They finally arrive at their destination, The Holladay Shopping Center. It's the biggest shopping center he has seen so far. It's huge in size, with just over seven hundred stores inside. It's so big that multiple stores repeat in order to capture more customers who aren't keen on traveling a mile around the building. Across its enormous complex, people fill up the stores and walkways.

In the mall, Brooklyn moves efficiently. Though surrounded and moving through and around crowds of people, she keeps the pace. Ace and James try to keep up with Brooklyn as she keeps it moving at a constant. Some people would turn their heads and look at James, astounded by his size. However, he doesn't receive enough attraction that would make any of them follow him, much less either Brooklyn or Ace.

They make it to the grocery store, where there is nothing but pure madness in numbers. People with their big grocery carts move from every which direction imaginable. Every aisle and pathway has at least ten to twenty people in them. Every shopper passively aggressively move around each other, rushing to grab products off the shelves. Lines at the checkout meters extend past twenty-five customers on average. Though as busy as it seems from Ace's perspective, this is an average day at the grocery store in the eyes of every buyer and seller.

Thus, Brooklyn does not hesitate or even acknowledge the current state of the store; she goes into the storm of traffic without hesitation. As she shopped, she was overly efficient and focused while moving from shelf to shelf and traversing the almost fire-hazard crowded conditions. It only takes her less than a second to analyze a product and grab it. Though she had written out a grocery list earlier, it seems all but useless as she had already memorized every bit of it, even to its minute details. She didn't even have to look twice at James' list of dog products and food. Still, Ace and James were barely able to keep up. Not only did they have to go around people and their big grocery carts, but Brooklyn kept on taking unannounced left and right turns, disappearing before them multiple times over. She knew where to go already, being familiar with the store. The only reason they don't lose her completely is that James is able to smell her out and track her down. Though it takes a bit longer than it should for him only due to how many smells are present thanks to the crowded and edible environment.

The shopping part was surprisingly fast, but waiting in line at the checkout would take longer. Despite there being about fifty checkout meters, all active, each one has a line that extends into the store's aisles. And it being a supermarket grocery store, the number of items that have to be counted, weighed, and scanned is in the dozens. Waiting in line, scooting ahead every five minutes or so, Ace strikes up a conversation with Brooklyn.

Denarrow- "Is it always like this?"

Brooklyn- "What do you mean?"

Denarrow- "It's so busy and crowded."

Brooklyn- "Really, today's better than most days. Is it better in Alazka?"

Denarrow- "Yeah." 'I think the number of people in this line outnumbers the total people who went to my local grocery store.'

Brooklyn- "Good thing we came early today, we got to the line faster than I thought."

Denarrow- "What are you doing after this then?"

Brooklyn- "Probably going to do some more studying."

Denarrow- "What do you study? I think they call it a major."

Brooklyn- "I guess I never told you. I study medicine and law."

Denarrow- "Like a medical lawyer?"

Brooklyn- "No separate."

Denarrow- "A medical and a lawyer?"

She smiles and almost laughs out loud at Ace's genuine question.

Brooklyn- "No, I'm studying medicine and law, a doctor and lawyer. I'm still in undergrad but next year I'll be hopefully studying in both law and medicine."

Denarrow- "I never heard of anyone doing that. I didn't know anyone could do that. Aren't those like the two hardest professions?”

Brooklyn- "Somewhat, I also minor in architecture and biochemistry."

A face of concern appears on his face.

Denarrow- "Can you actually do that all at once."

Brooklyn- "Are you familiar with college time?"

Ace shakes his head no.

Denarrow- "I didn't even make it past middle school."

Brooklyn- "College time is like uhh… credits."

Denarrow- 'Still don't know what that you're talking about.'

Brooklyn- 'I take forty-four college time, or credits, a quart. A quart is one of the four terms in the school year…."

She wanted to keep on going, but it was visibly clear Ace had no clue what she was talking about.

Brooklyn- "Just know yes, I can do them all at the same time."

Denarrow- "While running the Hostel too?"

Brooklyn nods with confidence. She then turns away as they finally arrive at the checkout meter. While she's at the meter, Ace thinks to himself.

Denarrow- 'All at nineteen years old, she's doing a lot more than what I did when I was nineteen. I think I already confirmed this but I didn't know the gap was so big. So what am I doing with my life? I don't have a limit to it but I'm so behind. Is it because of purpose?'

After she was done, she began placing all the groceries in James' backpack like it was her car's trunk. Seeing that James was able to walk with such weight on his back without discomfort or hindrance, they went on the move again. Walking through the mall, they arrive at the food court. After getting their custom sandwiches at a restaurant, they eat on a high table standing up, placed against a glass wall overlooking the mall's main atrium, which goes seven floors deep underground. At the bottom lies an ice skating rink. While the two eat, James sits behind them, sleeping.

Brooklyn- "This is pretty good."

Denarrow- "It's alright, I can taste the plastic in the lettuce."

Brooklyn- "You should've gone with spinach."

Denarrow- "Hmm, I should've. Oh yeah… Umm…"

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

He pauses, trying to figure out what and how he wants to say next.

Denarrow- "What's your purpose?"

Brooklyn- "My purpose?"

Denarrow- "Yeah, what is the point or purpose of your life."

Brooklyn- "I think science would say my purpose is to have youngs."

Denarrow- "Huh?"

Brooklyn- "Youngs, kids, children."

Denarrow- "Oh, well I mean your purpose. Like the reason or purpose of your life that you chose. A goal, what's your end goal?"

Brooklyn- "I don't have an end goal. Why you ask?"

Denarrow- "You seem to do a lot, it seems like you have a purpose in life."

Brooklyn- "Hmm… Now I think of it, I do but I never really thought about it. I would say… My purpose…? I want to be the greatest human to ever live."

Ace can't believe what he heard. He doesn't think it's silly or stupid; it was just an answer so different that it caught him off guard completely. His thick eyebrows shift downwards and then move up, clearly presenting his confusion.

Denarrow- "That's interesting, I don't really know what that means."

Brooklyn- "It's not exactly a purpose or an end goal but instead the way I want to live life. I wish to excel at everything I put my focus on, most likely being great at many things all at once. Being the person that most people couldn't dream of being. Though clearly, like I told you earlier, I have a fragile frame and I'm not able to be physically the best. But I don't care. I don't think being 'the greatest' is an award of merit or validity. Because what does it mean to be human and to be the greatest one?”

She pauses letting Ace, who’s unprepared, to answer.

Denarrow- “I don’t know. I don’t know what to count for.”

Brooklyn- “See, no clear answer. Much more, what does it mean to be the greatest of a concept that has no answer? Still, there is no clear answer. Well at least an answer I might haven't found yet."

Her voice loses its youth, turning monotone, her eyes stay open and ominous, and she discontinues eating.

Brooklyn- "I'm just striving through life toward a goal with no destination, no end. That's the definition of my goal. Possibly death is my purpose, to die and have my legacy entail that I'm greatest, and hopefully I qualify before it happens."

Ace looks at her, not knowing how to feel. He's never experienced such a depressing and deep conversation before.

Denarrow- "I mean, if you can be the greatest version of yourself, will that work?"

Brooklyn- "I don't want to be the greatest version of Brooklyn Royce. I want to be beyond myself, the greatest human is beyond me. Not knowing what it means to be beyond myself, I simply aim in an unclear direction hoping I hit the mark. At this point in life, I can't go back now and only hope I'm going somewhere."

Ace looks away from her and out in front of him, not looking at anything in particular. Brooklyn goes back to eating her sandwich, to her delight.

Denarrow- 'To be the greatest human to ever live… A goal to live for, but it's only accomplished when you die. What do I do now? Is immortality worth it then?'

[06:52]

Nami- 'I didn't think I would have to be here again. Convenient that she lives in the same building.'

She looks around, seeing an old man semi-awake watching television at a kitchen bar and a family of twelve, two of them the parents, the other ten are all children under the age of legal adulthood. Seven of the children are getting ready for school, and three toddlers are running around happily and freely half-naked. Then she sights a man who looks homeless with tattered rags for clothes. He holds a bottle of moonshine, taking a sip every second. His hair is messy, and there are dark circles around his eyes. He currently wanders in the corner of the building. Though it seems suspect and dangerous, everybody who lives in the building either ignores or says hello to him.

Nami- 'And I thought Yorke was different.'

Suddenly, a short woman with blonde hair comes out from the elevator. She approaches Nami with a slight smile on her face.

Breya- "Are you Nami Vince?"

Her Rosiyan accent is strong to where Nami could barely understand at first hearing.

Nami- "Uhh… Yes I am. Breya Stone?"

Breya- "Yes, I am, do you want to talk here or in my apartment."

Nami looks back at the weird and dynamic social environment.

Nami- "Does he live here?"

She points her eyes at the homeless-looking man in the corner who's currently chugging the moonshine bottle with no care in the world.

Breya- "Oh that's Wallace. It takes a while for him to get into a… Uh… Groove, you would call it."

Nami- "Word. I would like to talk in the apartment, if that's coo wit ya."

Breya- "Ahh yes, this way please."

[09:33]

Ace and Brooklyn walk down the busy sidewalk side to side, talking without pause.

Brooklyn- "I lived in the Hostel for most of my life."

Denarrow- "Why did you change it from a hotel again?"

Brooklyn- "Hostel. Until three years ago when my mentor died, I had to go to school and convert the building into an apartment building because the Hostel was not a profitable business. Because my mentor had a pretty big pension thanks to his service to the community. His pension was bringing more than what we were losing. He stubbornly liked the Hostel business for some reason and was able to afford it. And when he died, his pension disappeared so I used his death money to remodel."

Denarrow- "Wait, wait, wait, three years ago, you were like twelve."

Brooklyn- "I was sixteen."

Denarrow- "I was going to say that's kind of a lot for a teenager, but you're doing somewhat the same thing now."

Brooklyn- "It was a sad time, but I got through it."

Denarrow- "You were homeschooled, so how did that play out after your mentor's death."

Brooklyn- "He taught me from when I was a toddler till his death. He taught me enough for me to be self-sufficient and responsible for myself and the Hostel. I continued my studies and tested out of upper school the same year and started college then, that's when I met Olivia."

Denarrow- "Better than me, I dropped out of school when I was thirteen."

Brooklyn- "Did they really let you drop out?"

Denarrow- "They just left you to run a Hotel.”

Brooklyn- "Hostel and fair enough. So why did you drop out?"

Denarrow- "I'm just dumb."

She flinches in his defense.

Brooklyn- "You're not dumb."

Denarrow- "I'm not as dumb as I was before. I was late to everything, late to class, late to reading and writing. Math too."

Brooklyn- "You were only late to those classes?"

Denarrow- "Well that too, but I mean late as in I was just slow. I didn't know how to properly read or write until I was twelve. Math was one of the reasons why I dropped out. I really dropped out because they were going to hold me back another year. I don't know, my brain is just not good with that type of stuff."

Brooklyn- "What happened to you then?"

Denarrow- "I umm… To put it lightly, my teenage years were interesting and there's only so many people in the state. It was an interesting time to say the least. But in my twenties, I hit a stage of depression. I returned to fighting, something I sort of enjoyed before."

Brooklyn- "You returned?"

Denarrow- "I was raised by my master, she was a real bitch. She tried to teach me how to fight and other stuff early but I wasn't good at it then. So I gave it a try again when I was twenty. Was not very good at first but I kept consistency. I got better, practicing for almost two decades straight. Had to do something and luckily it paid off."

Brooklyn- "So you are good, right? At fighting I mean."

Denarrow- "Oh yeah, I'll kick anyone's ass. But I'm kind of like a one trick pony though."

Brooklyn- "Though you kind of old, it's never too late to be good at something else. You worked hard to be a good fighter, so if you put the same effort and intensity into another subject then you'll be fine. I wasn't naturally good at everything I touched, but I worked hard and repetition abled me to do different things, especially all at once. So if you wanted to get better at something other than fighting, I believe you can do it."

Ace stops all intentions to move further, and Brooklyn stops her movements as well. In the middle of the sidewalk, in the middle of the crowds of people, they stand looking at each other. For Denarrow Ace, the sound of the surrounding environment dissipates, his senses honed in only on the woman before him. A tear attempts to escape from his eye, but it is illegally held back using his own willpower. He then speaks with a smile, a rare smile indeed.

Denarrow- "Thank you."

Brooklyn- "For what?"

Denarrow- "Nothing, nevermind. Anyways, we should get back to the car soon."

Brooklyn- "Right, we have frozen food, and I hope Mister James is comfortable lying in the backseat. He could barely fit."