The rising sun painted the sky with soft shades of orange and blue, streaming through the windows of the penthouse where Orion was staying. Below, the city was already pulsing with life—honking horns and hurried footsteps mixed with the gentle whistle of the morning wind.

Orion woke slowly, his golden eyes reflecting the morning light. For a brief moment, he stared at the white, modern ceiling—so different from any structure he'd ever seen. With each new day, the clash between past and present became more apparent.

He stretched his muscles before throwing on the first clothes he found: a plain T-shirt and comfortable pants. When he entered the living room, he found Chloe in the kitchen, stirring a pan that released a comforting aroma of coffee and toast. Ellie was sprawled on the couch, eyes glued to her phone screen.

Orion watched them for a moment before announcing:

— “I’m going out. I need to see more of this world.”

Chloe raised an eyebrow, stirring the spoon in the pot.

— “This world?” You mean the city?

He nodded without hesitation, already heading for the door.

— Yes. I want to understand how everything works now.

Ellie didn’t take her eyes off the phone as she asked, casually:

— And do you have money for anything?

Orion paused. Money. Ah, right. He dug into his memory and, without thinking much, raised his hand and activated the Item Box ring. In an instant, he pulled out a small leather pouch and tossed it onto the table. The sound of clinking gold filled the room.

Chloe and Ellie’s eyes widened at the sight of pure gold coins sparkling in the morning light.

— Wait, is that... — Ellie blinked in disbelief. — You have a bag full of gold?!

Orion shrugged, as if it were the most normal thing in the world.

— Yes. Plenty, actually. But… it’s gold. Doesn’t it have value here?

Chloe rubbed her temples, holding back a nervous laugh.

— It does, but no one uses gold like that anymore. You need to exchange it for real money. People pay for everything with cards or phones now.

Orion frowned.

— Exchange it? But gold is gold.

Ellie was already typing furiously on her phone.

— If he’s not careful, he might become a gold tycoon.

Chloe sighed and pointed at the door.

— Come on. Let’s sort this out and give you a crash course on how things work now.

Later, in the City

The trio walked through the bustling streets. Orion’s eyes scanned everything: the towering buildings reflecting sunlight, the blinking digital billboards, the river of people flowing nonstop. What struck him most was how nearly everyone wore headphones or stared at glowing screens, completely immersed in another reality.

— They seem… distracted. — Orion commented.

— Welcome to the 21st century. — Ellie chuckled. — People are always connected.

They reached a corner barbershop with retro charm—exposed brick walls, worn leather chairs, and the scent of shaving cream and talcum powder in the air.

A middle-aged man, wearing a barber apron stained with shaving cream, looked Orion up and down.

— Can I help you? — he asked, drying his hands on a towel.

Orion pointed at his long, messily tied hair.

— A cut. A good one, if possible.

The barber crossed his arms, sizing him up with a practiced eye.

— That’s gonna be some work, kid. Got any idea how long this will take?

Orion simply smiled.

— As long as it looks good, I don’t mind.

The barber shrugged and asked casually:

— You got money for it?

Before Chloe could speak, Orion pulled out the gold pouch and placed it on the counter. The clink of coins echoed through the room.

The barber’s eyes widened. Customers glanced sideways, whispering to each other.

— What the hell… is this real gold?! — The man picked up a coin, as if verifying it.

Orion tilted his head.

— Is that enough?

The barber laughed nervously.

— That’s more than enough, my friend. Have a seat. I’m gonna make you look brand new.

Orion sat down, while Chloe watched the scene with an exasperated expression.

— You really don’t get how money works, do you? — she muttered.

Orion smirked, settling in.

— If gold isn’t worth much here, maybe I need a lot more.

Chloe sighed.

— I’m not even going to argue right now.

As the scissors went to work, Orion watched his reflection in the mirror. Slowly, the tangled mess of hair gave way to a clean, modern cut. He couldn’t say if it truly mattered to him—but at least now, he looked a little less like a man lost in time.

Even in the future, some things never changed. And the simplicity of a good haircut still had its own charm.

✨ Thank you for reading GOLD AGE! ✨

If you’ve made it this far, my heartfelt thanks! GOLD AGE is a project I’ve been building with care and passion since 2022, and knowing you're following this journey means the world to me.

I’m currently looking for an illustrator to help bring this story to life as a webtoon.
If you're an artist or know someone talented who might be interested in joining this adventure, feel free to reach out:
📩 alex.jr10.aag@gmail.com

Let’s bring GOLD AGE to life together!

With gratitude,
— Goulartz