"Although the town of Slough wasn't known for its grand universities and education scene, it still had the standard facilities that would allow one to progress into a career like a job if possible.

For many young people, the situation was tough, as even having a degree wasn't a guarantee of a job, and many were aware of this fact. Due to fierce competition, even the choice of university became a deciding factor in job opportunities.

The students knew this, which was why many who attended the University in the old town of Slough, now a city, knew there was next to no hope for them. Often, heading to the university was either a last-ditch effort or simply a way to buy time until they were forced to find a job in the harsh outside environment.

That's why many students had joined color gangs to pass the time or, perhaps, pursue a future in a different direction, leading them into a life of crime. However, things weren't the same in Slough now.

They were attempting to clean up that reputation, and that included the university itself. Two of those attending Slough University were Amy and White.

They were in the last class of the day, in a room that could hold around two hundred students or so, but the room was only about a quarter full, and some of those inside were even asleep.

Not many chose economics given the current state of the world, especially since they saw more value in other things such as Altered ranks, power, and other things that were somewhat harder to gauge.

Yet, Amy had chosen it, with the hope of a better future in her sights and her love for math. Sitting by her side in the lecture hall was White, someone who had strangely chosen every single course that she had.

Amy didn't mind this; in fact, she liked it due to her friendship with White. But it just felt like White was living a life that wasn't her own, and at times she was like a bodyguard. It made her wonder if the two of them would still be friends if this wasn't the case.

"Hey," White called out, reaching over and shaking Amy's arm. She had been dozing off, nearly looking at the ceiling rather than the professor who was teaching in the room. "I told you that we shouldn't have come in today; I knew your mind would be preoccupied with the news report."

"And I knew that if I didn't come in, you would have stayed in the dorm anyway," Amy replied.

"Well, how would I have been able to concentrate when I see you here like this?"

"I'm not a child," Amy replied back, almost snappy. "I can make my own decisions and do as I wish. I know you mean well, but too many things have been happening too fast."

Amy had learned the details of her previous best friend's parents' death. A short while later, a report came out that her brother had been taken in by the White Rose. Due to how high profile her brother had become, or at least how famous he was a year ago, it was quite the article.

The only saving grace was that next to no one knew that Amy Dem was related to Gary Dem; they just shared the same last name. In the end, Amy just couldn't get into the lesson, and as it came to an end, she picked herself up and started to head out of the university hall.

Before heading back, she stopped by the vending machine, looking at the snacks and drinks. She had the money to buy stuff, but she didn't feel hungry or thirsty at all.

"It's strange, right?" Amy laughed as she could see her face's reflection on the glass. "Before, I would have never dreamed of using a vending machine to get food. They jack up the prices compared to the supermarkets, and even then, we would go at a certain time of day to wait until the items were discounted on the shelves.”

"I used to get jealous of those who could waste money on buying expensive items from these machines, not caring about the extra cost. I thought I couldn't wait to live a life like that. Now, because of Gary's help, I could buy every item in the machine, and I would be fine.”

"Yet now... I would give everything, I would give every little thing, to live the life I had before when I was with Gary and my mom, when we were all together."

Amy turned to look at White, her eyes welling up with tears. "Is this happening because I wished for a better life? Is all of this happening because now I can buy what I want from this freaking vending machine!" Amy turned around and threw out the side of her hand, hitting the glass.

The machine shook slightly, but it didn't break, nor did anything drop from it. Instead, in that moment, White just held Amy tightly, letting her sob it all out.

"This is not your fault, Amy, trust me," White replied. "You know, sometimes we think we have the power to influence things because we see the world from our own view. But the reality is that everyone is a little piece in the grand scheme of things. There are only a few who can really make an impact.”

"You wishing for a better life didn't cause this. It was just the decisions of several selfish people that went on to cause this, and your brother, he was just trying to change it. But I wouldn't worry. Your brother, he has a way of sorting things out. Look at how nice he has been to those in the city, and he even helped me out as well. It will all work out in the end."

White wasn't the best at comforting people, but she had been in an even more desperate situation in the past. During this time, she had kind of felt like Amy was part of her family as well due to how much time they had spent together.

As she continued to hold her tightly, she opened her eyes and looked ahead. Right at that moment she could see something in the reflection of the vending machine.

Immediately, she grabbed Amy, and the two of them swung around, rolling to the side and falling to the floor. Moments later, a loud crash was heard, with pieces of glass falling to the ground.

"What was that?" Amy asked as she looked up, and she could see a person holding onto a baseball bat, and he wasn't alone either.

"Who cares, run!" White shouted.

*****

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