The inside of the Walker Association was grand, to say the least. Towering buildings filled the vast estate, each one easily fifty floors high, their presence overwhelming and oppressive in a way that made it painfully clear who truly ruled the world now.
"Excuse me, where is the Walker registration building?"
Logan asked a nearby guard, his tone polite and restrained.
"It's the third one from the right," the guard replied curtly.
Logan nodded and headed in that direction. The moment he stepped inside the building, his attention was drawn to the interior. Spacious halls stretched outward, and long lines of teenagers, all around eighteen years old, stood patiently before several reception counters.
'So this is where we get registered!' Logan thought as he joined one of the queues.
The Walker Association was the new ruler of Earth by all means. It controlled the Walkers, the nightmares, and by extension, humanity itself. Standing here, surrounded by others hoping to step into that world, made that reality feel far more tangible than any broadcast or announcement ever could.
Before long, it was his turn.
"Hello," Logan said calmly. "I would like to register as a new Walker, please."
The female officer behind the counter had pink hair and a professional expression. She nodded and asked him a few basic questions, her fingers moving swiftly across the terminal as she confirmed his information.
"Alright," she said after a moment. "That's all I needed to ask. I just need to see your nightmare now, that's it. Judging from appearances, the scout owl sitting on your shoulder must be it."
She glanced toward Sage as she spoke.
Logan nodded in response, though a faint sense of unease crept into his chest. Sage was being far too quiet. Far too well-behaved…
Something was wrong.
Logan turned his head slightly, following the officer's line of sight.
And as expected, his suspicion was confirmed.
The owl was staring bullets at the officer's cleavage, its glowing eyes locked on with an intensity that surpassed all shamelessness. The officer noticed at the same time, her expression stiffening as her gaze dropped for just a split second before snapping back up.
An awkward silence settled between them…
'So that's why I thought you were behaving,' Logan thought bitterly.
The silence began to stretch uncomfortably, thick enough to choke on. Logan cleared his throat lightly, forcing a polite smile onto his face.
"C-can you please make it quick?" he said. "I have an appointment later…"
The officer blinked once, then nodded as if nothing awkward had happened. She gestured toward a sleek metallic scanner beside the counter.
"Place your nightmare on the scanner."
Logan reached up and placed Sage down without hesitation. The owl immediately puffed up its feathers in protest as the scanner activated. A soft blue light washed over his body while lines of data appeared on the screen.
"Oi! Hey! Watch it!" Sage squawked. "Do you know how rare these feathers are?! If this thing messes up my shine, I'm suing someone!"
Logan didn't even bother responding.
The scan lasted only a few seconds, but Sage found plenty of time to complain.
"Hmph! Cold, invasive, and utterly disrespectful," the owl muttered. "Back in my day, beauties were admired, not scanned…"
Finally, the machine beeped and powered down.
"All done," the officer said calmly as a card slid out from the terminal. "Here is your Walker identification card. Your ten-thousand-dollar new Walker bonus will be transferred to your bank account shortly."
Logan accepted the card and nodded.
Ten thousand dollars.
That single number was the reason he had rushed here without even informing his mother first. For a family with no Walkers until now, like his, ten thousand dollars was more than just money.
"Thank you very much!" Logan said sincerely.
Before Sage could say anything else, Logan reached up and grabbed the owl by the ears.
"Ow!!! Ow!!! Hey, easy!" Sage cried out. "I was this close to uncovering the secrets of the abyss! Do you have any idea how rare such moments are?! I swear, the depth was calling me!"
"Shut up!" Logan snapped.
Still squabbling, the two of them exited the building as they made their way back toward home…
Logan hailed a taxi outside the Walker Association without hesitation. The moment he slid into the back seat, an odd sense of unreality settled in his chest.
A taxi.
Something so ordinary, yet something he had always avoided unless absolutely necessary. Before today, this kind of expense would have lingered in his mind for days, guilt gnawing at him the entire ride. Now, for the first time, he had used a taxi twice in a single day.
'So this is what having money feels like…'
Sage, perched by the window, clicked his beak in amusement. "Hah! Look at you, living like a high-class human already. Careful, Logan. Luxury is addictive."
"Shut it," Logan muttered, though the corner of his lips twitched slightly.
The taxi eventually slowed to a stop, and Logan paid the fare without flinching. As he stepped out, reality came crashing back in.
This was home.
The outskirts of the Rexeria region stretched before him, a sharp contrast to the polished grandeur of the Walker Association.
Narrow streets, worn-down buildings, and cracked walls layered with faded paint and old posters surrounded him on all sides. The air carried the familiar smell of dust, oil, and cheap street food.
It wasn't officially a slum, but it might as well have been.
Logan adjusted the strap of his bag and glanced around instinctively, a habit ingrained from years of living here. His shoulders straightened slightly, his expression tightening as he assessed his surroundings.
There were no threats. No trouble… for now.
"Ah, the nostalgic scent of poverty," Sage remarked dramatically. "Truly humbling."
Instead of heading straight toward the apartment blocks, Logan turned left, his steps slowing as a small shop came into view. The sign above it flickered weakly, one corner hanging loose, its faded letters barely readable anymore.
It was his mother's shop.
It wasn't a proper store, nor a restaurant. Just a small food-making shop where she cooked simple meals and sold them to passersby, barely earning enough to scrape by, pay his sister's medical bills… and keep up with the loan.
Logan stopped in front of it.
The door was half open.
He stepped inside, expecting to be greeted by his mother's familiar smile.
Instead, his eyes landed on broken chairs and overturned tables as his heart sank.
'What happened here?' he thought as he hurried toward the kitchen, dread tightening in his chest.