Saint Augustine Academy was a typical private school in Cavite. A collection of two-story concrete buildings painted in a fading cream-and-blue, surrounded by a high wall and a courtyard that smelled perpetually of floor wax.
To most of his classmates, Xavier Guan was just Xavi. A familiar fixture to their small, comfortable world. His family was well-off, and his father's factory, Guan-Tech Industrial, was a well-known name in General Trias.
But in the Grade 2 hallway, he was far from the only Prince. He walked alongside the son of a local councilor, the daughter of a successful rice miller, and the heirs to several local hardware distribution networks. Here, status was a common currency, something to be expected rather than marveled at.
In his first life, Xavier had been happy to simply belong to this group. He had played the games, traded the same stickers, and shared the same easy-going childhood concerns as everyone else. But as he stepped through the gates this morning, his eyes were different. He wasn't looking for friends to play with; he was looking for the foundations of a network.
"Xavi! Did you see the new Transformers movie?"
His usual circle clustered around him as they headed toward the lockers. Marco, the son of a local hardware distributor, was the most vocal. Marco was the type of kid who always had the newest toys and a certain kind of hunger for more.
"Not yet, Marco" Xavier said, his voice level and intentionally youthful. He didn't want to stand out as a prodigy yet. He just wanted to be perceived as reliable. "Maybe we can watch it together sometime soon? My Pa might be able to get us a private van."
"Really? Nice!"
Xavier watched Marco's eyes gleam. Marco was materialistic, driven by the desire for the newest toys and the coolest experiences.
"I'll check with my Pa" Xavier added. Marco wasn't a genius, but his father's distribution network would be a vital asset in five years. "By the way, Marco, I heard there's a kid in Grade 4... Aris? People say he's a bit of a weirdo."
"Aris Mendoza? Yeah" Marco sneered.
"The 'Calculator Boy.' He's always getting his lunch stolen by the Grade 6 guys. Why?"
"I just like his style" Xavier said, keeping his tone casual. "Tell the Grade 6 guys to leave him alone. If they listen, I might 'lose' my extra allowance near the canteen tomorrow."
Marco's eyebrows shot up. "Seriously? For Aris?"
"For the principle of it" Xavier said, flashing a quick, innocent smile.
"I don't like bullies."
---------------
Xavier spent the morning performing. Not a grand show, but a series of quiet, consistent demonstrations of talent.
In Math class, while the rest of the Grade 2 students were struggling with basic multiplication tables, Xavier sat quietly and finished his worksheet in ten minutes. He didn't turn it in immediately. He waited, letting the "studious" kids finish first. Only when the room fell into the usual lull before the next lesson did he walk to the front.
Mrs. Santos looked over his paper, her eyebrows lifting slightly. "All correct, Xavier. And you used... a different method here?"
"My Pa showed me a shortcut" Xavier said, offering a small, shy smile.
"He says it's how they do it in the factories to save time"
It was a small thing, but it was enough. The studious children in the front row, who usually kept to themselves, looked back at him with a new kind of curiosity. He wasn't showing off, he was just... capable.
During Art class, while the others were drawing stick-figure houses and lopsided suns, Xavier took a charcoal pencil and focused on a simple object on his desk: a sharpener. He didn't try to draw a masterpiece. He just drew the lines and shadows with a precision that was slightly, just slightl beyond a seven-year-old's reach.
"That's very detailed, Xavier" a girl from the next table whispered.
"I just like how things fit together" Xavier replied, not looking up.
He was weaving his net, thread by thread, person by person. He didn't need them to worship him.
He just needed them to notice that he was the one they should go to when things got difficult.
---------------
Recess was the move he had been planning all night. The canteen was a frantic hive of activity. Xavier sat at a side table, away from his usual boisterous group. He had a tray with two Zagu shakes and a plate of fried lumpia.
A few minutes later, Aris Mendoza appeared.
Aris was everything Xavier remembered: thin, quiet, and hunched as if trying to hide from the world. He was in Grade 4, but he was smaller than some of the Grade 3 boys. His uniform was clean but frayed, and his eyes were darting toward the door as if expecting trouble.
"Sit down, Aris" Xavier said, not looking up from his shake.
Aris hesitated, his fingers clutching the strap of his worn bag. "Marco said... he said you wanted to talk to me. About math."
"The math can wait" Xavier said, pushing the tray toward him.
"Eat. You look like you're in a hurry."
Aris looked at the lumpia, his throat bobbing as he swallowed. He slowly sat down. He didn't eat like a glutton; he ate with a careful speed. Xavier watched him, feeling a pang of genuine empathy. He remembered Aris's mother, a woman who worked a couple of jobs to keep her son in a private school she could barely afford. In his past life, Aris had been forced to drop out when the Guan-Tech collapse triggered a local economic ripple.
"The boys who took your lunch today" Xavier said softly.
"I heard they've been bothering you for a while."
Aris looked down at his lap.
"It's fine. I'm used to it."
"It shouldn't be fine" Xavier replied. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-peso bill. It was crisp and new. He slid it across the table. "I have a lot of notes I need organized. Things I don't have the time to copy. I need someone with good handwriting and a fast brain."
Aris looked at the money, then at Xavier. "You want me... to work for you?"
"I want to hire you" Xavier said.
"Twenty pesos a day for the work. And I'll make sure Marco and his friends look out for you. If you get the money from me for tutoring, your Ma won't worry, right?"
Aris stared at the bill. It wasn't an overwhelming amount, but it was enough to buy a real snack and still have something left over. Most importantly, it was a job. It wasn't charity.
"I... I can do that" Aris whispered, his posture straightening just a fraction. "I'm good at organizing."
"I know you are" Xavier smiled. "Take the money. Tomorrow, I'll give you the first batch of notes. And Aris? We keep this quiet. Just between us"
Aris nodded, his eyes bright with a new kind of intensity. He wasn't looking at a Prince. He was looking at a partner.
---------------
After school, Xavier bypassed the watchful eye of the security guard. He told the guard he was going to wait at Marco's house, knowing the guard would assume he was being picked up there.
He walked three blocks to Netopia Express.
The internet cafe was a cramped space filled with the smell of sweat and the frantic clicking of players. Xavier walked to the counter, his small head barely reaching the top. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a twenty-peso bill.
"One hour"
He sat at Terminal 14, the CRT monitor humming as it flickered to life. He plugged in his Kingston drive and navigated to oDesk.com.
In 2007, oDesk was the wild frontier of the Philippine freelance scene. It was where the world came to hire talent at a discount, and where Filipinos came to earn the dollars that would soon be worth fifty pesos each.
Xavier's fingers flew across the keyboard. Fighting the lag of the dial-up connection, fighting the physical limitation of his small hands. He wasn't moving with the speed of his old life, but he was moving with a focus that the teenagers playing games around him couldn't fathom.
*Name: X.G. Architect*
*Title: Senior Content Strategist & Market Analyst*
*Bio: Professional writer with experience in the North American legal and medical sectors. Specialized in high-conversion copy*
He uploaded the "Mesothelioma" articles and the first two chapters of The Blood God's System. He set his hourly rate to $15. A high price for 2007, but he knew the quality of Abyss's output would justify it.
As the upload progress bar crawled toward 100%, Xavier looked at the teenagers beside him. They were shouting about "kills" and "items" their lives consumed by a digital game. He felt no disdain for them, only a quiet sense of purpose. They were working hard for their dreams; he was just working on a different scale.
"UPLOAD COMPLETE. YOUR PROFILE IS NOW ACTIVE."
Xavier logged out, pulled the USB drive, and walked out of the café. The sun was setting over and casting shadows across the streets.
He saw his father's Isuzu pulling up to the school gate a few blocks away. He broke into a run, his light-up shoes flashing.
"ABYSS: FIRST ASSET SECURED. ODESK PROFILE LIVE. PROJECTED FIRST REVENUE: 48 HOURS. NOTE: BIOLOGICAL SLEEPINESS LEVELS INCREASING."
"Good" Xavier whispered, his breath hitching as he reached the car.
He climbed into the back seat, smiling at his father. "Pa! I did a really hard math problem today."
Arthur laughed, ruffling his hair. "That's my A-Ba. Genius."
Xavier leaned back against the seat, the USB drive heavy in his pocket. He was exhausted, his body was small, and he had a world to rebuild. But for the first time in two lives, he can prevent tragedies.