Ava stepped out of Maurice's office, her fingers twitched oddly. She flexed her hand to shake the sensation off.
In the corridor, a number of maids who earlier had bustled about now were idly chatting. She paid no attention to them.
Ava adjusted the harness strapped across her chest and waist, her hand touching the dagger, gun, both in place.
Descending the staircase, she found herself back on the restaurant's ground floor. The savory aroma of grilled meat dancing through the air, and the hum of quiet conversation filling the room.
Ava approached the counter and ordered a dinner platter off of the menu; she got her meal wrapped in paper, stepped out of the three-story building housing the restaurant, and walked into the cool night.
The streets were empty, then illuminated by soft, biotech-powered street lights. Ava walked silently, her footsteps light against the cobblestones, as by this time everyone was already in bed. Continuing up to a wide bridge that spanned a shallow canal, she leaned her backside against the railing-the weight of the day settling onto her, though her expression was as unreadable as always.
She peered a moment at the black water below her, its surface distorted in the reflection of dim lights. The world went on around her, but Ava's mind was onto the next: another job, another payout, another brief taste of freedom before starting all over again.
Ava lingered on the bridge, her gaze drifting beyond the canal to the skyline of Valondria, where concrete metal buildings adorned with crystal inlays glistened under the soft glow of biotech-powered street lights. Bioluminescent designs pulsed gently along archways, giving the city an ethereal charm that would entrap the viewer into eternal dream.
Close by a sleek rail gilded silently above, the hum of its magnetic resonance barely noticeable in the stillness. In the distance, tethered airships hovered quietly, their smooth, crystal-powered forms blending into the night like drifting clouds.
Above her, the sky that defied reason—a cosmic wonder no one could explain, not even the brightest minds of Irioris. Five planets hung stacked one over the other, suspended impossibly close, their massive planetary glow dominating the heavens alongside a pale moon.
across each planet in the sky above were the Six Lights, mysterious pillars of light found in key regions. When two corresponding lights from adjacent planets aligned, they opened a tunnel-like passage, allowing beings to step through effortlessly, as if crossing from one room to another.
These neighboring worlds, all with breathable atmospheres and ruled by sovereign territories, remained a mystery known only to "The Unseen One," the divine entity worshipped by all in all the planets. Their looming presence gave the night sky an overwhelming majesty, as though existence itself were folded and rearranged by the hands of the unseen.
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Amidst all the grace and intricate detail in the world around her, Iroris maintained a strangely quaint appeal. Even as Iroris attained Type 1 civilization status, for most of its denizens, life paralleled a world long since passed. Technology, although advanced, was cannily disguised within older designs. Rail systems seemed like old iron monstrosities from another era, except that they moved with an uncanny silence and precision.
Airships drifted across the sky with the elegance of ancient dirigibles, sans belching of smoke or steam in their contrails. Carriages and tools only subtly improved, powered by crystal or bioelectricity. Progress here was less about breaking with the past as with combining the old and the new.
Ava exhaled a long breath, her breathing visible momentarily in the chilly night air. The water below stirred softly, showing fragments of light from the sleeping city. It was that one moment of peace in a life that never stopped-but she knew this wouldn't last. For now, keeping everything behind her, she allowed herself to relax and take in the quiet beauty of a world.
***
Letting the cool night breeze caress her face. The faint hum of distant conversations, and the soft lapping of water against the pillars below created a soothing environment.
She unwrapped her meal -roasted meat, rice, and curry-. Eating in silence, she let her thoughts wander. She wasn't one to waste time reflecting on jobs once they were done, but Maurice's words gnawed at her.
Ava grew up with crime. She knew people like Maurice played the long game—always scheming, always manipulating—but she couldn't afford to get caught in his web nor can she dismiss him entirely as he is generous in payments.
The promise of a large payout kept her anchored, and in her line of work, money meant freedom and freedom is everything.
Finishing the last bite of her meal. The night was growing colder, her lips starting to show signs of chapped lips. She adjusted the collar of her coat and turned her gaze towards the reflection of the moon on the water below.
The bridge felt like a threshold, on one side, the just-completed job; on the other, whatever next came her way. "Maurice probably thinks he's the one pulling the strings, but I've always danced to my own rhythm, she thought.".
Just as she pushed off the railing to leave, She froze, her muscles tensed, and her breath hitched for half a second. Her hand shot instinctively to the gun on her harness while her grip settled surely, though the pulse quickened.
The world shifted around her, as if this familiar night had transformed into a predator's lair. She listened hard, but the city was suddenly too quiet, even the breeze holding its breath.
Her eyes combed the dark alleys to either side of the bridge, tracing shadows stretching out too long under the dim streetlights. Every doorway, every crevice, every underpass was a potential place to hide.
Her heart thundered, heavy and slow, in her chest. But nothing moved.
She squeezed the gun a little tighter as the unease twisted inside her. Was someone behind her, or was exhaustion only now playing tricks on her?
A chill, deeper than the cold night air, crawled over her skin. The hair rose on her arms in silent protest as her instincts screamed danger, even when her eyes found no proof.
Slowly, after a long beat, she exhaled the tension. False alarm. Or was it?
She peered once more into the darkness, her eyes hanging on just a little longer than they needed to. With a shake of her head, she spun on her heel, her boots tapping against the cobblestones as she disappeared into the night once more.