Chapter 2: Unfair and Unjust
When I got through the door, my eyes caught a glance of a small rift just ahead.
Snapping back to reality, I run for it and shove my hand in the rift knowing that might be the only chance I get to run away.
A dizzying feeling rushed through my body, and in a flash, I was back to the rift departure room. The alarm system had sounded and were going off turning the whole RWC in on its head from the panic being spread.
"CODE RED!"
I heard one of the rift supervisors yell at the top of his lungs. The announcer quickly sounded throughout the halls.
"A 5th class rift has unexpectedly started fluctuating, connecting to a 1st class rift."
The supervisor once again yelled at the other soldiers that were on standby. With prior experience in this job, it was the first time in history that this had happened.
The most confusing part about this whole ordeal wasn't the state I was in but the fact that not even five minutes had passed since my scheduled departure from dhe RWC.
This was not possible. I had spent more than two weeks running around the dark castle alone.
But if I told this to the rift supervisor, I was sure they would think I was crazy and just trying to profit from the incident. After all there were already plenty of cases where people sued the RWC for their own benefits.
I get out of the pod and tap the supervisor on the shoulder. He almost jumped out of his seat.
"Aren't you supposed to be in the rift? You mutt."
"My time in the rift is still vague,"
Cutting him off I continue to say, knowing I can't do much since he's a noble and It would get me in trouble to stand up to him.
***
"So you are telling me you can't remember a thing from what you saw"
A voice came from the seat in front of me making it blatantly clear he was suspicious of me.
"But sir…."
"It must have malfunctioned"
ignoring me, he started to turn off the CODE RED and report my situation as a simple malfunction to all active members on this case. It was too unfair.
'A simple malfunction, I go through all that, and they just write it as if nothing had happened.'
Even though it was the best outcome for me, it reminded me of how unfair this world could be to those with no privileges and the impoverished.
Nevertheless, thinking I would not get any rewards since the mission had gone awry, I got off the rift platform and headed to get my bag of belongings and submit a report to the Secretary.
I was met with a couple of working-class rift walkers in the changing rooms as they walked out. We exchanged glances, and one of them was closer to a bump on my shoulder, which was intentional.
I turn my head, my eyes slit and one brow raised.
"Don't go hurting yourself"
My lips curled into a cocky smirk, of course done in purpose to piss them off. Surprised that a "Nobody" like me stood up for himself, he walked up to me in an intimidating fashion, clearly provoked by my attitude.
"We got a problem, mutt?"
In a mocking fashion he taunted gesturing with his fingers to have a to at him.
"I mean, I don't have one, but I can solve one"
My sarcastic way of speaking must have hit a nerve. Immediately he swung at me full force, trying to land a clean hit on my jaw. It was very predictable, so I just dodged, only to be tackled by the other one.
"That's not very kind of you, haha"
I laughed as they kicked me to the floor.
They got off me with a look of disgust, seeing that I could not fight back, and spat on the part of the ground next to me to show their disrespect.
"You're better off working in the slums underground, damn rat,"
He continued, almost short on breath from the beating they gave me.
Feeling lightheaded my eyes close as I slowly slip out of consciousness and wake up outside the gate of RWC.
Laying on the floor with my bag next to me and an envelope with a letter and some copper in it.
Investigators had swarmed the gates as the whole neighborhood had heard the alarm going off, but they seemed to be looking for another case that had just happened.
I opened the envelope not minding what was happening and was not surprised, my report was stamped as a false one and another letter attached to it wrote
"If you dare to say anything to the investigators or anyone we will exempt you from any profit that you may have had since the period January 20-May 16, and you will be in debt to the RWC for ten gold. We would advise you to think about it carefully and come to a conclusion."
The RWC usually does not take responsibility for any low-rank Rift Walkers being hurt inside the rifts especially unlicensed ones and when they do it's probably to save losing face.
But despite that, I had no choice I had a temporary license that I had gotten illegally in the black market near "The Nest of Ancients" an abandoned territory that was very dangerous.
The RWC was located inside the "Paradisio Waterfalls" the current territory of The House of Royal Angels, this was my temporary home and where I was brought up.
Living here was very hard due to most of the population being nobility. The nobles despise being in the presence of lower classes.
Since that's the case most families choose to hide in the lower parts that are called the Dark Waterfalls.
A small valley surrounded by dark-colored water tainted from the plants atop the mountain.
It is a quiet place, but the danger is always near if you don't protect yourself, you are likely to get robbed or killed for food and your belongings.
I always made sure to tell my brothers not to trust anyone, even though our neighbors were an elderly couple the possibility was still there.
The Royal Angels had an inn just past the mountain that divided the territory into the Paradisio Waterfalls and Dark Waterfalls.
Although I never frequented it, the place was full of thugs and nobles that were a part of the black market.
Shoving my body up with my bruised up hands, I get on my feet and head off to the market to buy ingredients and cook my brother's their promised meal.
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