college student · paranoid · stoic · multiverse trade · artifact dealer · soda addiction · bullied · urban fantasy · reserved · broke
The fluorescent lights of the Elysium Moonbase cafeteria hummed a sterile white, casting long shadows over rows of metal tables. The air smelled of synthetic porridge and recycled oxygen, a constant reminder that this was a place of function, not comfort. Amid the clatter of spoons and low murmur of workers, a young man in a dark grey sweater and cap sat hunched over his tray, mechanically slurping the tasteless meal. That was Jard—a college student, broke and weary, selling artifacts across dimensions just to scrape by. A higher-up approached, placed a heavy hand on his shoulder, and sighed in disappointment. "Another failure," the man muttered before walking away. The silence that followed was broken by snickers. Then laughter. A hand shoved Jard's head down into his bowl, porridge sp…