As the shining light of dawn settles across the clear blue sky above Halcyon, a fifteen-year-old boy named Wulf Becker wakes up in a groggy state. An obnoxious ringing invades his ears as his phone's alarm goes off at max volume while the device lies on his bed next to his head. Despite the repeating sound, Wulf lies in bed with his bed covers and thick comforter covering his skinny body.

Eventually, with a tired sigh, he pulls himself up and sits on the edge of his bed. After turning off the alarm on his phone, he pulls up the lock screen to check the date and time: 7:01 AM, Monday, September 2, 2024. Wulf stands and stretches while yawning.

"Well, it's a new week. Better not count on it being better than last week though." The still-tired boy speaks. Wulf walks into his bathroom and does the usual tasks to be presentable for the day. He showers, brushes his teeth, combs his blond hair, and then dresses in his well-ironed school uniform.

After grabbing his essential belongings such as his laptop, phone from his bed, and school bag which he slings over his shoulder, Wulf leaves his room and heads downstairs. He walks into the kitchen and looks around with a curious expression on his now wide-awake face.

"Grandpa? I'm awake now, where are you?" Just as Wulf finishes calling out to his grandpa, his deep blue eyes look downward, and he notices a small note on a counter. Wulf picks it up and reads the written contents on it.

"Wulf.

I'm going out for some early fishing, I'll be home

by the time school is over for you. We'll have what

I catch for dinner. See you tonight."

Grandpa."

"Of course," he says, rolling his eyes.

"I'm not going to worry about it, I'll be late." He then heads into the cozy and traditionally designed living room and goes for the front door. Out in the front yard of his grandpa's cabin home, a sturdily built home in the middle of a nature zone, Wulf stands on the well-cut and properly maintained green grass, taking in the clean air and pretty scenery.

"Well, the air is nice as always. I wonder when they will take us on a field trip to the nuclear generator under our feet," he says to himself as he walks out of the long yard and onto a nature path.

The long natural dirt pathway eventually connects to the city's major routeways and main roads. Wulf's dress shoes go from the crunching ground of stepping on dirt to the hard but silent thuds of stepping on concrete as he finally reaches a city pathway next to a two-lane car road and is greeted by the sight of pedestrians everywhere.

All around him are people and Digimon alongside each other, either doing something or walking like him. From the iconic orange dinosaurian Agumon to the long-eared green rabbit Terriermon, and the misunderstood red reptile Guilmon, Wulf could see so many different Digimon out on the streets. He is deep in thought while still trying to focus on the path he is going.

"So crowded, and so many Digimon. Not like I need one." He thinks to himself.

"But, what if I did though? After all, it would be nice to have a friend" Wulf continues thinking. Eventually, Wulf's thoughts about his lonely state fade away as he arrives at a train station.

He gets into a designated line, full of at least ten people along with their Digimon at their side. As the line moves forward, Wulf eventually reaches two gates blocking any further movement and a module with a screen built into the ground at the side of him.

"WELCOME TO HALCYON RAILWAYS." He harshly cringes as the loud and obnoxious automated voice emits from the machine's speaker. Wulf grunts and quickly takes out a card from his pocket.

"PLEASE SCAN- "The voice cuts out with a beep as he swipes his card across the screen, a jingle begins to play to signify that it is processing the card.

"THANK YOU FOR RIDING HALCYON RAILWAYS." Wulf walks through the now-opened gates and boards the train. Walking through the crowded train, he finds a free seat and promptly sits on it.

To the right of him on the opposite row of seats on the train, a young woman and her Gabumon sit together. The yellow-skinned fur pelt-wearing lizard Digimon was arm-to-arm with its Tamer as she looked at her phone, Gabumon occasionally glancing at the phone screen with its big and innocent-looking ruby-red eyes. When the woman would start to turn her head to look at Gabumon while its gaze was centered on the phone, it would turn back to look away with a shy expression.

Wulf couldn't help but smirk just a bit at seeing this humorous moment. A feeling of boredom would soon creep up on him however as the train ride would drag on longer than Wulf would prefer.

Sighing, he takes out his phone and begins to look at articles on his phone's news app just to pass the time, merely glancing at the headlines, not even bothering to read any of them. From articles about events in Halcyon to the election in November to foreign tensions, one caught Wulf's attention.

"Many plead for government not to break Digimon Nonengagement Act amidst US-Russia tensions" Wulf opens the article to read more. The article itself just talks about some recent tensions between the US and Russia, and how despite there being an act being passed in 2001, rumors are spreading that major countries are trying to use willing Digimon for military engagement purposes. One name mentioned in the article jogs Wulf's memory.

"Howard X. Hoffman? I know I've heard that name before." He quickly opens an internet browsing app and searches the individual's name, clicking on a Wiki article for him. Wulf then recognizes Hoffman as the article informs him that he was the one who conceptualized the city of Halcyon.

Suddenly, the train stops as some people and their Digimon stand up to disembark, a buzzing voice speaking over the train intercom informing the passengers of the stop's name. Wulf stands as well, passing through the line of people on the train to reach the exit.

Leaving the train, he briefly passes through the station where the train stopped and heads back out onto the paths of the city. After a short walk, Wulf finally reaches his school. He enters through the open metal-barred front gates bearing a golden crested seal into the school's main grounds.

Good and well-dressed students hang out or walk on the glossy marble paths with their Digimon beside them. It appears that Wulf is the only one who walks alone as he reaches the front doors of the central school building.

Gripping the large gold handle of the door and opening it, Wulf is greeted with the main room of the school, filled with long hallways lined up with rows of steel lockers to the side while students and their Digimon walk the halls. Wulf is forced to duck suddenly when a pink feathered flying Biyomon nearly hits him in the head by accident, it's Tamer jumping up and catching it in her arms as she glances at Wulf with a guilty expression.

He makes his way down the crowded hall, stepping onto the school's seal depicting a mountain painted onto the marble-tiled floor. Suddenly, Wulf sees someone and stops walking in the middle of the hall, becoming the only one still in the constant moving wave of students.

The person he sees is a black-haired girl with brown eyes walking down the hall in his direction. Her hair is slicked back and tied into a ponytail that swings to the side of her head with each step she confidently takes. Behind and beside her are a few female friends that she talks with while walking.

"Katherine." This is all that comes out of Wulf's mouth as he confronts the girl. She along with her friends stop in place upon realizing Wulf is blocking their path.

"Hey, Kat." Wulf greets her in a rather monotone voice.

"Oh, Wulf! Uh, hey there." Kat's reaction goes from boasting confidence and glee to expressing anxiety.

Wulf sighs, "So, how have you been? I've sent you a lot of texts in the last few days, but you haven't responded to any of them.".

Kat chuckles nervously. "Oh, well I've been, uh, busy.".

"Too busy to check your messages?" Wulf said, raising an eyebrow.

"I've just been busy, okay?" Kat replied, expressing a hint of annoyance. Suddenly, another girl walks up to Kat and her friends with a curious look on her face.

"Kat! I heard you are taking your friends to the amusement park this weekend." She asks. Kat grits her teeth as Wulf becomes just plain confused.

"Huh? You are taking your friends to the amusement park?" He hopes for answers from Kat.

"Uh, well, I was thinking about it." Kat gives an awkward reply.

"Is it alright if I come?" Wulf asks. Kat glances back at her friends and then looks at Wulf once more, now really starting to feel awkward.

"Well, uh, I'm sorry but no." Kat bit her lip as Wulf started to look disappointed.

"But, why not?" Kat glanced at a clock mounted on the wall above a row of lockers and her eyes lit up.

"Oh! Look at the time, I have chemistry in a few minutes.".

Wulf groaned, "Kat, please. Okay, I understand.".

"I'm sorry." Kat quickly walked past Wulf on her way to class as her friends dispersed to go attend their classes as well.

Wulf continued to stand in the middle of the hall, looking at Kat walk away. He sighed, then proceeded over to his locker and put in his key combination to open it. Needing a moment, Wulf closed his eyes and stuffed his head into the locker.

"Kat, I love you, I do. I just wished we could be together more. Is it something I'm doing wrong? Whatever could it be? You're my first girlfriend, and I don't want to mess this up." He then finished talking to himself and took his head out, grabbing some crucial items for his next class before closing the locker. Wulf took out his phone to check the time.

"7:57, only three minutes until math, I better hurry." Wulf then went on his way down the hallway, joining the mass of students in motion.