Leonar took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment as he tried to remain calm.

The wind howled even stronger at the top of the skyscraper, and although the view was breathtaking, he wasn’t in the mood to enjoy it.

The building he was stuck on looked like a luxurious corporate complex, with elegant, modern architecture.

Its glass walls reflected the sunlight, and the structure towered over the city like a colossus of metal and glass.

From his position, he could see the reflections of the nearby skyscrapers on the building’s polished surface.

But none of that mattered.

Because he was still trapped.

Leonar ran a hand over his face, letting out a long sigh.

“Celestia…”

“Yes?”

“How on earth did you come up with the idea to bring me here?”

Celestia laughed softly in his mind.

“It’s not that big a deal, don’t you think?”

Leonar spun abruptly toward the edge of the building and pointed at the void.

“I’m more than a hundred meters above the ground! Of course it’s a big deal!”

“Actually, it’s over two hundred.”

Leonar blinked.

“… What?”

“This building is about two hundred and thirty meters tall.”

Leonar fell silent for a few seconds, clenching his teeth as his eye twitched slightly.

“Great. Simply great.”

“Is something wrong?” Celestia asked with feigned innocence.

Leonar dropped his arms to his sides, feeling frustration boil inside him.

“Something wrong? Oh, nothing at all. I’m just stuck on top of a damn skyscraper with no way down because a shiny sphere thought it’d be a brilliant idea to fly me up here.”

Celestia paused for a moment before murmuring,

“… But the view is nice, isn’t it?”

Leonar felt a tic form in his eyebrow.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

“I don’t give a damn about the view!”

He spun around sharply, scanning his surroundings in desperation. The rooftop was spacious and mostly clear, with a helipad in the center marked by a huge white “H.”

There were a few antennas and ventilation units, but nothing that looked remotely useful for getting down without, well, dying in the attempt.

Then his eyes landed on one side of the building.

There they were.

The emergency stairs.

They were made of metal and attached to the structure with what looked like rusty supports. The zigzag design snaked down the façade until it reached what seemed to be the twentieth or thirtieth floor, ending at a side exit.

How could a modern-looking building have stairs like that?

Leonar frowned as he moved closer.

“Celestia…”

“Yes?”

“You’re telling me you want me to climb down these damn stairs?”

Celestia fell silent for a moment.

“Hmm… Do you have any other option?”

Leonar pressed his lips into a tight line before snorting.

“I’m gonna die.”

Leonar hated heights.

“Ah, don’t be dramatic.”

Leonar rolled his eyes and grabbed the railing, feeling it tremble slightly under his grip.

“Of course, Celestia. There’s nothing dramatic about descending two hundred meters via rusty stairs in the middle of a hurricane. Totally normal.”

Celestia laughed.

“You’re hilarious.”

Leonar clicked his tongue and stepped toward the first platform.

As soon as he put one foot on it, the metal creaked under his weight. He froze for a second, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his temple.

“… Oh, great.”

“If you’re scared, just don’t look down.”

Leonar glanced over the edge.

He instantly regretted it.

The city spread out below like an endless abyss.

Cars looked like tiny toys, and pedestrians were nothing more than little moving dots. His stomach churned, and he immediately stepped back, pressing himself against the wall.

“Celestia…”

“Yes?”

“… I’m gonna kill you when I get down from here.”

Celestia laughed softly.

“Assuming you actually make it down, of course.”

Leonar closed his eyes and exhaled sharply through his nose.

“Great. Wonderful. Perfect.”

He turned toward the building’s door and grabbed the handle, trying to turn it.

It wouldn’t budge.

He frowned and pushed harder.

Nothing.

“Something wrong?” Celestia asked again.

Leonar pounded the door with his fist.

“Yes, something’s wrong. It’s locked.”

Celestia went silent for a moment before replying,

“Oh… Oops.”

Leonar felt his eye twitch once more.

“‘Oops’? You’re telling me ‘oops’?”

“It’s not my fault. I didn’t lock the door.”

Leonar pressed his fingers against his temple, trying to calm the growing fury inside him.

“Of course not. It would’ve been too convenient if you had checked that before leaving me here.”

Before he could complain further, a third voice interrupted the conversation in his head.

“Why all the noise…?”

It was Eleonora, her tired, drawn-out tone indicating she’d just woken up.

Leonar sighed.

“Oh, nothing important. Just that Celestia decided to leave me at the top of a damn skyscraper, and now I’m stuck.”

Eleonora yawned.

“Hmm… And what’s so bad about that?”

Leonar narrowed his eyes.

“What do you mean, ‘what’s so bad about that’? Can’t you see that the door leading out of here won’t open?”

“If you want to get through, just break the door.”

Leonar blinked.

He looked at the door. Then he looked at his hand.

Leonar crossed his arms and shifted his weight onto one foot.

“Break the door, you say?”

“Yes. It’s just a door. Nothing special about it.”

Leonar eyed the heavy metal structure.

“Uh-huh… And tell me, Eleonora… how do you expect me to do that without attracting attention?”

There was a brief silence.

“… I guess that’s a problem.”

Leonar sighed, massaging the bridge of his nose.

“Of course it is.”

He fell silent for a moment before murmuring to himself,

“Of course. Now I have two useless ones with me.”

Celestia and Eleonora spoke at the same time.

“Hey.”

Leonar simply closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

He definitely needed a better way down.