The next morning Aya pulls the blanket off herself more rested than she was the previous day when she stayed up late.

"At least I'm not going to be as sleepy as I was last time." she says eating a bowl of cereal as her only breakfast. She shakes the box a bit noticing she was almost out of it. "Hm I'll have to buy more, Lucky I converted that Gold."

As usual, she takes her backpack off the hook and hangs it on her shoulders.

"Ready to go!" she says, flashing herself a smile in the mirror and running out the door.

The girl flies down the stairs, hurrying to get down and catch the bus before it would leave her behind. She doesn't notice the figure approaching her when suddenly she crashes into another young woman.

Aya falls back, the dusty hallway floor hard enough to kick up a cloud of dust. The other girl falls too, her items go with her, scattering all over the ground with a crash.

"Oh my God, I'm so, so sorry." Aya says rushing over to help the girl gather her things.

"Why don't you watch where you're going next time!" the girl snaps, snatching the box out of Aya's hands and muttering as she goes.

Aya's eyes dart between the stairs and the girl's retreating back. She hesitates, stuck between heading down the steps and wanting to follow the young lady to apologize, but the clock is ticking and she can't be late for work.

"I'll make it up to you." She calls after the young woman. The girl is surprised but only gives a huff as she heads back to her own apartment.

Aya had never seen her before and concluded she must have been a new resident.

Aya doesn't have time to think about it before she runs again, her feet pound on the pavement, her heart races as she runs to catch up with the bus just as it's about to drive away.

Approaching the bus stop as fast as she can, Aya nearly screams as her only means of transportation starts its engine, about to pull away from the bus stop.

"Wait, Wait!" she screams, frantically waving her arms to get the bus driver's attention. The bus pauses and the driver opens the door so she can get on.

Aya falls into the bus, panting hard at all the work it took to run from the apartment to the bus stop.

"You made it." the old bus driver says.

Aya laughs.

"As if you would want to leave behind your favorite passenger."

"My only passenger from here." the bus driver retorts good naturedly, the two share a laugh and Aya walks to her usual seat to enjoy the bus ride.

----------

"You're looking frazzled this morning." Aya's boss says the moment she walks through the door. He looks her up and down. "You sure you don't have a boyfriend?"

"Sir! I nearly missed the bus that's all!" Aya says growing red at hr boss' embarrassing words.

"You're right, you're right, not in this economy." he says. Aya shakes her head, picking up the mail and putting it on her trolley to begin delivering it to the usual floors.

"I had a really bad start to the morning if you need to know." she says with a shrug, with a little force she moves the squeaky trolley into the elevator. "Might need some oil for this." Aya says. Her boss laughs.

"Who's gonna pay for that?" he asks. Aya rolls her eyes. Why did these people like to act broke?

----------

The office day is the same as ever, Aya delivers the mail only greeted with silence and the occasional snapping. Like the woman, she's speaking to right now.

The woman flares her nostrils, pinching the bridge of her nose in frustration at the late arrival of her mail.

"And why wasn't delivered yesterday?"

'And how do you expect me to know that? lady I don't curate the mail, only deliver it.' Aya thinks, barely holding back an annoyed expression of her own.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

"You'd have to call the mail room floor for urgent delivers ma'am, else they come after Mr. Fitzgerald curates them." she says. The woman huffs, glaring at Aya before waving her off the way one would to a mosquito.

'Rude.' Aya thinks, pushing the trolley on, another worker asks her the same question to which Aya gives a similar response. But unlike the other woman, this woman simply nods, offering Aya a cookie which she accepts

"Thank you." Aya says, continuing on.

'She must be new.' Aya thinks, there was no way a veteran of Nue Corp would be so hospitable.

Getting to the top floor a weight settles in her stomach at the thought of encountering Viviana.

"Why did I say that to her?" Aya mutters, pressing her back against the elevator wall. Beads of sweat roll down her forehead and she suddenly remembers the first time Viviana met.

----------

A young Aya starts her first day at Nue Corp's mail room, pushing her trolley along she greets an older man.

"Good morning sir, how's your day going?" she asks, picking up a sheaf of papers. On noticing a family photo on the man's desk she smiles. "That's a lovely family." she comments as she hands him the sheaf of papers.

"Do you always talk this much?" he asks coldly before returning to his work. "Your job is to deliver the mail not make conversation."

Aya gasps softly under her breath at the way his icy tone cuts right through her. She could only nod and continue pushing her trolley.

"Maybe he's just having a bad day." she says trying to comfort herself. Unfortunately, that was not the case the denizens of Nue Corp's work force all seem irritated, unfriendly, and cold even when Aya tries her very best to remain polite.

Some yell at her, some laugh in her face but without fail they all continue to be unnecessarily cruel.

Getting back on the elevator Aya's lip wobbles, tears sting at her eyes but she wills herself not to cry.

"Maybe the people on the top floor will be better." she says to herself.

On getting to the top floor the young lady finds herself blown away by the dazzling opulence of the floor's design. Freshly waxed tile floors so clear she could see her own reflection as she pushes the trolly unto it, a dazzling chandelier hangs from the ceiling casting a golden glow that reflects on the floor.

At the only desk in the vicinity sat one of the most beautiful women Aya had ever seen, long golden hair so luscious it sparkled underneath the light of the chandelier, flawless skin, and a bright pair of eyes.

The woman's clothes are nothing to sneeze at either, Aya recognizes her blouse from one of the luxury catalogs she would see while at the bus stop.

Aya approaches the desk with her trolley, ready to make a good first impression.

"Good morning miss." Aya says keeping her tone quiet and polite so she wouldn't offend. Viviana scoffs glancing at Aya and scowling deeply.

"Did you just address me mail rat?" she asks in the most offended tone. Aya stands, frozen in shock at the woman's response. What was she supposed to say?

"Y-Yes? I mean No?" she says trying not to anger Viviana further.

"Oops." the blonde laughs, knocking the letters out of Aya's hands. The girl squeaks wondering what warranted such force. All the while Viviana stands smirking.

"But why?" Aya asks, heart broken.

"One word from me and you're gone."

"I haven't done anything to you." Aya says in a small voice. Viviana laughs, cackling like a witch straight out of a fairy tale.

"I don't need a reason sweetie, I just can, so I will." she says patting Aya's head condescendingly. Vivian flips her hair over her shoulder and returns to her desk.

"Now be a dear and pick up those letters you dropped."

"But I didn't, I'm not the one who-"

"Pick up the mail you dropped." Viviana says again narrowing her eyes. "Or I have you kicked out for harassment." at her words Aya has no choice but to scramble and pick up the letters as Viviana laughs.

"You're such a push over!" the woman snickers. "I guess that's what happens when you have to worry about money." a cruel smile lines the woman's lips.

"Now get out, before I actually decide to call security." Viviana says dismissing the girl in front of her. "Thanks for the laugh though."

Aya could only ball her fist and hold back her hurt, humiliated tears. Once back in the privacy of the mail room she sobs, bawling her heart out at the needless cruelty.

----------

Ever since that day, Aya hated everything to do with Viviana. Working at Nue Corp was the bane of her existence but a girl's gotta eat somehow and Nue Corp was paying more than any fast food place or entry level job Aya would have taken.

Pulling the trolley through the elevator she picks out the mail and approaches the table. Viviana doesn't even look at her.

'Better that way." Aya thinks as she places the mail down on the table and heads back to the elevator. Just as she's about to step in Viviana speaks.

"You're nothing to me, easily replaceable." she spits.

"I don't want to be anything to you." Aya replies with the same nonchalance the other workers would give her. "But I'm not nothing." Aya says, the elevator doors close before she can hear Viviana's response. Aya wonders if the woman is thinking of another thing to say when they see each other again.

Her boss is not there when she returns to the mail room. Aya takes the opportunity to rest and check her phone and see what she could find about the play style she was interested in.

"Hm, long ranged sounds good, or short ranged if I don't have to be the one throwing the punches." she says.

'Players in Moon Valley that don't fight.' she types into the search bar. A myriad of results come up with three interesting classes being the focus.

Summoner

Beast Master

Necromancer

"Necromancer looks so badass!" Aya says but doesn't know if she would really want to play that. The girl continues to read about them on the forums, looking for tips and tricks as well as the best equipment and accessories for them.

"I can't decide! But well they all have their pros and cons but summoner seems to be more my thing."

Just then her boss walks in with an annoyed expression.

"Did you say something to the higher ups?" he asks. Aya puts her phone away, sitting in rapt attention.

"No sir." She says. "Viviana was rude as usual but I didn't really say anything back." the man nods. Aya's heart pounds, a heavy weight settles in her chest. The man nods.

"Forget about it then." he tells her but Aya is only left wondering if Viviana would make good on the threat to get her fired.