I spent most of the next day unpacking boxes. I was starting to feel a strangely spiritual connection to my new apartment. This was my only home now. This was where I belonged. I would make sure that everything was absolutely perfect here. I put on some gentle music while I worked and experienced a sense of tranquility that I hadn't felt in a while.

I looked out the window and saw the sun shining through the purple smog of the Pit. The entire city was coursing with psychic energy. Anticipation of the night to come stirred inside of me. I was excited to go out and kill again.

There was a knock at the door. It was a deliveryman with a few pieces of furniture I'd ordered. I directed him to put them in the right places and thanked him. A cabinet for my clothes, a dining table to eat off of, and most importantly, a small bookshelf for my writings. Even my humble creations deserved better than to be kicked around on the floor like trash. Each one had a special place on the shelf, especially the black diary I wrote in every night.

After the deliveryman left I spent a little more time arranging everything exactly how I wanted it, then gathered together all of the empty boxes and started running them down to the dumpster in the courtyard. On my second trip back, I ran into a blonde woman in the hallway. She was wearing workout clothes and stank like sweat. She waved to me as I approached.

"Do you live in this unit?" she asked with a bright smile.
"I just moved into 224," I answered. "My name is Rex. Pleased to meet you."

"I live next door in 223! My name is Alyssa. The walls are thin in these apartments... I’ve heard you moving a lot of furniture around the last couple of days. You've been busy, huh?”

She looked happy to talk to me. Maybe she really needed a friend.

'Soul Vision.'

Alyssa's soul looked like a stack of golden rings on a black wooden stand. An inanimate object. She was a normal person with no psychic power whatsoever. I didn’t see any reason not to be her friend. Actually, if my powers developed in the wrong direction, I might really need someone to help me take care of myself. I briefly remembered my time as a helpless shut-in at the Brotherhood’s safe house and shuddered.

"I need to move some boxes into the dumpster," I said. “Could you help me?"
"Sure thing!"

Alyssa was surprisingly strong. She grabbed more boxes than I thought she would. We talked a little on our way to the dumpster.

"Whew! This is hard. Good thing we're almost done. Hey, did you know about the gym on the first floor?" asked Alyssa.
"The leasing manager showed it to me, but I've been too busy unpacking to use it yet."

"You should come with me sometime! I just finished a workout there. I try to go every day."
"Hmph. I'd love to."

We got through the rest of the boxes quickly. After we finished, I invited Alyssa into my apartment for a late lunch to thank her for her help. I'd made a large salad with plenty of chicken and tomatoes in it before I started unpacking, and it was no trouble to offer her half. We ate our meal at the newly delivered dining table. She seemed to be in a good mood.

"So what do you do for work?" she asked.
"I'm out of work right now, but I'm just going to coast for a while until I find something interesting to do. What about you?"

"I'm unemployed, too. I'm a student, actually. I'm studying to go back to school when the new semester starts."
"What are you studying for?" I asked.

"I want to be a teacher. I've always loved kids. I want to be the kind of teacher that helps them find their way in the world."
"That's a great goal," I said. "What grade do you want to teach?"

"I'm thinking third grade. Those kids are so energetic and curious, it would be perfect. There's a kid on our floor who's really cute."
"I haven't seen any kids around here yet."

Alyssa sighed.

"He's a little naughty. He wanders around a lot and gets into whatever he can find. I guess his dad is too busy to watch him."
"That's too bad. It can be hard taking care of kids. My younger sister had a lot of energy when she was little... my mom had a hard time keeping up with her."

"How old is your sister?" asked Alyssa.
"She's twenty years old. She lives with her boyfriend. I talk to her every now and then, but we don't get along too well."

"Why not?"
"I'm not going to bother you with all the details, but I made a lot of stupid choices when I was younger. I ended up causing a lot of problems for her and my mom. We're not very close anymore."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Rex."
"It's all right. I think she's better off without me. I'm the one who messed everything up, not her. Everything turned out for the best, I guess."