File 5

Date: September 1st, 808 E.C. 

Time: 17:40

Location: Solaris Night Market (District 14)

After that chaotic event, I was finally able to touch my food! I originally thought boar would have a strong taste to it but I was proven wrong. When I took a bite of the skewer, oh my lord, it was delicious! The meat melted in my mouth as if it were jelly, the char on the outside gave it a nice crunch while the juices the fatty meat chunks tickled my tastebuds. The potato separating each meat chunk absorbed some of the juices that had spilled out. Couple that with the special sauce on the side and boy, was it a flavorful explosion. This was better than any meat skewer I've ever had in my life! 

I then chugged down the entire glass of my purple dragonberry refresher (A/N: If you want to really know how this looks, take a basil seed drink then mix it with chunks of yellow dragon fruit and grass jelly as well as some fruit punch). The slimy seeds and jelly bits sliding their way down my throat yet the refreshing feeling from the ice, the juice, and the fruit chunks made the drink, well, refreshing. I think the author has run out of words to use because they are not an epicurean. Suddenly, I felt my head hurt. Probably because I drank the cold drink way too fast until I saw images flash past my eyes. 

It was only for a few seconds but I soon realized I was watching my own memories as if they were scenes in a movie. This was something I could never forget.

>>>

I was six at the time. My brother, only a couple of years younger than me and a few other kids were running around the play structures in the park. One of the kids, the neighbor's son, a boy whose name I'd forgotten since he moved only after being in our neighborhood for a few months, and my brother who were playing around with sticks pretending they were Magicians. I remember the boy tried casting a spell he learned from a book he read in his grandfather's study.

He claimed that his grandfather created it when he served his time as a Magician at one of the Towers, basically, a military institution located around the border of any civilization that serves as a place for Magicians to study and gain practical experience by exterminating monsters, on the outskirts of the Arista Province. He chanted the words of the Spell in waved his arms in a dramatic motion. The stick moving like a flimsy baton in the dusty playground that could snap any moment. 

Wind swirled around the stick and I thought that was just the dust gathering around us kids. Little did six-year-old me know that Spell was just a basic wind Spell that any Magician could learn in a day but somehow that guy didn't know he had an affinity to be a Magician. Well, what six-year-old would? Only children who turned seven could get their magic aptitude tested!

He tried to cancel the Spell but he couldn't seem to stop it. He tried pulling back his stick but the stick snapped. The wind Spell flew off the tip towards my brother at full speed, the wind kicking up the floating dust. My four-year-old broth just stood there cluelessly. His violet eyes changed from those of excitement then fear.  

Bang! 

>>>

I was pulled out of the memory. My surroundings faded back to the table I was sitting at with Cam and Ian looking at me with worried expressions. Cold sweat trickled down the side of my forehead. My breath grew heavy. The heat from my hand fogged up the cold glass while I tried to process what exactly just happened. Peeking into my glass of dragonberry refresher, I found that it was completely empty. I think I even swallowed the ice cubes.

Cough. Cough. 

"You okay, Kris?" Ian asked patting my back. 

"I'm fine, I just need to recover from this a bit. Wow, they really weren't kidding when they said dragonberry was potent." 

"Well, you chugged the entire thing in one sitting. It's only natural the more you drink the longer and stronger your memory is. If you just want to enjoy the flavor, just take incremental sips. That, way your body adjusts to the dragonberry and the effects will be almost nonexistent. For first-timers, the dragonberry will have almost the maximum effect unless you buy the more potent version. What I got was the weakest version." 

I think I coughed so hard that an ice cube fell out of my mouth. 

"That was the weakest version?!" I spat slamming my glass on the table. 

"Mmh." Cam nodded. "Yup, so if you have this version again, the dragonberry won't have any effect on your body so you can just enjoy it for the flavor. It's very popular around this time of year and a lot of times, stalls would run out of the drink. "  

"Makes sense. So what version were you and Ian having?" 

"I was having the second version which is pink while Ian was having the fourth version which is blue. The higher the number of the version the more potent the dragonberry is. Humans can only handle up to the fifth version without experiencing any effects after more than three times. However, just a few years ago, the sixth and seventh versions became prohibited from sales  and are used by the authorities for interrogation or medical purposes to treat extreme cases of amnesia." 

"And after the fifth version, the dragonberry become potent enough to the point where a person's memories can be projected from their minds like a holographic movie. However, despite the sixth and seventh version prohibited from sales, it becomes available three days before the Eclipse Festival just so people can experience it. " Ian added finishing his skewer. 

"It's really that strong...have you ever had it before?" I asked taking another bite of my boar skewer. 

Ian shook his head. 

"No, but I've heard from a few classmates that it can bring out every memory you possess till the finest detail to the point where you can't distinguish reality from memory. Thank god, it only lasts for a few seconds, or else we'd be in real trouble here. For now, I think you should stick with the less potent version if you want to enjoy the taste. Maybe in the future, you could try the sixth and seventh version if your resistance becomes high enough." 

"I'll keep that in mind, but I plan on doing that anyway when the next festival comes around." 

"Alright, now that we're done with our food, Should we hit a couple more stalls before calling it a night?" Ian smiled placing his hands on his hips. 

"Sure, but remember what Sierra said, we should head back to the dorms as soon as possible." 

"Don't worry, I'm keeping track of the time," Ian reassured confidently holding up his phone. "We'll be walking in the direction of the cable cars so it all works out." 

"If you say so," I said wiping my hand with the napkin provided with my food. 

"Okay, let's finish off the day on a high note!" Cam clapped standing up first. 

 >>>

We wandered around the night market a little longer. Cam and I purchased something from every stall which we all split equally. Ian felt horrible since he couldn't pay for everything but he hesitantly accepted the fact that he's already done a lot for us and this was our way of paying him back. We also encountered some of Ian's various acquaintances who just happened to be in the area. They were pretty friendly and I even got a chance to exchange my contact info with them. They even invited us for a game night tonight which would start at nine o'clock and go till midnight. I asked them what game they were playing for tonight and it was one I was very familiar with. 

City Fighter.

In City Fighter, you pick from one of forty different Magicians and fight against up to six players or a computer. It was considered to be quite popular amongst my generation as it simulates Magician battles from back in Dark Era. Even the maps and avatars are based on famous events and Magicians from back then. I've only played the game a few times back when I was in secondary school but I was never good at it compared to some of my classmates but Ian told me I didn't have to be good at the game to join in. All players of all different skill levels were allowed to join. The goal of the game night was to have fun and make friends. 

How could I decline? 

This was such a good opportunity to build up my friend base before classes start next week. Cam also had the same idea so we both decided that we should attend. Currently, it was six-fifteen so we had some time before that started. It was getting darker outside and nearby vendors were turning on their lights, preparing themselves for the incoming evening traffic.

Since we were almost at the station, we decided to stop at one more stall before heading back to the dorms. It was a popsicle stand that was trending on the web which could only be found here in Twilight City. Apparently, they sold unique flavored popsicles made from imported fruits only grown in a small region of the Claura Province. Cam and Ian had never been to the stall before so we all decided to try it out and purchase our own popsicles. My goodness, each one costs seven Riyal! 

I scanned each of the flavors in the display case, most of the flavors I was unfamiliar with until I came across one section of the display case which only had one popsicle left. I think the flavor of it was Iragus. According to the vendor, it was some sort of nut-like fruit that grows underground during the winter and can only be harvested around this time of year. Unfortunately, the fruit could be grown domestically so it had to be harvested directly from the wild. It sounded interesting. Luckily there was only one popsicle left so I decided to get it. 

"I'll take it!" Another person and I said placing our blue bills on top of the countertop. 

What?!

I swiftly turn my head to take a look at the other person who wanted to buy the popsicle. 

It was the rude guy from the dorm hallway this morning. His sunset hair blending in with the background as his eye fixated on the last popsicle. 

"I'm sorry Sir, Miss..." The vendor said with a flustered expression on his hair. "There's only one popsicle left. If one of you could purchase a different flavor..." 

"No!" We simultaneously shouted at the vendor both of us stunned that the other desperately wanted it. t

Damn, I thought this guy was the quiet type be he can also be quite aggressive. 

Heck, there was no way I going to back down from getting this popsicle till the guy pulled out a few more bills. I think they were both twenty Riyal. There was no way I was going to pay almost fifty Riyal for a popsicle! That was one week's worth of my summer job's salary. Thus, I decided to accept my defeat. 

He then gave me a smug look, laughing at me like the sore winner he was (Did I say winner? I meant weiner he was). I could feel his arrogance seeping out of his body, it gave me a terrible feeling. It was disgusting. I was going to throw up. 

"Keep the change." He smiled taking the popsicle away from the vendor.

"How generous of you Sir!" The vendor laughed literally smelling the bills. 

So not only was that guy a complete butthole but he was rich?! That was the worst possible combination of a person I could ever encounter in my 18 years of life. Compared to that guy, I was the equivalent of a plebian peasant. Reluctantly accepting my defeat, I chose a random popsicle from the display case, I didn't even know what the flavor was, and bitterly paid the money-hungry vendor seven Riyal before storming out of the stall, the boots digging into the pavement, towards Cam and Ian while violently shoving the plastic wrapper around the popsicle into the wastebin of to my right. I then take a large bite of my popsicle, not even care about the ice crystals biting my gums. Surprisingly, the random popsicle I got tasted really good. 

I guess out of some bad experiences, there come some good ones but that wasn't enough to quench my sour mood.  

"What happened, Kris?" Ian asked noticing my foul expression.

"Ah, this silent rude guy I bumped into the hallway earlier today and I wanted the last Iragus popsicle but then he decides to flaunt his money and purchases the damn popsicle for nearly fifty Riyal when the thing costs seven! I'm pissed. To think I would have to run into him twice in the same day are the gods messing with me or something?!" 

"Girl, chill," Cam said sucking on her green Brandeseop popsicle. "It's not the end of the world you can always get it next time." 

"Let me guess who you're talkin' about," Ian said shoving the popsicle wrapper in his pocket. "He has sunset hair, color-changing eyes, slightly taller than me, and a beast whistle hanging off his neck." 

Sometimes I really don't like the fact that Ian knows everything without even seeing it happen.

"How in the world can you guess everything so accurately?" 

"Perks of being a Guide." He shrugged. "I can't help but know everything. Also, judging by your reaction it seems I hit the nail right on the head." 

"Who is he? Is he famous?" I demanded. I had to get the answer to who that rude guy was. 

"Well, more like infamous," Cam replied placing her hand on her hip. "That guy you encountered is Darren Jacobs." 

I rolled my eyes. 

"Great." I sighed. "A guy with two first names. Sounds like trouble." 

"You're not wrong," Ian added. "Darren is the son of two Tower Magicians, making him pretty well off. He's a freshman like us but there are some rumors floating that he severely injured a teacher in practical training back in secondary school because the way he was chanting a spell was considered to be 'incorrect' but I highly doubt that's the case considering how bad the guy is at communicating. Although the rumors of him have died down over the years his reputation still remains the same. I personally don't care about that crap...he's a better person than you think he is." 

"That still doesn't change the fact that he acts like he's high and mighty-" I spat, the anger inside of me still boiling hot. 

"Why don't we just calm down for now and head back to the dorms." Cam interrupted. "We shouldn't stay out any longer. Just sleep on it for a bit Kris, it's just a minor incident." 

At that moment, I began to realize how much of an entitled, immature, prick I was acting like. 

>>>

After venting out my anger for another minute, we took the cable car back to the dorms. 

The city looked completely different at night compared to the day. The lights from the buildings in the valley turning on one by one like fireflies. The financial district's towering skyscrapers glowing radiantly, some of them had lights on their exterior that would change colors to match the festive atmosphere. Red. Orange. Yellow. Green. Blue. Violet. White. The hot air balloons from this morning could no longer be seen circling the city center but instead, there was a blimp weaving through the narrow spaces between the sky scrappers. On the blimp, there was an ad for lanterns with a guy staring down at the lantern solemnly. Next to the guy, the ad had some cheesy ass slogan that went something along the lines of: "In the darkness, there is always light..." 

It was as if it came right out of a children's book. I couldn't help but stifle a laugh. 

The rest of the ride was uneventful with no one saying a word. Directly from the station, we walked back to dorm building 1024 and from there, everyone left to go to their respective dorms until game night begins in an hour. 

That's when I realized, I didn't have a chance to unpack my things yet. Dear lord, Kristina Cassiopia Steinbeck! You wasted two completely good hours earlier today talking with Cam, well that's a good reason and also not a waste of time, and playing on your phone being a lazy bum procrastinator. If only I didn't procrastinate half the time I probably would've done better in secondary school. Can't really regret that since I graduated. 

I grab the box cutter from my suitcase and begin shredding apart my boxes like there was no tomorrow. The sharp blade of the box cutter tearing apart the tape with ease. Sadly, I did not remember what I put into each box as I just shoved in everything I had at home into them and stupid me did not label each box. I think some of the more delicate items might've gotten crushed. Welp, too late!

Time flew by and the only things I had set up were my bed and my clothing. Being in such a confined space, it was starting to get stuffy. As such, I decided to open my balcony doors to let some fresh air in. The warm summer breeze gently swaying my curtains from side to side. 

Much better. I thought to myself, happily placing my hands on my hips before resuming my unpacking. 

Fifteen minutes passed by and it was now eight fifty. I had finished unpacking everything in my suitcase and one box. There were still a couple of boxes left but I decided to hold off on them till tomorrow. 

"Okay, I think I should head downst-" As I was going to finish my statement. The lights in my room flickered. 

Tmph. 

I heard the sound of footsteps on my balcony.

Btzz. 

The lights went out. 

Okay, calm down Kristina. 

I highly doubt it was Cam because I don't think she would climb over without knocking on the doors or at least telling me beforehand nor do I think it's someone from next door cause that would be totally uncalled for if they just intruded on my balcony. Also, I was on the eighth floor so who the heck would be crazy enough to climb from street level all the way up here, even if they were a Magician that was still a death wish if they wanted to fly up to eight stories.

I couldn't tell who or what was only my balcony but my instincts told me to grab something just in case they were dangerous. And what was the first thing I pick up to arm myself? A lamp...but seriously why didn't I have any self-defense Arrays on me? Oh wait, I forgot, I didn't make any plus the lamp was the closest thing I could pick up. And this is where I mentally beat myself up for being a complete moron. 

Fwoosh.

Tap.

Clink.

Time seemed to stop. 

The wind grew stronger as I 'stealthily' approached the sound on my balcony with my lamp that weighs a ton. I brush aside the curtains to find a tall figure staring out into the night, the moon hanging bright in the sky while its light was shining on my balcony as if giving the figure the spotlight on stage. The figure turned its body towards me, which I could confirm now was a guy, I couldn't see his face but holy shit he was ripped! 

Also, what the heck was he wearing?