The heavy iron doors of the elevator slid shut, cutting off the noise of the camp as it began its long, grinding descent into the lower levels. Axel stood in the dim, flickering light, the heavy wrapped package of monster meat resting safely in his soul space.
His chest still felt hollow and bruised from the day's drain, his energy reserves completely bottomed out. Yet, deep inside, he could feel a faint, steady warmth slowly trickling back into his core as his aether began the slow climb of replenishing itself.
His mind raced over the numbers. Four thousand credits secured right now in his account—enough to let him and his mother live comfortably down here for months without worrying about the next meager ration. And on top of that, another eight thousand credits were still pending approval from the upper administration. It was a massive windfall, more money than they had ever seen at one time.
As the metal cage rattled down through the dark shaft, Axel looked up at the ceiling, letting the thought cross his mind. With this kind of money coming in, could they finally move higher? Could they pack up and leave the dirt and grease of the bottom levels behind, moving just a bit closer to the safety and light of the middle layer?
The apartment door was unlocked, just like she always left it. Axel pushed it open, summoning the parcel, stepping into the cramped, dim hallway of their home. He carried the heavy parcel straight into the small, dingy kitchen where his mother stood scrubbing an old pot at the sink.
"Mum," Axel said, setting and unwrapping the package down on the wooden counter. "Look."
She turned around, wiping her soapy hands on a rag, but the moment her eyes landed on the massive chunk of thick, premium monster meat, the color drained completely from her face.
"Where..." Her voice shook. "Axel, where did you get that?"
"I earned it today—"
"You stole it!" she cried out, her hands flying to her mouth as tears spilled instantly over her cheeks. She stumbled back against the counter, her whole body trembling. "Oh god, you've started stealing. I'm working myself to the bone every day, and it's not enough—you think I'm failing you, so you went out and stole this?"
"Mum, listen to me, I didn't—"
"Keep your voice down!" she sobbed, grabbing his arm and pulling him close, her eyes wild with terror. "You know how hard life is down here in this hole! If anyone catches you with monster meat you didn't buy with official wages, they won't just lock you up—they'll throw you out to the beasts or hang you by sunrise! There's zero tolerance for theft!"
She started frantically grabbing at the wrapping paper, trying to shove the parcel out of sight beneath a pile of old rags in the bottom of the cupboard. "We have to hide it right now before anyone smells it or sees it. If the neighbors find this, we're dead! Don't you ever do something this stupid again, do you hear me?"
"Mum, stop, just listen to me for one second!" Axel said, catching her shaking hands and holding them still. He looked her right in the eye, making sure she stayed still long enough to hear him out. "I didn't steal it. I swear to you, I didn't."
She breathed hard, glaring at him through her tears, refusing to listen to any excuse at first. "Don't lie to me, Axel. How could a kid like you possibly afford monster meat?"
"Because of my ability," Axel said, keeping his voice steady and calm. Step by step, he explained everything—how his power worked, how he fixed the ruined buildings in the sector, and how the captain handed over the meat as a bonus because he saved the camp a fortune in demolition costs. He made sure she understood every single detail.
Slowly, the panic in her eyes gave way to shock as the truth of his words finally settled in. Her shoulders slumped, and with a long, shaky breath, she nodded, agreeing that it was real.
Axel reached into his pocket, pulled out his terminal, and pressed the buttons to display his account balance. He turned it around, holding it out toward her. "Look, Mum. Right here. Four thousand credits. And another eight thousand are still pending."
Her eyes darted across the numbers, and the color drained completely from her face all over again. Her breath hitched, her hands flying to her mouth as her knees trembled against the counter. "Four thousand? Axel... no, no, you can't have this much. This isn't normal. They're going to think you're mixed up in something illegal; they're going to lock you up—"
"Mum, stop, look at me! It's legal!" Axel pleaded, but she was spinning out, backing away from the screen as if it were cursed. Her panic was total, blocking out every word he tried to say.
Realizing talking alone wasn't going to fix it, Axel reached into his pocket and pulled out a small scrap of paper. Earlier that day, Jose had shoved it into his hand with a wide grin, insisting he take the number just in case he ever needed help. Axel had never imagined he would use it tonight, let alone within hours.
He tapped his comms link and dialed the number.
It rang twice before a raspy, booming voice answered. "Yeah? Who's this?"
"Jose, it's Axel," Axel said quickly, stepping into the narrow hallway away from his panicking mother. "I need your help. Right now."
"Axel, my boy! What's wrong? Did someone give you trouble? Tell me who and I'll break their teeth!" Jose barked over the line.
"It's not trouble like that. It's my mum. She doesn't believe I earned the credits or the meat. She thinks I stole them and she's losing her mind. Can you talk to her?"
"Give her the phone right now," Jose ordered, his tone shifting instantly into sharp, absolute authority.
Axel walked back into the kitchen and pressed the phone into his mother's trembling hand. "Here. Talk to my supervisor. He'll tell you."
She stared at the device as if it were a live grenade, but pressed it slowly to her ear. "Hello?"
"Listen to me, ma'am," Jose's voice boomed right through the speaker, loud enough for Axel to hear every word. "I am Jose, senior work supervisor for Upper Layer section 14z9. Your son didn't steal a damn thing. He saved our entire camp's budget today by using his gift to fix three buildings with his own bare hands. I personally watched him do it, and the captain signed off on every single credit. He's a hero down here, ma'am, not a criminal. You hear me?"
Her lower lip trembled, the harsh truth finally cutting through her fear as she listened to the dead-serious conviction in the supervisor's voice. "You... you're his boss?"
"Damn right I am," Jose said. "And what's your address? I'm coming over right now to look you in the eye and explain it properly."
She gave him the address in a dazed whisper, handing the phone back to Axel.
True to his word, less than ten minutes later, a heavy, urgent pounding shook the apartment door. Axel pulled it open to find Jose standing in the cramped hallway, still fully dressed in his sharp, dust-streaked work uniform, breathing hard as if he ran straight here.
Jose stepped fully into the small living room, his posture snapping into an overly polite, respectful stance as he faced Axel's mother.
"Miss Sarah, right? Let me tell you, ma'am, what your boy did today wasn't just normal work," Jose said, his voice dripping with heavy, eager flattery. "He didn't just save our camp—he's practically a living legend. A true hero for humanity! You raised a genius, ma'am. A genuine, absolute genius!"
Miss Sarah blinked, the last traces of terror finally melting out of her face as she looked from Jose's uniform to Axel, who stood nearby looking entirely uncomfortable with the thick praise.
"A hero?" she whispered, her hands finally stopping their trembling against the counter. "You're... you're not just saying that to make me feel better?"
"I swear on my life, ma'am!" Jose beamed, shooting a wide, admiring grin toward Axel. "If it wasn't for him, half our section would still be buried in the dirt. The boy's going places, I'm telling you."
Slowly, the tension in the room dissolved. A warm flush of relief touched Miss Sarah's cheeks, and she looked down at the massive package of monster meat resting on the wooden table.
"Well," she said, her voice softening as she tied back her hair. "If my son really earned all of this... then the least I can do is cook a proper meal. Are you hungry, Mr. Jose? You're welcome to stay and eat dinner with us. We can cook some of this monster meat right now."
Axel's eyes widened. He quickly stepped forward, shaking his head at his mother. "Mum, it's getting late. Jose was just leaving."
Jose didn't even blink. He planted his boots firmly on the kitchen floor, flashing a bright, immovable smile. "Nonsense! I'm not in any rush at all. I'd be honored to stay for dinner, ma'am."
Axel shot a sharp, furious glare straight at Jose, staring daggers through the supervisor, but Jose just grinned wider and pretended not to notice.
The heavy aroma of cooked monster meat filled the cramped kitchen as they sat around the small wooden table. Throughout the entire meal, Jose acted as if Axel wasn't even sitting across from him, completely ignoring the teenager while turning all his charm toward Sarah. He poured on the flattery, praising Axel to the skies with exaggerated stories and smooth compliments that finally coaxed a bright, genuine laugh out of her.
Watching his mother smile and hearing her happy laugh for the first time in years, Axel sat back in his chair with a dark scowl. A few minutes ago, as he watched Jose eagerly dig into a large share of the monster meat that belonged to him, Axel had seriously sat there calculating the best way to quietly murder the supervisor and hide his body under the floorboards.
But seeing the pride shining in his mother's eyes changed everything. The heavy knot of irritation in Axel's chest loosened, and he quietly decided to forgive Jose for eating his food.
As soon as the last plates were cleared away, Axel stood up and pointed toward the front door. "All right, dinner's over. Don't ever come back here."
Sarah immediately slapped the back of his arm, glaring at him. "Axel! Where are your manners? Mr. Jose is a guest, and he is free to come and visit whenever he wants."
Jose beamed, leaning back in his chair with a wide, victorious grin. "Well, if the lady insists, I'd be more than happy to drop by again."
Axel stared straight across the table at him, narrowing his eyes into a glare so sharp and venomous that if looks could actually kill, Jose would have dropped dead on the spot, slaughtered a hundred times over.