In a shadowed alley among the many worn out buildings of the Backdrop Biome, where cracked soil and rusted debris marked the Kingdom's forgotten edge.
A girl with vibrant purple hair stood by a makeshift table of scavenged planks.
Her short, choppy locks framed a face sharp with defiance, her tattered gown swaying in the faint breeze from a wheezing vent.
A single piece of coarse bread sat on a plate before her, a rare treasure in this land of scarcity.
She'd stepped away, slipping behind a wall, when a boy—lean, wiry, dark brown hair, with hazel eyes and a cautious step—crept toward the table, his fingers grazing the bread's crust as he looked around for eyes.
"Who are you?" Her voice cut through the silence, bold and unyielding.
The boy froze, his hand snapping back. "My name's Syn," he said, placing the bread back on the plate, his cheeks flushing with guilt.
He'd thought the alley was empty, the bread an easy mark.
Hunger had dulled his caution.
