scarf. She scrolled her flip phone, pretending she wasn't listening to the boys talk. Her gold bamboo earrings glinted in the dying sunlight.
"You get those chargers off yet?" Lex asked, finally breaking silence.
Bones sniffed. "Sold one to this old head on 148th. Said he needed it for his trap phone. Gave me seven dollars and a Lucy."
Lex nodded. He reached into his pocket, pulled out a wrinkled Ziploc of old knockoff phone chargers, burner batteries, and one cracked flip. A hot bag, barely worth the plastic it came in, but out here, everything moved. Even trash had a price if you knew where to walk it.
Mona crossed the street without looking.
"I can move them," she said, snatching the bag. "You two always tryna hustle like it's 1998. Let me talk to Keisha. Her cousin runs that MetroPCS off Hunts Point."
Lex let it go without a word. Bones didn't.
"Man, you always tryna act like you got connects. Where's the money, then?"
Mona tilted her head. "You still owe me twenty dollars from last month, Darnell."
Bones sucked his teeth and looked away.
Lex's stomach growled, but he ignored it.
The three of them were always out here, under the same busted streetlight with the same faded "ONE WAY" sign swinging in the wind. The city was a loop, and they were stuck in it—until somebody got shot, locked, or rich.
Only Lex didn't believe in getting rich. Not out here. Not for them.
He watched a pigeon strut across the sidewalk like it paid rent.
Bones scratched his neck. "You ever think about robbing one of those food trucks? I mean really do it?"
Mona laughed. "You dumb. Ain't nobody robbing a halal cart. That's sacred."
Lex didn't laugh. He was still watching the pigeon. Something about the way it moved. Like it wasn't afraid of anything. Like it knew the rules of this place better than the people did.
He blinked.
Then something happened.
For a split second, the world shimmered.
Not visually—more like... conceptually. Like reality blinked, and when it came back, it had a new skin on top of it.
A thin, transparent screen floated in front of his vision:
[SYSTEM INITIATED]
Welcome, User.
Identity confirmed: Malek (Lex) Santiago
Age: 18
Status: Civilian (Unranked)
Quest Assigned: Survive Your First Encounter
Reward: ???
Penalty: Death
Lex jerked his head back.
The screen vanished like smoke.
Bones noticed. "Yo, you good?"
Lex looked around. The street was still the same. Mona was still scrolling. The same car alarm in the distance, the same faint smell of fried chicken grease and garbage juice wafting from the corner.
Nothing had changed.
Except everything had.
He shook his head, slow. "Yeah. Just... tired."
Bones nodded like that made sense. It didn't.
Mona didn't even glance up. "Y'all want chopped cheese? I got four dollars and some food stamps."
Lex didn't answer. He was still staring at the air in front of him, half-expecting the screen to come back.
It didn't.
Instead, from the alley beside the corner store, three shadows stepped out.
Lex's stomach dropped.
Bones muttered, "Ah, fuck."
It was Rico and two of his boys—Mouse and Jaye. All three wore red bandanas hanging out the back pocket, too crisp to be from this block.
Rico grinned wide. Gold fronts catching light like a camera flash.
"Well, well," he said, "if it ain't Bones and the Discount Phone Cartel."
Nobody laughed.
Bones squared up fast, puffed out his chest. "We just chillin', Rico."
"I ain't talkin' to you," Rico said. His eyes were on Lex. "He the one that ran his mouth to Julio?"
Lex blinked. "What?"
"You said his girl looked like a roach with lip gloss."
Lex didn't even remember Julio. But that didn't matter.
What mattered was Rico needed a reason tonight.
And he just made one up.
[SYSTEM ALERT]
Combat Encounter Initiated
Threat Level: Moderate
Enemies: 3
Objective: Survive
Tip: You can now access the Stats Menu.[Open?] (Y/N)
Lex didn't blink this time. He just thought: Y.
[STATS - MALEK (LEX) SANTIAGO]
Level: 1
Class: None
HP: 25/25
Strength: 4
Dexterity: 6
Intelligence: 7
Charisma: 5
Perception: 8
Luck: 3
Skills: [Observe I], [Sprint I]
Inventory: None
Gold: $3.12
Equipped: Hoodie (Common), Box Cutter (Hidden)
Rico stepped closer. Mouse cracked his knuckles. Jaye pulled his hoodie up tight.
Lex didn't move.
He just thought: Observe - Rico.
[Observe Activated]
Rico "Clips" Varela
Level: 2
HP: 35/35
Strength: 7
Dexterity: 5
Threat: HIGH
Notes: Carries brass knuckles. Short temper. Thinks you're weak.
Lex's pulse kicked. He didn't flinch, didn't even show it. He just reached slowly into his hoodie.
Box cutter: cold, light, familiar.
Bones whispered, "Yo, we runnin' or what?"
Lex's voice came out calm. "No."
Mona was already backing up, eyes darting for an escape route.
Rico smirked. "You got balls, I'll give you that."
Lex didn't answer.
Because behind Rico's head, another window opened.
[NEW SKILL AVAILABLE: INTIMIDATION I]
Glare down an enemy and reduce their will to attack.Success Chance: 35%Cooldown: 60 secondsUse Now? (Y/N)
Lex thought: Y.
He stepped forward. Just one foot.
Locked eyes with Rico. Didn't blink. Didn't smile.
"You ain't built for this," he said low.
The words came from somewhere else—like he was reading a script someone else had written.
[INTIMIDATION I — SUCCESSFUL]
Rico's Confidence -10
Jaye hesitates.
Mouse doubts the plan.
Rico's smile faltered.
Just for a second.
Then the street exploded.