Julian's footsteps echoed against the pristine pavement as he rushed down the brightly lit sidewalk, his heart racing. The artificial light, a mockery of the pleasant warmth from Thalesium’s sun, bounced off the steal buildings. He shaded his eyes, looking in the direction of the lower city where he knew his mother waited.

As he quickened his pace, Julian couldn't shake the image of his mother's tired eyes, haunted with concern. For Julian, their decrepit home was a fragile sanctuary, one they had scraped together when everything in their lives was falling apart.

His father's death had left a void that seemed impossible to fill, and Julian couldn't bear the thought of his mother scouring the streets looking for him. She could hardly leave her bed for the first few months they’d spent in the lower city. Only in the past few months had she finally begun rebuilding her life, piece by fragile piece, and he refused to be the reason she fell to pieces this time. The mere thought of her entering the upper city, filled with reminders of their loss and heartache, sent a shiver of worry down his spine.

For years his mother had been burdened by her grief, but Julian found solace when that grief morphed into rage. Rage gave him strength, gave him purpose.

He had to keep them safe.

He wasn’t about to jeopordize those efforts now.

Amidst the bustling crowd pouring out of the bus stop, Julian spotted a familiar blond head and cursed inwardly. He swiftly pivoted on his heel, intending to avoid the woman, but it was too late. His friend waved enthusiastically, her heels clicking against the pavement as she jogged over.

"Hey Julian, how have you been?" she greeted, enveloping him in one armed hug. The vibrant red purse clutched in her other hand bumped into his side uncomfortably.

Julian couldn't help but eye the purse with a sigh of disbelief, the sight of it once again reminding him the difference between the upper city and his current home. Such a display of wealth in the lower city would have been a virtual beacon for thieves; the purse would have vanished within minutes.

Heather seemed oblivious to how good her life was, her confidence bordering on naiveté. It had been a point of contention between them on numerous occasions since his move. She believed that no one would dare steal from her no matter where she travelled, unable to fathom the harsh reality of life in the lower city.

But Julian knew better, though he could not fault her for her ignorance. While she still viewed life through a colored lens, for him, the illusion shattered the day his father was imprisoned.

Life wasn’t so simple, and humanity was not inherently kind, as the upper city would have you believe. He understood the struggles of those living in poverty, their desperate fight for survival overshadowing any semblance of moral conduct.

“Good, I guess. I tried out Thalesium.”

Julian forced a strained smile and hoped she wouldn’t notice.

Her bag slammed into his side, the wight alomst topping him over when she spun around and hopped in front of him. A slim finger appeared inches from his face.

“See? I told you it’d be fun. Where are you at? Maybe we could meet up in game!” Heather cried joyfully.

“I’m helping out some farmer named Will near the Golden Meadows. Just killing some rats.”

“You’re only that far? Seriously? That’s like the first main quest. When did you start playing?”

“Two days ago. Actually, I just got back a few minutes ago.”

He paused, the unspoken plea stuck in his throat. As much as he needed to get home, he didn’t want to offend Heather, either. She stayed in touch through everything that happpened with his father and had been one of the few reasons he hadn’t self destructed. Their friendship was not something he cared to lose.

Thankfully, she seemed to understand, squeezing his shoulder in a show of support.

“I’d better not hold you up, then. Go, we can chat later. I want to hear all about your adventures in Thalesium, you hear me?!”

“Yeah, next time.” Julian smiled weakly, waving halfheartedly as the human tornado continued her path of destruction.

The journey to the lower city passed in a blur, and soon Julian found himself ascending creaky steps leading to the small one-bedroom apartment he and his mother called home. As anticipated, his mother rushed over the moment he stepped inside, and a pang of regret pierced his heart as he realized she likely hadn't slept a wink during his absence.

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Deep, bruised bags hung beneath her tired eyes, her once neatly styled hair now disheveled and unkempt. Even her slippers were on the wrong feet. With trembling hands, she reached out, her thin, bony fingers skimming over his body in search of injuries before finally coming to rest on his face. Cupping his cheeks gently, her teary eyes bore into his own, silently conveying the depth of her concern.

He placed his hands over her own.

“It’s alright Ma, I’m fine.”

“You promised me.” The words caught in her throat and she cough lightly before trying again, her voice still choked with emotion.

“You promised me you would check in.”

“Sorry Ma. I didn’t realize Thalesium shared time with the real world. I just got back.”

Her eyes darkened.

One hand reached for his shoulder, as if she were unwilling to let him out of her sight, and his mother dragged him to the table and pushed him to a chair. She slapped a pamphlet onto the table.

“I found this in the trash.” She sighed wearliy, slumping into the chair across from him. “If you’d read the rules like you said you had, you might know that. I spent the last two days worrying you’d lose yourself in the game and shrivel up like a dried out sponge. What if you’d spent a week in there? A month?”

His mother drew a sharp breath, and pressed a hand to her forehead.

“At least let me know if you plan to be gone long.”

Julian nodded.

“Why don’t I cook dinner.” He shot his mother a pointed glance. “I’m guessing you haven’t eaten yet.”

Julian gently peeled his mother's hands away from his face, offering her a reassuring smile before slipping over to the cramped kitchen. The dim light bulb sputtered, flickering as he rummaged through the meager supplies in the pantry. He grabbed a box of thin noodles and dried broccoli before moving to the refrigerator, his brow furrowing in thought. Other than the door full of bottled water, the fridge was virtually empty. A handful of carrots, starting to go limp, lay strewn about in the bottom drawer.

It wasn’t much to work with, but they’d survived on worse. Julian boiled the noodles and deftly shredded the dwindling stash of carrots. Their meager budget didn't allow for luxuries like fresh fruit or red meat; instead, they made do with whatever they could afford.

As the kitchen filled with the comforting aroma of simmering broth and sautéing vegetables, Julian found his thoughts consumed by regret. He’d been so focused on securing money in Thalesium for his revenge plans, he hadn’t considered improving their living conditions here. The realization turned his stomach, and suddenly, the fragrant scent of their dinner no longer smelled appealing.

“What’s wrong dear?”

His mother came up behind him, resting a gentle hand on his shoulder.

“It’s nothing. Let’s eat.”

They ate in silence, and after the dishes were wiped down with a damp cloth, Julian retreated to his room. As he stared at the ceiling, a new plan began to form.

“Hey, Ma,” he murmured, knowing his voice would reach her without needing to speak up. Her bed stood on the opposite side of the room.

“You’re returning tomorrow aren’t you?”

“Yes.” Julian paused, breath hitching in his throat. “I might be gone for a few a while this time.”

The need for revenge burned him from within, but returning home reminded him of a more pressing need. He needed to improve his mother’s living situation. They shouldn’t have to scrape to get by any longer.

He frowned.

The idea grated on his nerves, but it was his best option. He didn’t want his mother going anywhere near the upper city, but making the long trek to the lower city every time he returned would only make that take even longer. Taking up residence near Enigma Realm Studios was practical.

He had to keep telling himself that.

“Promise me you’ll be careful.”

“I will.”

Saving up enough money for an apartment in the upper city would take time, time he could use to come to terms with his decision, and say goodbye.

In the meantime, he could find a way to sustain his body in real life, and turn all of his focus to progressing in Thalesium.

The next morning, Julian met with Heather as promised, and began to recount his first adventure in Thalesium while they ate breakfast outside the VLink rooms.

Heather slammed her drink down, the faint blue liquid sloshing over the rim of her cup.

“You got dropped in the middle of a forest and even outran a Luminous Hare?”

Seeing Julian’s exhausted expression Heather broke into a grin of amazement.

“Your luck must be insane! Seriously. A silver wolf outside Keidale is unheard of!”

Julian thanked the gods of gaming that he’d lucked out with Ginger’s help. Just thinking about the dangerous monsters he might have encountered was enough to turn his stomach.

“You must be, what, level five at most huh?” Heather asked, one finger drawing patterns on the table.

“Level two.”

“Thought as much if you haven’t reach Securia yet.”

She glanced up at him, a surprisingly serious look on her face.

“Listen. Shoot me a message when you reach Puelinoc and I’ll meet up with you. You’re no where near strong enough, but once you get to level twenty-five, I’ll bring you along to take on the Imperial near there. It’s pretty strong, but you should be leveled enough by then to survive its attacks.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” Julian tossed his garbage in the compositing can before tapping on his watch to bring up his friend list. Apparently, a lot of main menu options worked inside and out of the game.

He could review his stats, add friends, and communicate with a guild mate—at least, once he registered with one. Other than quest tracking, the watch worked no differently than in Thalesium.

“What’s your ID? I'll add you.”

“Gh031. I go by Ghost in the game.”

“You’re joking. Seriously?”

His friend gasped in mock surprise.

“What? Don’t judge me. That’s been my gamer tag since I was 12.” She grinned. “Let me guess, you haven’t changed either.”

His silence answered for him, and they both chuckled.

Julian left Heather, promising to be in contact and heading to his own VLink chamber.

Walking through the veil of water was as disconcerting as the first time, and he walked to the VLink terminal. He stepped onto the gel pad gingerly, closed his eyes, and tried not to wriggle. When the system disconnected him from his current body and transported him to his virtual avatar in Thalesium, Julian focused on counting his breaths.

Perhaps it would help the transition go more smoothly.