Chapter 02 [arc four]

"Why is everything so bright?"

Standing beside the older man's car, Karilyn struggled to keep her eyes open from all the lights that were above her. He had refused to tell her where they were, only that it would make her stop asking to leave. The twenty-two-year-old expected the environment to be strange. The entire world was all types of sideways. But she was now in what looked to be a bright blue and green metropolis. She put her hand above her eyes to try to get a better look without having to strain. This only made her vision more limited to her frustration.

"Because you aren't wearing these." Karylin looked over at the man to see he was holding out something for her. A pair of black sunglasses that had a cubic frame. "Put them on and you'll see a difference in pretty much the entire world."

The redhead knew by now to keep her protests to herself and just take the glasses. They felt cold in her tiny hands as she looked them over. There was a shape carved on the right side of it but it was hard to make out. As she put the glasses on, she started to see the city shift form. The bright blue sidewalk turned completely white, vanishing right from under her feet. The tall, neon buildings that eclipsed her became more manageable. All the lights that blinked along their rooftops became much slower, almost like they paused the world.

Startled, the slave girl looked down at her hands and let out a small screech. They had transformed just like the metropolitan city. Her pale skin was gone and replaced by a bunch of stars. Where her veins had now become tiny lines of blue sparkles. The shape of her hands remained, but the stars swam around and dazzled with each flex they made. The strands of her hair that fell into view from her ponytail also were different. Her hair was now darker, to the point it wasn't the same deep red color anymore, but auburn. She stared at it all with her mouth agape and tried to process what her brain was currently digesting.

"The glasses will let you see the city and how its residents do. Take a breath." The demon man was walking over to her with a smile. She tried to get herself together. He looked like a cluster of stars that were silver. "It will be a lot to take in at first, so calm down and gather your thoughts."

Karilyn nodded and started to exhale the breath she took in. Her eyes widened at the sight of it becoming stars in the air. "Are they on drugs all the time? I feel like I'm going to throw up."

He moved to grab her hand, and she allowed it. The sidewalk vanishing made her nervous even though she knew it was all an illusion. "You could say that. The residents of this city have connected themselves to another realm. Your glasses are the only way for a human to see it safely."

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Hearing that made her do a double take. It was kind of cool that a pair of sunglasses allowed her to enter another reality. But it disturbed her that the people here needed drugs to do so. The man helped her walk further in, and she felt her chest tighten. There were glitter particles floating all over the place, making the sky shine a beautiful navy blue. She didn't know where the sun started as everything was getting darker the deeper she went. There was no light from the sky. The city itself was the only thing that provided any light for her to see. Karilyn felt dizzy staring at any one thing for too long and grew nauseated.

One thing that she couldn't stop looking at was the people. They all wore the craziest outfits she had seen in a while. Everyone looked like they had been clubbing all night and didn't bother to stop. Her appearance caused some curiosity, as even the strange fur and neon ensemble Lili gave her was too tame for the metropolis. Couples who walked together stopped to look her up and down. Their eyes were spaced out as if they had been on a drug binge. It made her feel uncomfortable, but she kept her mouth shut. The twenty-two-year-old didn't trust the man to not take her back to the palace if she complained. Instinctively, she pressed closer to him to try to get away from the staring.

The ogre king looked down at her with surprise. "Are you alright? You usually try to stay as far away as possible from me." At the mention of her closeness, she felt become embarrassed.

"I'm fine." Karilyn tried to come up with an excuse to get her away from all these eyes. The constant judgment by them was making her legs feel like jelly. "Um, can we get something to eat? I skipped breakfast and now my stomach hurts."

"Of course. We can get on the monorail and go to a restaurant if you want. I'm sure they'll have food that fits your pickiness." The ogre king added the last comment with an odd tone she couldn't recognize. But for now, she was focused on not puking all over his business shoes.

The twenty-two-year-old was shocked that the monorail was so close. The man came to a stop, and they were met with the large metal vehicle. It sat dormant across from them, where a few people dressed as the others boarded. The slave girl kept her eyes down as the older man got them tickets. She could feel the vendor's eyes burning a hole into her soul as they stared. They acted as if she were an oddity they had never encountered before. A shiver went down her spine as she caught them and saw their lip lift into a sneer. Karilyn was at a loss for words. Everyone was acting hostile towards her all of a sudden.

The ogre king didn't notice it as he helped her get into the vehicle without falling. The doors slid closed behind her and she let out a relieved sigh. The compartment they were in was basically empty, as the only other passenger was asleep. The twenty-two-year-old hesitated, sitting down as the seats felt weird. The glasses were affecting her senses and the leather beneath her felt like glue. Still, she didn't want the man to go back on his deal and she swallowed her anxiety to sit. With an uncomfortable glance around, she crossed her legs and tried to get her thoughts together.