...𝐖𝐄𝐋𝐋, 𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐀𝐋𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐄 || gameknight999

CHAPTER FIVE

LITTLE OL' ME IN A BIG WORLD

===

Angel's town, Crossrose, may have been considered plain and boring to some, but this was most certainly not the case with Erebus. It didn't take them long to get out of the neighborhood into the main part of town, thankfully for Angel. She was more used to riding her bicycle into Crossrose rather than walking, but it wasn't a bother for her, since she was with Erebus. His presence alone was entertainment enough, since she could answer his stream of questions as they walked.

Everything was so fascinating in Erebus's eyes. The various shapes of the buildings, the cars driving along the asphalt concrete, the clothing of the people - it was all so diverse in comparison to Minecraft's society, and Erebus was loving it. Angel answered any questions he had, even if they would have been considered ridiculously simple to others, and it was amazing, learning how the world worked here and how advanced it was. Every detail, down to the little grooves in the sidewalk and the fonts on signs, intrigued him greatly.

"Welcome to the main part of Crossrose," Angel declared, stopping at the corner of an intersection and gesturing around her with one hand, clutching onto a book she had decided to bring with the other. "This is the town center, where all the cool stuff is. What catches your eye?"

Erebus scanned his surroundings with curiosity, tilting his head as he looked up at a tall building nearby. "That," he said, pointing. It looked similar to a temple found in the villages in Minecraft, but much more elaborate.

"Oh, that's Crossroads Lutheran Church," Angel explained. "That's where Christianity is practiced. I go there some Sundays, but not as often as I had when I was a kid. It's actually a really nice place - by that I mean, it doesn't freak me out like my old church did."

"Where was that?" Erebus asked.

"In the city." Angel motioned for him to follow her as she began to walk once more, shifting the book she was carrying under her arm as she did so. "Remember, I told you I lived in a big city with my parents for a while? Oh, boy, I don't know if you'd like that, it might be overwhelming for you."

Erebus nodded, remembering the story that Angel had told him about her life back when they had been imprisoned by Malacoda. It was a hard thing to think about, for it was impossible to recall her speaking without the memory of how terrified and hurt he had been at the time. Malacoda's torture moments before had left him so helpless, so scared, to the point where he was unable to recognise himself.

Yet, Angel had chosen to help him. She had given him her jacket to help wipe the water from his burning skin, and had told him a story about herself to distract him from the pain. Her hand had felt so warm in his own when he had held it, and ever since, he had longed to feel anything remotely similar to the comfort he had experienced when Angel was with him.

"You good?" Angel asked, tilting her head as she watched him. Pulling himself out of his thoughts, Erebus nodded.

"I'm just thinking," he told her. "What else is noteworthy in this town?"

Angel pointed off to another building across the road. "That's Crossrose Police Station," she said. "The police hang out there until there's a crime or something. I've had to interact with police officers a lot before, they're usually pretty chill."

"The ones here?"

Angel shrugged, glancing down. "Just... officers in general. Here, in the old city - but that's a whole different story."

Erebus nodded, not wanting to push the subject any further. "What was the city called?"

"Philadelphia," Angel told him. "It's a famous place in Pennsylvania. The bigger the city, the more shit people that live in it. Thankfully, this isn't that big of a town, so we're good, for the most part."