"Oh, you’re here."
Adam welcomed the replacement crew, making way for them to bring in the new desk and accessories. He closed the door and stood aside as the four men got to work.
He stood by the door and watched as the four men got to work. They moved with practised efficiency, soon setting everything up. Once done, one of the men approached Adam and said.
"Make sure to send the destroyed items to the waste department. That part is on you."
"Of course."
With a nod, the man gestured for his crew as they left the room. And as quickly as they came, they left. Adam let out a sigh and approached the set-up. Everything looked good as new, as though nothing had ever transpired.
"That takes care of that."
Adam muttered and made his way to the bathroom. It was time to step out of the academy and explore the city. The trash would be handled later.
Half an hour later, he was out. He threw a slightly baggy shirt over his back, wore black trousers and black sneakers. However, before he could finish his preparations, his phone rang. Adam picked up the device to see his father calling.
"Hey, Dad."
[Adam. How was your first night? Did anyone bother you? Are you being harassed by your colleagues?..."
"Dad, slow down. Slow down." Adam chipped in with a smile, happy to hear his father’s voice. "Everything is fine. No one has caused me any problems."
[You sure?]
"Yes, Dad. I have no reason to lie to you," he assured.
[If you say so...] Jon replied and paused for a second. [Your Mom wants to speak with you.]
[Adam?]
"Hey, Mom," Adam answered with a warm smile, moving to sit on his bed.
[How was your first day there?]
"Everything is fine, Mom. The academy is really efficient in their ways. I’ve already gotten my uniform and ID. It’s only been a day, but I like the academy."
[That’s good to hear. Make sure to always eat on time, alright? And don’t get into too much trouble. Your training is important, but your health matters more to me.]
"Don’t worry, Mom. I’ll take care of myself." Adam smiled, feeling his mother’s warmth through her voice.
[Alright. I won’t take too much of your time. Stay safe.]
"Yes, Mom."
[Alright, Adam.] His father’s voice came through once more. [I’ll leave you to your day. And make sure to let your teacher know if anything happens.]
"Yes, Dad."
Adam acknowledged, understanding his words. The call came to an end at that point, and for several moments, he made no moves. With a loud sigh, he stood up to finish his preparations.
He had already gotten into trouble in less than 24 hours. Fortunately for him, there was no need to mention any of that, as it had already been forgiven. Adam checked his appearance and made sure everything about him was in order.
Satisfied with what he saw, he grabbed his wallet and other essentials before stepping out. He wasted no time getting to the parking lot. He spotted many students and others around the lot, realising some were coming in today.
As he stepped inside his SUV, he did not realise someone’s gaze was following his every move. With so many people around, he would not have been able to tell the difference, not when it carried no malice.
***
The drive to the main entrance of the academy took more than half an hour. Adam could still not believe how big the academy grounds were. Driving through the tunnel entrance into the city welcomed him to the earlier morning hustle.
Following his car’s navigation system, he drove among the sea of vehicles toward the nearest supermall. High-rise buildings rose towards the skies at varying heights and widths, their polished walls reflecting their surroundings. Throughout the drive, Adam had a soft smile on his face, taking in the view.
This was his very first time living all by himself with his own place and car. He felt like a man living his best life. He had one hand on the steering wheel while cruising through the city.
Adam soon arrived at the mall and drove into the underground parking lot. He took the elevator with a few other strangers toward the ground floor. The doors chimed and opened to a bustling world of conversations and movements.
Stepping out of the elevator, Adam looked around in wonder. People of all ages and appearances filled the massive floor, their conversations and footsteps creating a cacophony of sounds that blended seamlessly. He almost looked out of place with how much he looked around like a total newbie.
For a morning, the place sure was busy.
"Mom, who’s that weirdo?" A curious kid pointed at Adam, finding his behaviour strange.
"Leave him be, son. He must be new here," the mom replied, firmly holding onto her child’s hand.
Adam waved at the kid with a smile and continued his way. He heard a few giggles here and there from the girls who walked past him. After spending a few minutes admiring the place, he found the floor map.
He patiently waited his turn before consulting it.
"First things first, I need to get food supplies," Adam muttered as he found and noted the stalls with the stuff he wanted. "These will do."
Once he found his bearing, he disappeared into the crowd. Adam spent half an hour shopping for food essentials he could keep in his system storage for emergencies.
He got a lot of snacks and quick meals like instant noodles and rice. He also got himself a few meat packs just in case. He sent the items into his storage space after finding a secluded spot away from prying eyes.
He then moved on to the upper floors with the clothing section, got himself a few more things and continued.
The final floor he visited housed light protective gear explorers could use. They were not high grades, unfortunately. The highest Adam found had a defensive capacity to stop the full-powered strike from an early second realm awakener.
’Then why the hell is it so expensive?!’
Adam could not understand it. The credits he had were not enough to even get him the damn thing. When he asked the workers, they explained that it had something to do with public safety.
"I see... So if I want the good stuff, I must be a registered explorer or an official with the clearance to own one."
It made sense.
The Federation did not want citizens going around with dangerous weapons and protective gear. They had to prove they weren’t a danger to others before they could own the gear and weapons.
But did anyone have a need for a weapon? Well, some did, but most people simply relied on their awakened abilities. Crime did not care for weapons; anything could do just fine if one knew how to use it.
"Tsk. It’s not like I need it anyway." Adam clicked his tongue and left the stall.
He had gotten what he needed for his storage space. And he had no worries about anything going bad, as the storage space kept items in the same state they were brought in. That meant cold stuff stayed cold, and hot stuff stayed hot.
As for protective gear, he was certain the academy had something for the students. After all, there could be no way they would send students out with no form of protection.
"Now then... What do I do about breakfast?" As he left the protective gear stall, he headed for a coffee shop for something light, as he wasn’t really hungry.
He spent another hour in the supermall, enjoying a light breakfast while watching people pass by. He spotted a few familiar faces in the crowd, but did not attempt to call them out.
Once done, he wasted no time making his way to the underground parking space.
A commotion caught his attention when he got there. Adam looked over and thought nothing of it. It was just a bunch of guys no older than he was laughing and messing around.
Whether they were academy students or not was his problem. He swiftly hopped into his SUV and drove off. Moments after he disappeared from view, the commotion died down.
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