Chapter 91 – Family

Chapter 91 – Family

The interior of the train was claustrophobic, and it wasn't just the stifling heat that made my body sweat; it was the uncertainty of what I would find in Awaniko. It had been six months since my last visit, and my memories of my hometown were vague, almost erased by the years I'd spent away, whether working as an explorer or at the Wushia Teaching Academy. Probably the city had changed like me.

The steel train's route through the devastated desert was a straight line, like most railroads today. The curves added to the already enormous travel time.

The aridity of the desert was punctuated by the ruins of ancient cities, the skeletons of a once thriving civilization. Rusting metal factory structures and collapsed buildings were everywhere.

'How did we get to this point?' The question hovered in my mind with no clear answer.

Perhaps it was a combination of human arrogance and inevitable disaster, a cycle of destruction that no one could stop. The result was right in front of me, unfolding like an endless horror movie.

A few hours passed, but the clock seemed to be ticking. The car, packed at first, was now almost empty. Some passengers got off in the small, forgotten towns along the way, while others remained, lost in their own thoughts, their faces expressionless, the marks of a life worn out.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, the landscape began to change. The desert gave way to a more familiar sight. The city Awaniko appeared on the horizon, its silhouette marked by tall, compact buildings surrounded by a sea of smaller structures. It was smaller and less grandiose than Republic City, but it still had an imposing air of its own.

As we approached the station, I could see that Awaniko, though smaller, had also become an incredibly crowded city.

Space seemed to be a luxury that no one could afford to waste, and every inch was used as efficiently as possible. The city was a hive of activity, incessant and relentless.

When the train finally stopped, I stood up, feeling the weight of hours of sitting on my tired muscles. The crowd, which had thinned along the way, seemed to have suddenly multiplied, and I found myself once again being pushed and carried along by the flow of people. Getting off the train was a struggle, a fight against the tide of bodies that seemed to be heading in the opposite direction.

As I left the station, a wave of hot, polluted air hit me. The city was alive with noise - the constant sound of voices, flying vehicles passing through the sky, and the clatter of machines and electronic devices working incessantly.

"You're thinner. I hope you've worked up an appetite, because I'm going to make your favorite dish."

"I'm starving." I replied.

She dragged me into her old apartment. The living room, with its antique furniture and worn rugs, was identical to how I remembered it. My father was sitting in the chair and when he saw me, a tired smile appeared on his face.

"Leonard..." he said, standing up to greet me. His handshake was firm, but I could feel the weakness in his fingers, something that worried me more than I wanted to admit. "It's good to see you, son. We thought you were dead." He said in words what I had deduced when I saw my mother's eyes.

"It's good to see you too, Dad." I said, pulling him into a hug that surprised him, but he accepted it.

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