Chapter 1
His room lit up with a soft, brilliant golden glow through the clear, multi-paned window. Its translucent linen curtain, pulled perfectly to the side, caught the intense morning sun and transformed it into a warm, diffused luminescence. Outside, creeping vines backlit by the light emitted a bright, fiery yellow-orange outline, watching him as he changed into something presentable for work.
He pulled on black pants featuring micro-zips at the bottom that stopped at the lower half of his calves. He slipped into a crisp white shirt that neatly covered his black belt and silver buckle. After putting on a pair of black socks, his pants zipped tight at the ankles, and he tucked his feet into black-and-white sneakers that automatically adjusted to his size. Finally, he stood up from the bed and donned a leather jacket accented by a zig-zag zipper line.
Grabbing a remote from a small table in the left corner of the room, he pressed a button. His bed smoothly folded into a cozy chair propped perfectly in the center. He tossed the remote onto its cushion after using it to close the window curtains. The chamber dimmed. He exited.
His living room was immaculate and proper. Two comfortable chairs sat to the right, flanking a two-person sofa, while a three-person sofa occupied the left. All were a rich brown, centered around a small table stacked neatly with books. Beneath them lay a black-and-white patterned carpet filled with hexagonal shapes, resting against gray marble floors, walls, and ceiling plant pots. Multi-paned, wall-sized windows reflected the sprawling city outside.
He clapped his hands. The windows instantly flashed to black, plunging the room into darkness as he walked through the front door in total silence.
He looked over his shoulder before completely turning around, admiring a ten-story skyscraper shaped like a giant mushroom. It featured an umbrella cap at the top, while its massive body housed a multitude of people. Every single level flexed green plants from bottom to top, stretching outward like tiny branches or vines. Its neighboring buildings stretched even higher, each mimicking a forest. The entire skyline looked like a collection of magical, gargantuan trees and wild plants.
I’ve truly been living under a rock. It’s as if this world is foreign to me, he thought.
"Are you ready to go, wonder boy? You're staring, and it's attracting attention."
His ride was here. He walked over and stepped into the hovercar.
"How do you do it?" his driver asked. "It's as if you're a girl magnet, pulling them to you even when all you're doing is staring."
He looked at his friend, a bit surprised, raising a single eyebrow. Then he glanced back toward the pavement. Multiple women, young and old alike, were looking their way—all smiles, giggles, and waves. He waved back in kind.
"I mean, I get it, but still..." The driver accelerated, lifting them into the air. "How!" he yelled over the hum of the engine.
The man just flashed an amused smile.
"So! How do you like Green City so far?" He kept his eyes on the road ahead as he popped the question, taking in the cool breeze with one arm stuck out of the hovercar window. "You've been in self-isolation for so long I actually began to worry. Do you know that the people in your old district dubbed you a coward? They think you're scared of people, and that's why you locked yourself indoors."
"Tell me then, Leo—do you believe them? That I'm a coward?" His voice was perfectly calm. He looked at his friend with curious eyes, a soft smirk playing on his chiseled face.
Leo glanced at him, reading his expression, before looking back at the skyway. "I don't think I understand why they think so," Leo admitted. "They never seem to explain why, but they strongly believe it's true."
"But do you think I'm a coward?" He smiled.
"Well, that I can't say," Leo replied with a chuckle. "I have no reason to think so. I'm of the belief that in order to be scared, a person needs a damn good reason for it. Do you have a reason to be scared, my friend?"
"No. None that I can think of."
"Good! I'm glad to hear it," Leo laughed. "I would hate it if my old friend were to cower and hide away in fear over nothing—especially when I'm around. But why did you never correct them?"
"They never asked!"
He smiled softly, and Leo burst out laughing, hitting the steering wheel.
"Is that so? Then what on earth possessed them to assume such a thing?"
"I've had a lot of time to meditate on that," he said, "and I've determined the main reason why they were so eager to assume such a thing." He looked out the window and drew a breath. "You see... I learned this a while back... that once you call a person your friend, you are obligated to treat them like family—sharing your joys and sorrows rather than treating them like a stranger you'll never see again. I'll let you in on the tale, but I must warn you—it's a bit long. Let's save it for later, as I think we have no time for it now." He checked his watch. It was 7:30 AM.
"We haven't been in touch for quite some time, my friend," Leo replied, a warm grin spreading across his face as he tapped the navigation screen to alter their course. "So, let's go somewhere private and chat."
"Hold on, you're gonna make me late on my second day of work, man! Ahhh..." He sighed softly, knowing there was no turning back now. "So, where to?"
"You'll see when we get there. I haven't shown you around, have I?" Leo grinned ear-to-ear, casually sliding a little stick into the corner of his mouth.
He smiled at that, bracing himself for the surprise. Leo Flux was one of those guys he had admired ever since they were kids back in the poor slums of Weathered Gardens. In those days, he loved how easily Leo could light up any room he walked into—outmatched only by his own older brother, whose charisma was on an entirely different level. A real tough guy, and the mentor from whom both he and Leo had learned how to charm and negotiate with people. Back then, he always followed Leo's lead during conversations, simply bouncing off his friend's high energy.
But when Leo left to further his education and the terrible neck condition struck, he had lost most of that spark.
I wonder if I can still be fun to hang out with as I am now, he thought.
Not a lot of things amused him easily these days. He absolutely hated playing to the crowd; putting on a show for strangers always left him completely exhausted. Yet, just sitting here, he was still able to smile with Leo by his side. It eased his worries, if only a little.
They paced through the vast forest as Leo drove them toward the outskirts of the city. There, he gazed upon a magnificent, gargantuan tree that almost reached the clouds, with a circular structure hanging elegantly within its branches. Multiple people sat outside the building in the morning sun, enjoying coffee and tea as they read and talked.
"How is this even possible? Does the wind never blow here?" he wondered aloud, his voice calm. "How are they able to sit this high up outside, drinking and laughing?"
"Easy. They're outside, yes, but a force field wraps the building to keep the wind from tearing through," Leo explained. They zoomed closer, the hovercar locking onto a docking mechanism built right into the massive branch. Ahead, a neon sign buzzed with the words Tree Cafe. Stepping onto the threshold, Leo flashed a confident smile and flicked his keycard to an awaiting valet. "Park it somewhere safe."
He looked back, overlooking the shimmering cityscape. It resembled a forest built for titans. From this height, hovercars looked like tiny flies, and the population seemed microscopic. It was a novel sight, yet to him, it felt like a bit of a desolate expanse.
"Marvelous, isn't it?" Leo asked. He stood with his arms behind his back, his sharp white suit and long, tapered hair gently catching the breeze outside the barrier. His charming smile never faded. "When I used to come here during my school days, I would always feel weightless. Relaxed. Somehow free. Cool, isn't it? It's as if you're flying. That's why we can talk in peace out here. Come on, let's go inside!"
