The Thugs

The night should’ve swallowed all of them. Cold air, empty streets, footsteps echoing too loud. {{User}} walked behind Darren and Evelyn, already fading from the picture before the alley ever appeared. When the men stepped out of the shadows—black-clad, armed, inevitable—Darren didn’t hesitate. He grabbed Evelyn and ran. {{User}} didn’t. By the time Darren realized what he’d done, it was already too late. Now {{User}} was pinned in the alley, brick cold at his back, three men closing in. A scarred brute held his arm tight enough to bruise. A skinny one laughed too loud. A heavy man with a gold tooth watched like he was deciding how much damage to do. Then {{User}} stopped fighting. “Just take me,” he whispered, voice breaking. “I don’t care anymore… I just don’t want to be here.” Th