AGED

Penalty

Earthex had flourished and technology improved through out the time. They suppressed the turned and they enhanced defense. The countries united as one and they have no ruler to lead them all. 

Instead, they established a round table consisting of seven throne holder, each from the seven continent that made up Earthex. These people lead each of their territory and they made great communication with one another thus they improved the overall needs of their people.

But after the promising years of abundance and turned free life, the researchers and a group of scientist started a life turning experiment to each and every habitants of Earthex.

They said it was for medical enhancement and launched out voluntary program with great benefits and life insurance if ever the experiment had gone wrong. 

Life is flourishing but to people that wanted more than a simple life, they were enticed with such deal and many knocks to the door of the research center. 

There were no threatening news at first. The volunteers were living well, vitals were stable and they seemed to be taken care with lots of consideration to their health. Seeing this improvement, many got interested. People with disability and couldn't walk made them run. A person that cannot see now can go and watch some movies. A deaf person that haven't been able to hear any sound now were singing with such beautiful voice and made people entertained. They surpasses the human's limitation and made much more. 

That is when taking their vaccine become mandatory and approved by the round table. Every citizen become happy as they doesn't have to line up the research centers and wait for their turn to get the miracle vaccine. The round table made it possible so they could get them for free and after 2 years of getting everyone in Earthex vaccinated, ten years later, the unusual symptoms started to appear in the few citizens. 

Their hair wouldn't grow and nails stopped getting long. For women, they stopped getting monthly menstruations and the most evident change was the birth rate given by the statistics to the round table. 

No changes from the past five years. It made the people worried and they began doubting the credibility of the research center. 

A small vandal outside the research center fence and then article in one day. The second is much worser until a group of people were protesting outside the research center. 

Due to the casualty that the research center had been getting damage, the round table decided to take action and calmed the hearts of the people. What they'd done made the people shut their mouths and that made the prosperity of the people lasted for about a millenium now after the elites made peace possible again.

"Up until now, the seat holder at the round table were still leading the humans and they, together with the first generation were still alive even after half a millenium had passed...cough cough, we are closer to my home now kid. Just hang on a little more second." Eucrid said while tapping his shoulder's gently and still carrying him in his arms.

Leon is not saying a word. He couldn't process the information that had been fed to him and even if he wanted to, his mind refuses to believe because, half a millenium...humans only lives for less than a hundred so how is that even possible? 

The rows of trees are nowhere to be found and what is waiting for them at the end of it was a massive four storey house in white paint and midnight blue roof with black frames and fences that is high enough for normal people to pass by. There is a glowing blue wall that encompasses the place and Leon could tell from one look that he shouldn't go there without any plan. 

"How highly guarded." Eucrid chuckled in Leon's remark and instead of answering, he clicked something on his watch that appeared when he shakes his arm. Leon looks at it intently before whistling. 

Lorex

Eucrid notices the curiosity in the child's eyes and he couldn't help but entertain it since it has been so long since someone appeared as refreshing as this teen. He clicks random settings in his watch and the blue glowing barrier went off while another color rises after the blue was removed. 

Not long after flashing colors filled Leon's eyes and he couldn't believe what his eyes were seeing. How can that possibly happen?

nemuru anata w* kanashisoude

The closing theme of his favorite anime was playing and he could see the two favorite characters that potrayed well. Eucrid grinned like a kid. He could tell that Leon likes what he is seeing and that is why he went to look for another anime song to play and when he pressed it Leon immediately recognized it.

Soshite bouya w* nemuri ni tsuita

"I was told by others that my taste in music were lame and garbage that's why I compile them in one album and played it here where I isolated myself from others...cool..." Eucrid went quiet and was mesmerized to the singing Leon. His voice so clear and the pitch fits the song. Eucrid forgot that they have to hurry to fix him a bath and meal to eat. The leaves fallen like there was a tree nearby and scattered away like confettis filling the ground on where Leon was standing. The song was a heartfelt one and it brought tears on Eucrid's eyes. 

Leon looked at Eucrid with creased brows and questioning stare. Eucrid chuckled before wiping his eyes.

"Forgive the old man. It was just nolstagic that someone who as young as you this kind of these songs. People looked at it as something disgusting and gross so I always kept them in my home and appreciate these pieces. 

Leon smiled and the old man Eucrid did the same before rubbing the back of his head when he felt embarrassed of his actions. Leon didn't mind and was about to start telling his likes when his stomach grumbled and Eucrid laughed at him and lead the way. He clicked on his watch again and Leon mind his own business as well. 

There is something strange happened after he sang. The familiar window appeared in front of him and there is something that made him stay quiet until now. 

"Leon, this is my home. Let's first fix you a bath first while I prepare you a meal." But Leon couldn't understand what Leon is saying. Because right in front of him, a window stated.

『Penalty: Appearance stayed till: 1184 years 』

---

"Kid if you need something just call on Mint. She's always at standby and she can hear you wherever you are inside the house." Like a father introducing his new wife to his child, Eucrid was grinning like a crazy man in love. Leon smiled in respect and then the man bade his farewell since the night is already there ready to take the shift with day. 

Eucrid house were modern mixed comfort home that Leon remembers. It was the hip before and he even dreamed of that  when he was a kid but they just couldn't afford it. But seeing this with something different that he had never seen before, Leon just literally couldn't tell what he would react about it. Eucrid went to a room and the door automatically slid to the side and after Eucrid entered, it slid close and Leon just decided to went to the room that Eucrid tell him to rest. But before he went to the bed, he saw clothes resting atop it with a note saying that he should wash up before going to bed. 

Leon went to look for the bathroom and looked around to find if there is a bathroom attached to it but there is only white surface and minimal furniture. It almost felt like it was a prison cell at first but Leon thought of it positively. He picked up the clothes and was about to go out his room when a voice startled the shit out of him.

"The bathroom is this way young man", Leon jumped a few step and an audio of clapping sound which greatly irritated Leon and was push to his anxious side. The right wall beside his bed opened and there revealed an oceanic room with water that doesn't pass through the room. 

"I don't mean to startle or to scare. I was just trying to help. I'm sorry, don't be scared." The voice was a little or more sounded apologetic and amused. Leon doesn't like being seen as the lab rat for experiment or being used like one. But he tried to be calm as possible and didn't make anymore scene after Eucrid did on helping him. Instead he asked with a tinge of annoyance in his voice and then it was accurately picked up by the voice.

"Are you Mint?" After a few seconds she answered that made Leon rolled an eye. 

"Guilty." 

Leon clicked his tongue and this day is really mind blowing for him to take. He rubbed his face and then Leon looked up to somewhere he is not sure if Mint is there and said in a tone that can be easily read like 'don't talk to me or you'll get ignored' voice. 

"Listen Mint, I just wanted to let you know that I am truly grateful for Eucrid's kindness and I am not the one who give back kindness with ungratefulness so please if you mind, can you not follow me at least give me privacy in the bathroom since I think I deserved that much." But after a little more minutes of waiting, Mint is not responding to him and so he decided to went in the bathroom and he immediately felt the water that filled the entirety of the bathroom soak his body and magically it is, the clothes didn't got wet. 

There is a rack for the clothes to put in and he did before taking off his clothes and went inside a door that leads him to a pool that he could breathe in. 

"This is truly insane!" Leon exclaimed before he relaxes his body and let it float in waters. His face changes and he felt that he aged for a good long years. 

"Status Window."

A long window appeared in front of Leon but some of the information were written incorrigibly and even Leon has a lot of language encountered, he sees it as characters and special symbols and he couldn't care less to unravel it right now because there is something that had been making his head aches.

"What the hell is this number? 1184 years? What do you mean by 1184 years?!" Leon wanted to bang his head on a wall but there is only water around him. Instead of brooding himself into anger, he tried looking at his skill window and there is nothing that is missing only that beside the name there is a lock icon that made him bang his head in the water. 

"What bullshit is this??! I can't even enjoy this bath that I am able to have after a millenium!" Leon hit the water and splashing noises can be heard inside the bathroom. Good thing that the water is frequently being clean that's why Leon didn't noticed that he had been so dirty for haven't taken a bath for a millenium! 

Leon had a good time at the bath and instead of worrying himself from all the weird things that had happened to him when he step foot again in Earth, he just enjoyed his time in bath and scrubbed all the filth that is in his body. 

After a good scrub he dried his hair and he immediately went to sleep, seems forgetting something important.

---

"Young man! Eucrid will wreck your door if you didn't woke up now. I am just reminding you since it might cut the zzz---

BANG BANG BANG!

"Kid! Let's go! We'll have to watch this newly found treasure from somewhere that I already forgotten after being stashed for too long! HEY LEON! ANSWER ME!" Banging on his door, Eucrid with high pitch tone unlike to his appearance were making Leon press the pillow in his head and was trying hard to not hear his voice since he wanted to sleep more but then Eucrid had been disturbing his sleep he couldn't find the right position anymore.

Leon grumpily threw the blanket and pillow towards the door and it opened while Eucrid was about to knock again his force made him slam himself on the floor. 

"What is it this early in the morning? I was just having a fine rest Eucrid." But despite of his old appearance he get back up as immediately as he fall and looked angrily towards Leon. 

"IT'S ALREADY AFTERNOON YOU BASTARD!" Leon rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I'm sorry Eucrid but can you let me rest for now since I had a really long day yesterday and I'm still tired to get on and be merry about anime right now. So please, I am begging you, after I recovered I will be watching all the anime you'd like sir. But now, can I have a rest first?" He tried so hard to be respectful. He really tried to look pitiful since his younger self is more charming than his old terrifying face. 

Eucrid wanted to say something more but after seeing Leon lying on the floor, he picked the child up and put him to bed. He even picked up the pillow and blanket that was on the floor and put it together with him.

"I'll let you be for now kid but once you recovered you have to watch with me alright? You have to promise!" Leon is too sleepy to answer and just nodded his head which Eucrid nodded his head with too. He went out of the room and was talking with Mint but Leon do not bother to listen. He was too sleepy to keep himself up like all the pent up stress and tiredness from having to deal with all the monster and creatures inside the gate was now coming to his body after he lay his back on a soft comfortable bed. Leon felt like he could sleep forever and just succumbed to sleep. He didn't noticed that Eucrid went back with a bowl of porridge and meat platter for him to eat. But the food went miraculously clean whenever Eucrid visited his room. He even thought that there is a thief inside the room. 

Eucrid brought him food during meals and that lasted for a week. The old man is getting worried if he doesn't woke up he might be getting some various experiment already which Leon doesn't really want to experience.

It was sunny and there is no rain or pouring. Leon stretches his limbs before opening his eyes. He never felt so refreshed after a good night sleep. He went up and jumps and felt the lightness of his body. He smiled unconsciously before warming up his arms. 

"Maybe a light jog wouldn't be bad." He said to himself but he doesn't know, there is someone listening to him and was eager to talk with him.

"At last! You are already awake! Help Eucrid! He is in danger!" Mint said in a hurry before she went out again. Leon was clueless on what she means but it was then he heard a loud explosion outside and a groan from someone familiar. He didn't think twice and ran outside only to see Eucrid having a dagger on his chest and bleeding to the ground.