Chilly air embodies a sizable room, and even enclosed entirely, the coldness is congruent to the natural raw breeze of an evening. The cubical room has an open passageway along the two side white walls which stand on the crystalic white floor.
The room is lightly furnished with a white couch accompanied by a circular black table which hovers beside it. In front of the couch is a blank white wall which illuminates, slightly more than the other walls as though unique to them.
Ekitai unexpectedly emerges from the center of the covered wall, as though phasing through the presumably solid object. He peeks into the room with wide yellow irises, carrying a curious expression with parted lips. He turns both ways before stepping forth into the room and out of the wall. As he steps forward, he loudly questions, “Huh, what is this room?”
In the distance, out of sight from within the room, the concerned voice of Dana shouts, “Ekitai, where did you go?? Ekitai?!”
Bewildered, Ekitai turns around while hollering, “What do you mean, I’m right here-,” before immediately silencing to find the opaque wall behind him from which he entered through. He staggers backwards in shock, stupefied at the seemingly paradoxical circumstance he’s found himself in, now unable to see the two that he was just with.
Awestruck, he relays, “There was an opening right there, I swear! But now there’s a wall! Did I just walk through a wall? I swear I didn’t think that atomfluid chemical worked, shoot I can walk through walls now!!”
While at first Ekitai beams in overwhelming joy, it’s immediately shot down from Dana’s epiphany, “Oh wait, he’s in one of the screening rooms. Come on Kokei, this way.”
After a few awkward moments of patient silence, Dana emerges from within the wall where Ekitai stepped through, striding forward and immediately glancing at Ekitai. She sighs in relief before reprimanding, “Ekitai, don’t get too ahead! I’m going to lose you guys I swear, maybe I should put trackers on you.”
Behind Dana arises Kokei, surveying the room with her hands closed by her side. She treads around the room curiously while murmuring, “Why is this place so confusing? It’s like it’s intentionally built to be a trap, a lethal labyrinth designed to make us either catchable prey or fall into deep insanity….”
Responding to Dana’s wrath, Ekitai retaliates innocently, “I’m sorry I’m sorry, you girls just walk slowly is all! I just wanted to roam on my own!”
Dana huffs before reproaching, “I’m walking slowly so I can make sure not to lose you two! Please try to stick with us!”
While trying to use a formal, paternal cloak, Dana’s anxiety beacons like a raging sun. Having to take care of two people she had only known for a day inside a building she wasn’t fully accustomed to crushed her shoulders, yet it was clear she was trying her best even if ultimately inadequate.
Ekitai pouts shamefully before admitting, “Fine, I’ll stay close. Or you could put a tracker on me and that way I can go anywhere and I won’t be lost!”
“I’m pretty sure that was a joke,” chimes Kokei as she stands over the hovering table, bending down to get a better view and slowly bringing her fingers towards it, hesitant to touch it as though concerned that contact would trigger a dangerous reaction.
Obstinate, Ekitai proclaims, “You don’t need to fret over discomforting me, I’ve actually been given trackers quite a number of times from run-ins with the government! It’s quite incredible how far restraining order enforcement has come!!”
Both Dana and Kokei face Ekitai simuntanteously with wide eyes, staring at him in still silence for several moments. Ekitai remains still for a moment, stupefied by the intense reaction he received. He glances at Dana and then at Kokei, tilting his head with nothing but puzzlement behind his bland eyes inside his hollow skull.
Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.
“Huh? You okay?”
Dana’s jaw drops as she seeks to articulate her words while Kokei turns her gaze away from the two and towards the ground as she curtains her expression with her pink bangs. “Yes,” she bluntly deludes, although it’s unclear if she was attempting to deceive him or herself. Dana immediately glances at Kokei, her amber bangs covering her eyes as she watches in silence, speechless.
Ekitai straightens his neck before widely grinning with innocence, exclaiming, “Okay then! Well, let’s keep looking around! I want to find that theater!!” before he begins trodding forward, completely unaware of the suspension he left his two companions in.
Proceeding onward, the trio trek into the next rooms, stopping to explore before continuing their journey. Ekitai marches in the front, humming gleefully to himself as his head constantly swivels, eyeing every spec of the room he can while on this exhilarating expedition. He enters the next room, which is slightly larger and has a few white cabinets lined up along the wall with spotless surfaces.
Behind him, Dana and Kokei follow, observing the space curiously. As they venture, Kokei turns to face Dana before softly questioning, “So…I know today I’m let off work, but what do I do about tomorrow? Or whenever this ‘break’ ends for me? How long am I supposed to be here anyways? I mean you’re great and all…but I still do have a job and a life I need to tend to.”
Dana turns to face Kokei in light of the legitimate concerns, smiling softly as she answers, “Well, you’re on an indefinite paid break right now, so you can choose when you’d want to come back, whether it’s tomorrow, next week, or however long you feel you need. And in terms of how long you have to be here, I understand you, truly, it’s just a tricky situation. We have reason to suspect that the people who attacked your apartment the other day were a squad from Gen S.”
Kokei’s pupils shrivel in instant horror before exclaiming, “Wait…’the’ Gen S? You’re kidding me…the ones at war?”
Dana apprehensively nods, continuing, “Yes, that one. They’re no small gang, and because of that, we need to be cautious with anyone who gets involved. If anything it might’ve become more problematic that the squad was defeated because they might deem you dangerous. So I’m not sure, we need to see when it’s safe. I’m sorry about what we’re putting you through, I am, and we’ll try to let you out as soon as we can. I’m just not sure when…maybe once we think they could’ve lost interest…Rohan suggested once they’re done for-.”
Kokei’s eyes widen in shock before she interjects, “Wait, you’re kidding, he wants me to wait for them to just…stop existing? They’ve been around for years, there’s no foreseeable end to their war, that’s never going to happen! I can’t stay here for that long! Is he crazy?? What makes him seriously think they’d just go away soon??”
Sighing from the blazing fury growing within Kokei’s eyes, Dana softly admits, “I don’t know…and to be honest I can’t really speak on his behalf too much, there’s things I understand about him but also a lot that I don’t get. But things will work out, besides, we got this giant mansion to ourselves! We can have fun in the time we’re stuck here, you don’t need to worry about work! It’ll all be okay!”
Huffing through her nose, Kokei lowers her gaze to the floor, softly muttering, “It’s not that simple. Even if I am indeed safe here, even if you guys can provide for me…I still have a career…I still have a job I need to do. It’s not just about the money, it’s a livelihood, it’s just such an integral part of my life that it feels wrong not having it. I guess it’s good that I can jump back at any time, I have my Connect on me anyways so I guess I could always work remotely if I need to, it’s just that I can’t just not work. It’s just…a part of me….”
She then lifts her head to look back up at Dana before asking, “Does that make sense?”
To her surprise, Dana has a gentle smile on her face, her eyes shut as there seems to be a fantastic delight she’s experiencing. The warmth of her expression pierces to the core, as it held a genuinity far beyond her casual expressions.
Kokei’s eyebrow raises in perplexion before imploring, “Did I say something weird?”
Instead, Dana lightly nods before assuring, “No no, it’s just…never mind.”
Kokei returns her mystified gaze ahead of her, mumbling, “Okay…I’m just saying I might want to work at some point again, and I’m fine if it has to be remote here.”
Dana’s expression reverts to her casual tranquility, facing forward too as she acknowledges, “Yes, that’s fine. Whatever makes you feel comfortable. Besides, I’m sure there’s an office or two around here…or five…or ten…honestly maybe more.”
Strands of pink hair are spun as Kokei glances at Dana, abruptly catechizing, “Who needs that many offices??!!”