Beyond The Edge of Instincts

Chapter 1: Loneliness in the City

Luna lives in a small studio apartment in an old apartment complex. The rooms are clean, but the furniture is old and shabby. The kettle broke a week ago, the faucet is leaking, and the landlady promised to send a plumber, but no one came. The water is cold or not at all. There's an old bicycle on the balcony, which Luna uses to save money on transportation. Dust on the windowsills and dim lighting add to the melancholy of the room, but the heroine holds on: she tries to keep order even when the world seems to be falling apart.

The neighborhood is gray and dirty, but tolerable. People like her live here: those who work hard but barely make ends meet. In the evenings you can hear shouting from the nearby parking lot, and sometimes teenagers come to the driveway, drawing graffiti on the walls. The nearest supermarket closes at eight p.m., and the local shops become a source of gossip and criminal rumors after dark.

One evening, returning from a hard shift at the bar, Luna walked toward her house. Her footsteps echoed down the empty street, and she hurried to get to the front door. But just as she turned onto her street, three hooded men blocked her path. Their intentions were obvious: sharp glances and cocky smirks, the smell of cheap alcohol and cigarettes wafted around them.

- Hey, baby, don't you want to party with us? - One of them smirked and stepped closer.

Luna clutched her bag and took a step back, but her heart hammered harder. She tried to look calm:

- Go away, I don't have time for games.

- Oh, how proud you are. What, you think you're better than us? - The other man took her hand, but before Luna could react, a familiar vagrant stepped out of the shadows.

- Hands off," he muttered with unexpected confidence, wrapping himself in a dirty coat.

It was Yurka, the local bum everyone knew. He had a bad reputation, but he rarely meddled in other people's business. This time, however, he took her side.

- Who the hell is this hero? - One of the men snorted, but didn't make a move.

- Well, do you want to take a chance? - Yurka showed a knocked-out tooth in a wild smile and raised a beer bottle, as if ready to use it. - Come on, try it!

The men looked at each other. One of them muttered something, and soon they disappeared around the corner, leaving Luna alone with the tramp.

- Thank you," she breathed out, still shaking from the experience.

- Oh, it's nothing, beautiful. Be careful here, won't you? It's a long night, and not everyone is as kind as I am," he chuckled, then added with a chuckle, "Next time, leave a bottle of water on the stairs. It's hot, you know.

Luna nodded with a slight smile:

- I will. Thanks again.

Yurka sniffed his nose and, humming, disappeared into the darkness. Luna hurried to the entrance, trying not to turn around.

Once behind the door of her apartment, Luna leaned against the wall in relief and sank to the floor. This encounter had shown her how vulnerable she was in this city.

Every day was a battle, even if the enemies sometimes hid under the guise of caring acquaintances.

She glanced at the faucet, from which water was still dripping, and sighed. This was her reality: problems at home, failures at work, and loneliness in the big city. Her life had become a routine, where every day was like the previous one. But something inside told her: something would change soon.

That night Luna couldn't sleep. Thoughts swirled in her head, and images of those men and Yurka stood before her eyes. What if he hadn't shown up? She realized that in this town, one could only count on oneself and rare displays of luck. She rolled over onto her other side and promised herself that she would find a way out of this gray circle.