Xander sighed as he closed his eyes and put his hand on his head. It seemed as though the day was finally over with.

He cashed in the Jade he stole a day ago to his great relief. Now, there was no definite danger to River's wellbeing. And as an extremely great bonus, he had an extra weight in his pockets full of coins. That would be enough for him to get everything he needed for River and himself.

Grant seemed to be okay when Xander checked in on him, but there was a dangerous tension in their conversation. He seemed full of life, but in the worst way possible, like the old man was burning through his life to get revenge.

Maybe... maybe when Xander rook his ring, Grant was prepared to fight. He had said that he wasn't going to die, but it seemed like his entire soul was now burning to finish it all. Maybe the best thing Xander could've done was not take the ring.

Would it have been better if he never knew Grant at all?

When Xander asked Grant about how he felt, he grabbed on to his Jade necklace and held it tight. Grinning from ear-to-ear, he spoke,

"My heart's beating once again. I hope you never find this feeling Xander. No one should feel like this, but it's so addictive, so liberating. It feels like at long last, everything can be finished. Life shouldn't be so definitive, but yet, I want an end to this invisible pain of mine. And this ending, whether I live or die, it's closer than I could've ever hoped for."

"If I could see once more, I don't think I would see the world bathed in a sea of red nor the ocean of recollection. I think, that I would see the world for what it is, and I would be at peace. Even now, the emptiness in my eyes is beating harder than before, more alive then ever.

"I wonder if God is watching over them. If he is, then I hope he's shielding their eyes."

There was something about Grant's attitude toward the future that scared Xander. The person that Xander was could not agree with Grant at all.

If Xander had to judge his own character, he would say that he wasn't too emotional nor too callous in his life. He was simply someone that lived in his own right for his own sake. Altruism was too hard for him and being totally self-serving wasn't for himself.

It was his stance on life that made Grant so hard to understand for Xander. Grant's devotion edged on something worse than death.

There wasn't much Xander could do to stop him, no matter how much he wanted to. It was a far step from the caring person Xander knew for a large portion of his life.

The old man who loved people and the world. Someone which everyone admired in return. To see him so determined was terrifying. And yet, Grant would not show that side of him to anyone else.

Whenever a kid came up to him asking for more stories, his shoulders would relax and he would give a caring smile and told about his exploits. For advice about love or the right thing, Grant would answer.

"And then I slashed with my blade straight across the monster's hide. It teetered and tottered before it fell to the ground with a big THUMP."

"It's okay to fall in love. Love is something that exists because we have hearts. Don't be scared of it, and don't be afraid to confirm it."

"Listen to your heart. Trust in what it believes. Even though logically you might be right, that guilt you're feeling exists. Say sorry if you feel so bad about it."

From Xander's perspective though, Grant's counseling had a dark undertone. There was something upsetting about his reasoning to Xander now. Even if it was good advice from Grant's heart, Xander couldn't see it as anything but terrible.

Was Grant always like this? Was he always fixated on revenge? Did he hide his feelings of vindication and pride behind the mask of the caring man? What did he dream of while he slept. Of the future, or of the past?

Eventually though, Xander left the table.

Oh yeah. River wanted lunch.

***

Xander was at the formal entrance to the Zones. Caravans and carriages surrounded by heavily armed guards traveled in and out of the large ornate gate. Sometimes, some cars were able to come into the city with grand acclaim. The technological difference between the Layers and the Zones were extraordinary.

From the modest wooden houses and concrete apartments on the surface, the gate itself was made of metal, closing in and out automatically with electricity. Scientific progress was exponentially growing in the kingdom.

According to a newspaper Xander glanced into, humanity was once again in the age of oil and was progressing to the Initial Electric Era after a thousand years, but it seemed as though oil and gas was especially scarce because of the people prior to the reset. That was often a common enough complaint by scientists and engineers no matter what age people were in.

The world was already battered enough by humanity's effects, altered by human curiosity and pillaged for precious resources. To ask another coming of humanity, another stage of growth, was far too much for the Earth to handle.

That was why there were wars all across the globe to fight over a weathered Earth. Because of the Great Reversion, all the order everywhere simply deteriorated as people began realizing the power of Jades and chaos erupted. The birth of new aristocratic kingdoms brewed the seeds for conflict to further develop their own nation.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Whatever the case, it couldn't interest Xander in the slightest.

Though the era had changed, technology was spread according to the whims of the kingdom. Only those that the King saw as valuable and prodigious would be granted the privilege to use mass produced technology as they would.

When Xander traveled in and out of the Zones for his 'business', he would see students around radios listening to some broadcasts. Business men inside offices using typewriters, flitting between file cabinets while being cooled by air conditioners.

It was a stark contrast to the underground world. Normal people still used candles as their lights, still used gas powered stoves. Whatever the outside world offered was taken away from them, only offered once they were dirt cheap.

People like him, the immigrants, criminals, and talentless were forced to live in an world behind the times. Always underdeveloped and always lacking, he had no chance to grow or to experiment. He never had a chance to become 'valuable'.

Pushing himself through the crowds of merchants and sellers, he was at the front of the line to get into the Zones. While he could use the side entrance he used earlier, it would be far too dangerous because the Wolf had seen him get away.

He had probably noticed around this time of day. Xander didn't know if he was a vengeful type of person, or if he felt obligated to retrieve the Jade or at least recoup his losses, but it wasn't worth risking his life over.

Florian was right in his warning. Jade users were more dangerous than most individuals. Their fascination of their specialty, to spend a childhood learning and being nurtured, wasn't how a normal life is supposed to live.

"State your business."

Xander looked at the stern guard in front of him. He was dressed in the Versprechen colors, green and black. On his breast was a flag sporting a green circle in the center. With a firm look, he stared at Xander, who was hiding his face with a makeshift cowl.

"Just visiting to buy some lunch for my sister."

"Sure. Wait for a moment."

The guard scanned Xander up and down. Xander felt uncomfortable with his gaze.

"Take off your hood for me."

"I don't see why I-"

The guard scowled and leered at Xander.

"It's protocol."

"I'm just here to buy some food, sir. I don't think what I look like really matters."

"It's for the public's safety. You've heard about the recent infiltrations and terrorist attacks."

A crowd was building up behind him from other pedestrians waiting in line. Their growing animosity and impatience grew even more.

"Hurry it up kid. I gotta be somewhere soon!"

Xander bit his lip and pulled his hand into a fist for a second. Then, relaxed his hand and breathed.

His heart began beating faster, more than he would've wanted to. His hands were drenched in cool sweat and he felt lightheaded.

He tensed and relaxed his hand rapidly and he stuck his hands in his pocket, rubbing the ring still inside. Grimacing, he moved his hands towards his head.

Taking off his cowl, unraveling it, the guard gazed at his figure for a second. The dark-brown wispy hair that seemed like a cloud. The tan skin that made him akin to some of those southern kingdoms. A peculiarly cute nose and sharp cheeks. In all, slightly above average looks with a painfully ordinary height.

But what the guard's eyes lingered on the most, what Xander knew he would look at was his eyes.

Right about now, the guard would stare at his deep red pupils, bright and shining, and yet absorbing. His irises, instead of being completely black emanated a distinct lack of darkness, but instead a greedy, distinct green. An entrancing, elliptical orbit of pure information dwelt beneath the red sea of his eyes.

"...I'm sorry."

The guard expression softened as he turned away. His gaze, his eyes were full of familiar pity and scorn.

"You can go through. I'm sorry for the hold-up."

Xander wanted to say so badly, I don't need that look on your face. I don't even know you! So stop it! But he couldn't. His voice was stuck in his throat.

Turning around, the guard opened up the smaller pedestrian entrance next to the main gate. Xander was about to re-cloak himself, until he heard a shrill voice behind him ring out.

"Who are you to be wasting our time like that! And what's with the damn attitude change?"

A stout man behind Xander grabbed his shoulder. Xander struggled but he tripped on his own feet and fell to the ground.

Damn it, there was mud on his clothes.

He looked up and saw the line of spectators staring at him, analyzing him. His heart beat faster as he scrambled to his feet while pulling his arm in front of his face. The sun seemed so bright all of a sudden. It started hurting his eyes.

A woman started clasping her hands and praying to some unknown God. Children tugged on their mother's clothes, asking her if that's who they thought he was.

Guess what? We do exist, believe it or not. You're looking at one right now!

A dressed-up woman next to the stout man slapped him on the face.

"What do you think you're doing! He's already been through enough in his life."

Turning around, she faced Xander and held out a handkerchief.

"Here you go dear. If you ever need anything, then I can help."

Xander stared at the woman. The pain in his heart felt even worse now, and he began sweating more.

"Thanks," said Xander quietly

Taking the handkerchief, he went through the gate and left. The guard and the woman looked at him solemnly. Looking back, he listened to the commotion in the line.

"Oh what's with the pity-fest all of a sudden!"

The stout man said after looking at the reaction of everyone.

"I don't care if he's some type of circus act or some sob story. Weren't you all getting angry at him just like me?"

The audience stopped speaking.

"He probably deserved what happened to him. Him and the rest of those failures! You're acting like he's a lost puppy in the side of the road. Don't you know, he's trash! What he went through in his life has nothing to with my own, so why should I care?"

"You're a monster! Are we not supposed to help people in need?"

"Was it my fault that he got that Jade in his eye? I'm not the one who jammed it in his body!"

Xander turned away and darted between the groups of friends of Zone 6. Holding his hand against his heart, he breathed carefully and tried to calm himself down.

This, this was reality. This was expected, this was normal.

But if so, then why, why did it have to happen to him?

Moving into a nearby alleyway he slumped against the wall and wiped off the sweat on his body, and stared at the world around him.

It still smelled like rain. The whisper and murmurs of the crowd talked about trivialities. There was a smell of perfume in the air, and a gust of wind brought over the scent of bread and pastries. There was an old woman sitting on a bench, feeding some pigeons that came near. There were only a few, but she had a smile on her face. People should really smile more.

The buildings around him were made of brick and were painted white. Families frequented around toy stores, and plenty of plants were around. He remembered how he saw those exact same plants at Florian's, germaniums he thought.

He thought he was good enough to continue, so he went toward the smell of pastries and bread just down the side road.

His feet really hurt. Looking down, he remembered he didn't have any shoes. Bruised and bleeding, they looked simply awful.