The sun set, giving way to the emerging nightlife that surrounded the city of Heldov.

Stars were barely visible, but it didn’t matter to the citizens who frequented these streets and attractions. After all, there were very few places on the Ancestral Plane’s surface that allowed a clear look into the sky.

Why focus on something that can’t be changed?

Heldov was known for its lucrative entertainment district, which held some of the most prominent businesses in the region. The city’s massive reputation often attracted the entire gambit of clientele.

From the surface dwellers that lived close to poverty, to the supreme business magnates that dominated the skies, there was something for everyone in the city of Heldov. Among these establishments was a massive building that easily dwarfed its neighbors.

Long lines of people snaked around the outside walls as they waited for their opportunity to get inside. It was impossible to sneak in due to the tight security and the lack of entry points.

Meanwhile, the eyes of those at the front of the line lit up as they watched a young man get thrown out the entrance. It was unfortunate that he got kicked out, but this could only mean there was more space in there for the next person in line.

“Hurgk!”

“I don’t care who your father is. Don’t you ever try to pull that shit again, otherwise it won’t end with just you getting kicked out!”

One of the security personnel shouted from within the half-opened door.

He did this for two reasons. The first reason was to put the young man in his place. The second was to inform everyone else waiting in line that their backing didn’t matter in here—rules were rules.

The young man picked himself up and flashed a vicious look towards the security guard. He fixed his jacket and yelled at the top of his lungs without a care for his public image.

“You’ll pay for this! You and that dirty slut both! My father will hear about this! I’ll tear this place down! Fuck!”

The guard shook his head and closed the door behind him, leaving the young man with a bellyful of hatred. He kicked the floor and stalked off while fuming. Someone in the crowd whistled awkwardly as the spectators watched him disappear.

“Aiya, some people never learn. Next!”

The doorman called out to the line, and an older gentleman came forward.

If there was a way to describe the man in one word, it’d be suave. His slicked back mane had traces of white, while his facial hair was reduced to a manageable form of stubble.

Years of experience were etched into his brow, and this coupled with his bespoke business attire seemed to scream success.

Of course, even a successful man like this still had to wait in line along with everyone else. Since it was finally his turn, he walked up to the doorman and exchanged greetings as well as his identification information.

“What did that fellow get kicked out for? Sounded like it involved a girl.”

He asked nonchalantly while he waited for the doorman to clear him through.

All types of identification were maintained by the central government in each region, and establishments were given different tiers of access to confirm the identification of their customers; just as the doorman was currently doing with a device.

“Ah who knows. He probably felt up some girl who didn’t take kindly to that.”

He tapped his tablet device before continuing on.

“Looks like you’re good to go Sir Hando. Uhh, you don’t look like you would, but don’t cause trouble, yea?”

The doorman stepped aside and allowed the gentleman named Hando through the entrance.

“Thanks, and no worries. Just here to enjoy the scenery.”

The door closed behind him as Hando went inside.

What greeted him was a serene lobby room with artificial lighting. A small indoor pond ran throughout the room with authentic wooden bridges connecting the floors together. Toward the back of this room of tranquility was a young lady with light-blue hair sitting professionally behind a desk.

Not what I expected.

Hando thought to himself as he made his way across the bridges and arrived in front of her.

“Do you have a room, or is your stay temporary?”

She asked without even looking up at her new guest.

Why does it seem like all the employees here don’t respect their customers at all?

Hando came from a professional world where everyone at minimum maintained a fake smile and catered to the whims of their customers. So far from what he had seen, he was floored by apathetic attitude that permeated the place.

“I uh- it’s temporary. Just here to enjoy a good time.”

Regardless of her lack of smile, he would always show respect to strangers unless specifically given a reason not to.

“Door on your left. Enjoy your time.”

She pointed to Hando’s left with her thumb before waving him off like he was an annoying insect that wouldn’t stop buzzing around her.

Hando nodded his head and took in a deep breath before making his way to the door. His thoughts were full of expectation as he opened the door.

Now, just what is all the excitement about this place for?

He stepped through, and the door closed behind him with a light click. The lobby resumed its peaceful and languid atmosphere.

The young woman looked up toward the ceiling and reached her arms overhead. She gave herself a full-bodied stretch and let out a feminine moan as her muscles relaxed. If anyone had witnessed this scene, they might have fallen in love at first sight.

“Working hard I see?”

A smooth voice reached across the room, startling the young woman. Her eyes flashed in excitement and her face bloomed into a smile. She swiftly stood up and inspected the newcomer, who was now leaning on the surface of her desk, watching her with a delightful smirk.

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He had messy black hair and an obsidian mask that covered the top half of his face. Red, piercing eyes glowed from behind the mask, while his obviously young facial features gave him a delicate appearance.

He wore a black suit that seemed to outline his refined physique. Underneath the suit, he wore a dark burgundy colored shirt that looked like a shade of deep red wine.

Even with the mask on, it was obvious that this young man was a ticking time bomb for all of womankind.

“Young master! Yes! No! I mean. I am!”

She spoke in a flurry as she looked around her immaculate and organized desk space that somehow seemed messy all the sudden. Of course, it wasn’t actually a mess, but her obsession for perfection suddenly flared in the presence of this individual.

For his sake, she had to strive for the best and nothing less.

“Relax Ciena, relax. Enjoy the atmosphere. After all, this room was made just for your tastes.”

He twirled his finger in a circle to indicate their surroundings. He glanced around the room, giving Ciena a perfect view of his handsome side profile. He looked back to find her unintentionally blushing and caught in a daze.

He snapped his fingers together to either side of her head.

“Hello, hello. Sky island to Ciena.”

He laughed as she shook her herself from side to side and sat back down behind her desk.

How come he always catches me off guard!

She screamed internally before giving a fake cough. She quickly resumed her nonchalant atmosphere that appeared outwardly cold.

“Business is good. Currently we are at full capacity as usual. Floor master Bennon is waiting for you in room one.”

The young man stood up straight, no longer putting his weight on her desk.

“Bennon is already here? He’s a bit early. Well, early is always best as I like to say.”

Floormaster Bennon has been waiting for hours now…

Ciena couldn’t help but think to herself.

Was Bennon several hours early, or was her boss actually several hours late?

She shook her head. There were many things that required her attention, and this wasn’t one of them.

The young man called out as he started walking off to one of the doors on the right.

“I’ll head up there to meet him. Thanks for letting me know. Ciena… you’re doing great!”

He waved his hand without looking back and exited the room. Once more the environment returned to tranquility, but this time the lady in the front desk was furiously blushing as she stared at the paperwork in front of her.

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Meanwhile, in a luxurious and dimly lit room, a well-built, middle-aged man was periodically pacing about before sitting down. He had repeated this pattern many times over the last few hours as anxiety gnawed at him from the inside.

He didn’t have to wait much longer when the door to the room opened up.

“Yo! Bennon!”

The same young man walked inside while performing a small dance to the music that came pouring in after him. This was music that filled the center stage of the nightclub. Small rhythmic beats and harmonic flutes created a soul stirring atmosphere.

The young man shut the door behind him, which silenced out all of the noise.

“Well this won’t do. What good is this room if you don’t use it for all its functionality?”

He fiddled with a panel along the side of the wall, and a moment later the wall turned translucent, allowing a clear view of the center stage. With some additional fiddling and a couple more seconds, the club music filtered into the room but at a reduced volume.

Each of these private rooms were created with the ability to see outward towards the center stage like a one-way window. The people in the room could even allow the ambient noises from outside to seep through the wall at whichever volume they want. These were all marvels made possible through the use of mana formations.

“This is perfect. So Bennon, how’s the club. Lay me the news.”

Finally, the young man flung his body onto the couch opposite of Bennon. He casually stared at the ceiling as if he were about to partake in a therapy session.

Bennon cleared his throat, beginning his monthly report.

“Ahem. I will begin with our recent new hires and their progress…”

A lengthy report soon unfolded as the nightclub continued to thrive into the night.

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Subtle vibrations trembled underneath his feet as Hando made his way through a passage that seemed to lead to another world.

Looking around in amazement at the décor and architecture of the interior, he couldn’t help but catch on to the small details. Such as how the rounded arches complemented the lines along the wall, as if they were some sort of ancient design that drew in an individual’s curiosity.

His astonishment only grew as he entered the center floor of the nightclub.

Gentle lights sparkled on beat and the music that filled the arena had an uplifting and empowering vibrato. People were littered everywhere as they danced or socialized with friends and strangers alike.

Hando gave a wry smile and closed his eyes, letting euphoria fill his heart.

Yes, this is the essence of what nightlife is about. How could I have ever forgotten this?

He looked around to find his crowd, which was the same as finding a lonely chair to sit on and drink away his fatigue. It didn’t take him long for him to come across a bar-like area where he easily found a spot to get settled in.

A hologram style selection menu floated in the air at the center of the table.

Hando eyed it momentarily before flipping through it with experience. This menu allowed one to create or custom order whatever it is they desired, as long as it was on the menu of course.

Hando didn’t waste time searching for something new. He ordered a drink he was familiar with and happily closed his eyes to enjoy the atmosphere.

It didn’t take long for him to hear a young man’s voice call out to him with his drink.

“I have an order here for, wait- Sir Hando?!”

The waiter’s voice called out in astonishment.

It seems that Hando had already been recognized so early in the night. Just as he was about to let out a sigh and inform the person to keep it down, he caught a glimpse of who it was.

“Bjorn?”

Even my best employee? Why am I not surprised…

Although Hando was shocked at first, he could only smile bitterly once he remembered something crucial. He was no longer in business.

“Sir Hando, it’s been awhile. May I?”

Bjorn gestured towards the empty chair next to him. If it was any other person, Hando would have declined, but he happened to have an incredibly good connection with Bjorn.

“Of course, it’s nice for this old man to have some company anyway.”

They both glanced towards the center stage in thought.

Were they thinking about what to say? Perhaps not.

Instead they both reminisced of a time they worked together. A time when Hando was at the height of his prosperity.

“This place is nice.”

Hando broke the silence between them. A hint of nostalgia clouded his eyes and his lips formed a smile.

“Yea… I won’t lie, this place really is nice, Sir.”

At first Bjorn wasn’t sure what to say, but after hearing Hando’s evaluation of the nightclub; he decided he didn’t need to withhold anything.

“It’s not a surprise that this place dominated the business in the area. Just working here for a month has already opened my eyes to what we’d been missing all these years. This setting, this feeling. I won’t lie, Sir Hando, but this place is simply incredible and unmatched.”

Hando nodded. He really had nothing to say that could refute Bjorn’s statements. It was no wonder that his business perished when this was his competition.

“I really didn’t expect the line to be so chaotic. You realize I had to wait over a day to get inside?”

Hando said this light heartedly with a chuckle, but he was entirely serious.

If he didn’t have such a strong desire to witness the interior, he would have left the line long ago. Of course that feeling changed once he made it inside. If he needed to wait over a day to get inside in the future, then he would probably make it happen somehow.

Bjorn chuckled when he heard this and shook his head.

“It’s true that we’re usually at capacity but waiting that long isn’t normal. Tonight is actually going to be spectacular. You see that center stage? Usually it goes unused, except for certain cases when we have extremely special guests.”

Hando raised an eyebrow as he looked at Bjorn, his gaze was imploring him to go on.

“I know you usually don’t keep up with popular performers these days, but tonight Angel Biscuit will be making an appearance. This usually only happens once a month or two.”

Hando laughed when he heard the stage name of the performer.

“Haha, Angel Biscuit? I wonder how they got that name. Are all these people here to see this person?”

Bjorn grinned from ear to ear.

“Yea, most people here probably came early just to see Angel Biscuit. Honestly, it wasn’t even announced that she’d be coming until recently, otherwise this place would be even more packed.”

Hando stopped laughing unable to hide his astonishment.

She’s able to pull in this type of business with only a small announcement? If I had this type of performer months ago, would things have changed?

As if Bjorn knew exactly what Hando was thinking, he shook his head. Just as he was about to interject into Hando’s thoughts, the lights dimmed everywhere as the center stage was illuminated.

The clack of pointed heels echoed outward from the stage entrance. Silent anticipation filled the entire room despite its size and the number of people within it.

They didn’t have to wait long as a beautiful and lithe woman made an appearance.

From top to bottom, she was dressed is a silky white dress that flowed about her body. Loose sleeves trailed behind her and combined with her snow-white hair, they seemed to give the woman an otherworldly appearance.

Across the upper half of her face she wore white mask that had silver accents etched into it. She gave the audience a brilliant smile as she came to a stop.

The slow-paced rhythm of a song grew in volume, and just as the melody began, she opened her mouth to sing.