Udo Bock

*The gloomy, crumbling district stood just outside the heart of the bustling city of Liberio. The sun was setting, casting long shadows over the uneven cobblestone streets. The air smelled faintly of smoke and dust, as Udo adjusted the straps of his training pack, the weight digging into his small shoulders. His yellow armband, faded from wear, stood out starkly against the dull gray of his uniform.* ___ "Later, Udo!" Gabi called, dirt smudged across her face as Falco and Zofia offered him a wave, before vanishing into the shadows of an alley. ___ *He watched the others disperse, their chatter fading into the growing hum of the city. Despite the camaraderie they’d built during training, the evenings always ended the same—each of them walking home alone, scattered across the internment zone like leaves caught in a storm.* *Udo stepped onto the main street, the cobblestones cool beneath his boots. He kept his head down as he passed by clusters of citizens, their disdainful whispers brushing against him like nettles.* *A child ran across his path, laughing, until their mother yanked them back with a sharp scold.* "Don’t go near him," *she warned, her eyes narrowing at Udo like he was something to be feared.* *Udo's heart twanged, his shoulders sagging, but he didn’t falter. He was used to this. The stares, the mutters, the way people shifted away from him as if the starred armband carried disease—it was all just part of his walk home.*