It was eight years ago in the current timeline. Julian was 10 years old.

"Hey dude, what do you think the big city is like?"

Julian looked at his friend Tyler who was opening a bag of chips on his bed.

"I don't know. I've never been before. I hear that the buildings are super tall and there are millions of people. You might find yourself a girlfriend."

Julian punched Tyler's shoulder laughing.

"Me? You're the one who's never been on a date before."

"Not cool, man! Maybe I just haven't found the right person."

They both laughed and ate the snacks they bought at the store on their way home from school.

"Ya know, when we graduate high school, we should go there to Doxa City and join up with the Imperium. Guys like us with no parents don't have any sort of future here. I hear that they pay for travel expenses and a place to stay as long as you pass their entrance exam."

Julian thought about it for a minute.

"Well, as long as we both make it in, I don't have a problem with it. We could have each other's backs if we get into trouble."

"We'd have to learn a martial skill first. I don't think our abilities are gonna be much help."

The two boys looked depressed. Growing up without any parents wasn't easy for them.

Tyler looked up at Julian and smiled.

"Ya know what? Let's do it! We've got nothing to lose. As long as we dedicate ourselves to getting stronger, then we can do anything!"

Tyler stretched out his fist in front of Julian. Julian looked at him for a second and then smiled while bumping his fist against Tyler's.

"Yeah. Let's do it!"

.................................

Julian and his squad spent the rest of the week exploring the city and training during the evenings. When it was time to leave, they packed up their belongings and boarded a plane back to Doxa City.

The squad stepped out of the airport while the sun began to set over the buildings.

"Do you guys wanna go grab a bite to eat before we head home?"

Everyone agreed except Julian.

"You guys go ahead. There's somewhere else I want to go."

"Alright. Be careful, though. Call us if you need anything."

Luke gave Julian a slap on the back and left with everyone else. Julian boarded a monorail to the city outskirts.

He got off at the station and walked to a fenced area next to a patch of trees. He opened the gate and stepped inside. He walked for a couple of minutes before stopping at a tombstone near the back left corner of the fence.

Here lies

Tyler Joel Carter

2731-2748

May he rest in peace

"Hey, man. It's been a while since I came to visit. Longer for me than for you, though."

For Julian, it's been thousands of years. Not once did he come back to Earth to visit Tyler's grave. That was one of his biggest regrets in his previous timeline.

"I'm still sorry about what happened a year ago. I know you told me that it wasn't my fault, but I can't help but feel like it was. If you didn't jump in front of that gun, then it'd be me buried in that grave."

Julian's eyes began to tear up. He lost his best friend a year ago in an attack from the Inquisition in the sector of the city that the Imperium set them up in before their entrance exam.

"Did you know this one?"

Julian wiped his tears and turned to look at the person asking him a question.

Standing behind him was a young man with black hair.

"Yes. He was a close friend of mine."

"I'm sorry to hear that. I too have lost someone dear to me. I understand how you must feel."

The man reached his hand out to Julian.

"My name is Marcus. It's nice to meet you."

Julian shook his hand and smiled lightly.

"Julian."

"You know, Julian, there's a nice coffee shop nearby if you want to talk?"

Julian thought about it for a minute and then agreed. He felt that it wasn't a bad thing to share his troubles. Especially if the other person has similar experiences.

Before they left, Julian took a good look at Tyler's grave and noticed that the flowers that used to be there were long wilted and dead.

'Don't worry, Tyler. I'll be sure to come back and replace those for you.'

The two men sat down at the coffee shop and spoke for a while about their lives.

"So tell me about your childhood. For someone to come here from America, you must be pretty wealthy?"

"Actually, no. My friend and I came here with the help of the Imperium Education Program. They set us up with the flight over here and a place to sleep in the 10th Sector."

Marcus's eyes grew wide.

"The 10th sector? I thought that place was overrun with Inquisition troops a year ago?"

"It was. When the troops came, they raided every building in the sector and killed anyone who resisted."

"Is that how your friend passed away?"

Julian nodded his head.

"Yes. He was murdered by an Inquisition Soldier trying to save me. When they came into our room, I tried to run away. A soldier shot at me to keep me from escaping, but Tyler jumped in front of the bullet. Imperium soldiers arrived at that time and took out the Inquisition soldiers before they shot me as well."

Marcus couldn't help but feel sorry for Julian.

"That must've been rough on you. How long have you known each other before that?"

"We lived together when we were kids. Neither of us had any parents because of the famine that washed over the place where they lived. I was only 8 years old when they died. Tyler's parents died soon after, so we started looking out for each other to survive. The school we were attending didn't have the extra resources to take care of us, so we were on our own."

"You sound like you've had a rough life. How about I give you my contact info? If you like, we could hang out more? I might not compare to your late friend, but I'd be happy to become your new one."

Julian gave him a smile and nodded his head.

"Sure. Why not? It's nice to have someone who's good at listening."

The two exchanged contacts and parted ways.

'He doesn't seem so bad."

************************************************************

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