Rain climbed the old stairs and stepped outside, greeted by the familiar sight of the slums. Garbage littered the broken road, tracks of mud snaked through the streets from the earlier rain, and people hurried along with their heads down. His destination was Granny’s home. He had promised to visit her after the Selection, and he intended to keep that promise.

  He already had a feeling of how she would react: a flash of worry, followed by words meant to lift his spirits. Rain had known her for most of his life; he could almost predict her thoughts.

  As he walked down the muddy road, the air of the slums pressed heavily around him. The energy here was low, and understandably so. Most weren’t like Rain, willing to take the risk of the Selection for a chance at something better. They had families to protect and mouths to feed. Rain, on the other hand, was mostly alone. He had a few acquaintances, but only one he could call “friend”.

  Before long, he reached Granny’s building. Like everything else in the slums, it was humble, but not without its charm. A small apartment on the third floor, its balcony overflowed with flowers and plants that clung to the railing, a rare patch of life in this place. Even compared to the standards outside the slums, her garden was neat and beautiful.

  Taking the stairs, Rain felt a heaviness settle in his chest. He didn’t want to worry her too much. This might be their last meeting, after all; he was fated to die. He had promised to treat her to a meal once he survived, but that promise might never take hold.

  ‘That damn vision. It ruined everything.’

  Shaking the thought away, he reached her floor and knocked softly on the door. For the first time, he noticed how much sharper his senses had become since being Selected. The sounds of the slums rang clearer, and he could even make out Granny’s slow footsteps as she moved toward the entrance.

  The door opened, and her warm smile greeted him, though he could see the strength it took for her to wear it.

  “Rain, my boy.”

  She paused, drew in a steadying breath, and continued, “Come in, come in. I’ve just made some tea.”

  Rain studied her face, committing every detail to memory: her slightly curled white hair, her sun-darkened skin peppered with age spots, and that smile, always there, no matter what. He didn’t want to be the reason it dissipates.

  “I… I can’t. I have to leave soon.”

  The words tightened in his throat more than he thought they would. To him, the Selection’s outcome was something he had accepted. But Granny wouldn’t see it that way. His chest ached as he spoke, ashamed that he was leaving her after everything she had done for him, without ever repaying her kindness. He saw the impact of his words as her eyes widened, her head lowering slightly.

  “Oh… I’m sorry, Rain. You looked so pleased, I thought…”

  Rain gave a small chuckle. She really did know him too well. Straightening, he placed a hand on her shoulder, offering a smile in return.

  “It’s alright, Granny. Honestly, I’m… glad? Somewhat. It sounds strange, but I’ve felt hopeless for so long. With this, maybe I can change things.”

  Even as he spoke, he realized how unusual he was. Most slum-borns feared the Selection, but here he was, one of the only ones feeling a spark of relief. The Mirror had already shown him his death, yet still, he clung to that tiny ember of hope, or maybe just sheer stubbornness.

  Granny squeezed his hand, nodding gently.

  “I know, Rain. You’ve always wanted more than this place. You were never content to just accept the slums. I was the same once, you know? But without being Blessed, I never had the chance. That’s why I dedicated myself to helping children, giving them the opportunities I never had. Children like you.”

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  Her eyes shimmered with sadness as she held his gaze.

  “But I believe in you. If anyone can do it, it’s you. So work hard and survive. When you return, tell me everything, over a proper meal.”

  Her smile bloomed, warm as always. The same smile Rain had relied on for as long as he could remember.

  ‘Damn fate. I’ll make it back.’

  “Thank you, Granny. For everything.”

  A single tear trailed down his cheek as Granny embraced his body tightly, clinging to the woman who had saved him more times than he could count. He would walk through hell itself to make sure this was not their final goodbye. Granny nodded, brushing at his jacket to straighten it.

  “Now go. The convoy has already arrived, and they’re registering the Selected.”

  Rain turned and made his way down the worn stone stairs, keeping his vision a secret. She didn’t need to know he was destined to die. That was not the burden he wanted to leave her with.

  Back outside, he wiped his tears away. With renewed resolve, he headed toward his future.

  In the central square of the slums, families huddled close, sending off their children with desperate goodbyes. A heavy quiet filled the air despite the crowd of hundreds. At the far end, government officials moved methodically, checking names and loading bags onto buses.

  As Rain entered the crowd, a familiar voice cut through the hush.

  “Rain! Over here!”

  Startled, he turned to see a familiar figure waving. Elys. The one person Rain could call a friend. Elys lived with his family near Rain’s apartment, and it was his uncle who had rented to Rain at a cheaper price, and so he had always been grateful to his family.

  Elys was easy to be around. Handsome, with short brown hair, and always smiling, an optimist through and through and a true extrovert, unlike Rain, who preferred to keep to himself.

  But as Elys approached, Rain’s vision struck him like lightning. A brown-haired young man, on bleeding out on the ground, a mysterious girl bandaging his horrific wounds.

  Rain’s eyes widened, and a shiver raced down his spine.

  Rain’s thoughts tangled in his head, circling back to the vision.

  ‘Was it Elys? I didn’t get a good look at his face during the vision…’

  The uncertainty gnawed at him, and he didn’t even notice that Elys had already stepped right in front of him.

  “Rain? You good?”

  Snapping out of it, Rain blinked and forced his eyes to focus. Elys stood there, wearing that puzzled, almost worried expression.

  “Yeah, yeah, sorry. I was just… thinking about something.”

  Elys gave a crooked smile, rubbing the back of his head the way he always did when trying to lighten the mood.

  “Yeah… we really pulled the short straw on this one, didn’t we?”

  Rain exhaled a faint laugh, though it carried little humor.

  “We really did, didn’t we.”

  For a moment, silence stretched between them. Not the comfortable kind, but heavy and awkward, the kind born from knowing both their lives had just changed forever. Rain could see that Elys wasn’t truly happy to be standing here. Deep down, no one would be. He had a family, people who depended on him, and unlike Rain, he had something tangible to fight for. A guy like Elys could easily rise to a better life if given the chance. That made it all the more cruel.

  Feeling the weight of the silence settle on him, Rain spoke first.

  “So… where’s your family?”

  Elys let out a quiet chuckle, though his eyes softened with a shadow of pain.

  “They… didn’t take it well. My Selection, that is. I’ve already said my farewells at home. Figured it might be better if they didn’t see me go.”

  Rain nodded slowly, his chest tightening at the thought.

  “I understand. It’s not an easy sight. But… we’ll make it back, won’t we?”

  The words slipped out automatically, though he already knew the truth buried beneath them. And for the first time since he’d known him, Elys wasn’t his usual upbeat self. His hands trembled faintly, fingers tugging at his jacket, and his eyes darted anywhere but at Rain. A normal person might not notice, but Rain caught every small movement. Elys was scared.

  Yet, after a breath, Elys looked at him directly. His shoulders steadied, his voice calmed, and the faintest smile touched his lips.

  “Yeah… yeah, of course we’ll make it back. Together.”

  ‘Together… I really hope we do.’

  Rain forced a smile, the word echoing like a fragile promise in his mind.

  Then Elys leaned closer, lowering his voice to a whisper.

  “Rain, I know it’s not polite to ask, but… what’s your Reflection?”