George started to look around, the building looked exactly the same as his parent’s house. He wouldn't have noticed the move if it wasn't for the missing pictures and there being three capsules instead of four. 

George didn’t waste any time and started on his new workout schedule. He already had problems finishing the standard one and didn't know if he could finish the new one that was almost twice as long. His master's letter said that it would only take around two hours to finish but it took George more than two hours and thirty minutes to finish. He tried to keep going but had to stop a few times because of the extreme burn.

After finishing his new workout, he went to take a shower knowing that he wouldn’t be able to get up if he sat down. George always liked to shower, he would sit in hot water thinking about the day for hours if he could.

After the shower, he dried himself and put on fresh clothes. He didn’t know which room was his so he didn’t enter any room and waited for the others to arrive. He was really hungry, but the machine would not give any food before the designated time so he had to wait. Everything outside of Nash was completely controlled by the government from when you sleep to when you eat.

Before long the other two capsules also opened and a young boy and girl stepped out. They were both short and had a common look to them. They both had a simple look on their face and seemed to know each other pretty well.

The young boy walked toward George with a smile on his face and put his hand out. “Hallo my name is Omar and this is my little sister Clara. You must our new roommate, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

George shook his hand but didn’t trust him. He had seen many people who would smile in your face but put a knife in your back.

“My name is George, glad to meet you.”

He started to observe Omar and Clara while they were doing their evening workout. Omar was the calm but responsible type. He looked like the type that would do anything for his sister. Clara, on the other hand, was shy but the energetic type. From the moment they exited the capsule, she would talk to Omar but she had still to say a word to George.

After they finished their workout they started to order food. Omar got two one credit portions and started to eat together with his sister. It didn’t surprise George that the government would put them together. It was like them saying, be poor together.

George went to order the standard one credit meal. Solomon had ordered him to eat the whole thing. The one credit meal had all the nutritious and calories that a person needs a day. A person would stay healthy if they ate the one credit meal and didn’t skip breakfast and got the vitamins they needed.

The standard one credit meal would differ every day but always existed out of rice, vegetables and a different kind of soup. People could also order other foods like meat but had to pay more money for it.

George started to eat his daily meal but had a hard time finishing it. When he lived with his parents he would live on one meal every two days. This way his parents could save money for Vincent’s to go to private lessons.

George finished around eighty percent of his meal and felt like he was about to throw up. He looked at the two sitting in front of him.

George didn’t want to sound rude and asked in a low voice. “I can’t finish my meal do you want it?”

Clara gave a mean look and pushed the tray back towards George. “We don’t need your rests!”

Omar gave Clara a quick look and put his hand on her shoulder. “Calm down, I’m sure he didn’t mean anything by it. Besides we are in no position to turn down food.”

He took the tray and finished the food quickly. Omar’s actions made George respect him and be a little more open to his new roommates.

Most of the time George would go lie on his bed after dinner and think about the things he had read, but today he was listening to the story Omar was telling him.

Omar and his sister had lost their parents when they were children. They have lived their whole life in foster homes until nine months ago when Omar turned sixteen and took the responsibilities of raising his sister on himself.

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Omar couldn’t talk about Nash but George knew the situation. Newcomers had to work three days for expenses and could use the other two to strengthen themselves. But Omar had another mouth to feed and didn’t have the money to go on lessons or hunts. Luckily for them, Clara would turn sixteen after three months and they could start to grow stronger and hopefully make a living together.

George didn’t talk much but that didn’t matter to Omar. He was happy there was someone who he could talk to about his burdens. No big brother would unload his feelings to his little sister so he was happy there was another person to talk to.

The evening clock was about to set and Omar showed George to his room. George didn’t feel good because of the amount of food he had to eat. But Solomon had told him that whatever happened he should withhold himself from throwing up.

Luckily for him, the chip in his head started to work and before he knew it he was fast asleep.

The next morning, he woke up and felt his whole body burning. The workout from yesterday was too severe and it was hard to walk. But to George, this was the best kind of pain you could experience. Until now the pain he felt was because of Vincent, but now the pain was him improving himself.

After changing his clothes, he started to do the morning exercises. He didn’t think that he could keep up, but after a little while it got easier and he finished it. The morning workout was a lot easier than the evening workout, but it still took him a half hour longer to finish.

After the workout and taking a shower, George went to the kitchen for his breakfast. He didn’t want to eat but it was necessary. His body wasn’t used to big meals and his stomach started to hurt again. He orders his standard one credit breakfast made from toast, butter and honey and one pill for the vitamins.

Clara made a frown when she saw him coming and started to ignore him like yesterday. Omar and George had talked for a long time and she felt she felt like she had to share her brother with a stranger.

George noticed Omar sharing one breakfast with Clara and felt a little bad eating a whole breakfast on his own. He started to think about Vincent and how he ate like there was no care in the world while his own brother was starving.

‘Having no compassion is a skill on it’s on I guess.’

But he had to think about himself and finished his breakfast. After eating he started to get ready for the next session day. He said his goodbyes to Omar and Clara and entered Nash.

After a while, a new session day started and he was standing on the last spot he had been before he was thrown out of Nash last time. With haste, he left the library and checked his clock for the time. It was already seven thirty and he would be late for his first work day if he went back to the academy to look for Solomon.

When he entered the winery he saw Liz and Levy standing there talking. Liz had a sad look and George knew that Levy had told her about his situation.

Levy had a smile on his face and started to give George instructions on what he needed to do today. He repeated a lot of the same things Liz had told him and asked him if he had studied the manual. After George gave a small nod he started to work. His assignment for today is to make five batches of the standard red wine.

Having memorized the recipe, he started to work. George had a good mind for detail and did exactly as the manual told him. The work was not too hard and even Liz could do it, but to George, it was tiring work. He still felt the pain from yesterday’s exercises and had to empty and fill big tanks.

Even thought it was hard work, George still liked it. He could keep himself busy and didn’t have to think about anything else. George didn’t like to think because of the negative thought flying around in his head. If it was not Vincent torturing him fiscally it would be his thought torturing him mentally.

After a hard day of work, they had to wait for the wine to finish fermenting. Liz and Levy sat down to eat and offered some to George. Levy told him that he provided meals to employees but George knew he only said that to make it easier for George to take the bread.

Seeing Liz and Levy talk and smile made George think that there was also a chance for him to be happy. He wondered if this alone would be enough for him to be happy like they were and if he could live in this town for the rest of his life in peace and with no worries.

“It’s almost time for the annual newcomer competition. I heard that the Trust clan had a couple of talented newcomers they are going to display. But you can never underestimate the Hoopers. Even the Gully’s can’t be excluded even though they have not won a competition in the last couple of years.”

Liz gave a little smile and looked down “The three clans have their own teachers and don’t need to send their newcomers to the academy. So it’s logical that we are going to be last like every year. But I will do my best to honor the teacher and last as long as possible.”

Levy wanted to change the conversation knowing he had messed up and saddened Liz. “Don’t worry child, with your talent you can enter any clan you want. You only need to be patient and train hard.”

After saying that Levy stood up and asked Liz to help him with the wine. George also went back to work and finished the first batch of wine he had ever made. He put it in barrels and waiting for Levy to come test it. He tried to look calm but he was really nervous inside.

After finishing his work Livy came to test the wine. He didn’t have high expectations and wanted to praise George hoping it wouldn’t make him lose hoop.

Levy almost choked on the first cup of wine and surprise could be seen in his eyes. He drank a little water to clean his pellet and tried the other four cups. Every cup he drank the anger in his eyes became more visible.

After drinking from the last cup he threw the rest of the wine in Georges' face and after that also threw the cups at him.

George not understanding the situation stood there not making a sound.

“You scum! You dare try to deceive me.”