The skies are embraced by steam and machinery, moving as smoothly as clockwork. In the dark, narrow alley lies a two-story building.A cafe on its first floor and residential quarters on its second floor.. Hidden yet seen afar. Small yet cozy.
As the cafe door opened, noise and shouts burst forth while a young man appeared. He wore earphones as he ran outside of the establishment.
"Gramps, I'll be home late!!!" The young man shouted. He was holding the hoverboard at his waist.
"Be careful and don't get into trouble, you hear!!!"
"Yes, sir!!!" the young man shouted as he dropped the hoverboard to the ground and rode it. He maneuvered through the shallow and tight alleys. He landed in the exposed streets of Middle Floors. Segundo, the second floor of G.R.F., where normal and middle-class refugees live, is as tall as towers built, roaring the skies that could even pierce the heavens. Support the upper floors. G.R.F. as a whole contains a total of four floors.
Uno, where the wanted criminal and exiled hides and those who are in poverty reside. Segundo, we're middle-class citizens and refugees live. Tres. The place where nobles or rich conglomerates and merchants live, and Quartet. the place that is filled with mysteries, they say this floor is where military bases are built and stationed and where important assets are preserved and kept secret.
'Well, I guess I have to use that now.'
Heaving a sigh. He pressed a switch beneath his headphones. An earphone jack appeared behind his head. He plugged it into the hole in the middle of his nape. The headset morphed as forming a dome-like structure as it covered his whole ears. He draped himself with a hoodie.
Riding the busy streets of Segundo. He stopped at a store. Staring at the glass ahead, he could only squint while glaring at the equipment.
'Sigh... I guess buying a new lune gear would be hard...' He clicked his tongue. He scratching the back of his head.
Lune Gears. A gear that protects its users from the Black Noise. A disease with no cure at present. It goes into the human ears and amplifies the sound of everything and overloads the victim's mind. Killing them, as blood will come out of every orifice of your body. A disease caused by a tragedy that happened 480 years ago. Even now, researchers keep discovering clues about the origin.
Glancing at his left-hand watch, he sighed, "I have roughly 25 minutes before those guys get here." He eased his shoulder and headed his way to his destination.
(25 mins later)
Waiting in front of the square. He sat down on the bench, waiting for him. As he laid his hoverboard on his thighs. He heard a voice to his right shouting at him.
"Alex!!!!" A girl with chestnut curly hair came into view on the horizon. Amidst the crowds, her short stature is the type you can never take your eyes off her.
"Oh, it's you. Cindy!!" he said as he waved his hands at the approaching girl in front of him. He signaled the girl to come and sit beside him.
"How have you been?"
"Nothing much. How about you?"
"Well, before we talk, how about we turn off the speaker mode and change to private mode, shall we?" Cindy spoke in a tired manner as she heaved a sigh. She slowly reached out to the collar on her neck as she pressed a button.
"Same frequency?" Alex asked; Cindy could only nod.
Fixing the channels, they both sighed in relief as they both sat down properly.
"Can you hear me?"
"Loud and Clear"
"So did you get the referral letter they sent you last night?" she grinned as she tilted her head. While twirling the strands of her hair.
"Well, of course? What do you mean?" Alex heaved a sigh and looked at Cindy with a questioning look.
"Well, you know??? The fact that we entered 'That' Academy???"
"It's not just us. Remember? Three of us got conscripted—cough—admitted to that Alberos Academy." The circumstances are given that Alberos Academy maintains a rigorous and arduous schedule.
"Hahaha... Can I just stab my leg or something?" Cindy looked up at the empty sky. Given up on life, she would hurt herself just to escape that hellhole.
"Cindy," Alex patted her back as he looked at her in defeat. "You're already afraid of a small needle. You still want to stab your own leg. Are you crazy??"
A brief silence followed. Cindy could only admit defeat as she heaved a sigh. Abruptly standing up from the bench.
"Oh, fuck it. Let's go to the nearest cafe and eat some dessert, for crying out loud," Pointing southeast at the nearest cafe. A famous cafe. Many customers were entering and leaving the establishment. Famous for its raspberry tart cookies. It was one of Cindy's to-do lists.
Alex was gazing at his terminal. "Have you seen Carl? Didn't he say he was coming early? Why hasn't he shown up yet?" He grumbled as he scratched the back of his head. He glanced at Cindy, who was dragging him to the cafe.
"Don't mind that idiot; he might've gotten scolded by his dad again at this time of the hour," she scoffed as she held Alex's wrist. Dragging him to the cafe.
"If you say so," He shrugged helplessly. Looking at Cindy.
"Hey, remember that one favor you asked me?"
"Yeah, what about it?" Raising a brow, Alex looked at Cindy in confusion.
"Well, I left my wallet at my house... so could you-you pay it for me...."
"So in layman's terms, you're asking me to pay it? Is that right?"
She clasped her hands and bowed her head in front of Alex as if praying to God. "Oh, young Master, please show some grace to this lowly peasant!!!" she begged. Alex, unsurprised by Cindy's shenanigans, raised his terminal. A smirk appeared on his face.
Seeing what it meant, Cindy's eyes teared up in awe. She quickly stepped to the side as if escorting royalty. Leading Alex to the cafe. "Very good." He coughed playfully as he followed Cindy's over-the-top shenanigans.
"I'll be forever in your debt, Your Majesty!!" She chuckled in glee as both of them entered the cafe.