Thick smog and neon glows underneath a mulberry, orange, and azure twilight sky. Towering skyscrapers, billboards, and traffic twinkled behind Sarah's penthouse windows. The ENGINE'S mulberry eye and infinite gears are barely visible over the concrete jungle. Instruments, Records, Portraits, and paintings align the pink walls. White and golden furniture dotted the massive penthouse while columns provided support. A designer pink and white rug ran across the marble floor. A silver chandelier hung on the ceiling, casting warm light.
An elegant glass dining table, paired with modern mesa pink dining chairs, sat under the massive chandelier. Wall lights lit up corridors that led to the guest rooms and bathrooms. Expensive liquor sat on a glass coffee table in front of an entertainment center that supported a television rivaling the dining table in length. Reclining chairs are dotted around the balcony pool. Headlights flickered from Tyrial's traffic like fireflies just below Sarah's penthouse patio.
"Bathrooms to your left and right. Same as the guest rooms," Sarah said as she grabbed a bottle of liquor off the coffee table. "Try not break anything."
Elijah lit a cigarette as he stared around the living room. His mind echoed memories of many nights in Sarah's penthouse as her security. He unholstered his magnum and placed it on the coffee table as Sarah offered him a shot of whiskey.
Emily crossed her arms as she leaned on the wall, her face souring by the second as she stared at the pink walls. Rachel and Alice were raiding the fridge for snacks. Arthur and Amos discussed art theory as they marveled at the statues and paintings. Shiyu made her way to the bookcase, skimming Sarah's book collection.
"You did some renovations since I was last here," Elijah said as he downed his whiskey. He glanced down the corridors, counting the guestrooms. "Guess I'd better claim my room and get some shut-eye."
"I hope you don't mind some company?" Sarah asked as she smirked.
Elijah rolled his eyes.
Sarah's eyes drifted towards the kitchen as she saw Pepper climbing the dining bar table. "Excuse me, what the fuck is that thing doing in my penthouse!?" She yelled with wide eyes.
"First off, that's my pet, and his name is Pepper. Second, he goes where I go," Emily replied as she walked over and started to pet him.
"If he shits in my house, you'll both be sleeping outside," Sarah replied as she stared at Pepper clawing at the bowl of fruit on the dining bar table.
Emily shrugged and chuckled. "Oh no, what will I ever do?"
Sarah's eyes narrowed. "I can't wait to wrap my hands around your scrawny little neck."
Emily rolled her eyes as she picked up Pepper. "I can't wait till you shut up for once."
"Can y'all just not for once?" Elijah interjected as he smoked.
Emily shrugged. "What!? She started it."
Rachel approached Emily and then tapped her on the shoulder. "Let's get our room, then take a shower."
Emily's eyes widened as her cheeks flushed. Her eyes darted towards everyone in the room as she forced a thin-lipped smile.
"Yes, you do that. See that you slip and bust your ass while you're at it," Sarah grumbled as she stepped out onto the balcony.
"Elijah, can I borrow you for a few?" Amos asked as he and Arthur approached him and poured a shot of whiskey for themselves.
"What for?" Elijah asked as he poured himself another shot.
"Not here, let's do some shopping," Arthur suggested after he downed his whiskey.
Elijah turned towards Shiyu, who was still skimming Sarah's book collection. "Hey, we're stepping out for a bit. Keep me updated, alright?"
"Keep Emily and Sarah away from one another. Got it," Shiyu jested as she sat down with a book.
"Bring back something to eat while you're at it," Alice asked as she closed the fridge. "All she has is fruit, beer, and out-of-date microwave dinners."
Elijah nodded, then followed Arthur and Amos to the front door, and then entered the elevator that would take them back down.
"So what's this really about?"Elijah asked as the elevator descended. "You didn't drag me out just to shop."
"Not yet," Amos replied as he gestured Arthur and Elijah to follow him as they reached the first floor.
Streetlights glowed underneath the sunset sky as they walked down the sidewalk. Traffic zipped by as ad drones hovered overhead. Boutique clothing stores and restaurants lined the roads. Ether and gasoline fumes collected with the dense smog floating in the valley like a second atmosphere. Elijah's eyes narrowed as he gazed at traffic lights while the toxic air reminded him of his upbringing in Tyrial's ghettos.
Their chosen masks glowed underneath Tyrial's neon lights. Clubs, lounges, and record stores lined the intersections as they made their way downtown. Citizens and influencers walked the sidewalks, gazing at their masks with envy and concern. News reporters and movie producers block off intersections while skyscrapers and designer stores compete for people's attention and money.
"You know any good mom and pop places, Elijah?" Amos asked as they turned a corner.
Elijah flicked his cigarette butt as they waited for traffic to pass at an intersection. "There is a barbecue joint I used to frequent not far from here," he explained as he gestured Amos and Arthur to follow him. "Worried about surveillance, right?"
Amos nodded as he gazed at pedestrians as they walked. "There are cameras everywhere in Tyrial. A small mom and pop's place is probably the best chance we got, making sure our conversation doesn't get back to Lex."
"He was too casual back at the hotel. Lex has eyes and ears all around Tyrial," Arthur added as they walked.
Elijah stopped at a small brick restaurant down an alleyway. A neon-lit pig sign sat on the roof, illuminating the dim alley. Heavy smoke shot up from the chimney, filling the nearby air with the scent of hickory wood and barbecue. Mel's Smokehouse stretched across the front of the building alongside flickering neon light to catch customers' attention.
Laminated wood flooring creaked as Elijah and company opened the front door. Ribs, brisket, and chicken are smoked on a large indoor smoker in the kitchen. Multiple wooden tables, booths, and chairs filled the restaurant. Blues played from an ancient jukebox situated near the mulberry-painted bathrooms. Liquor and beer lined the small mahogany wood bar. Customers drank and watched television. Their eyes widened in recognition as they noticed Elijah's gray mask.
"Welcome to Mel's Smoke-" A tall cappuccino-toned hostess said, then paused. "Oh, mi primo...is that you, Elijah?" she asked as she rubbed her hands through her long raven hair.
Elijah smiled. "Long time no see, Dezerea. How have you been?" He replied as he hugged her.
"Same ol, same ol. But look at you...chosen!?" Dezerea replied with wide eyes as she stared at Elijah's gray mask. She then glanced at Arthur and Amos. "¿Trajiste amigos?"
"Unfortunately," Elijah replied.
Dezerea chuckled. "Let me get y'all a table. Anything to drink?"
"Sweet tea as usual," Elijah replied as he followed Dezerea.
"Water," Amos ordered.
"I would like a bourbon and some of your sweet tea," Arthur ordered as they took a seat in a booth.
"How's your brother Diego by the way?" Elijah asked as he sat down next to Amos.
Dezerea scribbled their order on a piece of paper as she placed silverware on the table. "He...is chosen, believe it or not."
Elijah's eyes softened as he rubbed his salt-and-pepper beard. "Well damn...is he around, and what color is his mask?" He asked as he pulled out his cigarette pack.
Dezerea shook her head. "He has a brown mask, and I think he is at Hotel Sin last time I heard from him."
"We just came from there, ironically," Amos mentioned as he rubbed his neck.
"He might be one of Lex's chosen," Arthur said as he glanced at Elijah.
Dezerea rolled her eyes. "Por supuesto que ese idiota es. If he is can you knock some sense into my brother? Chosen or not, that man is bad news."
"I got you, Dez," Elijah replied as he lit a cigarette. "I will make a quick detour once we're done here and check on your brother."
Dezerea smiled. "Thanks...Alright, I will be back with your drinks chosen," she said, then smiled and headed towards the kitchen.
"Damnit," Elijah grumbled as he smoked.
"This is actually a good thing. If Diego is indeed a part of Lex's group, we could get him to convert to our side," Arthur said as he glanced out the window.
"It could lead to a fracture in Lex's group as well. When one leaves, others might also," Amos explained.
"And we might learn insider information. It would be stupid not to try," Arthur said as he glanced at Dezerea in the kitchen.
"Let's not count our eggs just yet," Elijah said. "Now, about what you wanted to talk about."
Amos scratched his mulberry mask and then pushed his dreadlocks out of his face. "It's about Emily," he flatly said as he looked Elijah in the eye. "Ever since I noticed the ENGINE watching her play her cello, I knew something was off about her."
Elijah's eyes lingered on the table as he took a long drag of his cigarette.
"I know you noticed Elijah. I can tell you're clocking the same thing."
"She is definitely not just some orphan...perhaps a conduit of some nature?" Arthur suggested.
Elijah did not reply. His mind drifted towards the first time he met Emily and how he felt when she broke the strings on her cello as she played a tune for him.
"This may not be related to Emily. But I have been having some serious deja vu lately," Amos mentioned as his eyes narrowed. "Can't explain it, but it feels like I got gaps in my memory, and that just doesn't happen with me. Something is off, and Emily is always around when it happens."
Elijah exhaled a cloud of smoke as he stared out the window. Dread crept up his spine as his mind drifted back to what he read in Emily's notebook. He sighed as he put out his cigarette, then pulled out another. Static crackled in his consciousness as he thought back to memories that lingered like a lucid dream but remained shrouded behind a veil of fog. The timing, the poems, the impossible skill for a supposed orphan.
Elijah lit another cigarette, staring at the smoke that swirled towards the ceiling. His eyes drifted towards the window, gazing at citizens walking down the alley. The streetlights flickered and buzzed like angry wasps. He couldnt shake the feeling that Emily had some form of clairvoyance.