CHAPTER 1 – The Boy Everyone Had Forgotten
Rain poured through the narrow alley as if the sky itself had decided to erase the city.
Eight-year-old Noah curled into the corner, hugging his knees to stop the shivering. His clothes were soaked, his lips were pale, and his stomach hadn't known a real meal in two days.
Beside him sat the only family he had left.
A massive German Shepherd named Rex.
People often crossed the street when they saw Rex. His scarred face and towering body made him look dangerous. Rumors spread that he had once belonged to the military... that he had bitten criminals... that he was too violent to be trusted.
But Noah knew the truth.
Rex had never hurt an innocent soul.
Ever since Noah's parents died in a house fire six months earlier, the dog had refused to leave his side. Every shelter that tried to separate them failed. Rex always escaped and found Noah again.
Tonight, however...
Something felt wrong.
Rex's ears suddenly stood upright.
His deep growl echoed through the alley.
Footsteps.
Slow.
Heavy.
Deliberate.
A hooded man emerged from the darkness, holding something that reflected beneath the streetlight.
A knife.
Noah froze.
The stranger smiled beneath the shadow of his hood.
"So... there you are."
Noah had never seen him before.
But somehow...
The man spoke his name.
"I've been looking everywhere for you, Noah."
The boy's heart nearly stopped.
How could a stranger know who he was?
Before Noah could answer, the man stepped closer.
"Your father should have told you the truth before he died."
The knife glimmered again.
Rex moved in front of Noah without hesitation, his body acting like a living shield.
The hooded man laughed.
"Move."
Rex didn't.
"Last warning."
The German Shepherd answered with a deafening bark that echoed through the rain-soaked alley.
The man's smile disappeared.
May you like
He raised the knife.
And charged.
