The beach view today was truly stunning. A clear blue sky stretched endlessly without a single cloud, and the sea breeze blew gently, carrying a refreshing salty scent. Waves rolled in softly, breaking gently at the shoreline, creating a soothing rhythmic sound.
I wore the same old pair of shorts I'd used every summer. Nothing special—just loose and comfortable enough for swimming. I hadn't touched the water yet, but the warm sand had already relaxed my feet.
I walked casually, approaching Chloe and Avery who were standing near a coconut tree. Chloe waved as she saw me. Avery remained quiet, but slightly nodded in my direction as a greeting. But before I could reach them, my eyes were drawn to a small commotion near the beach mat area.
A middle-aged man in ragged clothes was crouching in front of a small ice cream stall. In front of him stood three young people in flashy outfits. One of them, a muscular man in a half-unbuttoned white shirt, was pointing at the old man's face while shouting loudly.
"If you can't pay, don't even think about stopping by our place! This isn't for low-class people like you!"
The voice was sharp and unpleasant. Some beachgoers turned to look, but no one dared to approach. The old man could only lower his head. His hands were trembling as he tried to explain something, pulling out a small wallet from his pocket. But the muscular guy slapped the hand away, sending the wallet flying into the sand.
I froze in place. My breathing grew heavy—not from fatigue, but from anger. I glanced at Chloe and Avery, who had also noticed the commotion. Chloe walked quickly toward me, her expression serious.
"Ethan," she said firmly. "Don't get involved."
I stared at her in disbelief. "You see what they're doing."
"I know. But you don't understand who they are."
I clenched my fists. "People like that shouldn't be allowed to act like this."
"If you stand against them," Chloe continued, "you'll be standing against city officials. They have authority. They're not ordinary people."
I looked at her closely. "They're officials' kids?"
She shook her head. "No. But just as dangerous. They're corporate heirs. Their family just sold their company to Dynamiq Electric Corp."
My brows furrowed. That name sounded familiar.
"Dynamiq?" I repeated.
"Yeah. An energy and tech corporation. They're now in collaboration with Helix Industries."
My heart sank.
Helix Industries Corporation—the name wasn't just another company. They controlled lives. One of the few megacorporations that didn't just sell tech, manufacturing, and services, but also bribed, pressured, and shaped policy across the MU continent.
"And you know," Chloe continued in a lower voice, "Dynamiq is now getting funding from Helix. They're starting to influence this city's officials. Bribing their way into permits, projects—even legal protection."
I bit my lip. Every part of me wanted to storm over and slap that arrogant guy. But Chloe's words held me back.
"If you go up against them now," she said, "you won't be the only one dragged into it. We all could be. Even Alexa could be hit with fabricated charges. Do you understand?"
I stared at Chloe for a long moment, trying to swallow the rage. Then I turned back to the scene. The old man had slowly stood up and picked up his wallet, helped by a small boy who had appeared out of nowhere. The arrogant man and his friends laughed mockingly before walking away, not a shred of guilt on their faces.
My fists clenched tighter. But I didn't move. Avery eventually walked up beside us. She didn't say a word, just stood next to me watching what had just happened.
"I hate this," I muttered.
Avery answered with a single sentence. "So do I."
The silence hung for a while. Chloe lightly gripped my forearm, then said softly, "Not every battle can be won through direct confrontation. Sometimes you have to wait for the right moment."
I didn't reply, but I gave a slow nod. Finally, we walked over to the mat under the tree. Chloe sat down first, opened a bottle of water, and started chatting with Avery about the mango-flavored ice cream she saw earlier.
I sat beside them. My eyes were still locked on the ocean. The waves continued to roll in gently. The sky remained blue. Yet my mind was stuck on what just happened. Them… people like that.
The rich, the arrogant, the ones who trampled the weak as if life was theirs alone. I could tolerate many things in this world, but not abuse of power. Not power bought with dirty money, used to crush others with zero accountability.
I glanced at Chloe, now calmly sitting on the mat as if nothing had happened.
"Chloe," I called softly.
She turned. "Hm?"
"Do you know more about them? People like… that guy?"
Chloe took a breath and put down her water bottle. "If you mean people called the Arkhein… no. I don't know much."
"Arkhein?" I echoed the word, hearing it for the first time in a live conversation.
She nodded. "It's a nickname. Not an official title. Regular people call them that. The ultra-rich, the oligarchs, the mafia… those whose money can manipulate the law and silence the truth."
I looked her in the eyes. "And you don't know what they're doing? How they've been bribing this city's officials?"
Chloe shook her head, her expression honest. "I know they're dangerous. But I don't know the details. Who they've bribed, how they run their business, or who their victims are… everything's too sealed. I've never dealt with them directly."
Her answer left me quiet for a moment. The waves kept coming and going, but in my head, only echoes of anger remained.
"This is wrong," I muttered under my breath.
Chloe said nothing.
"I don't want to see this keep happening in this world," I continued, more firmly. "A world where people are crushed just because they don't have power. A world where money can buy the law, buy people, buy everything. It shouldn't be like this."
Alexa—no, Avery—standing beside me, kept her gaze on the sea. She didn't say much, as usual, but I knew she was listening. We began walking away from the area. Me, Avery, and Chloe walked past them—the young Arkhein, still laughing as if nothing had happened.
I didn't look back. But I knew they were watching us. And I didn't care. As we walked, Chloe picked up her pace slightly, moving ahead of us.
"I'll find a quieter spot," she said, glancing back briefly. "Somewhere away from people like them."
I just nodded. Avery stayed beside me, silent as ever. Chloe eventually found a decent space by the edge of the beach. Not too crowded, near a few large rocks that offered some shade. She laid out the mat, placed her belongings down, and started setting up to sunbathe. Her hands moved busily with sunscreen, while her straw hat shielded her face from the direct sun.
I placed my bag beside a flat boulder, then stood for a moment, taking a deep breath. The northern sea breeze on the MU continent felt different than anywhere else. Sharper, perhaps saltier, maybe wilder. But it felt… real.
I closed my eyes for a moment. My breath went in slowly, then out in a long exhale. One deep breath that seemed to release all the frustration, chaos, and bottled-up energy from my body.
Avery stood beside me, hands in the pockets of her beach shorts. Her long hair was blown by the wind, her eyes locked onto the sea—quiet, sharp, calculating as always.
"You come to places like this often?" I asked softly, just to break the silence.
"Not really," she replied shortly.
"But you look comfortable."
"This kind of wind," she said, "blows away the things that don't matter."
I let out a small smile. "Feels like I need a lot of wind today."
She didn't respond, but her gaze never shifted. Behind us, Chloe had begun to lie down, eyes closed, perhaps trying to forget the commotion from earlier. In front of me, the sea kept moving, as if it didn't care about the chaos of the world.
And between the three of us… there was a pause. A moment without words, without conflict, without noise. Just the air, the sand, and the sky. And for now… that was enough.