Deebt left the house.
This time he was wearing his four necklaces, they were gifts from Milly.
Wearing a white Tshirt and loose black jeans, he had white sneakers on.
His steps were quiet, and his expression was steady.
He was devoid of all emotion.
He and Milly had agreed to meet at 4:30 p.m. at the Royal cafe and restaurant.
Deebt crossed the bridge and reached the other side, the river separated this quiet residential area from the noise of the city.
Deebt could have stopped by to see Milly since she lives right next door in the same neighborhood, but Millie refused.
In a way, she considered this… a date.
'I really didn't expect this. That Milly would love me, but... it just can't happen.' Deebt thought for a moment about his feelings and Milly's.
Deebt made his way, street by street, the city was as crowded as ever, even though where they lived wasn't in the center of new Seoul, but rather in the southeast.
Deebt continued through the never ending noise until he arrived in front of a massive three story building, covered on all sides by dim yellow lights that resembled glowing lanterns.
Its facade was entirely glass, and each floor featured a different design.
The first floor was surrounded by small palm trees on the outside, and inside it resembled a cafe exclusively for cowboys, dominated by the color orange, with very old cowboy hats hanging there.
The first floor resembled a cafe a bit, but with a special touch that made it look like a restaurant as well, while the second and third floors looked like upscale restaurants with bold designs.
The second floor was dominated by red and orange, it looked like autumn and was visually appealing.
The third floor resembled a place in outer space, black, with many small lights and wall art depicting outer space.
It was truly an amazing restaurant.
Deebt went up to the third floor and sat at a table near the window overlooking the streets.
The waiter, dressed in an elegant black uniform, gave a slight bow, smiled politely, and presented the menu along with a small card that was white on one side and red on the other, then stepped back.
The white side was for the customer to write down their order, when finished, they flipped the card to the other side, and the waiter would come, take the card, and begin preparing the dishes.
Deebt looked at the menu, it was varied and divided into five sections.
The first section featured drinks, the second section featured the dishes of the week, the third section featured traditional dishes, the fourth section featured specialty dishes, and the fifth section was dedicated to desserts.
Deebt didn't choose anything, he was waiting for Milly to arrive.
Before she got here, he sent her a message letting her know he'd be on the third floor.
After about ten minutes, Milly finally arrived.
She was wearing a dress in a soft cream color, a design that blended classic and modern styles, with a V neck and an overlapping wrap design that accentuated her waist.
The sleeves were open, and the skirt fell just above the knee with a slight flare.
Milly looked like an angel at that moment, the dress was adorned with embroidered patterns of autumn leaves and flowers that blended the colors of sunset with the hues of early morning sunrise.
Eyes were naturally drawn to her, her milky, smooth skin harmonized with the dress in a stunning way.
Milly paid no attention to the glances around her, she focused on the gaze of one person.
Deebt, he looked at her for a single moment with admiration, then returned to his usual expression.
He was very calm.
Milly approached the table.
"Hello, Deebt, what do you think? Don't I look beautiful?" Milly smiled happily.
She was deliberately trying to annoy Deebt.
"Yes, but that's an exaggeration." Deebt spoke in the same unchanging tone, calm and cold.
"What? Are you jealous?" Milly smiled, trying to annoy Deebt.
Deebt didn't answer her.
"You're boring. Why have your expressions become so cold? Okay, you haven't changed, but this is annoying." Milly made a valid point.
As if she were talking to a statue, Deebt didn't answer her again.
"Milly, what would you like to eat?" After a brief silence, Deebt finally spoke and pointed to the menu.
"Oh, okay, let me see."
Milly paid no attention to Deebt's coldness, he was always like that, and she was used to it.
Milly chose a drink and a seafood dish, then Deebt wrote her order on the paper and wrote his own order as well.
As soon as Deebt turned the paper over, the waiter came and took the slip.
"Milly, I'm leaving in a week. Sam is leaving with me too, and from what he said, Heri might be coming with us as well. Would you like to join us?" Deebt asked.
"Heri and Sam? Okay, I'll join you guys, but what a strange group, hahaha." Milly laughed.
"What's so strange about it?" Deebt asked, puzzled.
"You're the first oddball in the group, then Sam, who says he's your friend, and then Heri, who's just as eccentric as you and doesn't interact much with others. Well, she and Sam are close, so it's natural for them to go together."
"You're eccentric too. Well, Sam was the one who suggested we go together after he found out I was going in a week. The way you're talking, Milly, that means you're going." Deebt gave a slight smile, as if he were mocking her.
"Yes, you're right. I'll go with you." Her tone was gentle.
Fifteen minutes later, the waiter brought the dishes.
Deebt enjoyed a steak with a coke, and Milly enjoyed her seafood dish with her juice.
An hour passed, and Deebt drove Milly home before leaving.
Ever since she confessed to him, Deebt no longer felt uncomfortable seeing her.
They had grown closer, Deebt didn't understand how, but that was what had happened.
…
A week had passed, and today was the day Deebt was leaving.
His mother looked at him with teary eyes, and his father placed his hand on his shoulder in silence.
Deebt felt their support, he smiled a bright smile.
This was rare for him, but now it was necessary.
"Don't worry, I'll succeed." Deebt said confidently.
"Do you need a ride? Is the money you have enough?" his father asked, with clear concern in his tone.
"Yes, it's enough. I don't need a ride." Deebt said, then headed for the door.
"Goodbye." Deebt left and headed to Milly's house.
He didn't say goodbye to Jazz, because Jazz wasn't home.
Deebt arrived in front of Milly's house and rang the doorbell.
"Deebt, wait a minute, I'm coming." Milly replied through the intercom.
Deebt waited about five minutes before he heard the door open, Milly finally came out.
Her eyes were a little red, she had been crying.
After all, it was just her and her mother, her father had died a long time ago.
He was a legend, that's what Milly's mother always said whenever she mentioned him.
But she never revealed his identity.
Deebt took Milly's hand, and they walked across the bridge together.
He didn't speak to her or comfort her, he simply made her feel that he was close enough to her.
An expression of relief and safety radiated from Milly.
Deebt was like Jazz, or even more so.
A master at analyzing and understanding human behavior.
…
Deebt and Milly got out of the taxi they had taken after crossing the bridge.
Now they were in front of the largest and most prestigious train station in new Seoul, Spits station.
The name was taken from one of the legends that had been a major factor in reclaiming the Asian continent from the hands of former enemies and monsters.
Spits Mountain, known by the title "The true conqueror."
Deebt and Milly entered through gate number nine, they soon spotted Sam and Heri.
They were talking, they seemed engrossed and enjoying their conversation.
Deebt moved closer and waved at them.
"Ah, Deebt, you're finally here. You're ten minutes late, man."
"Hello." In contrast to Sam's enthusiasm, Heri, with her delicate features and dull eyes, looked like a forgotten doll.
The aura surrounding her was cold and mysterious.
"Hi, it was just a normal delay. Shall we go?" Deebt pointed inside.
The station was crowded, with people from all over the continent everywhere.
It was a bustling scene, after all, many people had come to new Seoul for tourism, and some worked here.
The government provided both employment and covered transportation costs, so employees simply had to head to work.
Although some worked in different cities, they were satisfied with the benefits provided by the state.
Deebt looked at this scene and thought to himself.
"Was I the best employee in history?" Deebt was mocking himself with this thought.
Their journey would take them through the center of new China city, reaching its borders, passing through three stations along the way.
It was the last station before the border between new China city and new Mongolia city.
After that, they would have to take other forms of transportation, such as buses or long distance cars.
New Mongolia was the only city on the continent that had never had trains or railways, the reason was the sunrise academy itself.
It had refused full government intervention in these remaining natural areas.
After all, new Mongolia was the only city that had preserved its natural state without being completely destroyed.
It had been one of the key centers that helped drive away enemies and monsters more than fifty years ago.
During the 150 year period of destruction, it was inhabited by powerful monsters that had kept the devastation at bay.
Humans had exterminated those monsters and began their invasion from there to reclaim the continent.
Deebt booked their tickets, they would be staying in a room all to themselves.
Their trip was imminent, there were only fifteen minutes left.
…
Deebt, Milly, Heri, and Sam headed for the train.
After a major struggle due to the crowding, they finally reached their room.
They each put their bags in the overhead compartment and sat down.
"That was really exhausting." Sam grumbled because of the intense crowding.
"You're right, it was extremely annoying." Milly chimed in.
Then Heri joined them in a soft tone, Deebt didn't speak at all but simply listened.
Toot, toot.
Ring, ring.
It was the sound of the train whistle, followed by the sound of a warning bell for people to step back.
This was a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of passengers waiting for their trains.
The train started slowly and then gradually picked up speed.
The scenery outside the window wasn't particularly impressive at first, it was ordinary, passing by the river, then through the city center, and later through tunnels.
But after half an hour, the scenery changed.
Land with yellow soil came into view, covering vast expanses, but as the train moved forward, this yellow soil began to take on various shapes.
It resembled giant natural pyramids formed by massive terraces.
The train sped through the middle of them, but it couldn't escape them.
It was a vast expanse that delighted the eyes.
Deebt looked at it in wonder, he had never seen such sights before, for after all, he had never traveled.
The beautiful scene, combined with the blue sky, created an unforgettable picture in their minds, every time Deebt looked at it, he felt more drawn to it.
After a while, the same scene changed slightly, the same plateaus remained, but they were now filled with both green and yellow.
This was a farming area, whereas at the start there had been no sign of green, this created a beautiful contrast.
Deebt wasn't the only one amazed, Sam was too, and he spoke very loudly.
Milly smiled at the scene, while Heri held back her enjoyment.
…
Another hour passed, and they had arrived at the first station.
Sam got off and brought some food for everyone, then they started chatting.
Sam was really enjoying the small talk.
Heri's eyes were watching Sam intently, Deebt noticed that.
Milly listened too and joined in the conversation, sometimes she tried to tease Deebt, but he didn't interact much.
The train set off again.
This time it passed through mountain ranges of red, orange, and gray, the scenes created by the sunlight were as enchanting as a mirage.
That was just the beginning of the mountain range, as the train moved forward, the scenery changed.
From green mountains full of trees to snow capped mountains, these mountains were like the four seasons.
It's true that the landscapes had changed during the period of destruction, but somehow it had retained its charm despite that.
As soon as the train emerged from the mountains, it found itself surrounded by giant oases. Many yellow and brown trees grew here, this place perfectly embodied the season of autumn.
Deebt was captivated by this unique magic of nature.
Nature was unpredictable, wondrous, and strange.
'I wonder what the earth was like before humans? I bet it was even more beautiful.' Deebt smiled at the thought.
The world was truly beautiful.
Two and a half hours later, they arrived at the second station, no one got off.
Milly had fallen asleep, and Heri, beside her, was gazing at the endless stream of people getting on and off the train.
Sam was sighing out of sheer boredom.
Then he looked at Deebt.
"Deebt, you know, I've decided to become the ocean." Sam said.
"What do you mean? Do you want to be as strong as the ocean?" Deebt was surprised at first, but he quickly understood what Sam meant.
"Yes, I want strength." Sam smiled and then looked out the window at the people.
'I think you're capable of that.' Deebt thought, then returned to his own thoughts.
The train set off for the third time, the next stop was the last one.
The train continued on, revealing the vast landscape, with the scenery changing every time.
It was now passing through a mountain range where the train wound its way through the mountains, passing through tunnels.
It grew dark as they entered the tunnel, then the scenery turned to the green of the mountains, this alternation continued for over half an hour.
After three hours, the train arrived at the final station.
Deebt and the others got off.
Milly and Heri had just woken up, Sam had also taken a nap.
Only Deebt had stayed awake until the end.
They exited the train station, compared to the Spits station, it was like a child's plaything.
This area was called the Border station.
It was located on the border between new China city and new Mongolia city.
Deebt approached a taxi and motioned for everyone to get in after speaking briefly with the driver.
He was going to take them to the bus station bound for new Mongolia.
From there, the final leg of their journey to reach the sunrise academy would begin.
...