A skyscraper towered above them, so tall it forced their heads back until their necks almost hurt. They have seen high-rise buildings on TV before, but looking at one with their own eyes was too breath-taking.
The glow made everything around it look expensive, its height made the world look tiny. Polished walls, spotless pavement. Not a single speck of dust in sight. Huge chandeliers shining brightly, illuminating the ground as if it were under broad daylight.
"A- Are we... going to stay in this...." Suiryuu's question hung in the air. "I don't know... Do you wanna live here?" Shimura faintly grins with mischief.
Suiryuu walks away from the base of the building, crossing the road ahead. He points at the top while looking at his dad, with a doubtful look, "Are you sure dad? You were nagging mom just a week ago when she bought two new dresses..."
Shimura's eyes shift to Chihiro standing just behind him, his expression suggesting trouble, "C- C'mon now Honey, that's a completely different thing, you know it...."
Chihiro looks at him with a skeptical look " *Sigh*, Whatever, can we just go inside now... It's almost midnight and we haven't eaten anything since morning thanks to Nexyra"
While watching Suiryuu, A bright thought came to Veguro's mind, "Yo, I've got a nice one for you Damura" He points at Suiryuu "Why did Suiryuu.... Cross the road?"
Damura scratches his hair for a few seconds in confusion, "I don't know, you tell me..."
"CAUSE HE IS BLA-!"
"Stop..." Damura grabs his lips tightly.
"What?"
"Don't."
"But it would've been funny."
"No."
"A little funny."
"Veguro."
"A microscopic amount of funny."
Damura twists Veguro's mouth under his grip, "Can you not shut the fu-"
"C'mon guys lets get inside" Says Shimura as he walks in with Suiryuu and Chihiro.
Confused by the invitation, Damura releases Veguro and walks forward, "Wait what? "
"What What?" Exclaims Shimura, looking at them with a small grin, "Don't say you two are not coming, I already made the arrangements for you two."
Veguro raises his hands instantly in surrender, "Say less..." He says, as he walks in with them.
"Hey! Wait for me!" Damura rushes in. "Will you not ask your parents if you could stay" He asks Veguro in slight panic.
His face goes pale with disappointment, "Oh....." He stands there, looking at the floor with dead eyes for a moment.
Shimura kisses his teeth, "Just give me both of your phones, I will talk to them"
Both of them rush infront of him with their phones in their hands, "Please do, sir" they requested him with a soft voice, smiling brightly.
Shimura talks to both of their parents for just a few minutes.
He tosses their phones back, "There you go, now come on in! I want to sleep really bad"
Both of their faces light up. The three of them quickly go ahead to the entrance. As they enter, the cool air brushes through their skin, the exquisite glow of the massive chandelier in the middle illuminated the reception like daylight.
Just by looking at Shimura, all the staffs and the receptionist give them a warm welcome.
"What exactly are you dad..." Suiryuu whispered to himself, his eyes still wandering all over the place.
They strolled around the hall, admiring every inch of it, antique paintings, old artifacts at display. This hall was almost bigger than than their home.
The butlers quickly came to take them to their respective rooms, "Please dear Sirs and Ma'am, come this way" Their respectful tone made the boys feel weird, cause they had never been addressed like that.
"Ok guys, this room will be for you three. Go do whatever you want, just don't create any trouble for others or break anything", Shimura hits on Suiryuu's head with his knuckle
"Especially you, dumbass!"
"Owww! I am not even the worst here dad!!!" Suiryuu holds his head in pain as he exclaims.
They went to their assigned rooms, "Good night Suiryuu", said Chihiro.
But, whilst that... Suiryuu saw subtle distress in his parents' face, but he just fends off the thought, maybe he had mistook their expression.
The sound of the doors being shut, begin the night party of the three boys together.
Just as they close their doors, Veguro falls flat on the too much soft bed, almost sinking into the mattress. He closes his eyes, lost in the softness and comfort of the bed.
"Oh my god,,, I knew hotel beds are out of the ordinary... but this... is taking to the seventh heaven.." He moves his arms and legs, as if playing in snow.
Damura couldn't help but wanna try it out himself too, so he did. He threw himself face-first onto the bed, making the whole bed recoil and send Veguro flying a bit into the air.
Damura's eyes started to feel heavy just by laying on this bed. "It feels... as if I am massless... formless.... I am sleeping on a cloud"
Suiryuu dives in in between of them, "Wow... this isn't much different my bed.... " His eyelids slowly fall down, like wanting to cuddle with the whole bed, "But still, this is amazing bro"
The three of them lay on the bed for a while.
.
.
On the other hand... Shimura was sitting on the bed face-palmed. Chihiro sitting beside him, rubs his back, holding him close and trying her best to comfort Shimura.
"Why are you worrying so much Honey, Do you really think anything bad will happen..." Chihiro kept her voice low and soothing, but she wanted to say it out loud to motivate her husband.
"It's not so easy Chihiro.. you know its not so easy..." Shimura sighs, his voice indicating stress and tension... Shimura slowly puts forward his hand, looking at his palm...
"Uncertainty is getting out of my hands... It's getting more uncertain.." His face turns, looking into Chihiro's eyes, unease reflecting in his own. "You can feel it too.. can't you Dear..."
Nothing but the darkness around the room covered around them, tension building even further.
She immediately grabs Shimura's other hand, holding him tightly, "I can... But.. have you not faced it before.."
"Is there really something... someone out there who could take you away from this world.." Her voice grew more serious rather than reassurance, carrying confidence rather than comfort.
The loneliness in the silent space finally fades away. And with it, the tension on Shimura's face too, leaves. He chuckles a bit, "No there isn't, as long as I live..."
"There won't be anyone" Chihiro continues after him, laughing with him.
"I love you"
"I love you too.. Dear"
And both of them fall asleep beside each other in deep slumber.
.
.
On the other hand tho, "WHO TOLD YOU TO NUKE MY BASE!!!" Suiryuu bursts out in rage on Veguro, chasing him around the room "I swear it wasn't me bro! it was definitely Damura!"
"OH IT DEFINITELY WAS HIM SUIRYUU!! KILL THAT BOY ! I SAW HIM NEAR YOUR BASE WHEN IT EXPLODED!" Damura cheers them, enjoying the scene while laying on the bed and using his phone.
Veguro builds the courage and turns around, looking straight at Suiryuu, "STOP RIGHT THERE!"
"WHAT!" Suiryuu shouts back. "You don't believe me, right?" Veguro hands him his phone, "Go and check around Damura's base, you will find his DNT Generator!!"
Damura's eyes dilate in horror, his breathing gets uneven, trying to divert Suiryuu's target, "W- What are y-you saying!"
Suiryuu slowly marches towards Damura, his head tilted to the side a bit, suggesting anger, "Is he saying the truth... Damura"
Damura's hands fidget on his phone, trying to open his game so that he could get rid of the evidence, "B- Bruh, are you r-really gonna buy his lie, he is trying to distract you so he could run away!!"
Suiryuu pounces on Damura with pure ferocity, "YOU DAMN BAS-"
Knock... Knock
The sound was loud and clear, all three of their focus shifts towards the door. Their motion reduces to as minimal as possible. Veguro slowly moves towards bed... But, his toe accidently hits the corner of the bed.
Just as he was about the scream, Damura pinches his lips as tightly as he can, he whispers, "Suiryuu... is that you dad..."
"Most definitely..." He whispers as quietly as possible...
The door knob starts twisting slowly, someone was trying to break in!
Veguro hops onto the bed in fear, the three of them try to lay down as slowly as possible, not making a single rustling sound.
"Wait...." Says Suiryuu, his face in utter confusion... "What happened Suiryuu?" Both of them question him. Suiryuu slowly gets off the bed and stands on the floor.
"What are you doing!!" Damura's whisper carried urgency, wondering what's going on with him. "Guys.. put your foot on the floor.." Suiryuu looks at his feet, slightly horrified.
Both of them baffled by Suiryuu, pull their legs out of the bed and slowly land their feet on the floor. "Hmmmm...."
....The whole building starts shaking!! The lights flicker, hang lamps fall off the ceiling, almirahs stumbling onto them , "Get under the table!!" Suiryuu shouts as he rushes under the table near him.
Veguro and Damura quickly squeeze in with him, "You want me to get killed bruh!! give me some space" Veguro shouts in fear, "Who told you to be soo fat then!!", they push each other to get some space.
The sudden earthquake gets stronger, the building shakes more aggressively, until is all finally calms down in a few seconds. The building itself was perfectly fine.
The door breaks open, and Shimura and Chihiro rush in to check if the kids were injured. Multiple butlers and staff followed in to check on them.
"Are you all ok" Shimura asks them, calm and composed. "Yes dad, we are ok, nothing fell on us"
"Oh thank god!" Chihiro hugs Suiryuu, "I am glad you are fine"
"Oh c'mon mom!! an earthquake can't do anything to me" Suiryuu exclaims as he tries to get away from his mom.
"We very humbly apologize for this inconvenience and trouble Master..." All the staff request Shimura for forgiveness.
Shimura laughs, "What are you apologizing for! Did you call the earthquake to come here?"
He requests the staff to be at ease and take their leave.
"Hey dad, you think this was something related to those things we encountered earlier?" Suiryuu asks his Shimura in doubt.
Shimura places his hand on Suiryuu's shoulder "There is no telling son, but time will tell..."
All the others walk out of the room, Shimura turns around, "And you guys better sleep now" His tone shifts to a more scary one.
"Y-yes Sir!" The three of them salute him in attention position.
Everyone else leaves and the three of them quickly retreat to the bed.
Shimura lays on the bed, "Sigh, These kids..." He smiles. Chihiro sleeps sound beside him.
"Well, since my sleep is completely ruined.." He turns on the TV, "Lets just watch some News.."
News : [People are trying to understand how is SFC making soo delicious fried chicken]
[A middle school student pooped on the floor cause his teacher didn't let him use the washroom]
Shimura yawns, "Hmmmm... News channels are getting more interesting day by day..". He soon falls asleep, leaving the news channel on.
...
...
A satellite image was being casted on the screen.
News : [Breaking new! The footage you are seeing is a live satellite feed telecasted on your screen]
[Scientists initially believed the readings were a malfunction]
[They were not]
[Multiple mountain ranges have appeared overnight. Entire forests have expanded beyond recorded boundaries]
[At present, no explanation exists]
[Authorities are urging citizens to remain calm while investigations continue]