Oliver clenched the phone in his hand as he thought about everything he had done. If life was a roulette, then Oliver had bet it all on black and lost. He had no grand looks and was practically shunned by the others around him. He had a nonexistent family background, abandoned by his parents and outcast inside the orphanage. His body was sheepishly weak, and his luck with anything was nonexistent. Yet, even with such disadvantages, he didn't give up, not even for a moment.

Whether his eyes were bloodshot or his mind was on the brink of exhaustion, he would turn just one more page in his textbook. Whether his body was bruised or exhausted, he would review the class material one more time. Hell, even when he was being buried by the funds needed to study further, he had no problems throwing away his pride or dignity to get his hands on a new textbook. Yet, all that effort. All that dedication and passion, was all of that for nothing? Bullshit! Oliver refused to admit everything he had done was for nothing. He couldn't, no, he couldn't admit he had wasted all that time.

Oliver broke down on his couch. His eyes let out streams of tears, and his nose discharged snot. He curled up on his couch, not having the strength or motivation to move towards his bedroom.

In the middle of the day, Oliver's body on the couch slightly twitched, and his eyes fluttered open. His eyes were puffy and red; however, the most concerning were his dead eyes that looked around his room. Although he was awake, he didn't have enough motivation to move from the couch and continued to lay there. Minutes continued to pass until hours passed, and he ventured off to sleep once again. He lay in the same position, not moving and only twitching ever so slightly for a total of three days. His mundane life would have continued for even longer; however, he was forced to move his body as his phone rang. He slowly reached towards the phone and answered with a monotone voice, so different it took the person on the other side by surprise.

"Hello."

"Hel—- uhm, this is Oliver, correct?"

"Mhm."

"I-I see, well, I just wanted to call to inform you that the products you ordered at our store, Fenrir, have arrived."

"Thank you."

"No—-" The man was abruptly cut off as Oliver hung up the phone. Just when he was about to lay back down, his phone rang again.

"Hello."

"Good afternoon, Oliver. Recently we've noticed an increase in activity around the Fissure. As such, we need you to clear it as soon as possible. If that is not possible, we will need to reallocate the Fissure to someone else. Moreover, you will be fined for failing to clear it out."

"I understand. I'll get on it." Oliver hung up right afterward and stayed laying down for a few more minutes. He really wished he could stay laying down forever; however, he knew that couldn't be possible. He sighed and slowly got up from the couch, only to be speechless at his body cracking and creaking.

"Ugh. What the hell?" Oliver groaned as his body was stiff and hurt with every movement. His lips were dry, and his throat was parched. His stomach growled in protest at him staying on the couch for three days. Yet, even with all that, he somehow made his way into Amano City and into the Fenrir store. Once there, he was greeted by someone and was quickly escorted toward where his goods had been stored. Although, he was confused about the strange and displeased stares he was receiving from everyone.

"Here you go, sir. This is everything."

"Thank you."

"Of course, sir." The man bowed slightly and quickly left the room. Oliver ignored the man and put on the Blood Glasses that were a light crimson and the Silver Moon Watch that was a beautiful silver. Once they were equipped, he could notice the difference almost immediately. The first change he noticed was the large amount of information displayed in front of him, although everything was filled with question marks. He concluded he first needed information to be recorded, but he was happy with the purchase. The other was a large 20-cubic meter space that he could mentally control and store items inside. Although he noticed the item needed to have physical contact with his watch as he placed the rest of his items inside. He left Amano City as quickly as he arrived. His destination? A Fissure located in a local park that was owned by the Blue Sky Orphanage, the place of his origin. Of course, he took in the many stares and disgusted looks from around him, although he had no idea why. Eventually, he arrived in the park, and he found someone he didn't expect.

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It was the woman who he considered his first and last love, his childhood friend, and his only friend, Sarah.

She took a few glances at Oliver, and a small red hue covered her face. She slowly made her way toward him and gently stretched out her hand, about to introduce herself. Her golden hair that reached her waist swayed slightly, and her emerald eyes stared at him with interest.

"Hello! Who might you be? Huh? What's that smell?"

Oliver, not being an idiot, quickly connected the dots with her surprised murmur and the recent stares he had been receiving. It was also this moment when he remembered he hadn't showered in a few days. While the smell wouldn't be atrocious, it was still displeasing. Oliver quickly came up with an excuse and responded,

"Aha, it's just from work. Although, what do you mean, Sarah? We've known each other since we were kids."

"Huh? I don't believe I would forget someone like you."

"I see, it's me, Oliver. Some things had happened, and the hair dye and contact lenses I usually used broke."

"Huh?" Sarah let out a confused sigh and quickly went into overdrive asking questions.

"How can that be!? I know for sure you weren't that beautiful! No, I also know your hair color and eyes were black! What really happened!? Did you get plastic surgery!?"

"Uhm, no, I did not. Also, my hair has always been dyed. Moreover, my eyes were the result of colored contacts; as they broke, I'm wearing glasses now. While my face, I must have had a glow-up."

She stared at Oliver, not believing the bullshit he was saying. However, as his eyes stayed stable, she eventually caved in. She sighed and quickly responded,

"I see, I guess that might make sense. Although, how come I never knew or even noticed?"

Although Oliver knew this wasn't the best thing to do, he decided this would be the best way to calm her questions about his new appearance.

"You must have been busy or more focused on other things. It happens, although, I do need to get going to something, so I'll see you later!"

Sarah wanted to say something. However, she decided against it when she saw him in such a rush. She averted her eyes from him, slightly guilty about not even noticing her best friend's contacts, hair dye, or even exceptional facial features. She sighed and left the park, not feeling in the mood to be playing anymore.

Oliver, on the other hand, was standing in front of a large tear in space and reality. He looked at the tear with amazement, although such emotion quickly faded once the adrenaline from meeting Sarah had calmed down. He was once again back to his monotone self, with no real care about anything. He stepped into the tear and was immediately pushed into an interesting situation.

XIV