Chapter 22: Deal With The Devil
A young man wore a baseball cap that cast shadows across his face, pressing his hair flat beneath it. His tall frame moved with purpose—a sweatshirt and baggy pants dancing with each step as the wind caught the loose fabric.
He was walking fast. Really fast.
He crossed the zebra crossing as the traffic light changed. Few people shared the street with him since most were either at work or, more likely, in Evo. Empty streets like this had become normal during the day.
The city only came alive at night. That’s when folks had to surface from their virtual lives to tend to their kids. No matter how much Evolution Online pulled people from the real world, some stubborn souls still found dignity in their work and refused to trade their lives for a game.
Those were the people who still taught at schools. Since the legal age for Evo was eighteen, every student had no choice but to attend real classes. Parents had to emerge from the game each evening to pick up their kids or cook dinner.
Lucien stopped at a roadside restaurant with sleek design and inviting atmosphere. He scanned the area quickly and spotted a young lady sitting cross-legged, a newspaper hiding her face.
He slipped toward her table and sat across from her. His head dipped low as someone walked past. Then he grabbed the coffee sitting in front of the lady and drank it down.
"Suuuuhhh... Ahhhh, that hit the spot."
The lady lowered her newspaper and shot him a sharp look.
"Who said you could finish that?"
Lucien smiled, leaning forward on the table.