"So…" I said, opening a bag of potato crisps I forgot I had in my bag. "Did anything happen in the capital…?" Chewing loudly, "Y'know...Besides getting clothes for the Banquet?"
The Lady in Limbo just stared at me for a while, obviously irritated.
"How uncouth," she said flatly. "I have yet to finish."
She reclined her head as if trying to dodge the sound.
"Besides...what is that dreadful noise?"
"Oh. It's um," I looked down, trying to find a way to describe the snack I was eating. "It's thinly sliced, fried potato pieces."
She was still for a moment, then I saw the ever so small detail of her tongue touching her lips.
"Is it…" She quietly gulped. "Is it good?" She shook her head. "I mean...is it food?"
"Yes. And Yes...would you like some?"
She didn't say anything, but no words were needed. I saw the way her legs fidgeted. I got up and walked towards her, the bag of potato crisps in hand.
"Okay," I called, "Stick your hand out."
And she did. She turned her bound hands towards me and I dumped the crisps into her palm. I could've sworn she was getting giddy. Red cooed softly on my shoulder. She placed the crisps on her lap and inspected one. Smelling it, then a quick lick, then a crunch. Then she took another, then two more. The only thing that could be heard throughout the cave was the crunching of the crisps and small involuntary hums of pleasure. It was like watching a squirrel eat. All cheek, no chew.
"So?" I said with a hint of smugness. "Did you enjoy it?"
Before she realised it, it was all gone. She coughed,
"...How does your training progress?" She changed the subject. Just when I thought we were bonding.
"It's been a few days since I started," I tapped the side of my earphones to where the dial was, "But I can now withstand the frequencies up to a cool Flofrequent of twenty."
"...You speak as though this is an achievement worthy of pride." She remarked. "I perceive no change in your Flo signature...It is the same as the first time you wandered here."
Hearing this irked something in me. Maybe she couldn't see it, but the runs, the strength training I would do outside the cave. Even the gradual increase of the frequencies I would increase to. It was as if she said it was meaningless.
"Well, what am I supposed to do?" I blurted out, "You're bound and blind and I'm following the instructions that you gave me. So unless you have a way another way, I'll have to do it like this to even be as monstrous as yo-"
The word died in my throat. I shut my mouth, immediately regretting my every word.
She was still for a moment. Then she stood up. Not quickly, but it was a slow rise from where she was sitting. The air changed around her and my heart dropped. I was sitting on the cave wall to the left of its exit. Maybe if I channelled Flo I could've increased my chances of escaping, but something told me it wouldn't have mattered. In no scenario I imagined would I come out on top. It was also the first time I had seen her move so much. Between her otherworldly presence, the blindfold and her bindings, it was terrifying. Even Red could feel it, chirping wildly turned away from her. She stopped a few paces in front of me before she crouched, making her head the same level as mine.
"Monstrous...is that right?" She whispered, but the heaviness in her voice shook the entire cavern making it impossible to breathe. I couldn't even bring myself to look at her.
"I-I didn't mean it like that." I blurted out again. "I'm sorry."
I could feel my heart trying to escape my chest. Then she just sighed, the air seemingly returning back to what it was originally. I opened my eyes to see her softly smiling.
"This." She said. "This is the level you must reach."
She turned towards her slab. "That is, if you wish to free me."
I clutched my throat.
"Now, do you have more of those fried potato slices?" She said, sitting on the slab. "I wish to partake of them whilst I continue my tale."
I looked at the woman who appeared as if nothing had happened, then I looked at Red who peeked from behind his wing cocking his head at me. "Uhm, okay," I said, my voice a bit more high-pitched than I expected. I fished out another bag which happened to be my second to last, opened it and cautiously handed the whole thing to her.
"How delightful!" She said, as she savoured one in her mouth. "Now...where had we left off?"
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
As the The Golden Express descended towards the capital, it passed through a tunnel before attaching itself to a set of railway lines as it beamed underground. Standing as they waited for the train to arrive, flashes of torches could be seen every half a second.
"Did any of you know that the Capital had...all this?" Ester quietly asked both Ezekiel and Kris. To which they both nodded. Even Saphy knew.
"The development of the Express wasn't exactly kept a secret," Kris said. "But because of its destination to the Holy lands, only certain people are allowed access."
"Very high Church members," Ezekiel continued counting with his fingers, "High nobility, really important guests, hell even us Synchrite are allowed access."
Ester grimaced as she watched the lights that passed began slowing down. "Basically only those who the Church deem as important."
They were silent as the Express slowed down before coming to a stop. Through the window, a cavernous space opened, lit by glowing Flo-lanterns shaped like censers.
The Express settled onto its final track with a soft shudder. A man wearing a similar uniform to the conductor opened the doors.
Lin Hua stood, her cape swirling. "Right!" She said. "Let's not dawdle. We all know why we're here, so let's try and be…" She stopped abruptly and motioned with her hand as if she was trying to recollect something.
"...Quick?" a girl said.
"Smart?" Saphy said.
"Dignified!" Ezekiel blurted out.
"...No." She pursed her lips.
"...Mindful?" Ester quietly said. Lin Hua turned with wide eyes. "Yes!" She turned back to the whole group. "We must all be mindful...tension with the regulars is still sharp. So please do not look for trouble." She side-eyed Ezekiel who pretended to look flabbergasted.
At the far end of the cavern, a wide staircase of pale stone ascended into gloom. At the top, double doors stood slightly ajar.
As Ester stepped off the train, she could feel the air, cool and still, smelling of incense and wet stone.
The third floorers trudged towards the stairs and all Ester could do was take a deep breath. She was about to go back to the place where she was convicted of murder. Where her father was publicly executed and where regulars were becoming more on edge because of her. She was terrified.
Saphy linked her arm between Ester's. "Come on."
And so she did. With Kris and Ezekiel waiting, they continued up the great steps.
Lin Hua pushed the doors open and they groaned, revealing the inside of a grand cathedral. Even though it was dark, Ester could still make out the structures laid within it. The rows of seats that stood around the altar. The sets of stairs leading to the upper part of the infrastructure held by giant marble columns. She could see the images on the windows. Depicting Synchrites of old with a golden halo being revered by what seemed to be regulars. She saw another image of one fighting with a draconic Flo beast. She was distracted before noticing Kris was looking at a different image. It was an egg-shaped objected that had a crack on it, leading to what seemed like light shining from it. There was also a statue of it on the altar.
"What is that?" Ester whispered.
"It's the Arc...or what the Church believes the Arc." He replied before giving her kind of confused look as if it should've been obvious. "...Were you not taught anything about the Church of the Arc?"
Ester grimaced. "...My father didn't really like talking about the Church...he also forbade my mother from talking about it. I grew up sheltered in the plains west of the capital."
Kris was quiet for a moment. "I see…" He finally said. "Maybe for the best."
Ester wanted to ask what he meant but they soon arrived at the Church's entrance.
"Uh Miss Lin Hua?" Saphy chimed up. "Are we supposed to be here…?" She looked around. "I mean, there aren't any guards."
Lin Hua turned around. "The men you saw at the station were also Church officials. You need verification to even enter and exit the Express...Which you will get once you become One Stars."
The stakes for the Chimera Cross Trials seemed to increase more and more each second. I wonder...what happens to those who don't pass?
Lin Hua pulled one side of the Cathedral's door and peered out.
"Come on."
The third floorers piled out and were greeted by the capital's gentle nighttime scenery.
The cathedral was built on a hillside, looming over the Heart of the Capital, the marketplace. Between the Heart and them, the ground fell away, sloping into a pathway that curved toward the bed of embers. To the left, a steep set of steps offered a more directed route down.
"Alright," Lin Hua ordered. "Down the pathway."
They started down the gentle slope. The quiet of it was quickly replaced by the distant murmur of the Heart, a low restless hum. The night air gave way to spiced meat and woodsmoke.
Saphy walked beside Ester, her eyes full of reminiscence as she looked at the bustling sprawl below. "It's always so beautiful at nighttime," she muttered.
Ezekiel snorted hearing this, putting his hands behind his head. "Too bad the whole Capital doesn't look this."
Saphy didn't respond. Ester didn't either.
Her gaze was fixed on the steeper steps path. She could make out figures, one obviously frustrated, gesturing wildly at the other who held a dignified pose.
"Have you ever been to the Capital, Ester?" Ezekiel called out. "...Ester?"
Kris and Saphy followed her gaze, followed by Ezekiel, as they watched the heated argument unfold. The frustrated man lunged at the dignified figure, who was then apprehended by two figures who surrounded the dignified one. They pushed him, causing him to stumble and lose his footing before they began wailing on him. One apprehender repeatedly stomped on his face, another kicked at his side, all while the dignified one watched.
"Woah…" Ezekiel muttered.
"Shouldn't we...do something…" Saphy looked around, landing her eyes on Lin Hua who barely broke a stride.
Lin Hua's voice was quiet. "...Best not to get involved."
The dignified man watched for a few moments before signalling the assailants to stop. The man staggered to his feet before stumbling towards the marketplace. Ester watched as one of the assailants turned around to look at the group before leaning in to the dignified man who also turned around. Ester felt her heart drop and she wasn't the only one.
"Eyes forward," Lin Hua ordered again. "Lest you want problems with the Church."
They continued walking in silence for a moment.
"Oh look!" Saphy pointed further in front to see another group walking on the same path as the assaulted man. It was the second floorers and they had just finished their consultation with the tailor. The man brushed past them shoving some as he went through. They were confused before they noticed the third floorers all signalling them and they waved back. Ester saw a familiar face at the head. A slouched scrawny posture with huge glasses and a buzzcut. It was Cosmo. Ester quietly waved at him and he saw her, broke into an elfish grin and gave her a thumbs up.
"Ester.." Saphy tugged at her skirt, pointing at a white haired figure in the middle. Geire stood and watched them both, not moving until the second floorers began moving again.
"...He was awfully calm," Ester muttered, scratching her neck. "Given what happened last time."
Saphy let out a dry scoff. "Maybe we misunderstood."
They looked at each other for a moment. The silence stretched as they recalled every memory they had with him. They broke out into a laugh, confusing the entire group.
Lin Hua guided them through the main path before arriving directly onto the outer fringe of the heart.
Even though it was dark marketplace was still alive. Sounds could be heard, ranging from the chatter of different languages to the thumping of a dough-maker to the cries of a person haggling prices over meat. The third floorers couldn't concentrate as all their senses were attacked.
Lin Hua moved through the market with such ease and swiftness it was if she had done this a number of times. The third floorers stumbled after her, a chain of kids in an ocean of bustling life.
Ester kept her head down, but she could feel eyes on them. Whispers followed in their wake.
"...more of them…"
"...Fucking freaks."
"...Another attack happens..."
She pulled her cloak closer around herself.
They plunged deeper, moving from the food stalls where Ezekiel disappeared, momentarily reappearing with a small package of dough-balled sweets attached to small sticks. He gave one to Kris, then one to Saphy and even one to Ester. Some third floorers complained about where their own snack was but he just replied with a stick of his tongue… Did he do this to make the others jealous? Maybe this was the reason why he struggled with making friends. Nevertheless, Ester still attacked the sweet treat with gratitude.
A regular elder woman brushed past Ester, closer than necessary. Her eyes lingered on Ester's face for a moment too long before she moved on. Ester was momentarily stunned.
"You alright?" Saphy whispered.
Ester nodded unable to speak.
"Hey Lin Hua!" Ezekiel called from the back. "Catch!"
Lin Hua turned around just in time to see a circular sweet treat aiming straight towards her and she reached out instinctively, catching it with both hands before realising it was hot. She switched from one hand to the other in a panic before finally attempting to hold it with the stick wedged in it.
"Goodness, Ezekiel...when did you even…" She sighed, before taking a bite which caused her expression to soften, just slightly. "...Anyway, we are almost there."
As the night began deepening, the crowd had also begun thinning. Conversations quieted as people started filtering home.
The remaining crowd seemed to part slightly as Lin Hua turned into a narrow side passage. Stone walls rose close on either side, cutting the noise of the heart down to a distant murmur. Tucked between taller buildings, a small, immaculate shopfront revealed itself. One window sat high above a solid door, a small plaque hanging above it. Heart's Finest Embroideries.
Lin Hua pushed the door open, and a bell chimed softly.
The front room was a reception filled with clutter and fragrance. Shelves occupied with fabric books and fabric rolls. The air smelled of incense and sawdust. Behind a high, darkwood desk, a rather wide woman with a taut bun and a pipe looked up from the desk. She scanned the third floorers before stopping at Lin Hua, who gave a silent nod.
"The next group, huh?" the woman grumbled, her voice like granite. They all nodded.
"MATTEUS!" She bellowed, which shook the group. "THE NEXT GROUP ARE HERE, YOU DOPE!"
"YOU OLD HAG!" A voice screeched back down the flight of wooden steps to the right. "STOP. YELLING!"
Moments passed before the sound of heavy, hurried footsteps and grumbling thundered down the wooden steps. Matteus appeared with a look of silent frustration.
His white hair was a mess of close-cropped spikiness, yet his white beard was neatly trimmed. His mechanical glasses were slightly angled one way on his face and one of the lenses flipped down. He fixed the lady with a scowl before turning to the third floorers.
"Right...Come on then," he grumbled. "One at a time." He looked at them, deciding who would be the first to get consultation before his eyes did a double take on a certain spiky-haired boy trying his best to hold in his amusement.
"...Something funny, boy?" Matteus frowned.
"She called you...dope!" Ezekiel snickered between his words. Kris elbowed him.
"Ezekiel…" Lin Hua put a hand on her head and Kris just sighed.
"Damn right he is," the lady scoffed.
Matteus's scowl deepened, but a glint of something that wasn't fully anger flashed behind his glasses. He adjusted them with a methodical slowness.
"Ezekiel…,"he said, his voice gravelly. "By any chance, are you from the Barak family?"
"I am!" He puffed out his chest at the sudden revelation of his name. "Ezekiel the Third!"
Silence stretched for a few moments before Matteus sighed.
"I thought so," he mumbled. "Your father would come here often, getting all sorts of custom clothes for your whole family." He did a mocking bow. "It's a pleasure, little noble."
Ezekiel was taken aback. He didn't know if he was being sincere, but it was the first time Ester had seen someone humble him with just his name.
"Now...because you have so graciously volunteered,"he turned around. "Come with me."
He turned and trudged back up the steps, not waiting to see if Ezekiel followed.
"Now."
After a stunned second and a gentle kick from Lin Hua, Ezekiel stumbled after him, all his confidence drained, leaving like a lost child.
The shop fell into a silence as the third floorers looked around the room, and the woman wheezed as she relit her pipe.
"How long is each consultation?" one of the third floorers asked Lin Hua after some time.
"Should be no longer than ten minutes," Lin Hua replied.
The silence stretched for exactly four minutes. Then heavy footsteps thumped down the stairs.
Ezekiel appeared, expressionless. He had markings of measuring tape lining his sleeves.
Before anyone could open their mouth, the door to the workroom behind the reception cracked open. A tired looking senior seamstress with a measuring tape of her own draped around her neck appeared. She held a stack of cards.
"Master Matteus!" she called up, her voice hoarse. "The first floors hems are all finished. We have fully transitioned to the second floor specs now."
Matteus's voice could be heard from the loft. "Excellent, Marta! Bloody...Church making us work this hard because of a change in their event...Finish the second floor specs and you guys can take a break,"
She bowed in the direction of his voice, turned and bowed to the woman at the desk, gave the third floorers a quick glance, then disappeared back into the workroom. The door shut with a click.
Saphy turned to Ezekiel, noting the way he shifted. He had been thoroughly silenced. "They're really doing it all overnight?" Saphy asked Lin Hua.
From her desk, the woman took a long, slow pull on her pipe. "The Church says 'jump'" she rasped, smoke curling from her nostrils. "We ask 'how high'? She then broke into a raspy laugh.
Upstairs, Matteus's head appeared over the loft railing, his mechanical lenses flipped up. "Right! The arrogant little noble's measurement is done...NEXT!"
The whole group wasn't prepared and they looked at each other, deciding who would be the next to trudge up the steps. Even their supposed leader was caught off guard.
"Oh- Uhm," she swivelled her head frantically from the top of the stairs to the third floorers. "Do you want them by order of name, or..or-"
"Oh for the love of.." He stuck his head down and pointed a chalk-dusted finger. "The black girl with the green headband."
Saphy turned to look at Ester with a sarcastic smile and an eye roll before taking her time up the steps.
"And Beatrice!" he called. "Send them up once they come down...You got that?!"
"I got it!" she shouted. "...Cranky old git.!
As if by telepathy, his voice thundered down. "I HEARD THAT!"
The kids burst out laughing.
After Saphy came down, the process became a blur. Matteus's shouts, "You, with the weird face!" "The lanky one on the far side!", pulled up one third floorer after another. They returned minutes later, each one looking drained.
Then, Matteus's voice called, "The quiet boy with the lollipop! You're too tall to be shy! Up!"
Ezekiel patted him on the back before he got up silently.
"And take it out of your mouth before you come up the stairs." He called.
He sighed, took hold of the stick and crunched the candy, leaving only the stick as he handed it to Beatrice, who looked disgusted.
His consultation was the shortest. Under four minutes he was back and he seemed annoyed. He whipped out another lollipop stick from his pocket and leaned against the wall.
"What did he say?" Ezekiel and Saphy prodded.
Kris shrugged. "He put me in a dark brown suit with suspenders. Said it would make me 'stand out'". He popped a new one in his mouth. "Didn't look bad though."
Ezekiel was about to retort when Matteus's voice cut through. It was flat. "Last one. Up"
Ester didn't hesitate. She marched up the stairs, the eyes of the room on her back, and disappeared into the loft.
She found him on a chair writing something on the table in front of a windowsill. As soon as he heard the floor creak, he beckoned her closer.
As she got closer, he finished with his notes and stood, twisting in one motion. He circled her once, his mechanical lenses clicking as they adjusted.
"So," He said, writing something in a book. "They let you live?"
Ester's eyes never left the floor. She nodded her head.
He let out a throaty grumble.
"For better or for worst. You're here. Your father…" He grimaced.
"Your father was a good man...I still remember the day he asked me to design a dress for your birthday ceremony…" He sighed.
"To think things had to happen this way." He turned around. "Was what your father said true? That he tried to assault you?"
"He did." Ester whispered.
Matteus was silent for a while.
"Well, I am glad a piece of your father is still alive." He ruffled her hair. "Now, let's think of a design that'll knock the pants off everyone at the Banquet, alright?"
Ester sniffed and nodded again.
"Good." He flipped through a large leather bound portfolio on the table in front of her. "Which variation do you fancy?"
Inside were beautiful sketches, each labelled.
Design A, B, C, D
Ester looked back and forth, deciding which one would best fit her. She didn't particularly see herself as pretty but her mother had always told her otherwise. However, she couldn't decide.
"...I suggest you go with design B." Matteus gently tapped his finger. "A fitted top over a full skirt with fitted sleeves."
He looked from the sketch to her.
"What do you say? You'll look both superb and unapproachable." He gave a wicked smile.
She thought about it before giving a quick nod.
"Very good," he said, marking his slate. "Now, arms out while we discuss colour."
Ester descended the stairs after saying goodbye to the tailor, condolences, numbers and colours bouncing in her mind. The main room was quieter now. The third floorers all looked drained.
"...You know we're not supposed to say anything about our outfits right?" Ester said to Kris, trying to act okay.
He shrugged. "Whoops." But something told her it was anything but an accident.
"Alright." Lin Hua straightened up, clasping her hands together. "Consultations are complete. I know most of you are tired, so let's head back to the Express. But be sure to say thank you before you leave."
They filed out, saying their thank yous as they entered the cold night air. The conversation with Matteus like a warm blanket in Ester's mind. As Saphy tried to get Ester to tell her what her dress was, a blood-curdling cry was heard from near the entrance of the marketplace. The same way they had come.
The group froze. The marketplace had emptied significantly, late enough that most merchants had packed up, but it shouldn't have been this empty. Not even the usual stragglers remained. Some stalls stood abandoned, some still displaying goods.
"What was that…?" one of the boys whispered.
Then again, a howl and screams of help could be heard in the distance.
The third floorers looked at Lin Hua, who bit her tongue, scanning between the group and the noise. She cursed.
"All of you. Stay. Here." She ordered before charging toward the sound of the noise. She moved fast, disappearing into the night almost immediately. Her cape trailing behind her.
The group stood frozen in the sudden, profound quiet that followed Lin Hua's disappearance. The only sounds were the distant echo of her footsteps and their own breaths in the cold air.
"Should...should we follow?" someone stammered.
"Idiot." another hissed. "Didn't you hear that? What the hell can we do?"
Another scream tore through the night and was followed by a low, guttural sound that didn't sound human. Ester's blood ran cold and Saphy had gone rigid, holding Ester with her arm locked with Ester's.
Just what the hell is going on? Ester thought.
In that moment, Ezekiel took off running in the same direction as Lin Hua.
"ZEEK!?" Kris yelled, taking off after him, both disappearing into the night.
The rest of the group screamed at them to come back, but their voices faded into the darkness. The silence that followed was nerve racking.
"Not again…"Saphy said her voice tight, yet defiant. "Not this time."
Before anyone realised, Saphy took off running.
"Saphy?!" Ester called out, but her friend was already disappearing into the darkness after Kris and Ezekiel.
"Are they all morons?!" Another shouted.
Ester's heart hammered. She couldn't just stand here. She took a deep breath.
"I'm going after them." she said, taking off.
She ran and ran and ran until she couldn't hear anything but her own footsteps.