Monday
For the first time in years, Eli didn't wake up to pain in his lower back.
Instead, the soft morning light filtered in through sheer curtains, casting warm amber stripes across the smooth wooden floor of the bedroom. The queen-sized mattress beneath him hugged his buddy with just the right amount of comfort, and the silence ,the true, uninterrupted kind, was almost surreal.
Just calm.
Eli blinked awake slowly, breathing in the faint lavender scent of clean sheets. A deep stretch rolled through his body, arms above his head, toes flexing against the plush duvet. For a second, he just lay there, listening to nothing, just smiling. It was a strange kind of peace he was still getting used to.
"Man," he mumbled, voice thick with sleep, "this bed's going to ruin me."
He sat up, swung his legs over the edge, and planted his feet on the soft rug. No cracked tiles. No dust. The apartment might still be half-full of boxes and clutter, but it was his. And Jin's. Their space.
He walked barefoot into the bathroom. The tiles were cool but clean, and a small flower sat in the window, soaking up the sun rays . Eli splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth, and glanced in the mirror, messy hair, but eyes clearer than they'd been in weeks.
The quick shower came next, hot, steady water pressure (finally),nice soap and a real towel waiting at the end. As steam fogged up the mirror, he caught his reflection again.
He looked… settled. Not entirely rested, maybe, but no longer running on survival.
Back in the kitchen, he opened the fridge. Real food. Milk that wasn't expired. Eggs that weren't cracked. A bunch of bananas Jin had chosen himself.
He peeled one, leaned against the island counter, and opened the system interface on his phone to sign in.
A soft chime greeted him.
System Interface
Sign-In Complete
Bank Balance: 113,000 yuan
He stared at the number for a moment,smaller than last week, but still enough. Enough to breathe.
Eli exhaled through his nose, taking another bite of banana, then looked out the wide window at Briggon.
He could already hear the early traffic,delivery bikes whirring, buses rumbling, someone blasting music from an open car window. The day was waiting. So was Jin's school, the Corner Pocket, and whatever chaos SuperMartX had planned next.
—----------------------------
"You sure you packed everything?" Eli asked, handing him a bag.
"Yeah," Jin said, then hesitated. "I think so."
"You'll be fine," Eli said with a smile that didn't quite hide the nerves. "Just find your classroom, try not to fight anyone, and maybe smile once or twice."
Jin smirked. "No promises."
Eli ruffled his hair. "Text me at lunch. And if anything feels weird, or off, or even slightly annoying—"
"I'll call you," Jin interrupted. "I got it, Eli. I'm not a little kid.
Outside, Jin adjusted the strap on his schoolbag, then gave a casual wave to someone down the road, which was likely Jian's driver waiting in the black Mercedes car parked just past the gate.
Eli watched in silence as Jin jogged lightly toward it, his figure shrinking with each step. The boy didn't look back, but Eli stood there anyway, unmoving, until the car turned the corner and disappeared into the bustling city.
There was a strange ache in his chest, something between pride and uncertainty. Jin was beginning to settle in, even thrive, but it made Eli all the more aware of the world waiting on the other side of their apartment door.
He let out a breath, slow and steady, then turned away from the window.
Time to face the other storm.
By 8:30 AM, Briggon was a different beast.
Music boomed from towering speakers outside SuperMartX. Red posters flew from lampposts like war banners. Employees in crisp silver uniforms clapped and chanted at the front doors, creating an endless wall of forced enthusiasm. A DJ hyped up the growing crowd, counting down every ten minutes.
The line already stretched down two streets. Drones hovered above, filming excited customers waving for opening-day livestreams.
Eli pushed through the early noise and walked to The Corner Pocket, where Mr. Duan was already setting up a small table outside with samples, cut fruit, a few store-made pastries, and some bottled water.
"You see the crowd?" Mr. Duan said without looking up. "It's like the circus came to town."
"They're giving out free rice cookers and smartwatches. First hundred through the doors." Eli pulled out his phone. "We've already lost six followers on the store account. One of them posted a selfie in line for SuperMartX."
Mr. Duan scoffed. "That's how it starts. Then they'll get tired. Then they'll come back."
Eli wasn't so sure.
At 9:00 am sharp, SuperMartX's doors opened with a dramatic flare of dry ice and flashing lights. Shoppers surged forward. An MC screamed into a mic about giveaways and "a new era of convenience for Briggon." Staff ran forward, placing shopping bags in the hands of everyone coming through the glass doors.
From across the street, it looked less like a store opening and more like a product launch at a tech expo.
Eli leaned against the checkout counter as he scrolled through livestreams in the area. Small influencers were posting already: unboxings, clips of long white aisles, automatic checkout, a smoothie robot,.
Jin's message pinged just then:
"Got to school. Class looks okay. No weirdo teachers yet."
Eli smiled briefly, but the moment faded as a regular customer walked past The Corner Pocket... and crossed the street to SuperMartX.
By noon, Eli counted at least twenty familiar faces in the crowd over there.
Inside The Corner Pocket, the silence felt heavier.
Mr. Duan leaned against a shelf. "Let them chase the flash. We'll still be here when it fades."
Eli nodded. But inside, he wondered just how long that would take.