The next day, Avery rolled out of bed at 6 am. He quickly brushed his teeth and changed into his favorite white suit and red undershirt. It was newly ironed and showed no creases. He took care of that suit as if it were his son.

"Tie… or…"

Avery shook his head and hooked the red tie with the others. Usually, he wore one. He didn't feel like it this time.

Avery closed the walk-in closet behind him and checked the time.

"6:21… not bad. 2A, let's go."

Without a word, the watch flew into the air. Its tiny, hidden boosters at the base allowed it to go where Avery pleased. It's programmed to land directly on whatever wrist Avery held, in this case, the left one.

"Let's get the meeting over with."

Avery descended from the flight of stairs and walked outside, where a personal, white taxi waited for him.

The driver welcomed Avery and opened the backseat for him. Avery nodded silently and sat in the spacious car.

Traffic was non–existent. It was easy to get there on a Tuesday morning since most corporations allowed employees to work from home when applicable. The only things making the ride a bit bumpy were the red lights every few minutes.

They arrived at Ionia's main headquarters: Aurora's Palace. The story behind the name dates back centuries to the city's founding. The founder had a daughter named Aurora, so he called the official government building after her. Avery didn't know why it was called a "palace." It was a large building that blended in with the others. It didn't have a special logo at the top—just tinted glass.

Aurora's Palace and SCAR's headquarters served two different purposes. SCAR's headquarters contained various stuff related to SCAR only, including research, weapon manufacturing, and prisons. Aurora's Palace handled a more traditional government. School funding, government-affiliated construction, and maintaining the city's well–being.

Avery's father was the Chancellor of Ionia, meaning he was the Head of Aurora's Palace.

Avery exited the vehicle and approached the SCAR agent who stood in front of the door, acting as a guard. Aurora's Palace's security wasn't the best. They didn't have much compared to SCAR's headquarters, mainly because no one had ever tried anything worth forcing SCAR to add more security here.

The agent took a peek at Avery's ID upon entering. Once the agent gave the go, Avery entered the spacious building. The atmosphere inside the building was strict and uptight. The floor was polished gray, which was cold to the touch, and the soft echoing of shoes provided filler noise. The main lobby was wide and open, with charts of digital data on the walls. Avery always thought that the design looked off–putting.

He quickly made his way to the 14th floor without speaking to anyone. Even on the elevator, he was silent. He wasn't lost in thought or anything. It was relatively empty.

"Oh!"

Avery turned the corner and carelessly bumped into someone. A stack of loose papers fell on the carpeted floor.

"Shit. Sorry." He scrambled to help the older man retrieve his papers.

"Don't be sorry. It's my mistake for not using a folder."

"It's ok. My mission is to grab the papers and attend a meeting."

The older man, whose beer belly stuck out like a sore thumb, looked oddly at Avery.

"Mission? You kids are gettin' weirder and weirder as the years travel."

Avery handed the loose papers he had collected on the ground.

"Sorry," he said.

The older man responded. "Mission. There is no mission. Just… go do whatever you intend to."

He walked away without saying goodbye.

Avery leaned against the wall.

Did I say… mission? What am I talking about?

He shook it off and made his way to the end of the hallway, where he swung open a meeting room door without knocking.

The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

"Am I late?" Avery asked without hesitation.

It was a normal-sized room with a TV by the podium. The carpet was a soft blue, and the large windows made it easy to look down on the pedestrians. A large rectangular table was placed in the center, containing nine chairs—four on each side and one in the front. Each one was filled except one on the left side at the end. That was good for Avery, as he enjoyed sitting with his back away from the windows.

Everyone in the room was at least double Avery's age. They wore dark colored suits with either a neutral or bold tie. Most people had grey hair, which showed their age.

Avery's father sat in the one seat that divided the sides. SCAR executives sat on the right side while Ionia's executives were on the left.

"No, you're on time. We were about to start," his father said with a proud smile.

Avery took his seat and adjusted the chair so that it was closer to the table. He nodded at the others, including Ridley, who sat close to his father.

"Quick meeting today, gentlemen. We are to discuss budgeting conflicts between SCAR and the city. This has been going on for quite some time now, we must resolve it and agree." Avery's father always spoke with a stern voice at meetings, especially with SCAR's executives.

SCAR and Avery's father, Kajo, never got along. They had to work together with a smile, but deep down, malice stirred like molten lava. Arguing about the tax budget was the biggest issue, with constant pulling between the two groups.

Avery didn't like attending meetings. He was here due to his father constantly nagging him to come and understand Ionia's politics. Avery didn't have a political mind, but he threw on a smile for his father.

Ridley spoke on behalf of SCAR. "SCAR is requesting a 3% increase on the total budget due to advancements in research."

"Demanding, or asking?" Kajo asked.

"Same thing."

"The total budget is already in your favor. SCAR collects 53% of gross collections. A 3% increase is substantial when talking money."

"It's essential that this increase happens." Said Ritz, the Head of Research of SCAR. He was a large man, mainly muscle, and his bald head revealed his sweaty scalp. His triceps were the size of Avery's calf. He wore a XXXL suit, which most definitely cost a fortune. "We found something rather peculiar. The SCAR agent guarding your wife's isolation has been destroyed."

Kajo's jaw dropped a little. "Destroyed…?"

"Yes, an A–tier SCAR agent was destroyed by an outsider. It displays their strength and viciousness. They mangled it into bits and pieces. We need an increase in budget to research and manufacture stronger and more efficient SCAR agents."

"When did this take place?" Asked Meetius, Kajo's right-hand man, whose square glasses looked too big for his face.

"We don't know," Ridley said. "Black box got destroyed and erased all its data. Ramping up agent production is essential, which is why our budget must be increased."

Avery's father bit his lip while softly tapping his foot on the carpet. "Is… she ok?"

"Your wife is fine. We sent an agent to restock her shelves with food and clothes. That's how we found out about this mess. We did, however, ask about the SCAR agent. She refused to answer. Actually, I'm wrong. She did answer. Her stupid–ass is playing dumb, saying she's ignorant to whatever happened." Ridley said with a sprinkle of hostility.

"Why don't we ask Avery. Surely he knows since he's been to the outside world," said Ritz.

All the attention shifted to him. Avery adjusted himself in his seat and sat upright with an elegant posture. "Why would I know anything?"

"You've been to the outside world. You're aware of the dangers and savagery from those… I can't even call them human—barbarians—is a better word. Tell me, Avery, are they capable of doing this?"

Avery stared at the gray table. People had folders or binders, or even loose papers for notes, with a mug of coffee. Avery had nothing. He stared at the emptiness, his mind wandering aimlessly.

He couldn't think of a direct answer. Instead, his mind drifted towards the time with his brother.

All he could think of was Tim. Guilt spread through his veins, mixed into his blood like alcohol. The guilt of introducing himself as a nobody and becoming friends with him. To kill his father, leading Tim to race out of his village to look for a new home. To see him again after years, only to disappear after a couple of days.

Killing the King to cause chaos so Ionia could use it as propaganda when the time comes.

"Are we better than them?"

Everyone looked at Avery as though he had said something preposterous.

"Avery… what are you trying to say?" Ritz hesitantly asked.

"Ionia was built to be a utopia unknown to sinners. That concept is drilled into every elementary student's brain. The reality is… we are no better than the outside world."

"Kid, what the hell are you talking about?"

Avery looked up to see Ridley shaking his head in confusion and disappointment. He rubbed his face and adjusted himself again.

"Nothing," Avery said, "I'm… thinking that… maybe it's a sign. Maybe we can explore a future… a possibility that we can live with outsiders."

"Huh? Are you drunk at fucking 8 in the morning?" Ritz blurted, looking at his silver watch. "Do you have any idea what you're saying—to SCAR'S representative, may I add? We report on what happens at this meeting to Archon. Do you want Archon to hear what you've said? It's borderline treason." He turned to Kajo and slammed his hand on the table. "Are you going to handle your son? Or are you allowing him to speak such wretched ideas?"

"I apologize on his behalf. Avery, let's not continue this further. Please, for your own good, exit the room."

Avery knocked twice on the table before standing. He adjusted the cuffs of his jacket while silently looking around the room.

"Report to Archon. What is he going to do? Send me to the outside world. Wouldn't be the first or second time."

"Oh for fucks sake!" Ritz stood and angrily pointed at Avery. "You watch your mouth you fucking—"

Avery closed the door behind him and took a deep breath.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.