Xerxes had taken a warm shower before collapsing into bed. He had just closed his eyelids, and in a blink, he fell deeply asleep, expecting at least a few nightmares from his terrifying experience.
By the time Xerxes woke up, it was mostly due to his growling stomach. He was confused; he could fast for three days easily. It hadn't been three days yet, so why was he beginning to feel hungry?
Xerxes had anticipated feeling rejuvenated after a good night's rest, but his body still ached, and he felt even heavier than the day before. He was still grateful that he had only blacked out and hadn't dreamt of anything.
He got out of bed and rummaged through his refrigerator, only to find a carton of nearly expired cashew milk. He gave it a side glance before picking it up, unscrewing the cap, and drinking straight from the carton. He moved over to the only window in his apartment, which was a window door leading to a tiny balcony meant for one person.
Pulling the curtains aside, he saw the sun in the middle of the clear blue sky. He took another sip of the cashew milk and checked the time on his smartphone. It was 8 AM. Assuming he had slept for seventeen or eighteen hours, he glanced at the date below the time.
TWO DAYS?!
Xerxes choked on the milk in his throat. He hadn't realized he had just broken his personal record for the longest sleep ever. Just how exhausted was he to sleep through all that time? But it clarified one thing: he had indeed felt hungry after fasting for three days.
Unlocking his lock screen, he saw an emergency flash message fill the screen. These messages were either sent by his service provider urging him to try a new package or by the government warning of a new dungeon opening nearby. In this case, it wasn't either. The message was about a missing person the government was looking for, with a considerable ransom being offered.
He considered taking the offer, as he needed the money and had plenty of time to spare after being recently fired. Scrolling down to read more, the details of the missing person seemed strange.
Dead eyes and raven-black hair? 5'11" and weak-looking... has a fragile constitution and a frail physique...
Why did the description sound like it could belong both to a homeless person and a sick patient who had escaped the hospital?
Never mind. He just needed to find the person and collect the money. How the person looked or what they did didn't matter. His eyes searched for the name, which was in bold, hard-to-miss letters.
XERXES.
The person in question immediately opened the front camera on his phone. He stared at his face. His eyes did look a bit lifeless, and the sunken cheeks confirmed he had been starving himself for days. His height, which he hadn't measured since puberty, was probably about the same too.
Wait, why am I suddenly wanted? What did I do?
The memories of the dungeon replayed in his mind, but he couldn't find a reason why the government would want him. Wait—was it because he ran away without telling the police his side of the story?
I should've given them a fake name. Well, at least I didn't give them my full name.
Anyone who exits a dungeon is required to report everything that happened inside to the authorities on the same day, if possible, so they can ensure no one was unlawfully harmed inside. The only exceptions are for those who are severely injured and unable to speak or participate in the investigation.
Xerxes, who was perfectly fine and didn't even need to visit the hospital, had fled the scene immediately. It was only natural they would be looking for him. Or, worse, he could be seen as a criminal if the other survivors' testimonies were questionable...
Fuck.
Xerxes finished the remaining milk, washed up, and dressed in all black: a black mask over his mouth, black sunglasses over his eyes, and a black cap to cover his hair. It wasn't perfect, but he looked enough like a celebrity in disguise. He grabbed his keys and phone, not forgetting the instant coffee sachet in each of his pockets, and left the apartment.
Since Nova was an actor, everything about him was online, so it didn't take long for Xerxes to find the address of the entertainment company that represented him. He called a taxi, using some of the money he had borrowed from Nova.
Xerxes arrived at his destination in less than twenty minutes. He was standing in front of a high-rise double building with the Chrysos Entertainment logo. The disguise made him feel anonymous, so he was less anxious about entering such a busy place. Confident, he approached the front desk and asked the woman working there if he could see Nova Harrington's manager. He figured that saying he wanted to meet the famous actor himself would likely mark him as an odd fan, and he would definitely be kicked out.
The woman at the desk eyed him suspiciously and asked, "Can I see your face, sir?"
Xerxes knew he had to reveal his face at least once to avoid seeming too strange. The woman stared at him in a daze when he did. Xerxes broke into a cold sweat.
She didn't just recognize me, did she?
"What's your name, sir?" she asked.
"Xerxes, if you tell the manager, he'll understand," he said, trying to smile awkwardly.
"Alright, please wait a moment," the woman replied, assuming he was a new model or actor, likely under the same manager as Nova. She stepped aside to call him, asking him to quickly come and retrieve his 'lost' new talent. Once the call was made, she returned and escorted Xerxes to a waiting room on the first floor.
The waiting room was a small, enclosed space with three modest couches and a coffee station stocked with snacks behind them. In the center of the room, a coffee table held a bowl of peanuts, some of which were already peeling. Xerxes crushed a few with his teeth to satisfy his hunger as he waited for Nova's manager.