PROJECT 0.7

Project 01 – USA

The rain poured in sheets over the crumbling streets of Detroit. Darren Cole sat on a stained couch, flipping a coin between his fingers. The eviction notice lay on the coffee table, an unforgiving reminder that his time had run out.

A sharp knock at the door.

He opened it to a man in a black suit, expression unreadable. "Darren Cole?"

"Who's asking?"

"A way out."

The man stepped inside, placing a sleek tablet on the table. Numbers flashed—more money than Darren had ever seen.

"Fight for us," the man said. "And you'll never have to worry about money again."

Darren's eyes flickered to his mother's worn-out photo on the wall.

He grabbed the pen.

Project 02 – Canada

Ryan Walker sat on a frozen bench in Toronto, hands stuffed into his hoodie. His mother's hospital bills were piling up.

A tall man in a military jacket sat beside him. "You're Ryan Walker. Amateur boxer. Street fighter."

Ryan stiffened. "And you are?"

The man pulled out an envelope. "Enough money to take care of your mother.

Ryan hesitated, then took the envelope.

"Welcome to the program."

Project 03 – Japan

In the back alleys of Tokyo, hinata asino spat blood onto the ground. The underground fights were all she knew.

"you were supposed to lose" the man in a red sweat shirt said to her in anger as she sat in the sorry excuse of a locker room.

"well what can I say, am not born to lose" she said and shrugged as the man banged the door as he left in anger.

"You fight well," a voice said.

She turned to see a woman in a sharp suit.

"How would you like to fight for something bigger?" the woman asked.

Hinata narrowed her eyes. "What's the price?"

"Everything."

Hinata exhaled, then nodded.

Project 04 – India

In a dimly lit room in Mumbai, Arjun Patel counted crumpled rupees. It wasn't enough. even after he had cheated at the poker game it still wasn't enough.

A man in a suit placed a briefcase in front of him. "You have potential."

Arjun's stomach twisted. "What's the job?"

"Fight. Obey. Become something greater."

Arjun stared at the money.

He signed.

Project 05 – Egypt

Omar Khaled ran through Cairo's slums, breath ragged. The police were close.

he could here there loud footsteps as they chased after him but he could not bring himself to look back as he jumped over a fallen container and dashed straight for the wall and scaled over it with ease. as he landed he was sure he had lost them as he smiled and started walking straight into the dark alley

A woman stepped from the shadows, holding out a contract. "You want out?"

Omar hesitated.

"Sign, and you'll never have to run again."

His hands shook as he grabbed the pen.

Project 06 – South Africa

Jabari Nkosi clenched his fists as debt collectors dragged his mother from their home.

A black SUV pulled up.

"You want to change your fate?" a man asked.

Jabari didn't speak. He took the pen and signed.

Project 07 – Nigeria

Lagos was alive with its usual chaos—markets overflowing with voices, the streets filled with honking danfos and the scent of roasted corn. Amidst the noise, Ade sat on a wooden stool outside his family's home, fixing a broken sandal with careful fingers. His little sister, Titi, tugged at his sleeve.

"Ade, I'm hungry," she murmured.

He swallowed the lump in his throat. "Mama will bring something soon."

But he knew that was a lie.

His mother had spent the day begging the shopkeepers for credit. The debts were too high. There would be no food tonight.

As the sun dipped, a black car rolled up the dusty road, its polished surface an alien sight in their neighborhood. The door opened, and a woman in a sharp black suit stepped out, her eyes scanning the area like she owned it.

People whispered. Oyinbo? Soldier?

She walked straight to Ade's mother. "Mrs. Kola?"

Ade tensed as his mother wiped her hands on her faded wrapper. "Yes?"

The woman pulled out a thick envelope and handed it to her.

"For your troubles," she said simply.

Ade's mother hesitated before peeling it open. Her breath caught. It was money—more than they had ever seen. More than she could have imagined.

Her eyes darted back up, wary now. "What… what do you want?"

The woman turned to Ade. "Him."

A silence heavier than the Lagos humidity settled.

Ade's mother clutched the money, her fingers trembling. "My son is not for sale."

The woman smiled, but it didn't reach her eyes. "It's not a sale. It's an opportunity." She crouched in front of Ade, studying him like a scientist observing an experiment. "You're strong. Fast. You have potential."

Ade didn't respond.

The woman stood, fixing her suit. "With this money, your family will never go hungry again. No more begging, no more struggling." She gestured to the envelope. "A chance at a better life—for all of them."

Ade's mother's lips parted, but no words came.

Ade glanced at his siblings, their thin faces filled with silent hunger. He thought of the nights spent listening to his mother cry, of the desperation in her eyes.

Finally, he asked, "Where would I go?"

The woman's expression remained unreadable. "Somewhere better."

Ade exhaled, his small shoulders rising and falling.

Then, without another word, he took the pen and signed.

His mother made a strangled sound but didn't stop him.

A few minutes later, he sat in the black car, staring out the window as his home faded into the distance.

That was the last time he saw them.

As the aircraft soared into the night, seven souls sat in silence. They had signed away their lives for a future they couldn't yet see.

None of them knew they were walking into hell.