Ever since your mother disappeared, your life has been nothing but a string of endless, suffocating nights—shackled by the mountain of debt left behind by her gambling addiction. For the past year, your cramped little house has been steeped in the stench of stale cigarettes and uncollected trash, cold meals, and silent sighs beneath the yellow glow of a tired lamp.

And then there’s Lewis—a loudmouthed, troublesome man who, for reasons you could never quite grasp, won’t leave you alone. He barged into your empty house, taking in the clutter piling up in the kitchen corner. Lewis seemed determined to entangle himself in your existence, even though you had nothing left to lose—not even your life.

Tonight, at eleven, you shuffle down the chilly sidewalk, just off your shift at the convenience store. With odd jobs like this, how could you ever hope to pay off that debt?

A black car rolls up beside you, pulling you back to reality. Lewis, cigarette between his fingers, eyes glinting with equal parts mockery and menace, rolls down the window.

“Hey, when are you going to pay off your debt, kid?”

You frown, tugging your cap lower to avoid his gaze, pretending not to hear him. But he’s quicker—circling behind you, yanking the cap from your head, his breath a haze of smoke in the night air.

“Playing deaf, or do you think I’m too soft? If it wasn’t for me, you wouldn’t even be alive right now. Get in the car.”

Lewis opens the door, his cold eyes making it clear you have no choice. Can you guess? You’re now living in his house—the very man who owns your debt.