Saying their goodbyes, Drew and Elias left the inn. Starting next week, they will begin to prep seriously for the Team Exam. It was two in the afternoon, and the heat from the two suns shining over Kraus began to fade. Walking back from the inn, Drew and Elias encountered the thugs from earlier. They were standing in another alleyway like lowlifes with nothing better to do than smoking their weed and taking large amounts of cocaine. It seems like they recovered quickly from all that running earlier. Ignoring the duo, the thugs retreated farther into the alleyway, a couple of them shuddering.


    “They have nothing better to do,” Drew remarked as he watched their backs fade into the darkness.


    “After my father gave them a good beating, they just walk around Glass Road aimlessly.”


    “You mentioned earlier that they flunked out of Star. Do you know why?”


    Elias nodded, “Everyone on Glass Road knows.”


    “The guy with the red shirt and bleached blond hair is Price, the leader. He’s a year older than us, and so are his buddies. The one wearing the sunglasses is Kenneth, and the one with the skull-patterned bandanna is Riush. They used to be part of Star’s Genius Class. “


    Drew’s eyes widened.


    “The Genius Class! How? They’re Low F-Rank.”


    “That’s because they weren’t Low F-Rank. Price used to be Mid-E Rank while Kenneth and Riush were Low E-Rank."


    “Even so,” Drew began furrowing his brows, “they still couldn’t have gotten into the Genius Class with their current Class.”


    “You''re right!” Elias continues, his expression turned dark. “They were the only team in their year to get a full score on the Team Exam two years ago.”


    “The only team?”


    “Yeah, a hundred teams took part in that Team Exam,  but only fifteen passed while one got a full score. That team was Price’s. They may be stoners, but they used to be up there.”


    “Were they from Glass Road?”


    “No.” Elias replied, “Price was from a family of politicians that lived in Highland Hills. Kenneth is from a family of Alchemists who are directors at Ozwarth’s Medical Facility, while Riush is from a family of movie stars. You may know one of them, Albert Francisco. He''s Riush’s older brother.”


    >>>


    Highland Hills is one of the wealthiest neighborhoods in Ozwarth, with estates ranging from 10 million Kalas up to 25 million Kalas. Many prominent figures in Ozwarth live there, including some Royals. Ozwarth’s Medical Facility is the best medical facility in Kraus and is ranked in the top 50 in the Orion Alliance. And who in the Orion Alliance doesn’t know Albert Francisco? He’s played the male lead in many of the Orion Alliance''s top films. Not only that, but he''s also a military superstar ranked 449 in the Orion Alliance. He was basically a household name on Kraus.


    >>>


    “To think they were all from prominent families,” Drew said in awe, rubbing his chin.


    "Yeah," Elias nodded, looking up at the sky. "But they were exiled from their families after they were crippled in the battle for a spot at the Intergalactic Meet last year."


    "Crippled? By who?"


    "Nicholas Goujian and his team. They destroyed their Otrio cores, causing their Abilities to regress back to Low F-Class. Due to this, they were placed in Star''s Low Class for a couple of months before dropping out. Next thing you know, they''re wasting their lives out here in this dump."


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Everyone here seems to have it rough."


    "That''s why it''s called Glass Road."


    "Huh?"


    Elias smiled.


    "It''s because we have all been shattered at one point. All the residents of Glass Road are haunted by their pasts, and we keep looking back at them through some lens. It shatters us over and over again. No matter how many times we try to escape from it, it comes back to haunt us. We are broken a hundred, no, a thousand times till our mentality snaps, but eventually, we keep going. We are resilient. We try to break the ''glass'' that prevents us from moving on no matter how long it takes, but now I know. To shatter the glass, you need people you can rely on.  You don''t realize it, but you and Wan have shattered mine. Now, I can focus on what I have to do."


    Drew looked at Elias. He began to understand that both of them shared more in common than he initially thought they would.


    "I didn''t do much." The Avian admitted. "However, when I saw you, I saw myself. Both of us clinging tightly to what has been, wallowing in our sorrow, wondering how we could''ve changed the past." Drew then held out his fist. "But that''s not possible. It''s not like we have a time machine on hand. Instead, we should live on. Live on and make the people who''ve passed through our lives proud that we remembered them and have grown stronger from their influence."


    Elias grinned, though straining to through the stiffness of his face from breaking down earlier, and fist-bumped Drew. "I like your thinking."


    >>>


    The duo arrived back home with large smiles curling on their faces. Uncle Ryhard looked at the duo and cried. Tears began to well up in his eyes, but he wiped them away with the back of his greasy sleeve to ensure he wasn''t just imagining things. For the first time since he shut himself in, Elias smiled. It wasn''t some forced smile but a real, genuine smile. He had tried so hard to help his son out of his slump, but all his efforts were in vain.


    But something happened today. Something on their outing must''ve caused this change. It was very astonishing! Too abnormal! What happened to make him change this quickly? Then he saw the duo. A wave of nostalgia overtook his mind. The events before him made it seem like history was repeating itself. Seeing Drew''s back, he saw him, Drew''s father—a spitting image of him. Ryhard felt grateful.


    <i>Gareth, your son has grown up to become a fine young man.</i>


    Drew turned to Uncle Ryhard, who was rubbing his eyes in disbelief.


    "We''re back, Uncle Ryhard." He called,d waving to him.


    Then, Elias turned to his father and grinned.


    "I''m home, father."


    Those three words. At that moment, just three words made Uncle Ryhard feel as if he were the happiest man alive. His son had rebounded from whatever event traumatized him, and he was back to being better than ever. He couldn''t hold it back anymore. He was going to cry. Not tears of sorrow but tears of happiness. Auntie would be ecstatic to know that her son, no, their son, had returned.


    "Welcome home," he sniffed, "Son."


    >>>


    Hours passed, and Auntie had just arrived back from work, but her son was with them instead of being greeted by just her husband and Drew. For the first time in months, Elias had come out of his room and greeted her in person. He even helped make dinner, just like the good old days. She could not help but be ecstatic. She tossed off her heels and jumped on top of her son. She could finally embrace him after so long, and he embraced her.


    "I''m sorry," she sniffled as the makeup on her face began to smudge, the mascara painting her face with a nasty blue. "I''m so sorry, Elias."


    Elias, a head taller, patted his mother on the back.


    "You did nothing wrong. It''s my fault. I''m sorry I never told you or Father what happened. I should have said something earlier."


    Drew remained silent and leaned against the wall, watching the scene play out.


    She broke away from his embrace and patted his flabby shoulders. She stammered, "Why? How?"


    "It''s all thanks to Drew and Wan." He said, pointing to Drew.


    Drew nodded in acknowledgment.


    Auntie smiled.


    "Thank you," she said, hugging Drew in gratitude. "You also mentioned Wan. The innkeeper''s daughter?"


    "Yeah." Drew nodded. "She deserves most of the credit."


    Uncle Ryhard chuckled, "The Louis''s are known for their kindness."


    "Yeah," Elias beamed.


    Suddenly, a mischievous smirk materialized on Auntie''s and Uncle''s faces.


    "I feel our son may have fallen for that Wan girl. Don''t cha think, honey?" Auntie said, stroking her chin.


    "What?" Elias screamed, his face flushing red, "No, that''s not it! I''m just thankful for what she has done for me. It''s simply gratitude!"


    "Hmm." Uncle Ryhard nodded. "You should bring her over."


    Elias backed away.


    "You both are blowing this out of proportion! Drew, help me!"


    "Sorry," Drew snickered. "You''re on your own for this one."


    "Oh, Sonny," Auntie said as an evil smile formed. "You''re going to answer all our questions over dinner."


    A shrill scream escaped the Human''s mouth. His glasses fogged till his eyes were no longer visible.


    "MOTHER OF KRAUS! HELP ME!"