Upon waking, I notice my sweaty skin and heavy body. When I manage to focus my sight, I can observe a room with rotten wooden walls; four walls I'll have to get used to seeing. Dust particles collide with the sunlight filtering through the cracked glass of my window.

  I hear murmurs coming from outside. Lazily and reluctantly, I stretch my back and yawn forcefully. I sit on the edge of the bed, with a lost gaze. Thoughts from my previous day flood my mind. I made significant progress; I'm a few steps away from getting a job and I have a roof over my head, that's good. But I wonder what's next. Only a couple of days have passed, but I feel like I've progressed very slowly. Well, I didn't imagine arriving here and getting a job that makes me a millionaire overnight either, but I'm worried about getting stuck in that restaurant. If I want the life I desire, I need to think of other possibilities, though it's still too early for that.

  While lost in my pessimistic thoughts, suddenly I feel my heart paralyze in my chest and my blood drop to my feet. I jump out of bed with extreme concern and, checking the time on my old phone, I rush out of the inn.

  I run with all my strength through the streets of this city, dodging carts and bumping into some people who insult me after, by carelessness, pushing them.

  I arrive at the restaurant, breathless and bathed in sweat. After crossing the entrance, I freeze when I observe the boss helping serve the food at the tables.

  "Boss! Forgive me please, I overslept!" Begging with defenseless animal eyes, I start following him. "Let me keep working, please! I promise it won't happen again!"

  Curious gazes settle on us. I can hear some whispering laughs and one or two silent complaints due to the scandal I'm making.

  After insisting for several minutes, in a low voice this time, and repeating apologies like a scratched record, finally Eugine turns to look at me. His gaze is expressionless and his eyes, fixed on me, seem to observe the deepest part of my soul.

  "Please..." I beg for the last time.

  "Get to work."

  Sighing with anxiety, I get to work. The tables are clean, but I scrub their surface vigorously until I see my reflection in the wood. Grabbing the broom, I eliminate every last particle of dirt.

  With each customer entering, I shouted a greeting with energy. I even tried to carry extra plates on my hands. I feared that this screw-up would be the final nail in my coffin. If at the end of this week I was rejected, I'd curse every living being and, mainly, myself for being so stupid. I'm on the brink of begging and I give myself the luxury of being late on my second trial day. Incredible.

  I continued attending customers and cleaning every corner of the place every few minutes. All to compensate for my incompetence. My companion, noticing the slight redness of my fingers, pitied me with sweet words. I didn't stop my frantic pace until our break time.

  All customers were attended and seeing the flow of people decrease, we sat together in a corner to enjoy our lunch; pig tail soup.

  "You shouldn't overdo it," Eleanor comments with a soft voice. Her lips shine due to the fat of the food.

  "I have to compensate for being late." I bring a spoonful of food to my mouth. The broth feels salty on my palate.

  "Believe me, if Eugine had been bothered by that, he wouldn't have let you in." She places her hand on my shoulder. "Don't overthink it and try not to be late next time."

  The minutes passed. We ate in silence, enjoying the tranquility of our surroundings. Soon, Eleanor asks me a question.

  "By the way, do you walk in the dark on the street?"

  "What do you mean?" Raising my gaze, I arch an eyebrow.

  "I mean, don't you have anything to light the way at night?"

  Fresh air entered through the windows. The last customer says goodbye with a smile and words of thanks.

  "No... Should I have something?"

  "Well, it's not illegal to walk in the dark, but a guard could bother you for that. Don't you have a lamp?"

  I sigh anguished. Not only do I have to worry about keeping a roof over my head or feeding myself with the little money I have, but now I must buy something to light my way when it's dark. This situation is very desperate.

  "No... I don't have much money." Placing my palm on my face, I squeeze my skin with anxiety.

  "I didn't think things were going so bad for you."

  This situation has me on the brink of despair. I can simply be careful with the guards until I save enough and buy that damn lamp, or maybe use my phone's flashlight as a replacement. No, I think it would attract more attention.

  Eleanor stands from the table, interrupting her meal and claiming that in the restaurant there's one of those things in disuse. I have to thank her somehow. Maybe invite her out when I recover economically. I really want to know her more in depth, but my current situation doesn't allow it.

  We continue chatting about banal topics. But I discovered I was clumsy at inventing stories, since it was complicated to keep up with the conversation while disguising anecdotes from my past life.

  Our conversation was interrupted when a woman with an athletic figure and scarlet mane enters the restaurant.

  "Good afternoon. How are you?" She smiles.

  "Rya! What a pleasure to see you." Standing from her chair, Eleanor receives her friend with a warm hug.

  We invite her to join us. She adjusts her jet-black dress to sit comfortably.

  "I thought you'd gone back to the missions."

  "No, I took a day off to clean my house."

  "Have you finished cleaning it?"

  "No." She stretches her back. "I've been almost a month away, so it's covered in a lot of dust."

  I couldn't help feeling jealous if I compare my situation with hers. Rya seems to be my age and already has her own home, while I'm with one foot in the ditch. I wonder if one day I can enjoy something like that.

  "And after that, you'll go back to the excursions?"

  "No..." She sighs. "The truth is I've been thinking about leaving it for a while. After what happened with that dragon, I don't feel well."

  Well, anyone would feel that way after escaping death. Besides, she saw almost her entire group die because of that beast. It's understandable she wants to step away for a while.

  Eleanor's eyes shine like fireflies. In an attempt to convince her friend to leave her trade for safer jobs, Eleanor suggests being a bodyguard or anything else where she can take advantage of her strength. The redhead just laughs at her recommendations, commenting she'll think about it.

  "And what will happen with that dragon?" I ask, setting aside my empty plate and leaning my arms on the table.

  "Probably the guild will send another squad to hunt it."

  "Are they looking for it for a reason?"

  "Well," Rya looks at the ceiling. "that animal destroyed a small village and unfortunately there were no survivors. It also caused a forest fire."

  I swallow and my face pales. When I met her for the first time and she told us her experience with that monster, I feared that such a creature would one day reach the city and destroy everything in its path. Those were intrusive thoughts due to the fear caused by hearing her story. But now, that fear intensifies more upon hearing that possibility exists.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  "Relax." She says between laughs. "It's rare for dragons to attack villages or cities. They almost never leave Spinadragon."

  "Are you sure?"

  "Well, this one is rare. When we found it, it was far from its habitat. But it's still a baby, so maybe it got lost. I'm not sure."

  "But it still scares me a lot..." Eleanor adds.

  A baby dragon that could take out an entire group of hunters. Yes, I definitely should be calm about that isolated case.

  I decide to withdraw from the conversation to continue with work. Of course, nothing to do with the fear and paranoid thoughts I'm having now. It's just that I'm a very responsible person.

  ?──────────────────???──────────────────?

  My shift finally ended and after a brief farewell with the staff, I find myself alone in the middle of a gray stone paved street. I try to think what my next move will be. Previously, I would have stayed in my caravan to watch TV all day or go out to the streets to rob innocents, but those hobbies are left behind. Now I must find a new distraction.

  Walking, I reflected on what to do, but a bitter and unpleasant smell reaches my nose, reminding me of one of the many problems I have to solve.

  My body may be clean, relatively, but the clothes I'm wearing say the opposite. I need to acquire new garments if I don't want to leave a trail of bad smell in my path, or worse, that this stink gets embedded in my skin.

  I decide then to look for a clothing store whose quality is within reach of my scarce pocket.

  After wandering for several minutes, I finally manage to find a warehouse that seems promising and, upon accessing, I'm attended by a thin man with sagging cheeks.

  "Good afternoon. What can I get you?"

  "How much does the cheapest clothing set cost?"

  My guts twist and my heart dances in my chest. Unable to afford the price he asks, I opt to ask for a shirt of the cheapest fabric. Since there's one that fits my little budget, I end up buying it. It still hurts to part with some coppers.

  Finally I have something to wear, but I have little money in my hands. Too little. Worry begins to cloud my mind thinking that soon I'll sleep on the streets again. I was an idiot to think that working as a waiter would be enough to pay for my life. Even if they hire me, I'll still have to wait a week or month-end to receive my salary and by then I'll be living under a bridge.

  Being poor is shit. It's tiring and the worst is that they don't even pay me for it. Was surviving that shooting to wake up in this world really a good idea? I have fewer things than in my previous life, and I can't go back to stealing because I made a damn promise. But I'm starting to doubt that oath.

  I could accept Darel's idea and sell my phone. But what could I tell the interested parties? What excuse can I invent for them to accept buying this artifact that doesn't belong to this world? The more I think about it, the more my head hurts.

  Controlling my breathing, I stroke my temple. Standing still won't solve anything.

  I have to find another job... and one that pays the same day.

  I get moving.

  After several hours of walking, my feet hurt and my calves burn. These industrial boots are not comfortable after using them for quite a while. I asked in several businesses, but they all seemed to come from the same printer, since they only knew how to give me one answer.

  Having no more options, I head back to the Guild to see if I have luck there. The panorama was the same; hunters of all aspects strolling through the hall with their shining armors and weapons decorated with extravagance.

  I approach the reception and am surprised when I meet the same young woman who attended me the first time I came. She smiles at me, remembering me still.

  "Hello, how are you? How did it go with that ad?"

  "Good," I smile barely. "But I need another job."

  "I understand. These are tough times."

  I had the idea to ask if the Guild was hiring staff for any area, but again I receive a response that discourages me even more.

  I'm sitting with a handful of pamphlets in hand and investigating a job that has what I'm looking for. Luckily I manage to find one that's at my level among so much academic garbage. Lady Luck is still on my side.

  But my illusion fades when I see that it's a job outside the city. Although it's interesting to work in a mill, my current situation doesn't allow me to travel to God knows where.

  I'm about to collapse... Maybe I should break my promise?

  I return to the girl to return the leaves, she asks about my feeling when she sees my miserable expression. I decide to tell her a little about my problem, but using a tone of voice that downplays my situation. Even though it feels good to talk to others to lighten the load, I don't need her to feel pity for me.

  When she hears what I'm trying to do, a memory lights up her head. She briefly tells me about an ad that she stopped promoting a while ago. She's not sure if that job is still available, but she points me to the address anyway.

  It's suspicious by how she explains things, but I don't have too many alternatives. Anyway, if I see that things look bad, I can always run away.

  ?──────────────────???──────────────────?

  I open my eyes with difficulty after silencing my phone's alarm. I curse in a low voice and comb my tangled hair with my fingers. The sun hasn't risen yet and the cold is so tenacious that it fogs the cracked crystal of my window. Upon leaving the inn, the icy wind makes my skin crawl and moves the strands on my forehead.

  Fatigued and annoyed, I stroll through the city with the faint glow of the moon over my head and lamp in hand. Though calling it that is a bit exaggerated. It's just a wooden structure surrounded by a translucent sheet and with a candle in the middle.

  Barely illuminates, but if I used my phone's flashlight, the battery would run out in the blink of an eye.

  That a group of guys gathers in the square before the sun rises makes me turn on all my alarms. I hope that girl didn't guide me to a lonely place just so they can rob me. I swear by God that if something happens to me, I don't know what I'd do to that woman.

  I finally arrive at the agreed site, observing in the distance an older man and three subjects next to him. I hide behind a house, analyzing their movements.

  Upon checking that it's decent people, I decide to approach, but without leaving caution aside.

  "Good evenings."

  Turning in unison, they observe me with intrigue.

  "Who are you? What are you doing here?" The gentleman with gray hair on his head asks me.

  "A receptionist from the Guild told me about a job as... ambulatory waker." I clear my throat.

  The group looked at each other, doubtful of my word.

  "So, you want to work?"

  "Correct." I nod. "But the girl told me this is a job with immediate payment."

  "Yes, that's right."

  After a quick introduction to my new companions, my new boss, named Otto, briefly instructs me on my trade. But my new job comes accompanied by new problems.

  "Excuse me, but I'm new to the city and don't know how to orient myself."

  "Oh, by Lha'el, I thought you knew what you were getting into." Otto comments with slight annoyance.

  "I know, sir. But I need the job. I learn fast, just put me to the test."

  Lha'el... I'd heard that name before. Its importance in these lands resembles that of God in my world. Said deity has an equivalent whose name I unfortunately don't remember now.

  "Fine, but today I'll pay you less, so I'll see how you do tomorrow. If you decide to return."

  "Understood."

  They assigned me with a companion, whose youthful appearance makes me believe he hasn't reached majority age. We walk together through the dark streets, exploring every avenue and district of this city. As we moved away from the central zone, I could notice how decadent its urban areas are. The streets come off the stone cobblestones, and the homes are more humble, so to speak.

  Nick shares some of his little stones no larger than my nail to throw them at the doors or windows of the clients. Of course, it wasn't enough just to fill their facade with pebbles, we also had to wait for the people to confirm their awakening to us.

  "How long have you been here?"

  "A week, more or less." He answers from the other side of the muddy street.

  The eyelids weigh on me and my swollen feet scream with every step. I constantly yawned forcefully due to fatigue.

  "And why did you decide to work here?"

  "Well," upon opening my mouth a whitish mist comes out of my interior. "I need more money, that's all. I started working somewhere else, but..."

  "The pay isn't enough?" He interrupts.

  "No. I don't even know how much they pay." I laugh forcedly. "They're putting me to the test."

  We both let out a laugh, stopping almost instantly to not wake the wrong people.

  "Don't you have a job? Then how do you survive?"

  "Miracle of God, I suppose."

  Out of the corner of my eye I could notice a confused look. Fearing anything, I prepare to change the topic of conversation.

  "I also saw an ad to work in a mill outside the city, but I couldn't go to the village for lack of money."

  "You mean the Pradera Verde mill? Never go there." Nick suggests with much emphasis. "That place only knows how to exploit people and then not pay them." He finishes with fury.

  "Did you work there?"

  "Yes, the bastard miller owed me several weeks, but I decided to leave with the little money I could save."

  What bad luck he had. Honestly, I don't know if he did the right thing. On one hand, he avoided a conflict, but on the other he left empty-handed, gifting his work. If I had been in his place, I don't know what I would have done.

  "And what will you do? Are you going to leave it like that?"

  "Relax, I already collected in another way." He observes me over his shoulder. "The guy also raises chickens to then sell them. Before leaving I left the corral door open."

  We joke about what happened. I'm glad he got justice, but in my opinion, what he did to that abusive boss is not enough.

  Anyway. Our chat continued while we wandered around. Between streets covered with thick fog and with a cold air that freezes lungs, Nick tells me about his past. Apparently his father forced him to leave the house, threatening to take away his inheritance if he didn't achieve something on his own. Since then he's been in a situation similar to mine, jumping from job to job. Hopeful to save enough to go to another place with better opportunities. Thinking that there are people in my same situation and who still continue fighting for their future makes me regain some hope in life, because honestly I was already losing it.

  "Will you come tomorrow?"

  "Maybe."

  Upon raising my gaze, a yellow fringe began to peek between the city's wall.

  Fortunately, Nick and I finished our work without incidents. Even, he convinced Otto to give me the full money for the shift. I'd made a good friendship with him and luckily I could complete the rental money if I returned tomorrow.

  The sun was about to rise, so I didn't see it necessary to return to the inn. With my body bruised and dark circles marked, I decide to wait in a park for my other job to open its doors. Something tells me that having two jobs will be my new reality, and that I had to get used to it.