Apples and Paradoxes

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A quiet, droning sound rung in Arete’s ears. The train had crossed the point where magic diffused and disappeared from the atmosphere. He sighed, thinking, and hoping this would be worth it. The magic slowly seeped out of his body and the cart he was riding on stopped. His hands tingled, feet cold, between other ailments. He pressed his hand to his forehead, sighing, feeling the occasional bump of the train. He was on the way to the Neutral Grounds, or some store he'd find there. A loud bell sounded and most of the riders got up. Arete rolled out of his bed car and onto his feet, grabbing a small leather backpack. He fell to his feet and headed off the train, soon to be greeted by a blast of cool air and the cool sheen of futuristic metal walls and floors.

He walked out of the train station and looked around. He was on a long, perfectly paved street with some dry birch trees swaying in the dusty wind. Arete shoved his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small map, glanced at it and headed off to his right. He strolled along the road, scanning and admiring his surroundings, so foreign to the magic using world he usually interacts with. He wondered how a (magic) lacrima manufacturing company could even function here. He passed the thought but it came back. Would it even work here? He strolled along the sidewalk free of annoyances other than the occasional bump of his backpack against his side.

Around about twenty minutes later, he arrived to what seemed like an office building or headquarters of some sort. He walked through a pair of wide glass doors into a efflorescent interior that resembled a shop. What seemed like elevator music was playing over an intercom. He walked forward, the decor in the room almost too minimalist, the only thing really breaking the pureness of the room (other than the employee’s outfits) was a logo of a cherry plastered on the back wall. He hummed to himself and arrived at the front desk.

A sprightly clerk came to his approach, “Welcome to the Cherry Store!” she looked at him, "How may I help you today?”
He rummaged through his bag and pulled out a laminated piece of paper, which many people back home have never even seen -- or touched, “I’m here for the iLac… supposedly free for an advertising event.”
The attendant nodded and said that she’ll be back soon and left Arete to think:

This area of the world was so different than the one he lived in. They harnessed electricity, something only thought of as magical and wild by the populace in Fiore… and many other things similar to that. This particular area seemingly had its own separate realm, untouched by those outside it. Perhaps it was that the magic-bearing kingdoms would not dare send an army to a country like this or that those who lived within felt the same but vice versa. His train of thought were cut short however, as the employee came back with a rectangular box, and handed it to him, “Here you go! A new iLac mobile computer device,” she said. Arete smiled and bid her a nice evening as he walked out of the shop and back to the train station. (559)