The rain began in sheets.
Not dramatic.
Efficient.
The Second Attempt
They came back.
Not all of them.
Just enough.
Three figures fought the wind uphill, heads down, breath ragged.
Water streamed off their shoulders, packs already soaked.
They stopped at the edge of Aria's shelter.
Didn't ask to stay.
They already knew the answer.
"…What would it cost?" one of them asked instead.
The wind swallowed the last word.
Aria listened to the rain.
Measured the sound against the roof.
Satisfied.
Then she looked at them.
"…Ten thousand," she said calmly.
Silence, Then Disbelief
The rain seemed to pause.
"…That's insane," someone whispered.
Another laughed, sharp and broken.
"That's everything."
Aria nodded.
"…Yes."
The cameraman's eyes widened.
"…That's—"
"…Ridiculous," Aria finished for him.
"…By design."
Why the Number Is So High
One of them swallowed hard.
"…Why so much?"
Aria didn't raise her voice.
"…Because if it were affordable," she said,
"…this shelter would fail."
She tapped one support beam lightly.
"…Capacity is physics," she continued.
"…Crowds ignore physics."
The explanation landed heavier than the price.
Chat Loses Its Mind
💬 [LiveWatcher]: TEN THOUSAND?!
💬 [EconomicsProf]: That's a rationing mechanism
💬 [SurvivalFan]: She's not selling space. She's protecting structure
Memes tried to form.
They died quickly.
The Choice No One Wants
The three stood there as rain soaked through.
Hands trembling.
Not from cold.
From math.
If they paid—
They'd be safe.
But empty.
If they didn't—
They'd keep everything.
Except comfort.
One of them checked his balance again.
"…We can pool," he said weakly.
Aria shook her head.
"…One," she said.
"…Not three."
The wind howled, punctuating the rule.
The Cameraman Asks Softly
"…Do you expect anyone to pay?"
Aria thought.
"…Someone will," she replied.
"…Desperation peaks predictably."
One Person Steps Forward
The youngest of the three unclipped his wristband.
Hands shaking.
He didn't look at the others.
"I'll pay."
The other two stared.
"…Don't," one hissed.
He didn't answer.
The transfer completed.
The confirmation beep sounded absurdly loud in the rain.
Aria stepped aside.
"…Inside," she said.
No Celebration
She didn't welcome him.
Didn't reassure him.
She simply closed the entry flap behind him.
The shelter shifted.
Adjusted.
Held.
Outside, the rain intensified.
The Others Leave
The two remaining stood there for a moment.
Then turned back downhill.
No shouting.
No accusations.
Just regret.
The chat went quiet.
💬 [TopComment]: That wasn't greed. That was triage.
Closing Beat
Inside the shelter, Aria handed the newcomer a towel.
Dry.
"…Sit there," she said.
"…Don't touch the supports."
He nodded rapidly.
Grateful.
Silent.
Outside, the storm roared louder.
Inside, the structure held.
And across every screen, the same thought formed—
That price hadn't been ridiculous.
It had been exact.
Because survival—
Always costs everything to someone.