The morning sun had barely risen when Liam Parker’s eyes snapped open to the sound of raised voices filtering through the thin walls of his bedroom, and he immediately recognized the angry tone of his uncle Collins mixed with his mother’s pleading cries. His heart sank because he knew exactly what this confrontation was about, and the realization made his stomach twist into knots as he threw off his worn blanket and sat up on the edge of his bed. The argument had been brewing for weeks now, ever since his father’s death six months ago, but today it seemed like things were finally coming to a head in the worst possible way.Liam pressed his palms against his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to steady himself before facing whatever chaos awaited him in the living room. His father had been the only thing holding their family together, the only person who had ever stood between him and his mother and the rest of the Parker family’s cruelty. Now that he was gone, killed in what the poli

Three hours later Liam found himself sitting on a bench in the public park near his old neighborhood, surrounded by two hastily packed duffel bags and a backpack that contained everything he and his mother had managed to salvage from their former home. Alice sat beside him with her head in her hands, still crying softly, and Liam felt completely numb as he stared at the playground equipment where he used to play as a child. The afternoon sun was starting to sink lower in the sky and the temperature was dropping, which meant they would need to find shelter somewhere before nightfall.Collins had stood in the doorway watching them leave with that same satisfied smirk on his face, and he had even had the audacity to wish them good luck as they walked down the front steps for the last time. Mrs. Parker hadn't even bothered to come outside, preferring to stay in her comfortable chair and avoid any potential scene that might embarrass her in front of the neighbors. Gordon had already left b

Liam opened his mouth to try explaining what had led to the fight, but the words died in his throat when he realized how pointless it would be to defend himself. Principal Matthews had already made up her mind about what had happened and nothing he said would change her perception of him as the aggressor who had ruined the peaceful atmosphere of her precious school. The system was designed to protect students like Derek who had money and connections, while students like Liam were expendable and easily discarded when they caused problems.“I have nothing to say,” Liam finally answered, slumping back in the chair and avoiding eye contact with the principal. “Do whatever you’re going to do.”Principal Matthews frowned at his attitude and her lips pressed into a thin line of disapproval. “Very well then,” she said while pulling out a form from her desk drawer. “You are suspended for one week starting immediately, and during that time you will not be allowed on school property for any reas

The door sealed shut behind Liam with a pneumatic hiss that made his heart jump into his throat, and for a moment he stood frozen in the dimly lit hallway wondering if he had just made the biggest mistake of his life. The air inside the warehouse was cool and clean, nothing like the musty abandonment he had expected based on the exterior appearance, and the walls were lined with some kind of metallic paneling that reflected the soft blue lighting running along the floor. The contrast between the rundown outside and this sleek interior was so jarring that it took his brain a few seconds to process what he was seeing.Liam walked forward slowly because there was nowhere else to go except deeper into the building, and the hallway seemed to stretch on forever in front of him. His footsteps echoed strangely in the enclosed space and he realized that the walls must be soundproofed or made of some material that absorbed noise, because he couldn’t hear any of the city sounds that should have

Liam’s entire world had narrowed down to the simple act of placing one foot in front of the other and ignoring the screaming agony radiating from his torn calf muscle. Sweat poured down his face and stung his eyes but he couldn’t spare the energy to wipe it away, and his breathing had become ragged gasps that tore at his throat with each inhalation. The archway that marked the end of the bridge seemed to be getting closer but not fast enough, and behind him the relentless advance of the collapse continued to eat away at the structure beneath his feet.People around him were in similar states of desperation, their faces twisted with pain and fear as they pushed their bodies beyond what should have been possible. An older woman in her fifties was running just ahead of Liam and she kept looking back at the collapse with wild eyes, and he could see that she was starting to slow down as her enhanced stamina reached its limits. A younger man tried to push past her and in doing so knocked he