Another headache that felt like it would kill him. The crown acted again, forcing its will upon him, but this time he had not given in. With a sigh, he wiped some sweat off his forehead and grumbled,

"When will this Winter Solstice thing even start?"

He was supposed to be at the academy according to his plan, but well... Well, the main reason he got lost was because he was in a completely unfamiliar place—somewhere outside the NSQC and far from his grand, palace-like room. Here, he was forced to live like a rat, rummaging through trash and eating synthpaste... ahhh, the humiliation.

But hey, if eating synthpaste and living with rats meant he would stay alive and free, he would gladly accept this deal. And so would his brother... only if he had this choice.

"Pfft—"

Stifling his burst of laughter, Valen walked onward to his 'house.' It was more like a cardboard shelter with square holes around it so he could look out and avoid getting jumped—truly a place fit for a king. It was surrounded by the distinct smell of garbage and numerous kids running around, eyeing his fortress.

On his way to his royal cardboard palace, he saw a frail-looking young boy with pale skin and dark circles under his eyes. The little boy looked so pitiful and SHORT that Valen felt a pang of sympathy in his chest.

Ahhh, such a cruel and sad world. Forcing a kid like that to live and survive in the outskirts. The least he could do was smile, right?

"Hehe."

He smiled at the SHORT boy and waved at him. But all he received was a cold glare and a concerning grin.

"Hey there, short stack," Valen called out, unable to resist. "You lost or something?"

Damn it!! He bit his tongue to keep it in, but it was too late. His tendency to speak before thinking would be the death of him.

The boy's grin widened, his dark eyes glinting. "Not as lost as you," he replied, his voice calm but laced with a subtle edge.

Valen blinked, caught off guard. By the time he recovered, the boy had already disappeared into the shadows.

"Damn kids these days."

Valen muttered as he kept walking to his spot. There, he opened his pocket and 'ate' some of the synthpaste. Now all he had to do was find this bum-ass academy. It couldn't be that hard, right?

Another mouthful of synthpaste, and it was finished. Now, it was the glorious time to hunt for resources!

Valen ran toward the nearest garbage bin.

If only his sister could see him right now.

Meanwhile, Across the Outskirts

Man, what was that guy's deal?

The short boy thought as he walked briskly toward the police station. He glanced over his shoulder, half-expecting the strange man to be following him. The man had been dressed like a beggar but carried himself with an odd sense of pride. And then there was that feeling—

That aura near him.

It started as a subtle pressure, like the air itself was thickening around him. Then it grew heavier, crushing, as if the weight of the entire world was pressing down on his shoulders. His breath hitched, and his steps faltered, his legs buckling under the unseen force.

For a moment, he felt like he was going to be squished to death, like a bug beneath someone's boot.

Ah well, it doesn't matter. He was gonna die anyway today, so it was better to risk it than get mugged. But if he was gonna die today, then what would it matter if he got mugged or not?

[Your burden grows heavier.]

Dang, who would've thought I would have to end a life today? Valen thought, wiping his hands on the dead kid's clothes. Another street rat. He should've known that this cardboard was his.

Stupid idiot. Now he died for a piece of cardboard.

"Guess he must've hated me a lot for me to receive a fragment, though," Valen muttered, a wry smile tugging at his lips. "Hehe, thanks, kid."

With that, he walked out of the alley with his grand prize between his arms.

Just a few steps away, he ran into someone familiar. It was the shortie from before, but something was different about him. He looked leaner, cleaner, and a bit better looking than before. How?

There was only one answer.

"You survived a Seed?" Valen asked abruptly, cutting straight to the point.

The boy raised an eyebrow, giving Valen a wary look. "Hmm? Why are you asking me that?"

"Dude!" Valen exclaimed. "It's because... I need help. I have to go to the academy too, and I got lost around the Outskirts. Can you help me? ...Please?" He ignored the pang of hurt that came with asking for help.

The boy hesitated, his dark eyes narrowing as if trying to figure out if Valen was serious or just crazy. Finally, he shrugged. "Uh, okay?"

"YAY, thanks, bro!" Valen grinned, barely containing his excitement.

And so, they had an amazing road trip with Master Jet. Hooray!

___________________________________________________________________________

Valen stood before the massive, seemingly indestructible red gates of the Awakened Academy. The academy was like a city within a city, built like a fortress, with high alloy walls, a deep moat, and numerous large-caliber turrets placed in key positions to create a deadly air-suppression dome. No Nightmare Creature, not even colossal titans, was supposed to be able to break through its defenses.

"Ahhh, real freedom is truly close," Valen shuddered with anticipation.

In the Dream Realm, Valen would swiftly seek out the nearest Song citadel and be under their protection.

Wouldn't that be great? He thought to himself. Away from that stinking and crude cardboard house of his.

"But then why did he kill that kid for the cardboard if he hated it so much?" He shrugged. "Ah well, it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"

Valen looked around and found Sunny staring at... a woman? A sly smile appeared on his face.

"Already checking out the baddies, huh?" Valen smirked, elbowing Sunny playfully. "First Master Jet, and now her? Leave some for the rest of us, alright?"

Sunny turned around, his entire face turning bright red. He gritted his teeth, his voice a low hiss.

"Shut up before you get me into trouble, you stupid id—"

But before he could utter another word, the oppressing aura around Valen grew even stronger. Valen's face changed for a split second, twisting into a murderous glare before snapping back into his usual goofy expression, though his eyes looked a little tired.

"Don't say something like that to me again, okay?" Valen smiled, his voice calm but sounding a little off. "Let's just head in."

With a sigh, Sunny followed, his earlier blush replaced by a wary expression.