The city lights began to twinkle, a glittering promise of the challenges and triumphs that awaited them. As they walked, the rhythmic tap-tap-tap of Adam's feet against the pavement punctuated the quiet hum of the city.

"Hey, Eddie," Adam said, breaking the silence, "there's something I've been meaning to ask you." He paused, choosing his words carefully. "How does money work around here? I mean, I remember that time I was at that restaurant with Tilda… she didn't pay for anything."

"You noticed that, huh? Well, we don't really use money here, not in the way you're used to, anyway. It all depends on your rank. Higher rank, more suitable accommodations, better food, better everything, really. It's all provided for you."

Adam stopped walking, his eyes wide with surprise. "Seriously? You mean… like, you don't even need money?"

Eddie shrugged. "That's the gist of it. I don't really understand the full mechanics of it myself. I've only been here about six months, so I'm still figuring things out." He smiled. "It's a whole different system, that's for sure." They resumed their walk.

They walked in comfortable silence for a few moments, the city lights painting their faces in shifting patterns of light and shadow. Then Adam spoke again, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow. "There's something else that's been bothering me," he said. "Remember when we signed up for the tournament? The person who handed us the papers… they had a scar on their hand. A really noticeable one." He paused, looking at Eddie expectantly. "Are there… are here humans here? Like, normal humans?"

Eddie nodded, his expression grim. "Yeah, there are. Humans who've been… well, let's just say they've been brainwashed. They work here in DMR, doing all sorts of jobs. They're essentially slaves."

Adam's eyes widened. "Seriously? I didn't know that."

Eddie sighed. "I don't like it either," he admitted, "but that's all the more reason we need get stronger. "

A moment of silence stretched between them, the sounds of the city a muted backdrop to their unspoken thoughts.

"So," Eddie prompted gently, "what happened? After you got, adopted…"

"What do you mean?" Adam asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"Well," Eddie continued, "you said you weren't exactly treated well by your adoptive family. But, am kind of curious… where you lived, what kind of family they were…"

"It's a pretty long story," Adam began, his voice low. "When I was adopted. The first few days were… okay. They weren’t really talkative, my older brother and younger step-sister were kind of shy. The first couple of months were alright, I was treated okay. But then… things changed. Just when I started to feel like I was fitting in, they started piling on the chores, all the work. It was like they were trying to break me. I ended up getting beat almost every day, for things I didn’t even do. My siblings… they’d prank me, and I’d get the blame. High school wasn’t much better; I got bullied constantly. And that’s where…" He trailed off, the unspoken weight of his experiences hanging heavy in the air.

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"And that's when school really started to feel… unbearable," Adam continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was bullied all the time, and when I got home, there was always more work to do. I never had any time to just… be. To read, to think, to just exist. I constantly thought about quitting school. I even told my stepmother once, but she just shouted at me, slapped me… So I never mentioned it again." He paused, a flicker of bitterness in his eyes. "I… I actually thought you were living a better life, Eddie. I hoped you’d been adopted by parents who were… the opposite of mine. I hoped you had a good life, a better life than I did." The city lights seemed to dim slightly, as if the weight of his words had cast a shadow over the glittering scene.

Eddie chuckled, a low rumble in his chest, but the sound held a surprising depth of understanding. He offered Adam a heartfelt smile, a genuine expression of empathy. "Too bad, huh? Too bad we didn't get the life we always dreamt of," he said, his voice soft. He took a deep breath, letting out a long sigh. "Well," he continued, "you can't always expect good things out of life, can you? Life… life is hard. I think you know what I mean." He paused, searching for the right words. "I didn't get adopted. But…" He stopped, a thoughtful expression crossing his face.

"There was this one worker at the orphanage," Eddie began, his voice low, a faraway look in his eyes. "He was the only one I really talked to, you know? We actually talked about me leaving the orphanage when I turned eighteen. He said it would be tough, that I might be too young to make it on my own, especially considering how… irresponsible he said I was." Eddie chuckled, a short, humorless sound, a hint of regret coloring his voice. "He said he had an uncle who might be willing to take me in, be my guardian. Said it would be better than trying to make it alone."

He paused, running a hand through his hair. "It was kind of like with you, you know? The first couple of months were… okay. He was alright, at first. But then…" His voice dropped, the words heavy with unspoken pain. "Then he started abusing me. The guy who was supposed to be my guardian…" The city lights blurred slightly as if reflecting the turmoil in his memories.

"So, yeah," Eddie continued, his voice low and tight, "things went south pretty fast. The abuse started, and… well, he didn't want me around anymore after that. I was already working construction, even while I was living with him, so I just… left. Didn't tell the orphanage anything. Just packed my bags and got out of there." He ran a hand through his hair, a weary sigh escaping his lips. "Living alone was a struggle, of course. Money was tight, and there were times I really regretted not going back to the orphanage. But… I couldn't bring myself to do it. The thought of going back there… it was worse than anything else." He looked at Adam, a flicker of something unreadable in his eyes. "It's a long story, but that's basically it. That's basically how It was before I ended up where I am now."

"Oh," Adam said softly, "so… how did you end up here?"

Eddie hesitated, then took a deep breath. "I was crossing the street one day, dead tired after work. This woman, red hair, just tossed something at me – a cloth, I think. Instinctively, I caught it. The moment my fingers closed around it, it incinerated. Turned into this black dust… and it went… into me. I started panicking, losing consciousness. The next thing I knew, I was here. In DMR. They… they brainwashed me. Made me believe I'd lived my whole life in DMR, with a mother I never knew.“ Eddie continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "The woman… she was an illusion. There was no one there. Just… nothing." He shook his head, a shudder running through him. "I wonder… I wonder if everyone in DMR has these illusions. Do they all go through the same… curse… as I did?"

"I don't know," Adam admitted, shaking his head. "Kim didn't tell me any of that."

"Same here," Eddie said, a wry smile touching his lips. "Kim doesn't explain much. He only tells you what you ask, which is incredibly annoying. I mean, don't you think we should know everything? Not just what we ask him? He's always in a rush to get somewhere, too."

Adam shrugged. "I haven't known Kim for very long, but… yeah, that does seem to be how he is."

They walked on in silence for a while, the city lights painting their faces in shifting patterns of light and shadow. They reached a splitting path, the point where their separate ways diverged for the night.

"So," Adam said, a thoughtful expression on his face, "is it okay if we meet at Tilda's place again tomorrow to train?"

Eddie nodded, a small smile playing on his lips. "That's the plan." He turned and began to walk away, disappearing into the shadows before Adam could reply.

Adam stood there for a moment, he let out a long, slow sigh. The city lights twinkled around him, a glittering backdrop to his solitary journey as he turned and walked towards his own home.