An endless luscious forest, trees covering the plains and mountains. The sight before him was truly magnificent. He had to admit, he had missed this quite a bit. The refreshing scene of nature left to its own devices.

Even if he knew that this view was artificial, he was still mesmerized. These trees were far from being natural. Their leaves were a transparent green, while their trunks seemed to be covered in green moss. Despite that, through the window of the train, he would often see animals wandering without care. The dome that surrounded the train let him see the roots that would come out of the ground to cover it. From time to time, they would pulse in a bright blue glow. This was simply astonishing to him, every time he had to go visit his adoptive family he would find it worth it just to witness this.

For those who lived in the cities, nature was a rare sight. Although they had their beauty, cities were dense and left no place for roads, not to mention nature.

Slava wasn't too keen on this trip, but he knew that he had to do it once in a while. At least he'd get to see his little sister.

The journey itself was short which was unfortunate. Once he arrived at his destination he exited the station where a vehicle with the word "Scern" projected on its windows waited for him.

Sighing, Slava started walking. Upon reaching it, its door slid open revealing a leather-laced interior.

"Greetings, Sir, we will be arriving in 2 minutes 36 seconds. Please brace yourself for acceleration." a robotic voice said.

He buckled his seatbelt and looked out of the tinted window. The underground was much plainer. Maybe it was because of how much time he had spent here in the past, but the magnificent ceiling of glowing roots looked like rot. While the buildings below him, each having an intricate and unique style, looked, to him, like a mismatched puzzle, even though they were designed to complement each other. Following a sudden deceleration, they stopped and slowly descended onto the ground below.

“We have arrived.” With this, the doors opened revealing a magnificent mansion.

“I guess we have huh?” he murmured, staring it down. The design was medieval, the General was a fan of history and it showed. When he approached the door, it opened with a peculiar sound.

The inside was nothing less than awe-inspiring. The walls were lined with an intricately carved tapestry that melded perfectly with the dark wooden floor. Above him, was a golden chandelier that illuminated the hall.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Slava's eyes shifted following the staircase to the second floor.

"Vich!" said the young girl that had appeared. She looked no older than 12. She had short, bright, almost golden blond hair and her deep brown eyes glimmered with the flame of youth. Seeing him she didn't hesitate, excitedly jumping over the railing. Landing effortlessly, she rushed over to hug him.

"Shouldn't you use the stairs?" he said, chuckling, embracing her in his arms. There she was, his little treasure, the person he cherished most. He would do anything to protect her and her future.

"I did warn her about it, but it seems like she had no intention of listening" At the sound of those words, the small body in his arms shivered before turning around.

"But mooom!" she said in a slightly sorrowful voice.

"It's fine Anissa, we wouldn't want to make trouble for your brother today," he heard a familiar voice say. "I ought to talk to your father about how you approach training." A few seconds later a woman appeared at the railing above them. Her long braided hair shared the color of her daughter’s and although her age started to show, it manifested in her grace and elegance. The dress she was wearing amplified this demeanor even more. When he met her bright green eyes, she spoke once more. "Ah, Vich it's good to see you again," she told him, gracefully smiling. That smile radiated confidence and assertiveness but showed nothing more.

Slava had always admired his adoptive mother for that. She would never show unnecessary emotions. Straightforward, calm, and composed. Those were the characteristics she displayed. He could never read through her and he admired that.

"Yes, you to mother," he said, slightly bowing his head. When he faced her, an overwhelming sense of awe and comfort always overcame him.

"Why don't you follow me? I'll guide you to your room," she said, signaling for him to come up. "Anissa, go see your father, inform him that your brother has arrived." Hearing her words, Anissa disgruntledly let him go, allowing Slava to climb the stairs. Waving at her, he waited for he to leave. Once she'd left, he started ascending the stairs.

"Thank you for coming, Anissa really missed you," she said as he reached her.

"I only wish to be a good example for Anissa," he said in the same neutral tone. This was how their conversations went, no unnecessary words with twisted meanings, only short straightforward conversations.

"Yes, of course," she nodded. Looking at her nude back, her distinguished muscles were covered in scars, no doubt accumulated from countless battles. Following her back, up her left shoulder, and down her arm, he could see intricate circuit-like tattoos twisting and turning to finally lead to the back of her hand, where they met to form what looked like an ethereal flame. "Here's your room, the meal will be ready in 30 minutes." Shifting his gaze and stepping inside, he let the words he wanted to say leave his mouth.

"Thank you, mother," he said. No matter what he wanted to do, she was always the one to push him to meet his goals and follow his dreams. He might've felt uncomfortable here but he knew she always did her best. “Thank you for always believing in me.” To his words, her expression twitched slightly. He couldn't discern her full facial features because of the corridor's light blinding him and when his eyes had adjusted, she'd already turned around.

“Take care, we’ll be waiting for you downstairs.” Closing the door, she left, leaving him alone.

It hadn’t changed one bit. From window to wall, it was plain and simple. Simple tapestry adorning the walls, plain furniture complimenting it. The only thing that stood out was the bookshelf, filled to the brim with books handpicked by the General himself. Compared to his little sister’s room filled with war hero posters and training equipment you would almost think he got mistreated. But that wasn’t the case, Slava simply never needed material possessions. He would rarely stay home. When young he would always seek to find what he needed outside. Whether it be training, studying, or relaxing, he would rather go to the surface.

Walking to the window, he was presented with a magnificent view. Vines constantly pulsing with lights that reflected the sky all converging towards a massive Pillar in the distance emitting a glow that would shift with the time of day. It was the core of the city, above it, somewhere was his dorm. At its feet, the ground spread out in a chaotic, yet orderly way. Every building reflected its own time period, creating what looked like a city lost in time. Some were on hills, some were floating, and some were burrowed, but all of them were unique. The roads above were lively, with people and vehicles coming and going. Sighing, Slava closed his eyes, taking a deep breath.