Beneath the dim glow of bioluminescent lanterns, the steady clang of hammer on metal rang through the cluttered workshop.
The rhythmic hammering echoed in the small space, reverberating off stone walls lined with old tools and shelves packed with jars of strange minerals and mysterious glowing powders. The scent of burning coal and heated metal filled the air, mingling with the faint hint of soot that clung to everything.
Lira wiped the sweat dripping down from her eyebrows with the back of her hand, pausing briefly to peer at a strange piece of red glowing ore resting on her anvil.
The ore pulsed faintly with a soft yet fiery light, seemingly almost alive, although resistant to the touch of her hammer. Her fingers trembled slightly betraying her barely suppressed frustration that had been building over hours of unsuccessful attempts.
"Another failure, huh?" she spoke out loud, the sound hoarse from exhaustion and quiet exasperation.
Lira sighed deeply at the sight of her latest attempt to resonate her hum with the forge, which had not yielded the result she desperately hoped for.
Her weary eyes slowly looked up to the ceiling, thick with tangled spiderwebs glittering faintly in the lantern light like forgotten threads of time. Slowly, as if she once garthered strength again, she lifted the hammer again, calmed the tremor in her hands and prepare to strike the precious ore once more.
**
Seconds morphed into minutes, minutes stretched into hours, each swing an act of stubborn devotion amidst repeated failure. No matter how hard she hammered, no matter how much her body ached or how intently she focused, the ore refused to resonate, its fiery glow dimming with each strike.
"You gotta be kidding me," Lira muttered, her voice low and tinged with fatigue. Her grip on the hammer loosened, and her arm sagged as the weight of disappointment settled over her like a suffocating fog.
Outside the her workshop, the village of Cadensia pulsed gently with life. The rhythmic hum and crackle of sound currents that powered the streets and homes rang tantalizingly out of her reach.
'It was beautiful.' That's what Lira blankly thought as the village starts to shimmer with dazzling lights.
A soft shimmer broke the silence, catching Lira's attention. A small orb of light hovered faintly near her workbench, delicate and almost ethereal.
This was the side effect of her unusual "silence resonance," a rare and burdensome power that absorbed sound rather than creating it. Although some say it was a curse, while others say it was a misfortune that is brought by her mother.
Naturally, it left her isolated in a village that revered the vibrancy of noise, song, and music.
Lira's violet eyes, dark and intense, darted in between the glowing ore and her ragged, callused hands.
In a place that worshiped sound as the highest form of power, her inability to "hear" or produce resonance left her seen as a failure, failed product.
An outcast of the society.
That's what she is in their community.
Suddenly, a knock on the workshop door startled her.
"Lira? You working late again?" came a cheerful voice from outside. She gave a crooked grin, wrapping a soot-stained rag around her wrist.
"Ryn... Somebody's gotta keep the song going. Even if I'm tone-deaf."
"Come on~ what's up with that gloomy, heavy tone! cheer for a bit will you?" Ryn remarked noticing the a sad look on her face even though thats what she looks like everyday.
Instead of replying to her, Lira just proceed to hammer the ore, with steady strikes sent sparks flying resluting the red glow of the heated ore bright against the darkening room.
Ryn sat nearby rocking slightly on her heels as she watched her friend work the metal silently.
"You're over there, hammering away like your forge is your whole world. Honestly, sometimes it seems like you're trying to paint a masterpiece instead of working metal. So, tell me—what is it about this rock that you are obsessed with? I get that people treat you like dirt, but you're never the type to let that get to you. At least, that's what I thought. Lately, I see these flickers of doubt when you think I'm not watching."
"Seriously, Lira, you and your forge; hammering each other the whole time. Honestly, sometimes I think you're trying to turn that ore into a painting or a masterpiece instead of working metal."
Ryn noticing that Lira's not responding let out a sigh "Well, how can I know what's happening on you and understand you when you didn't even talk your situation to your one and only friend... You're seriously not gonna talk? Even if I tickled you in your side tummy, hmmm?"
As the rhythmic clanging filled the air, punctuated only by Ryn's bubbling chatter which seemed to grow much louder the quieter Lira became.
"Anyways fine~ it's not like you would actually listen to your one and only friend hahahaha.Changing the topic~ You know the kim from our neighborhood? That redhead with serious temper. Well, turns out, her husband has been playing cheating on her all this time."
Ryn's eyes twinkled with a mixture of symphaty and mischief as she showed her mischievous grin. "I mean, poor her. She just found all it out of nowhere. But, isn't everyone already knew it except her, even you, who's living inside a rock, too know it. Can you believe it? Like, the guy was obviously sneaking around town with girls and Kim was acting like the oblivious queen"
She slowly lowered her voice. "But honestly, isn't she just a bitc — I mean like she's no saint. Especially to that poor kid from the slums — I can't even remember his name. Anyways, she treated him like garbage. That bitc— thinks fancy dresses and shiny jewels make her better than anyone else. But hear me out, being poor doesn't make a person less kind or worthy. Kim? No, she bullies people like it was some kind hobby. Life's throwing her a hard lesson though... Maybe, It's like the universe's way of balancing the scales, don't you think? I almost feel bad for her, in a way; and this whole thing will shake her up enough to change her ways. Who knows she might become more approachable tommorow morning."
Despite her ramblings, Lira's remain focused and concentrated in hammering the ore on the anvil.
"You know, the problem is... The thing is you always fall on that kind of guy like Kim's husband. Handsome on the outside but rotten in the inside. Remember the guy from last rabbit year? The one that promised you that he will gave stars to you when at the end become the stars instead?"
"You gotta look at yourself a bit. Look at you— a woman only on her 18s but look like have aged by 4 decades."
As Ryn remarked that statement, Lira suddenly paused and blankly starred to her. A hint if annoyance glint on her eyes.
"Hey! that's a joke you know," Rynsaid quickly, smiling broadly, " But the thing is, not everyone with a good and nice shoes can be trusted. I'm telling you this as your best friend! — no sugarcoating."
Misunderstanding her statement, Lira blankly remarks her " hmm? Just like you?"
"Come on~ I'm just looking out for you." She smiles and gleefully laughs. As if her smile was contiguous, Lira too smile at that sight. Maybe that what charmed this chilling heart of hers to be close to her.
"Now that we're on the same page. Do you know that Kim holed herself on her house after founding out the cheating? No one really saw her leave except for the few trips to the well, even then she barely looks to anyone. It's like she's trying to disappear quietly. But, as harsh as she been to us, I still feel bad to her. I mean she trusted herself to him wholly that she gave up her life and future just to sustain his education. And this is what she got..."
"Anyway." Ryn continues her machine gun like mouth. "What about you? How's your life after working on this 'rock', hmm? You once mentioned that this more like a small castle more than a workshop." She giggled " but I guess that was true, albeit partially. Like you get to see those gorgeous sunset every evening. Is that why you choose this place despite being spider-infested?"
Putting the hammer to her table and look up, meeting Ryn's bright eyes witha trace of a smile. "Well... that's one of the reasons. And its cheap too..."
Ryn clapped her hands softly, honeyed excitement spilling out. "I knew it! You never just picked somewhere just because its convenient. There must be some kind if stories or feelings in this place, right?"
"...no, I just like this place because of the view outside." Lira replied.
"Oh, really?" She stood up stretching her arms above her head. "Hmm... I almost forgot. There's a Festival of Harmonic— or something like that coming this week. You know, the one with glamorous lights and music and that carzy fire dance around the volcano. You should totally go there! Everyone's coming this year."
She leaned forward, lowering her voice as if sharing a secret. "I know you like the quiet sometimes, the peace you have in your little stone fortress here. But you know you can't really hide from a night like that. Not when the whole village looks like a living firework show. I'm sure you'd be surprised how fun it is to let loose a little."
Ryn paused, brushing a lock of hair behind her ear, still smiling with that warmth. "Plus, I'll be there, and I promise to keep you safe from any overenthusiastic dance partners~ Maybe I can even teach you a move or two. Who knows you might be a natural."
Lira's gaze drifted toward the window again, the edges of her mouth twitching ever so slightly. "... sure."
With a final wink and a quick wave, Ryn turned and left, the faint sound of her laughter lingering like a gentle breeze through the quiet room.
"She really do love talking...not that I don't like it." Lira sighed quietly, picking her hammer back up again, but this time the rhythmic clanging felt a little lighter and smother.
*****Additional scene*****
Lira put the hammer down on her workbench with a soft thud and looked up, meeting Ryn's bright eyes with a faint, almost reluctant smile.
"Well... that's one of the reasons. And it's cheap too…"
Ryn's eyebrows shot up. "How much?"
"...1500 elos per month," Lira replied, trying to keep her voice steady as possible.
"What?!" Ryn laughed, nearly spilling the cup she'd been holding. "That's even more expensive than my dormitory! Those bastards are seriously overcharging you, you know!"
Lira shrugged, a smirk tugging at her lips. "Cheap in Cadensian standards. You want a roof, you pay the price. I guess spiders and creaky floor count as 'luxury amenities.'"
Ryn snorted. "Luxury? With those spiders, you're basically living in a zoo exhibit. At my dorm, the roaches at least know not to judge you while you cry over final examination scores."
Lira grinned, shaking her head. "At least you get a roommate to share. My roommates are just the echoes of my hammer and those eight-legged freeloaders."
Ryn gave a mock gasp. "Aw, Welcome to adulthood, my friend ahahahha. Next step: ramen noodles for dinner and selling your soul for textbooks!~"