It was beautiful, and haunting. Memories of her past, and of lives she hadn’t led filled her mind and then vanished. Slipping through her grasp like the finest grains of sand.
The experience was terrifying, and marvellous. When she finally returned to a state of awareness, she found herself in front of a glass box tucked near the back of the spacious room. A thick layer of dust covered the top, which she felt was strange.
Farion seemed like the kind of man who wouldn’t allow a single speck of dust to permeate this place, yet this particular case appeared untouched since its installation.
Evelyn raised a hand to wipe away the dust, to give herself a clear look at what lay within. She hadn’t found herself there by chance.
During her trance she had been drawn here by a resonance between her mana and the object within. That feeling of a deep longing and lost connection remained from the experience, even as most of it faded away, just like a dream did in the first moments of being awake.
Peering into the case, Evelyn saw a stunning piece of jewellery fashioned from white gold. It looked as though it was meant to rest on an ear, and it was formed of interlocking spiral braids of metal. They were so thin she almost refused to believe that they were crafted by human hands. Leaves of platinum branched off the spirals at random points, and pulsing through the entire piece was a dense node of mana.
It lay on a red velvet cushion, unmoving. And yet it seemed to be pulling towards her. Some invisible, inscrutable gravity existed between the two of them.
“This…” Farion said from over her shoulder, “I believed this particular child would never find a match. I crafted it from a strange reward I received from the tower. Too perfect for even my own uses. I didn’t dare to leave it in a gaudy display like the rest. How strange, and perhaps fitting that it chose you. Typically, I would charge even when an item and owner have such a powerful connection, but this seems fated beyond my purview. She is yours to treasure.”
As he spoke he pulled a silver key from thin air and unlocked the case, sending a small cloud of dust puffing into the air as he pulled it open. He motioned for her to take it, not even daring to touch it himself. Evelyn didn’t comment on his odd behaviour, since he was giving her such a magnificent item free of charge.
When she placed the cold metal on her ear, there was no discomfort. It melded with her in a way that went beyond the physical. Like it had always been there. Part of her.
That wasn’t all that happened when she equipped it. All of her tattoos, the numerous stars which she had collected during her time in the tower, lit up in a shimmering wave. It lasted for only a second, but she heard Kayla gasp from a distance.
“All I managed to gleam after I fashioned her was that the earpiece draws power from the stars. The tower gifted ones, not the stellar bodies. Though whether the two are connected is a mystery unsolved. It’s perfect on you, dear. Today is a blessed day. I would entertain you longer, but I feel inspired to craft. Feel free to drop by if you would like quality gear made. I can guarantee none of the other charlatans in Haven can come close,” said Farion.
“Arrogant, but accurate. His gear is the best of the best,” said Kayla, finally becoming more than just a backdrop to the moment.
“I will. Thank you for the gift, Farion. I will treasure it. I’ll keep your offer in mind,” replied Evelyn, fondling her bejewelled ear while making her way back to the archway, Kayla in tow.
Farion didn’t see them out, having disappeared into one of the mysterious rooms along the hallway while they walked. Evelyn wanted to investigate the strange room from before, but when they returned all the doors were closed.
She felt it would be rude to start opening them at random, so decided to shelve her curiosity for another day. Instead, she struck up a conversation with Kayla.
“So, his work is incredible. Something is off-key with Farion though,” she remarked.
“Everyone’s weird in their own unique ways, darlin’. Besides, a little flavour makes life more interesting. I won’t argue that Farion’s an acquired taste, but most great artists are. You aren’t going to tell me that ear adornment you’ve been drooling over for the last ten minutes isn’t a fabulous addition to your arsenal. And you look gorgeous in it to boot,” Kayla replied.
Evelyn’s cheeks grew hot. It was the third time that day that Kayla had triggered that reaction. She wasn’t sure what to make of it, and confronting her own feelings might be a little too intense during a shopping trip.
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“I’m flattered,” she said, far more curt than she had intended.
Kayla shot her a sideways glance, before continuing as though nothing had happened. “I figured it was best to get the strangest part of the day done first. The rest of our stops are more mundane, but you should get just as much out of them.”
As they exited the manor, Evelyn cast one look back at the magnificent, magical building. It pulsed with life in a way the rest of Haven failed to, despite being filled with people. Others were sure to catch up to Farion’s level of skill eventually, but he had leapt ahead in a way that she admired. It was a single minded dedication that reminded her of her own obsession.
Provided she got what she wanted today, Evelyn knew she would be challenging the 16th Floor again tomorrow. Ascension or not.
~~~
“It’s not that I couldn’t afford it, but that was an absolute rip off,” complained Evelyn as her and Kayla traipsed through the cobbled streets of central Haven.
“What, did you expect them to sell you stuff at the same prices the local shop did? Think about it, they can charge what they like, since the property system protects them from abuse. Of course, they need to stay within a reasonable margin from the tower’s essence costs, but it’s about the lowest common denominator. If the most recent crystal cost 150 essence, then they can charge 350 without guilt. Even if that crystal only cost them 48 in the local shop when they got it,” replied Kayla.
“Agh. I get it, I get it. That doesn’t mean I have to like it. As if I would spend 350 essence on a common skill.”
“Of course, spending 30,000 on uncommon skills instead was much better value darlin’.”
“Right. Less work fusing them. It’s a labour cost. And I have enough attribute points to push my fortitude over a hundred. Even if they cost 500 a pop.”
“A bargain.”
“That whole bazaar was filled with nothing but scammers and cheats. I refuse to go back there.”
“I’m sure the moment you clear the 16th Floor you’ll be straight back to keep pushing yourself. You might try to fool your own mind, but you can’t slip anything past me,” said Kayla.
“Tsk.”
After the strange visit to Farion’s manor, Kayla had taken Evelyn to the Black Bazaar. It was a collection of commercial properties near the central plaza of Haven which had cropped up since the first clear of the 16th Floor.
Merchants of all kinds flogged their wares, with the people and merchandise changing daily. The majority of it was skill crystals, attribute points and various common and uncommon items that came from the tower rewards.
Of course, Evelyn had been thrilled at first. However, the prices most of Haven’s residents were offering them at were astronomical.
Not in the sense that they would make a dent in her finances. Because that would be impossible unless they had tens of thousands of skill crystals to offer. Rather that compared with the local shop, people were selling things at two to five times the price. It felt wrong.
Despite her discomfort at spending so much on what was once a throwaway purchase, Evelyn came away from the Black Bazaar with ten uncommon skill crystals and twenty attribute points.
Which had cost her 40,000 essence. At her last check, the local shop would’ve charged around a third of that.
Then again, she supposed it made sense. The local shop had felt like a cheat of sorts and eventually the supplies would’ve run dry even if she hadn’t lost access. Something had been bugging her, however. The whole economy felt a little out of whack. She refused to believe she was the only person who had invested so heavily in stars.
Surely others would have a similar income to her. If so, they were keeping it under wraps. If the merchants knew how much essence was there to throw around, perhaps they would hike the prices up even more. The question was high on her list of things to investigate when she got a chance, though.
The sun had begun to set as they arrived at her townhouse. Her and Kayla had been chatting and laughing the entire journey, in a way that felt more natural than even breathing.
All of a sudden, the pounding of her heart filled her ears. Golden light bathed Kayla’s shining locks as she offered a tantalising smile. In a move that was out of character, Evelyn leaned forward and planted her lips on the other woman’s.
Heat filled her cheeks as she did so, the embarrassment taking over a little too late to stop her from the impulsive move. When she went to pull away however, Kayla placed a hand on her cheek and drew her deeper into the kiss.
Her lips were soft and moist, like a ripe peach. It wasn’t Evelyn’s first time kissing another woman, but it was by far the most intense. Perhaps because of the experiences they had shared in the tower, it held a potent meaning. After what felt like an eternity, and an instant, Kayla drew back and took a breath.
“I have to say darlin’, I didn’t take you for the bold type. You’re a darn great kisser, though,” she said, eyes locked onto Evelyn’s.
“That was…” she found herself unable to finish the thought, not really knowing what it was she wanted to say.
Words wouldn’t do the cornucopia of emotions that was rippling through her mind and body justice.
“Thank you, for today. I needed to take my mind off things. I value you a lot, Kayla. I think I need some rest, but I’ll see you tomorrow. Come to the plaza in the morning,” said Evelyn.
“How mysterious, Eve. I’ll oblige you, but you can’t keep running forever.”
“No, but I can climb.”