The Golden Road: The Pentakill Prince

Chapter 3: The man who stopped time

'So this is where you've been.' Noel thought.

He arrived on a pretty big campus. A school for any and all kinds of aspiring engineers. Noel had located Charles, and it would appear that he would highly likely be a student in the campus.

'Place is pretty big. Where do you spend your time, Charles?' Noel pondered.

Noel had his work cut out for him. As he walked in, several students walked past and looked back. Sudden whispers filled the room. Some looked in awe, others were making comments to themselves. To some of them, Noel was nothing more than a washed up player who had no more future in the Gaming industry. Yet, Noel thought nothing more of it than them having their normal conversations. By now, he was already numb to such comments and had decided long ago that such comments and whispers will not bother him even in the slightest. A younger Noel, however, would beg to differ. If he was the younger version of himself now, his ego would get the better of him. But, Noel is older, much more calmer, and much more humble. As time grew, so did he.

Noel walked past several classrooms, looking in, hoping to find his top laner. Yet, in each classroom, it appeared that whatever subjects that were currently being taught did not fit his top laner's study scope.

'Never gonna find him if this keeps going on. It's an endless cycle.' He thought. By then, Noel started the grow hungry. He had previously asked around if the campus's cafeteria was open to public, and was made aware that he would have to pay public pricing. Noel was fine with it, so long as he could get some food.

'Food doesn't look half bad.' Noel thought as he sat down. A Pizza slice, a Burger, some chips and a small muffin would be his lunch for the day. For drinks, he would grab a grape soda, and even got a candy box just for the hunt ahead of him, should he feel peckish.

As he sat down and began eating, a couple of other students sat at his table, none of who he could recognise, except for one. He had looked like Charles, but did not exactly have the same traits as how he had last remembered. Noel would lay low for a while, eating his food as he listened in on their conversation. However, nothing information worthy he could use to locate Charles in the campus.

As time went on, Noel had spent half the day trying to locate his top laner, and yet, to no avail.

'Maybe I should try again tomorrow.' He thought, as he made his way towards the exit. As he walked over to his car, He felt a presence following him from a distance. Noel thought nothing of it, until that familiar voice caught his attention.

"I would've thought you would recognise me, Captain."

Noel turned around, looking at the figure before him. It was confirmed, it was Charles.

"Catch you off guard?" Charles laughed as he walked up.

"How have you been, buddy?" Noel hugged, Laughing.

"Well, it school. Can't say I'm not entirely as free as you are. Seeing you here today, kinda ease my nerves a little. Schoolwork's just too stressful for me." Charles replied.

"But I don't think you're here just cause you were in the area, so I suggest we grab dinner." Charles laughed, walking to Noel's passenger seat.

"You know a place?" Noel asked.

"I frequent this diner. You're gonna love it." Charles said, getting into the car.

Noel laughed as he got in and started up his car, driving out of the campus and following Charles's direction to the diner he was talking about. They made small talk, caught up with their lives and had laughs about the past.

"I didn't know you bought a Toyota GT86, dude." Charles said.

"Well, it was either this, or the Subaru BRZ. Both looked the same, but the guy who sold me this car already did the body work on it. I just had to touch up the rims, spoiler, paint job and spent some extra cash for the tuning and interior."