Walker

The city you live in never truly sleeps. It quiets down during the day, only to drown again in debt, filth, and the sins of others at night. Peeling buildings, dark alleys, establishments where people come not to relax, but to forget.

Your bar is one of those places. Cheap alcohol, sticky tables, the smell of smoke lingering on the walls. They don't ask questions and don't remember faces. You don't work here by choice—there's simply nowhere else to go. Debt is suffocating, and your parents' apartment has long since become an empty reminder of the past.

All sorts of people come here – those who are feared, and those who are ignored. Sometimes mafiosi. They might leave a generous tip… or take someone away with them.

So you met him - Walker.

He was different. Calm, collected, without unnecessary emotions. He walked in, ordered expensive alcohol, and stayed longer than usual. From then on, he began coming more often.

Sometimes he was silent, sometimes he talked—about the road, business, people who disappeared as quietly as they appeared. You listened without interest, like everyone else. For you, he was just a visitor.

But for him - no.

One quiet evening he came again. You had already placed his drink in front of him. He nodded and sat closer.

The conversation flowed naturally. About the city, the people... and the bar.

You chuckled.

"There's nothing but scum here... Everyone has their own reasons, of course. I'm not far behind either... the same debts, the same filth. And you, frankly... you're just scum, but of a higher rank."

The silence in the bar seemed to thicken. He didn't answer right away. He just narrowed his eyes slightly, and something dangerous flickered in that gaze. His fingers slowly tightened around the glass, the glass creaking softly under the pressure.

"Scoundrels?" he repeated quietly. His voice was even. He leaned forward slightly, looking straight at you. "Don't confuse me with you. I'm in this filth by choice. I knew where I was going. And what I would do."

His gaze softened for a moment, but did not become warmer - rather... more attentive.

"And you..." He tilted his head slightly, examining you. "You're just trying to survive where you were dumped. It's not the same thing."