Chapter 5:

Funny how the music put time into perspective.

Path Of Exidus


I closed the door behind me. The room was a mess, and there were clothes everywhere, like a tornado had flew around the room before I came, no Frank Ocean.

“Where’d you get this many clothes?” I asked, picking up a pair of shorts with the tip of my fingers, like it was nuclear waste.

“I went out.” She said casually, munching on potato chips on her bed.

“Please— close your mouth when you chew.”

“What?” She said through a mouth full.

“You know what?” I walked over to my bed, which surprisingly maintained its original color, unlike 80% of this room, “Nevermind,” and plopped down on it.

“How much money do we got?” I looked over at her.

“Uh zat depends” still talking with food in her mouth.

I sigh, “depends on what.”

“How moch moni you bring bak?”

I sit up, I completely forgot about that.

“You know what? Let’s forget about money for a sec. I got something better!”

“Wat?”

I sat on the edge of her bed,

“Posenal spese dod.” She raised her palm at me.

“I can barely understand what you’re saying. But look!” I pull out 2 pieces of paper.

“We’re famous!”

She scoffed,

Then began to choke on her chips.

“WA- WA- WATER.” She started clenching her throat.

“Oh crap.” I ran out the room and head down the stairs to the bar, returning with a glass of water.

But it was already too late, she was sprawled on the floor like a dead cockroach, she even twitched a little.

“A little much?”I muttered.

She didn’t respond.

Instead of pouring the water in her mouth, I just poured it on her head.

“AK—,“ She began to cough again, and out came the potato chip.

“Why is it in full shape? Why is the potato still a full circle. Do you not chew your food.”

“It hurts wen I bite it, dey get too spiky and and and—“

“Enough, I’m sick of you, can you act your damn age?” That did it.

Those words hit her like thunder, and she got up and wrapped herself in her bed silently.

“You’re still cleaning this by the way,” pointing to the mixture of water and chips on the floor.

She didn’t respond, this is the classic girl-is-mad-at-you situation.

I let out a sigh and sit at the edge of her bed, she’s facing away from me.

“Okay, look, I don’t have your money.”

She turned instantly, “Excuse me what—“

“But look!” I held up the papers in her face.

“Are those wanted posters?”

“Yes ma’am” I said smugly.

“Why is yours a half assed doodle and mine—“

“A piece of art?” I said, finishing her sentence.

“Take a wild guess…” I pointed to the corner of the picture, there rested a signature.

“GIDEON?”

“I understand why you have one but why me?”

“Well…” I said avoiding eye contact,

“it’s a long story.”

“FEAST YOUR EYES ON THE FIRST ACTUAL PHOTO OF EXIDUS. Drawn by yours truly: The one and only Gideon Williamson.” He put his hands on his hips and posed like a superhero; some applauded, and most shouted in triumph. It was a huge day after all, nobody has ever seen Exidus and lived to even tell someone, and now people have a description to go off of, making claiming his bounty achievable.

“Quick question, Gideon!” Someone towards the back of the crowd raised their hand.

“Permission granted.”

“Do you have a picture of your fiancé?”

He looked down, and a smirk formed on his face.

“Excellent question, I’m glad you asked.” He smiled gleefully.

Then he propped a picture of a beautiful young woman next to my Exidus doodle, it might as well have been drawn by a 5-year-old, and Sylvaine’s is actually like— pulchritudinous.

“Drawn my yours truly, of course.”

The guild erupted in chatter,

“Woah,”

“You’re truly lucky, Gideon.”

“Thank you, thank you.” He couldn’t contain his smile.

“I can’t draw men so the least I could do is this.”

Oh, he’s one of THOSE artists.

“Here, take as many copies as you like of her.” Out of nowhere, he pulled out a stack of paper and started tossing it around like it was money.

“Please help me bring my dear Sylvi back to me.” He started fake crying.

“Don’t worry!” “For Sylvi!” The whole guild roared as one.

“I only have 6 copies of the Exidus guy if you want it, take it, I don’t really care.”

“And yeah, that’s what happened.”

She sat there processing it.

“I can’t believe anyone would actually like you, look at you, you’re a couch potato at 19.”

“He really called me his fiancée…” There it is again, not the ignoring me part, I learned that, that happens all the time, but her voice got weird.

She was fiddling with something on her finger,

“Is that— is that an engagement ring?”

On her finger, there was a ring made of silver wrapped around it.

She froze, staring at the wall for a moment that felt like forever.

Then she got up from her bed and put on some clothes.

“I’ll talk to him myself.” She stated.

Well this is rather sudden.

“Are you sure about this?”

“I got this,” She flashed me a warm smile that didn’t sit well with me as she walked out the door, closing it behind her.

I think I’ll follow her.

We were only kids, stupid, stupid kids.

“Sylvi, can I tell ya something?”

“Ya Giddy, what’s up?”

“I told you not to call me that, say my full name, it sounds cooler.”

“Okay, Gideon.”

“Thank you, ok, back to what I was talking about.”

“I have something really important to tell you.”

“What is it, Willy?”

He paused, containing his annoyance, and he pulled out a black box, it had scratches on it. He opened it, revealing a stainless ring.

“When we get older, I wanna marry you!”

His face was red as blood.

I was silent.

“Pfft.”

I couldn’t help but start laughing.

“Hey what’s that for? I’m being serious you know!”

“Yeah yeah,”I shook my head, “tell you what. Don’t piss me off until then and I’d say you have a deal.” I grabbed the ring and put it on my finger, it fit nicely to my surprise.

His face lit up, “Yes!” Get got up and began to jump up and down.

“Hey watch out for my sand castle!”

“Sorry Sylvi”

We were 7 back then.

He would bully other kids and I would always have to stop him, he would say something like “They aren’t cool enough” or something stupid, so I bullied him twice as harder.

I kicked down the guilds door, and I saw him bickering with some other guys, he had a crowd around him.

“Yeah, Exidus took out my entire team, and then he—“

“GIDEON,” I shouted, the entire guild froze.

“Oh, hi Sylvi!”

I removed my hood but kept my goggles on.

“Don’t hi me.” I pulled out the paper Juno gave me.

“What’s this about?”

“I was worried about you, after I woke up from being unconscious at the temple, you were gone. I searched the entire place and only found bodies.”

“I told you to stop coming after me a long time ago…” My gaze fell to my feet.

“But we made a promise, didn’t we?”

“Don’t give me that bullshit. If anything, you messed up,” I spat back.

“I have my reasons, you know them well enough. Stop getting in my way.” I walked out of the place and put my hood back on. I walked and walked. I didn’t know where I was, then I stopped in an alley and finally took off my goggles.

Snif.

Tears.

A stream of tears began to fall down my cheeks, and I began to cry. I covered my face with my hands, curled into a ball.

I couldn’t even hear my crying over the sounds of the Main Street, but I didn’t care,

Why now?

Why are you doing this to me?

I’m really damn pathetic, aren’t I?

Crying over nothing.

I watched from afar. I definitely shouldn’t be seeing this.

She was crying.

Should I go comfort her? Then she'd know I was watching her.

But this is her own thing, I’m just an outsider, one thing I do know is that no man should ever make a woman cry like that.

When I watched the argument in the guild:

“I have my reasons, you know them well enough. Now stop getting in my way.”

As Sylvaine walked away from him, he dropped to his knees, watching her. But his face, I can’t get it out of my head.

he didn’t cry.

He wore a warm smile on his face.

His ring naturally reflected light.

I start walking back to the hotel room.

“If she wanted me to know, she’d tell me,” I muttered.

Effort without reciprocation is futility.

When I was a young girl, both my parents passed away due to a weak immune system caused by the absence of the sun.

The only real family I had was him.

She softly closed the door behind her as she entered. I sat at our room's desk, I didn’t even know we had one because it was on Sylvi’s side next to her bed.

“Wow, you cleaned the room.” Her voice was indifferent. I mean, why wouldn’t it be?

I’m just analyzing the hell out of her right now.

She still had her goggles on as she walked in.

“Consider it one less thing to worry about.” I leaned back in my chair.

“Hm.”

“You even made my bed.” She walked over and sat on it, the bed cradled her.

“Your clothes are in the closet, don’t worry.”

“I’m not worried.” Then she completely undid the bed and lay down, not even taking off her clothes. She got under the blanket goggles and all, facing the other direction from me.

I let out a sigh and got up, “hey,” I got up and walked around her bed, crouching on the side of it so we were face to face.

“What’s wrong? How did the talk go?” Like I didn’t know already.

Her mouth was shut, and her hands clasped her blanket. Then I took off her goggles, her cheeks were soaked, and her tears seeped into her pillow.

“You’re gonna drown yourself doing that, keeping goggles on while crying.”

She didn’t respond, but I continued anyway.

“Not physically but metaphorically.”

“Keeping the goggles only allows stuff to build up. First, it will affect your vision, then it’ll drown you.”

I hope she’s not responding because she’s thinking about it and not because she’s trying to figure out what “drowning” is.

“Drowning means to suffocate from too much water—“ I turned around to see, but instead, she’s sleeping,

I just hope she heard what I said. Now I need to go get her money back.

I can probably do a quest today.

“See ya later.” And I walked out the door.

Nobody should make someone cry like that, so why?

Gideon’s arm was scraped up. Not bad, but enough to sting. He had that look again, the same one he always got after doing something dumb.

“I told you not to jump off that,” I muttered, dabbing a cloth against his cut.

“I stuck the landing,” he said proudly through a wince.

“You screamed.”

“War cry.”

I rolled my eyes but kept cleaning the scrape, dabbing at it little by little. Quiet for a second.

Then he said, a little too casually, “You were watching, so I had to do it cool.”

I froze mid-dab.

He grinned. “If I messed up in front of anyone else, who cares? But if it’s you—nah, can’t be lame in front of you.”

My fingers tightened on the cloth. He flinched slightly.

“Don’t say stuff like that,” I said.

“Why not?”

“Cause it makes it feel like it’s my fault if you get hurt.”

He blinked. Genuinely confused.

Then laughed it off. “You’re dumb. You didn’t push me.”

“You don’t get it.”

We were both 13.

To this day, you never really did understand, but we only see the true value of something until it’s truly gone.

“Are you seriously going to go find Exidus? What are you going to do when you find him? What if he kills you?”

“Whatever happens to me is no longer your concern.”

“Please,” His voice faltered for the first time in a long time.

“Take me with you, we can do this together.”

I gained my guild license and exited Solaris for the first time.

The sky was a faded blue as if slowly losing its color. And from there, I began my search.

That was a year ago.

She didn’t even look back.

No hesitation. No dramatic pause. Just turned on her heel and left me standing there like an idiot with my arms halfway open.

The doors swung shut behind her.

The guild crowd was still clapping—half of them cheering, half pretending not to care. A few of them grabbed copies of her portrait like souvenirs.

One guy even whistled and said something about “a catch like that.”

I didn’t say anything.

Nothing.

I just stared at the door she disappeared behind.

Then I picked up the drawing from the floor. Her portrait—clean lines, nice hair.

I let out a sigh and got back on my feet, dusting myself off, “Alright where were we?”

“We are here to honor the death of Edward La Jolla, who suddenly passed away during an outing with his friends.”

I watched as his casket was lowered into the rock and sand.

My mom and dad were beside me,

“Gideon, I’m sorry for your loss.”

I glanced over, and I saw his family, a mother, father, and a younger brother, broken.

His mother was on the floor weeping,

“Please don’t take my boy. Please.” She hugged herself, and her husband bent down, tossing an arm around him.

His brother stood there, his eyes were blank, dead. They were filled with loss and malice, no child should ever have to go through someone like that.

It’s funny though, that easily could be me.

I let out a sigh, “I’m going to go ride my bike.”

My mother and dad nodded,

“Take as much time as you need.”

I began to walk away and I felt someone grab my arm, it was his brother.

“You are Omari right—“

“Why did he have to die.” He cut me off, staring at me, his eyes look like hers when I found her, we were both the same age, but she went through something I couldn’t even begin to imagine, losing both of your parents.

I got down and looked at him, his eyes remained dead, there was nothing behind his gaze.

“Mommy said—“

“Mommy said we are all born with a purpose, by summer.”

“So was big bro’s purpose, was his purpose to die?” His voice faltered, and he looked down, he held back his tears.

I let out a sigh.

“…No.”

I shook my head, then laughed. Not the funny kind. The kind that sits in your throat that you can’t swallow so you let it out. “No, kid. That wasn’t his purpose. That wasn’t fate. That wasn’t some divine blueprint written in gold ink on the ceiling of the universe. That was bullshit.”

I looked at him, looked into him.

“You want the truth? People die. Good people. Bad people. People who tried. People who didn’t deserve it. And the world doesn’t stop. It doesn’t even hesitate, no dramatic pause or mourning. It doesn’t care. It just keeps spinning.”

He blinked. I kept going. Maybe I was saying it for him. Maybe for me.

“Your brother—Edward—he wasn’t some myth, okay? He wasn’t a prophecy or a tale. He was a guy. A loud, stupid, brilliant guy who laughed too hard and trusted too easy. And yeah, sometimes he didn’t think before he acted. But he was real. And that means he was flawed. He wasn’t perfect. None of us are.”

“You wanna know the messed-up part?”

He didn’t answer.

“I didn’t even cry when I heard he died. You know what I did? I stood there.”

I turned and faced him again. “Because if I cry… I’ll have to admit it’s real. I’ll have to admit I let it happen.”

His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I was there. I was right there. I should have done something. I should have seen it coming. But I didn’t. I laughed with him. I let the moment pass. And now he’s under six feet of dirt and memory, and all I’ve got left are the things I didn’t say.”

I looked down at my hands.

“You wanna talk about purpose? Maybe mine was to stop it. Maybe I screwed that up. Or maybe we’re all just flailing in the dark, pretending there’s a reason for the pain. Pretending we’re not scared out of our goddamn minds.”

The kid stayed quiet.

Good.

He deserved silence more than sugar-coated lies.

“I don’t know what Edward’s purpose was,” I said finally. “But I know who he was. He mattered. And that’s enough. Not because of some grand destiny. But because we say it is.”

I ruffled the kid’s hair and stood up.

“Tell your mom… he was a good guy. A real one. Even if the world didn’t give a damn.”

“He died a fucking legend, fighting the unknown killer Exidus.” Without looking, I gave a backhand wave, beginning to walk away.

Exidus.

He stole my damn V2, leaving me stranded in the desert. I’d do the same. But why? Why did he—

“Innocent people do terrible things to one another.” I forgot who told me that, but it’s true.

I got on my new V2, it was nice, mint condition, I had to pull out from the money I give to mom and dad for it. 870 vells hurts, I’ll just have to win it back.

There are other cities like Solaris around, but this is the biggest one by size and population only for one reason.

There are no monsters within a 200-mile radius.

They don't come near Solaris, it's always been like that.

There are no monsters to slay for money or anything to make money quickly, but there is one way…

“Ladies and gentlemen, clear your calendars and prep your bets because tonight, the air burns hotter than the track! Welcome to the G2 Hoverbike City Circuit. The Desert Howl!”

“Coming live from Solaris Sector A, where the elite pay thousands for front-row balcony seats and the thrill of raw combustion-fueled glory. We’ve got nine racers lined up—and three spots open for G1 promotion, earning their place in the upcoming Sunvault Grand Prix!”

The crowd roared.

“No track lines here, folks. This is freeform, open-air chaos. Each racer’s got a navigation device synced to the urban map—checkpoints light up one by one across the city.”

“No rules but one: get there first.”

“And remember, weapons discouraged, sabotage expected. This is Solaris, not kindergarten.”

The crowd laughed.

I straddled my V2, the custom hoverbike humming beneath me. Clean lines, dual thrusters, cobalt blue trim. The city stretches around them, glowing windows, neon reflections, a maze of towers and alleys.

It’s HUD flashed

A voice crackles through the earpiece.

“Racers, systems locked. Race will commence in 3… 2… 1…”

The moment the tone hits, we’re gone.

Nine hoverbikes scream off the rooftop, engines howling against steel and sky. The air punches into me like a wall, and I lean forward, eyes locked on the HUD. Sun trails light up behind us like comets. The city’s turned into a weapon, tight alleys, shifting checkpoints, and no rules except one: survive.

A rider swerves into me.

I kick my boot out, catch their fender, and send them spinning off a terrace. One down.

Someone throws a flash grenade. I squint, hug the throttle, and duck under a skybridge. Damn sponsored racers… racers who get sponsored have a bigger wallet to buy stuff…

The whole sector blurs past in streaks of heat and neon. They think this is chaos? This is peaceful compared to watching your friend get buried in sand.

“Rider #6 falling behind—where is he?”

I take the long way.

Because shortcuts and using flash and weapons are easy.

And I don’t do easy anymore.

I pull wide, dropping low into the maintenance tunnels below the circuit—grit, steam, red warning lights flickering. I shoot back up through a vertical shaft, catching a glimpse of the finish stretch—Highwind Bridge.

Two riders are neck-and-neck, thinking they’ve already won.

But I’m above them now.

I grip tight. Slam the thrusters.

And I fly.

I launch off a rooftop garden, arc over the finish stretch, land on the back of someone’s stabilizer, and shove myself forward like a bullet through the atmosphere. The engine screams like it’s going to tear itself apart—

And I cross the line.

Not first. Not second.

Third.

But that’s all I needed.

The marble here’s polished so clean you could fall into your reflection. I’m wearing a black button-up and borrowed slacks. People keep asking for my name. I keep giving it. But they don’t want me, not really.

They want the guy who jumped off a rooftop and stole third.

A server offers champagne. I take cider.

I lean against the balcony rail, looking out over the track lights still flickering in the distance.

That kid—Edward’s brother. He asked me if his big brother’s purpose was to die. And I didn’t have an answer.

I still don’t.

“You’re well-mannered,” a voice says beside me.

I turn. Older man. Clean lines on his suit. Silver in his beard. Expensive smile.

“Altren Vassari. I handle clients in the S sector.”

“Gideon Williamson.” I nod. “I crash bikes for a living.”

He chuckles. “Well, you fly them too. Your race tonight—electric. Have you ever considered sponsorship?”

“Not really.”

“You’ve got poise. It could go far. People love a sharp-tongued underdog. You’ve got the look.”

I sip my cider. “I didn’t race for the look.”

“Then why?” he asks, and it’s honest. Curious. Maybe even respectful.

Why?

I look around.

Everyone’s laughing. Toasting. Dressed in silk and shimmer. No one here remembers Edward. No one here remembers anyone who dies beneath the city.

I turn back to him.

“I’m not racing for fame,” I say. “I’m racing for a name.”

“My family, most of my earning is directly sent to them.”

He lifted his own glass in a toast, “Ah! A family man!”

I followed suit, “indubitably!” And both drank from our glasses.

He tilts his head.

“But I have to ask, you do bounty hunting as well, correct? You’re the witness of exidus? Why do that as well while also racing?”

I turned, resting my arms on the balcony, looking outward. “What do you mean?”

He leaned on the balcony, “The money you make doesn’t even begin to accumulate the amount you would sustain from racing. So why do you do it?”

My smile faded, he noticed this and went silent, and it reappeared on my face. “We all have our secrets to success. If I can’t be remembered, I’ll be remembered as a legend.”

“However, you do bring up a fair point, I need to pick and choose my battles,” I say, nodding while taking another sip of my cider.

He pondered this, “Excellent answer, young man.”

“I must take my leave. I’ll contact you about further inquiries and funding.”

My face lit up, “Excellent! Have a wonderful night.”

He walked off, and I was left with a balcony view, my thoughts, and an empty glass.

I look up, no sky, no stars, but instead a roof of rock.

I’ve asked myself that question a couple of times actually, but the answer is always the same.

Her apartment was big for a sector C living space, spotless, a mix of brass and book leather. A violin case rested on the couch. The dinner table? Set for two.

“Thanks, Mom.”

She said,

“Of course, honey, Gideom, you better listen to Sylvi okay?”

“Yes, Ms. D'Armond,”

Rolling my eyes.

She shot me a look, and I stiffened.

And I mean really set—cloth napkins, three forks, two knives, crystal glasses that clicked when you exhaled near them.

I stared at it like a minefield.

She was in a dark blouse and sharp trousers, barefoot, her braid tied in a low knot like she always wore when she was being “serious.” Her eyes flicked to my mismatched socks.

“Sit. And don’t slouch like a dying rat.”

“Nice to see you too,” I muttered, but obeyed.

The moment I touched the wrong fork—whisking it up like a caveman poking a snake—she sighed loud enough to shake the glassware.

“The salad fork is the smallest. You work from the outside in. Honestly, were you raised in a tool shed?”

“I was raised around hoverbikes and screaming people, so… close.”

“So I’m your cultural upgrade.”

She plucked the fork from my hand, set it right, then leaned back and gave me that smug little smirk of hers.

“Gideon, if you ever plan to get into the A sector races, or god forbid enter a gala, you’ll need to not eat like a wild dog.”

I fumbled the wine glass next. Nearly knocked it into the candle.

“Gala? I can barely afford socks.”

“You’re dreaming too small.”

She leaned forward.

“Etiquette is armor in disguise. Use it right, and no one will know you don’t belong. That’s the trick.”

I stared at the fork.

“I still think I’d win a fight if I threw it hard enough.”

“Well, you are charming in your own way,” She said, sighing.

That night, she taught me how to hold a glass, how to walk like I didn’t just finish fixing an engine, and how to lie without saying a word.

It was the first time in a long while someone looked at me and didn’t see less.

She had a duffel slung over her shoulder, bounty license clipped to her jacket. Black boots, cropped hair now tied higher. Tighter. Sharper.

I followed her to the edge of the platform.

“You could stay,” I said. “Wait a little. Train with me instead of trying to go get yourself killed.”

“And do what, Gideon?” she said without turning. “Fix bikes? Learn how to ‘charm’ A-sector investors with cider and smirks?”

“I could go with you,” I said. “We could hunt Exidus together.”

She turned. It was the kind of look people give when you say something stupid.

“You? A bounty hunter?”

“I’m serious.”

“Gideon, you hate blood.”

“So do you.”

She looked away. The mist crawled past her boots. The train’s warning tone sounded once—sharp and low.

“I’ll do it,” I said. “I’ll get a license. I’ll find you again. We’ll finish this together.”

“You won’t,” she said. Her voice was soft, but her eyes were flint. “You’ll race. You’ll drink. You’ll flirt with pretty girls in pretty buildings. You’ll forget this promise the second you win your first trophy.”

She stepped back. Onto the train.

“You’re not built for this, Gideon.”

The door began to close.

She didn’t say goodbye.

Just looked at me through the glass. One second. Two.

Then the train pulled away.

I stood there, holding nothing but the air between us and a promise that felt stupid even as I made it.

But I made it. I didn’t get that license, more trophies I can count.

What now?

I looked around to make sure nobody was looking, and tossed my glass off the balcony with all my might. I watched it soar through the air, then hit the ground below, breaking into a thousand pieces.

I sigh.

I am pathetic, aren’t I.

I woke up to the sound of the door clicking. It was Juno.

He walked in my direction, setting a bag on the table. I could hear the chiming of silver from the outside.

“Hey Sylvaine.”

“80 vells,” he said nonchalantly.

I nodded in thanks. I didn’t feel like talking.

“You know…” he sat down at the table, “there’s a faster way we can make money, but it’s gonna be a stretch.”

“How much?” I asked,

But he just smiled.

Sowisi
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