Life is not the same for every person. Take for instance the life of those in the secluded alleys of a certain city. Those who live here have no other place to go. They live a modest life far from what is considered the norm; far, far lower from the norm.

“Mommy, I’m done!” a small child smiles as she completes the chore that has been asked of her.

Her mother, in return, smiles back and gives her child a pat on the head.

Yes, although life is supposedly a living turmoil for these people who could hardly get by for their next meal, they are content.

“Mommy, can I go out to play?”

The mother gives a quiet nod, and with a vibrant smile that goes from ear to ear, the child heads out.

The child chuckles as she waves goodbye to her mother who waves back at the little kid.

The children play a happy game of tag without a care in the world. Although the alleyways are cramp, narrow, and dimly lit, this is more like their own little neighborhood. The crude tents of cardboard, plastic, and rusted out dumpsters are their houses.

They act no different from normal kids elsewhere. They are just in a situation what some “normal” people would call unfavorable. These so called children of misfortune live with simple hearts untainted by the hatred of those outside.

Once the child goes out to play with her friends the mother lets out a vigorous cough which she immediately covers with her hand. She looks at her palm and notices drops of blood.

(“My time is running out. I knew I can only delay the inevitable for so long.”)

The mother heads inside their makeshift home and lies down away from peering eyes. She lies down on the cold ground to try and recover her deteriorating health.

The child’s mother has a special ability which is starting to fade; an ability that lets her live for so long when any mortal being would have already given up. This ability is granted to her by a being what some would call “ghosts”, “phantoms”, or “apparitions”. Throughout history, they call it by many names. And during the present, it yet again takes a different name: Alters.

An apparition sits right by her side and rests its hand over her forehead. A faint glow emanates from it which is how she was able to “delay the inevitable”.

(“No one must find out about me. I have to do this for her.”)

Meanwhile, the children are still gleefully playing games, blissfully unaware of the tragedy that is about to fall on all of them.

But all of this is in the past…