The city of Radford measured about 20 kilometers from south to north and just over 15 kilometers from east to west. The entire city was surrounded by hundreds of security checkpoints, where government agents controlled everyone entering or leaving the city.
Entering through a place that was not a checkpoint was simply impossible, since all around the edge of the city there were cameras that recorded any suspicious movement.
All this security was mainly due to times when many people entered the city in order to commit crimes such as robberies, murders and so on.
The only part of the city that was not controlled was the outskirts, which were in the southern part of Radford.
Still, with the increased security, the crime rate was especially low, so Radford was a fairly quiet and peaceful city to live in.
That was all slowly changing, though. The quiet streets were now filled with people sightseeing, guards watching the alleys and people doing all sorts of things.
The appearance of the castle had shaken the world, and in an internet-connected world the news spread like wildfire, causing thousands of people to flock to the city at the same time.
This increase in people meant an increase in commerce and many more sectors, but also increased insecurity, so the government was working much harder than before trying to maintaining the city's tranquility
And no matter how many people were already in the city, thousands were arriving every day.
At a checkpoint in the east of the city, a bus stopped in front of a tollbooth full of guards, so several of them approached the bus.
Seeing the guards approaching, the bus driver did not hesitate and opened the door, then the guard at the head of the group boarded the bus.
With his dark blue suit, his government insignia and above all the rifle on his back, he conveyed a sense of superiority, which helped the guards to deter people more easily.
Standing in the aisle in front of all the passengers, the guard observed them and began to announce.
"Please everyone get off the bus in an organized manner with your passport and identification in hand"
The guard gave the passengers a couple more directions and then stepped off the bus. A few seconds later, passengers began to disembark one by one going to pick up their bags that were in the hold of the bus before heading to the control building.
A few minutes later, a line of almost forty people was formed in front of the building and one by one they went through the checkpoint.
Among all the passengers, there was a black-haired passenger with a quiet and calm expression. The young man yawned lazily waiting for his turn to come.
On his back was a cello case while he carried a medium-sized wheeled suitcase by his side. A few minutes later, the guard in charge of organizing the line put him through a metal detector separately from his cello case and suitcase.
The whole security process was much like that of an airport. They also checked his identity and passport, then he finally reached the last checkpoint where there were a couple of guards on either side guarding a table with a formally dressed woman behind glass.
"Passport and ID please"
The young man heeded the woman and slipped his things through a hole under the glass.
The woman took his passport and ID and compared them for a couple of seconds before asking.
"Robert Welkins?"
The young man smiled slightly.
"Yes ma'am"
The woman was silent again verifying his passport and the veracity of his identity.
"What are your reasons for visiting Radford City?"
The young man looked back at her and answered confidently.
"I am part of the philharmonic orchestra of the city of Oskarn, I come to seek new opportunities by taking advantage of the city's recent heyday"
The woman directed her gaze to the cello case on the young man's back and rested her head on her hand.
"The city of Oskarn? That's quite far away"
The young man smiled amiably again.
"It was a long trip"
The woman stood silently studying him, then after a couple of seconds thought, she took a stamp beside her and signed the young man's passport before handing it back to him along with his ID.
"Welcome to Radford City, I hope you enjoy your instance"
The young man took back his passport and ID and put them in his wallet before tucking it into his pocket.
"Thank you very much, I definitely will"
Passing the checkpoint, the young man exited the building and got back on the bus that had passed the tollbooth and was waiting for all the passengers to finish their checkpoint before continuing on to the city.
The young man sat back down in his seat, leaving the cello beside him, and looked out the window.
A long road surrounded the forest, leading to a large city with skyscrapers in the background.
Sighing, Nathan leaned his head on his hand and continued to gaze silently at the city of Radford.
'...I'm back'