The First Step

[LOCATION: BULGARIA, CAPITAL CITY SOFIA, MALL PARADISE, ITEMS SELLING PLACE]

[DATE: 14.10.2024 MONDAY]

[TIME: 03:26PM]

The place inside the biggest mall in Sofia was full of many different people on lines waiting to sell the rewards they've gotten from the apartments dimensions. The differences and similarities between all the people were amazing. Everyone was different, yet the same. It was truly the place where the mall shined the most.

Then Daniel walked inside. He had just finished school and was in a hurry to sell the weapons he got from the apartment 2 days ago. As Daniel looked around, he saw all the lines were full, and it would take hours for him to finally reach the stand for selling.

"Seriously...i knew it i should've skipped school today.."

He sighed to himself as he got on one of the shorter lines, waiting for his turn. As he got on the line, one of the guys across the selling place was sitting down, drinking his coffee, pulling his phone, calling someone, and starting to speak.

"We found the guy with the black key."

"Is that so? Bring him to Varna then." (Varna is a beach city in Bulgaria.)

The guy on the phone replied as he finished the call. Then the guy who was drinking his coffee stood up, put the cup down, and walked towards the place for selling items. As the guy reached inside, he grabbed Daniel by the shoulder and spoke at him in a stern voice.

"Hello there, young mister."

Daniel turned around, looking at him calmly in the eyes, responding.

"How can i help you?"

"Well, i can see you hate to wait. And also, here, you'll get all of that for way cheaper than you usually do."

The guy, responding quickly and knowing exactly what to say, always responded calmly and quickly without a stutter. Daniel then thought about it. He might be right, Daniel never sold anything, so he didn't know the prize and responded.

"For real?"

"For real, for real. So tomorrow in Varna, there will be a place where you can sell anything for three times the price. We do it because we turn all the sold items into eco-friendly materials."

"Woah, that sounds amazing. I am going to get stuff three times more than normal, and yet i'll help to protect nature."

"Yeah, right? It's so beautiful to earn and yet protect nature. So would you like to come?"

"I would, but...I have no money to travel to Varna."

"Oh, that is no problem. Show me what you have!"

Daniel then put his hands in his pockets and took out the gold dagger and grenade, showing them to the person. The person thought, "Hmm...he isn't showing me the black key. Then we'll need to take him surely to the boss." and started speaking again with a fake smile.

"Woah, those look expensive. You'll get some crazy money, and we'll get amazing material. You know what? I'll request that you travel there for free. I'll hire a driver for you!"

"For real?"

Daniel replied, amazed, and the guy's smile became wider, speaking up again.

"Of course, i just need your phone number and location for tomorrow!"

"Alright,"

Daniel then gave him his coordinates and his phone, and the guy gave him a "See ya tomorrow" smile before walking away, so Daniel walked out of the place and started walking towards the cheapest place to eat. On the way there, he bumped into a boy around his age with darker skin, a small mustache, and blue eyes. Daniel apologized to the boy, and he responded with.

"It's fine, see ya tomorrow in class!"

As he walked away, Daniel started to wonder: "Was that really one of his classmates?" He never really turned his attention to any of them because he simply didn't want to socialize with them, but this boy seemed chill and cool.

"I should be thinking about it later."

He said to himself as he continued walking and sat on one of the tables infront a small food shop, seemingly cheaper than average. As he was sitting down, looking at his phone, the waitress came to him, flashing him a smile and giving him the menu as he opened it to decide what to eat.

[LOCATION: BULGARIA, VARNA, CASINO, BOSS ROOM]

[DATE: 14.10.2024 MONDAY]

[TIME: 04:10PM]

A very tall guy with colored white hair and golden teeth was sitting on an expensive couch with his feet on the glass table in front of him. He then spoke up to the workers who have surrounded him.

"Ciggaretee and fire. Now."

As he saw that everyone froze, one guy put a large cigarette in the guy's mouth, and the other one lit a 5 lev (ABOUT 2.78USD) banknote on fire and used it to light their boss' cigarette.

As he did that, the boss, still on the couch, took a puff from it and threw it on the ground. His name was Evgeni Radkov Dinev. Then Evgeni spoke again.

"I'm in a good mood, so pick up the cigarette before it burns the carpet."

After hearing this, one of the workers kneeled down, picking up the cigarette. Evgeni then put his feet on top of the worker, making the worker freeze in place in an uncomfortable kneeling position.

"Show quest."

Mumbled Evgeni as purple hologram like square appeared infront of him, saying:

[QUEST: FIND THE BOY WHO PUT HIS HANDS ON THE BLACK KEY]

[REWARD: 50 LEVELS]

[PUNISHMENT IF NOT COMPLETED: MINUS 30 LEVELS]

"Soon..."

The boss said as he kicked the worker on the ground. And ordering another cigarette.

[LOCATION: BULGARIA, CAPITAL CITY SOFIA, ONE OF SOFIA'S MANY ORHANAGES]

[DATE: 14.10.2024]

[TIME: 05:01PM]

Daniel walked inside the orphanage, being met by the caretaker (Elizabeth), who started speaking to him.

"Why are you so late?"

"I was hanging out with my new friends."

Daniel replied as she smiled at his response and started talking again.

"Awww you finally got friends. What's next? When are you going to tell us about a girl?"

Daniel's cheeks flushed red but then went back to normal as he replied.

"Currently, I am not focusing on getting one. Maybe when i'm done with what i am doing currently."

"And what are you doing currently?"

Daniel sighed, collecting his words, and spoke again.

"I'll gain money for the orphanage. I know it will close in 5 months if you don't pay a certain prize so i am going to pay it off."

Elizabeth's mood then fell and she looked at Daniel with a sad face.

"You don't have to worry about that. I'll make up the money, and even if it happens i'll make sure everybody gets a home before it happens."

"This is my home."

Daniel replied with confident voice. He was standing behind his words and won't be moved. He is dedicated to fulfilling his desire to save the orphanage and Elizabeth sighed and smiled at him.

"Alright but don't overwork yourself, you're still a student.

Then Daniel added.

"Also i'm sorry but i'll be out of the city for a couple of days. Me and my friends will go on camping, is it fine?"

Elizabeth nodded to his question with one quick "Alright, prepare your bags" escaped her lips as she went back to the kitchen to cook for the orphans. As Daniel heard that he got excited and ran upstairs to his room. He then put his school backpack on the ground and empited it as he started going through his wardrobe. After putting some important clothes and hoodies in the backpack he sighed.

"Ahh finally....Wait."

And then he turned around to grab the old scarf from the table and put it inside the backpack and zipped it up. He smiled as he laid down in bed looking at his phone opening social media to start looking at the short videos.

His lonely blue eyes gazed around the screen looking at videos. He saw all kind of things. Sad,comedic,romantic,etc, until the voice of Elizabeth shouting "It's time for dinner!" was heard so he put his slippers on and walked downstairs in the kitchen sitting down on the table.

"So, i've heard you got a girlfriend."

Said one of the kids smirking as Daniel looked at her confused replying.

"What? Who told you that?"

The kid shrugged her shoulder for "I don't know" and sat down on the table ready to eat. As everyone sat down on the table they did a quick prayer and started eating. While eating everyone had fun talking to each other and about their days. Daniel had dropped many lies throughout the entire time.

After they're all done eating Daniel spent the time in his room watching the stars from his bed. His blue eyes never letting go of the beautiful shiny picture infront of him. Daniel's mind was full of problems only, even after all the nice food he still felt empty from the inside.

[LOCATION: BULGARIA, CAPITAL CITY SOFIA, INFRONT ONE OF SOFIA'S MANY ORHANAGES]

[DATE: 15.10.2024]

[TIME: 06:05AM]

Daniel was waiting infront of the orphanage in the cold, the old scarf wrapped around his neck, his eyes roaming around gazing at everything. He was waiting for someone, someone important. As he looked at his right he saw a car coming from his right and he sighed.

"Ahh, finally..."

The car pulled infront of him and Daniel got inside with a smile, "hello" escaping from his lips as the driver looked annoyed at his greeting and Daniel spoke up.

"So you are going to get me to Varna, right?"

And the driver responded with dragged and annoyed "Yes, sir.". After hearing that Daniel responded.

"Woah, sir? So formal, thanks."

"I didn't called you sir because i want to, i did because i'm forced to."

Daniel looked at him curious asking.

"Forced? By who? And why?"

The driver didn't respond and started driving leaving Daniel with even more questions. But this is it, the first step of saving the orphanage. He just had to waited and he'll be able to save his friends. His family. His everything.

---TO BE CONTINUE---