It's been three months since the incident involving the Vances and Lucia.
The world jubilated, oblivious of the dark secret surrounding the new product put out by NERVE — the game, Nexus Online.
Three months had passed since the beta testing program hosted by NERVE for Nexus Online.
And now, on this day, Nexus Online was launching officially across the globe.
The whole world was excited about the news.
People from all over the world waited in long queues to get a set of Axon gears.
To them, it was a good thing.
Meanwhile, the announcement was not in any way exciting for a particular young man — Damon Vance.
It has also been three months since the sudden disappearance of the members of the Vance family.
The case of their disappearance went under the radar and was never investigated.
This outcome was expected since they were nobodies.
The Vance siblings did nothing noteworthy for the society nor were they part of the cream of the crop.
They were just three young brats that lived in some shack in New Carley City and nothing more.
Their disappearance, along with that of two hundred and six other families, was swept under the carpet and everyone continued their lives like nothing had happened.
That was the reality of current society. Only those distinguished and privileged mattered, the nobodies were as disposable as anything else.
Another case that was filed and opened by a worried mother about her only son who never returned home, after telling her that he was going for a tryout at NERVE, was also swept under the carpet.
No matter how much she wept in front of the station and how loud her voice was as she sought justice for her boy, it was not going to change anything.
Like the Vance family, she also did not matter.
Just like these two, many others were closed and stamped… never to be reopened.
A few days after filing her report and consistently visiting the police, the concerned mother also disappeared… just like her son.
That was the cruelty of their advanced world, a world that was at the beck and call of the quadrillionaire, Dr. Joe Neons.
No one dared convince the thought of going against him.
The ones who dared and eventually pushed through with it… they never won.
Absolutely no one could stand in his way.
This was because in both his hands were tremendous power and incredible wealth to buy off anybody and anything.
.
.
.
At a restaurant in the urban parts of New Carley City.
The interview of Joe Neons was being televised where he showed his gratitude to the people who purchased the Axon gears and were willing to try out the newly released game.
Everyone in the restaurant seemed to agree with Neons, showing their excitement and appreciation to the NERVE company as they conversed over their meals.
All except one person.
This person was a strange looking individual, who sat at one end of the restaurant where he could look at the television directly.
He was dressed in a red hooded sweater that covered his head enough to hide his face.
The more he heard Neons' voice, the more his blood boiled.
He gritted his teeth under the cover of his hood and clenched his fist so tightly that his nails made marks on the skin of his palm.
"What would you like to have, sir?" a feminine voice interrupted the surge of emotions rising within him.
He paused and relaxed his fist before looking up to see the young lady who stood beside him, wearing a smile.
She was slender and curvy with a beautifully grim face.
Her skin was pale but not in a sickly way.
Her appearance looked very goth with her mixed purple and black dyed hair, heavy black lipstick and dark eyelines as well as the piercings on her nose.
He stared at her and blinked a few times, not knowing what to say.
"What would you like?" she politely repeated.
This time, he heard her clearly and removed his hood.
The young man revealed his white hair, familial turquoise eyes and handsome face.
It was Damon Vance.
"Nothing for now. I'm actually waiting for someone."