Earth, Year 2027

  “All students, finish your homework by Monday. Saturday and Sunday will be holidays this week. Especially you, Neil.”

  The teacher looked directly at him while speaking.

  Neil raised an eyebrow slightly.

  “Why did you say especially me, sir?”

  The classroom was bright white, with wide windows letting sunlight flood the room.

  The teacher continued checking Tony and Steve’s notebooks before replying.

  “Because you’re the one who goes exploring different locations every week.”

  Steve and Tony opened their lunch boxes. Inside were hotdogs recommended by the AI food system.

  Neil leaned toward them and smiled.

  “I can make better hotdogs than that with my own hands.”

  After school, Neil returned home.

  He dropped his bag on the floor and opened his notebook. In the space where students were supposed to write their names, he slowly wrote a single phrase:

  No Name.

  Back in Huraha.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Vesca stood outside a small tea shop owned by a Quil he visited almost every day.

  He took a slow sip.

  “The tea is quite sweet today… but I think I’m the one who spreads bitterness,” Vesca muttered while looking up at the sky.

  The rain had stopped, but the silence had only grown deeper.

  Somewhere in the distance, the flute was still playing.

  Vesca pulled out his phone and dialed the Guru.

  “I’ll come back soon. But for your own sake, stop playing that boring flute.”

  There was no reply.

  Vesca finished the tea and handed the cup back to the shopkeeper, placing a coin on the counter.

  “Come to the pravachan after you finish selling your tea,” Vesca said before leaving.

  The time was 5:40 PM.

  The violet sky was slowly fading.

  Vesca hurried home and switched on the large microphone system connected to the whole land of Huraha.

  Just as he was adjusting the controls, someone knocked on the door.

  “Don’t start it yet, fool. The Guru is still resting.”

  Vesca frowned.

  “Heh… don’t teach me what to do, idiot. I’m Guru’s playboy, not his servant.”

  The door opened.

  A girl entered.

  She looked very similar to Vesca — the same facial structure and sharp eyes — but her skin tone was slightly different.

  It was his sister.

  She sat down calmly on a chair and looked at him with concern.

  “What’s that brown scar on your face? Did someone hit you?”

  Vesca quickly turned his head away.

  “No. I just slipped in the mud near the tea shop.”

  She sighed.

  “Then why are you setting up this old microphone that grandfather left? What’s the reason for using it?”

  Vesca tapped the microphone with his knuckles.

  “Because Guru wants the entire Huraha to hear today’s pravachan. And I’m his playboy… which means I’ll replace him after his death.”

  He paused for a moment before looking at her again.

  “I’m working here. Why aren’t you at school today, Alice? Is it your wedding or something?”

  Alice hesitated.

  “Oh… school. I wanted to go, but something feels strange today. I can’t explain it.”

  She looked down at her hands.

  “You know I’m very intelligent, Veco…”

  Vesca smirked slightly.

  “Hmm. Is it because of that boy named Heso? The one who proposed to you… and you still haven’t rejected him?”

  Alice’s face immediately turned red.

  She said nothing.

  Vesca leaned against the wall and asked casually,

  “By the way… what’s that boy’s family name? I never asked.”

  Alice hesitated again before answering quietly.

  “His name is Aja Jo Volka. He’s the son of Halloween… the minister of the Master.”

  For a moment, Vesca said nothing.

  He slowly scratched the side of his neck.

  Then he stood up.

  “I’m going to meet the Guru.”

  He walked out of the house.

  The moment he stepped outside, he muttered to himself quietly:

  “So… he’s Halloween’s son.”