Emily gazed at her star-speckled hoodie as she clutched a notebook in her hand. She then gazed up at the evening sky. The sun radiated across the peninsula, threatening to be eclipsed by storm clouds. Crimsons, blues, and pinks stretch across the heavens, shifting to mulberry around the ENGINE hovering over the ocean. Ships dock in Leonore's harbor as streetlights flicker on with warm amber light.
"Pull the thread through chosen cloth,"
"Stitch the stars into starlight."
"Silver needle, blackened string,"
"Sewing fate to orphan skin."
Emily jotted down in her notebook as she glanced at the ENGINE.
"Double-stitched, the fabric glows. Sown something....something...ugh," Emily groaned as she continued to scribble in her diary. She bit her nail as she gazed down at the citizens below.
"Where is she going?" Emily muttered to herself as she noticed Rachel turning down an alleyway.
She got up, then made her way to the fire escape ladder.
"Excuse me," Emily said as she pushed through the crowded streets."
Her face soured as the scent of urine, alcohol, and week-old trash lingered as she turned into the alley. A single street light radiated the shadows as Emily stepped over glass. She shuffled towards the side of a brick building, peeping her head around the corner. Emily's eyes narrowed as she saw Rachel, arms crossed, talking to a man. His green mask glowed under the streetlights, competing with his designer silk baroque outfit.
"Who is this fucker?" Emily muttered to herself as she peeked around the corner and watched.
"ł₮₴ ⱧɆⱤ ฿ØɎ₣ⱤłɆ₦Đ."
"No, it fucking isn't."
"₮Ø₮₳ⱠⱠɎ ł₴."
"She would not have such bad taste."
"Mike, why are you here...did my father send you?" Rachel asked as she glared at the green-masked Chosen.
"Don't be like that, Rache...I can explain," Mike replied as he rubbed his neck. "It's your brother, actually...he was worried about you."
Rachel rolled her eyes. "My brother is a self-centered narcissistic asshole. The only reason he sent you was to spy on me or try to recruit me."
"I mean, he is your brother Rache...if we all team up, we've got a better chance."
"And you're his lap dog. You're chosen as well, Mike. In case you forgot, only one person becomes PRIME!"
"Yeah, but we can still survive if we team up, even if only one of us wins."
Rachel forced a thin-lipped smile on her face. "That's not how it works, dipshit!"
Mike shook his head, then rolled his eyes. "This is why I told my pops not to arrange this marriage. You are so pessimistic. I said Becky from House Montere would be way better wife material, but nooooo, I'm stuck with you."
"No fucking way," Emily whispered with wide eyes as she continued to watch.
"₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳ⱧⱧ₳ ."
Rachel's eye twitched as she chuckled. "I'm so happy the ENGINE chose you."
"I'm not!"Emily shouted, then covered her mouth.
"Who is there?" Mike asked as he turned his head towards Emily.
"Fuck!" Emily groaned as she breathed deeply.
"₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳Ⱨ₳ⱧⱧ₳ⱧⱧ₳ ."
"Shut up."
"ØⱧ ₥Ɏ ₱Ɽł₥Ɇ"
"Emily of Leonore, are you spying on me!?" Rachel asked with wide eyes.
"No...I mean, sort of," Emily replied as she rubbed her neck. "Saw you from the rooftops is all."
"Another chosen? You know her Rache?" Mike asked with a raised eyebrow.
"Obviously, Mike...Emily, this is Mike...Mike Emily," Rachel said as avoided Emily's gaze.
"I am her fiancé... unfortunately, planned marriage sucks," Mike said as he shook his head.
Emily nodded, her eyes widened as she stared at Rachel.
"For once, I can agree with something you said," Rachel retorted as she rolled her eyes. "You can fuck off now, Mike, as well as my brother."
"Fine, whatever...I don't care anyway. Once I am PRIME, I won't have to deal with you. I will go marry Becky," Mike replied as he shrugged and left the alley.
Rachel sighed and shook her head. "Sorry about that...now you see why I don't give my family a middle finger."
"You're engaged to that?" Emily replied as she followed Rachel.
"Unfortunately, the Empire noble families all do the planned marriage thing. Alliance, prestige...the typical elitist bullshit."
"You could have told me instead of sneaking in alleyways."
"You're right...to be completely honest, I am embarrassed by the thought of him."
"How the hell did the ENGINE choose him?"
Rachel shrugged. "The ENGINE works in mysterious ways, I suppose," she replied as she glanced up at the sky as they left the alley. "Either way, the ENGINE did me a favor."
"What do you mean?" Emily asked as she stood next to Rachel.
"I don't have to worry about planned marriage anymore," Rachel replied with a smirk.
"Yeah, but you might actually have to kill your brother or him."
"My brother would revel at the opportunity to kill me," Rachel said as they made their way down cobblestone streets. "We trained to become PRIME since we could walk."
"Sibling rivalry is one thing. "
"You're an orphan, Emily...you just don't understand," Rachel replied as they reached the hotel.
"You meant what you said, right?" Emily asked as they reached Rachel's room.
"What do you mean?" Rachel asked as she pulled out her room key.
"Like the promise."
Rachel smirked. "I'm not going to betray you...If that's what you're asking?"
Emily smiled, then nodded. "Right...sorry....just had to check."
"My word is my bond, Emily of Leonore," Rachel replied as she opened her door. Her eyes widened as she noticed Arthur approaching. "Oh, we got company."
"Ladies...I take it you two are getting some shut-eye? Tomorrow is a big day after all," Arthur asked as he clutched his walking cane.
Emily shrugged. "Maybe...maybe not...what's it to yah?"
Arthur smirked. "Come now... no need to be defensive, Emily of Leonore. I was here to extend an olive branch to you both if you would lend me your ears for a moment."
Emily glanced at Rachel, then back at Arthur with a raised eyebrow. "You want to help the orphan whom you never talked to until you found out I am chosen?"
Arthur rubbed his white beard and shrugged. "I admit I was shortsighted in my life before being chosen. Orphan or not, you do have some remarkable musical talent, and that I can respect. Perhaps Leonore doesn't always find the best amongst our society, and the ENGINE shone the light on those when we are blind."
"Um, thanks?" Emily replied as she rubbed her hair.
"You're laying down a lot of sweet talk, Arthur. That's not like you...what is this olive branch you speak of?" Rachel asked as she crossed her arms.
"I am glad you asked," Arthur replied as he gestured for Rachel and Emily to follow.
"Where are we going?" Emily asked as she walked behind Arthur and Rachel.
"To the vineyards...I have a few associates who would like to meet you both," Arthur replied as they walked down Main Street.
"You getting us drunk?" Rachel laughed.
"Actually, yes," Arthur replied as they headed towards the outskirts of Leonore.
"What's the occasion?"
"Masquerade ball of wealthy Leonore Elites. Chosen such as us have an open invitation."
"In case you forgot...orphans don't do well in social settings...let alone stuck up elitists bullshit," Emily said as they made their way outside the city gates.
"Ah, you will be fine...most of them are too drunk or ruminating in sadness to bother to notice you're not one of them."
"Why would they be sad?"
"Imagine a noble house not having any chosen selected amongst their blood by the ENGINE? To look your fellow noblesman in the eyes, knowing the ENGINE views your bloodline as inferior. I am sure Rachel can relate to this?"
Rachel sighed. "Unfortunately, I can. My parents grew more zealous the closer it got to PRIME day."
"Of course they did...worship the eldritch god in the sky to sacrifice their daughter for fame," Emily mumbled to herself as she put her hands in her hoodie pocket.
"₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ ₳₦Đ ₦ɆɆĐⱠɆ, ₮ⱧⱤɆ₳Đ ₳₦Đ ₦ɆɆĐⱠɆ, ₮ⱧɆ Ɇ₦₲ł₦Ɇ ł₴ ₩₳₮₵Ⱨł₦₲ ₮Ø."
"Shut up," Emily whispered to herself as she glanced up at the ENGINE.
"Did you say something, Emily of Leonore?" Rachel asked as they walked.
Emily shook her head. "Oh no, just thinking out loud again... don't mind me."
"₱₣₣₣₣₣₣₮₮₮₮₮."
The sun gives way to night as stars splotched across the moonlit sky. Rain droplets splatter on Emily's face as they approach the vineyards. Baroque music echoed from a choir while the scent of grapes, rain, and wealth lingered in the air. Lights dance like fireflies as noblemen dance with women under droplets of rain. A butler donning an elegantly crafted masquerade mask offered Arthur a glass of wine as they made their way in.
"Wine for the chosen?" The butler asked as Emily and Rachel followed.
Emily shrugged and took a glass alongside Rachel. The sweetness lingered on her lips as she took a sip. "Not bad...actually," she said as she watched Rachel chug a glass, then reached for another.
"I'm going to need a few of these before the night is over," Rachel said as she downed the second glass.
Emily chugged her glass as she glanced up towards the night sky. She let out an exasperated sigh as she stared at the ENGINE. Unbothered, it hovered, its eldritch authority visible for all to see. Its slate gears turned slowly as its mulberry eye remained closed.
"Thread and needle, thread and needle."
"Mechanical and soft as rain," Emily sang to herself as she pulled out her notebook from her hoodie pocket.
"Thread and needle, thread and needle"
"Pull me through the eye so small,"
"Thread and needle, thread and needle"
"Watch the orphan rise or fall," Emily jotted down in her diary before following Rachel into the vineyard.