Five years since the war of time. Five years since he lost some of his closest friends. Ares, Twitchtip, Tick, Frill. Gregor had lost some people he knew he should have been able to save. He was the warrior a legendary hero who couldn't seem to save a few people he had journeyed with. Gregor felt guilt every single day. Now he was more of a crushed soul than any sort of a hero. In many ways, the Underland destroyed his life and in others, the Underland was the only home he had. How ironic. Gregor was 17 now and finishing his junior year in highschool. He was not really liked by people. Gregor wasn't well liked because he was quiet. He still had people who considered them friends because he was pretty handsome to some of the girls. But he was quiet almost secretive to the point where no one truly knew him. But he had a reason for being secretive. Over the years he had kept in contact with some of the Underlanders. He didn't live in New York now but he had his ways of getting in contact. Mainly through diggers or moles. Turns out the moles had a large system and could carry a message for a long time. Although he rarely ever got a message and most of the time it was just Underland doctors sending him some medicinal things. He had gotten a message from Luxa once. She had told how she had missed him but everything was going good. Peace had been firmly implanted. Rats and Humans mixed freely. It seemed to be a good era for the Underlanders. But how would Gregor know? He wasn't there as much as he wanted to be. Gregor's family was actually in relatively good condition. Lizzie was now an extrovert and very friendly. But Gregor made sure to keep the boys at a distance from her. I mean she was his younger sister. He had to keep an eye on her. Boots or Margaret as she was called now was even more of an extrovert than Lizzie. Everyone liked Margaret. And yet here Gregor was not liked by most people. Again very ironic. His mom worked at her own restaurant now. She had turned an old shop into one of the most liked restaurants in the small city. Gregor's dad was now a teacher at the local middle school.Gregor's life was actually pretty good but not to him. He had a few friends but not any real close friends. He didn't really want to have any close friends because he was paranoid of losing his friends. Also none of his friends really knew him. Sure they knew him as a fellow sports player when the basketball season rolled in but they only knew him as a basketball player and not much more. Gregor had grown used to people not getting him. He could think of only one person who could understand him. She was thousands of miles away in the Underland.
Gregor sighed. How did he end up like this. He was sad and miserable most of the time but he had to admit that sometimes he did something fun and actually enjoyed it. His grades were actually quite high since he really didn't have anything else to do but study and read. It was a plus negative. Grace, his mother had been encouraging him to live outside his bubble and start entering the world again. She tried to tease him once about a cute girl that had joined his summer band. He was embarrassed as she called her cute. (*Ngl this just happened to me irl today so it kinda embarrassed me. But she actually was kind of cute and a good guitar player, I'm a drummer btw*) but his mom teasing him about her made his attitude go sour. It made him think of Luxa. Gregor sat on his bed reading a fantasy book. How strange that it was like his own life where some random nobody falls in love with a Princess or a Queen. It was like his life was like a fantasy book. How strange. When he finished his book he realized that the hero got the girl. *Read secrets of droon believe me I'm in highschool and still enjoy that series* But he hadn't gotten the girl. While he had sort of. I'm his head Gregor started to plan it out. If he could get good enough grades he could go to UNYC for college than he might be able to see the Underland again. It would give him an excuse to get to New York and it would allow him to see her again. But as he was walking outside thinking about the plan he had hatched he walked by a mole hole where he recieved messages from. In the hole was a paper scroll with a red stamp with a crown on it. Gregor picked it up in fascination. "Dear Gregor a new prophecy has appeared and we are on the brink of war. I know that the warrior is dead but we need you. We need the warrior it is unfair to ask you this but we really do need you in the Underland you are the only person who could help us. The Queen and her fiancé send their regards. That line broke him. Fiancé? Gregor didn't know why but he could feel the anger stirring within himself. "I have to go back" Gregor said.