"Mhmm mmm mm."
fwshh.
Alright. Bed's done.
The mattress sat dressed in white, tucked beneath a thick red blanket. Stuffed beasts lined the headrest in a soft, uneven row, each one staring blankly ahead like tiny guards assigned to a very unserious post.
Sienna gave the bed one last look, then turned and headed into the living room.
Ikade was already there, seated with a pamphlet unfolded in her hands. She walked over, dropped onto the couch beside her, then leaned back and turned on the television, sifting through the many broadcasts without really watching any of them.
"Wanna check this out later?" Ikade said, slowing on one of the pages. "It looks interesting."
Sienna glanced over.
The picture showed an entrance opening like a massive cavern. Four distinct levels dropped beneath one another, each floor layered below the last. The first level boasted a high ceiling, but deeper in, the canopy dipped lower, framing the scenery beyond like the mouth of some massive exhibit hall.
A sharp lens flare cut across part of the photo. Above it, a catwalk hung from the ceiling, suspended over the open space.
'It's got so much stuff, I don't even know where to look.'
Sienna could practically read Ikade's thoughts from her expression alone.
"I don't see a name—do you? I only see the address."
Ikade's ears flicked at the question. She squinted down at the paper, searched the little block of text beneath the photo, then gave up with a small shrug.
"Guess we can just go look around."
Sienna hummed and took the pamphlet from her, scrolling through the address on her wrist before adding it to their route.
They flipped a few more pages and found something else—a smaller exhibition tucked close to their main point of interest. Another place worth stopping by. Sienna added that one too, letting their little plan become less of a plan and more of a growing excuse to wander.
While she did that, Ikade spoke up before resting her head against Sienna.
"Come to think of it, I haven't seen many animals in person. Just wildefowl and pets around here."
"We live in a city. What were you expecting, herds crossing the street?"
She stood up and twisted at the waist, stretching until something in her back gave a quiet pop.
"Let's eat first. I'm starving."
they spent the next twenty minutes without much urgency. They stayed in the dorm, resting—half watching whatever played on television, half tapping away at their devices.
At some point, Ikade shifted closer without saying anything, tucking herself against Sienna's side.
Eventually, they gathered their things and headed for the front door. Sienna gave the handle a quick twist just to be sure before they left.
Step.
Step.
Step.
The corridors, a crescendo of voices.
They wandered without much of a plan.
More and more people filled the paths around them, the walkways widening and branching until every turn seemed to lead somewhere new. Signs hung from the ceiling in shifting colors, changing with each section they crossed.
They paused here and there, leaning over railings and peering down into open spaces that dropped farther than expected.
Between them, a few corridors sat blocked off. Stores remained closed across the many decks and construction showed itself in brief flashes.
"Oohho~ that looks really good."
Ikade bounced toward a food stall planted in the middle of a widened corridor.
And it was not the only one.
Stalls split the walkway down the middle, one after another, smoke and steam curling upward in lazy spirals into humming ventilation ducts. The sizzle of food filled their ears, mixing with chatter that ricocheted off the walls.
"Hello, what can I help you with?"
Ikade scanned the short menu before pointing to a stacked sandwich barely held together by a single pick. The older woman followed her gesture, wrote it down, then looked to Sienna.
"This one?"
Sienna nodded.
They paid quickly, drinks already included, then carried their food over to a nearby bench after a short wait. Sitting down, they took their first sips and let the activity around them pass by.
Ikade focused on her sandwich, barely able to wrap both hands around it. Its layers pressed together beneath the homemade bread—eggs at the top, melted cheese stretching with each bite, crisp lettuce giving way between two kinds of meat.
The bread held it all together, soft on the inside with a satisfying crust.
Sienna, for her part, had a dish of perfectly cooked fearh served beside lettuce, green and purple vegetables, and a few fun-sized tortillas tucked along the side.
Munch! Munch~ Munch~
They stayed seated for another dozen minutes before standing up and tossing their trash away. Sienna flicked a finger toward the stall, sending over a generous tip before they slipped back into the current of people.
Then they went back to wandering, following whatever happened to catch their interest.
With every turn, something new pulled them in. A shop window. A display. A strange sound from one of the side halls. Slowly, without really meaning to, they closed in on their second point of interest.
Behind them, they left satisfied smiles and happy chatter—vendors pleased with whatever they had managed to sell.
"Lets see...what else could we find..."
Sienna muttered under her breath while scrolling, flicking her fingers uselessly across the display. Ikade returned to her side and pulled up her own phone, searching with the same lack of success.
In the end, they settled on the main attraction from the pamphlet.
They walked without hurry, joining the crowd until it gradually thinned away. Corridors widened, narrowed, then widened again, pulling them farther from the loud of the complex.
Soon enough, an entrance waited for them, taller than any they had seen so far.
Taller than what the pamphlet showed.
fshk—!
Their eyes moved from the pamphlet to the entrance, then back again.
It was dark.
And yet, not completely empty of life.
"So…" Ikade started, rocking on her heels. "This isn't what I pictured."
Warm light spilled down from above in uneven pools. They stepped through the straight arch, one of four leading inside.
A couple dozen people lingered across the wide floor. High overhead, the catwalks sat empty for now while a persistent hum filled the air, brushing softly against the castle like walls.
Only then did Sienna's gaze catch on a board set off to the side, bright against the metal.
'OPENING SOON.'
She slowed, nudging Ikade lightly with her elbow.
"Oh. Well this is a waste of time."
Sienna turned around first, complaining under her breath while Ikade followed close behind.
Step.
The next moment, they were already in front of their dorm.
They unlocked the room and stepped inside, swapping their shoes for slippers before dropping onto the couch and resting their weary legs.
Sienna handed the remote over to Ikade, then pushed herself up and headed for the bedroom. She grabbed the spare blanket and, on her way back, tossed it over the feline, earning a soft groan in return.
They settled into the softness of each others company, sharing half the blanket while the television played in the background. Their conversation drifted from one thing to another.
Another pair of them appeared on the floor, rummaging through their bags and pulling out a game board. It was placed on the coffee table between the couch and the screen, pieces scattering softly across the surface.
Again.
Another Ikade paced near the window, speaking through her phone.
Sienna sat at the kitchen island with her laptop, typing with one hand while the other dipped into a bag of chips.
Another.
But now it was night.
Sienna slowly opened her eyes, her view tilted sideways.
"unngh—I shouldn't have woken up. There goes sleeping."
For a few seconds, she did not move.
The room was dim as her eyes adjusted. Ikade's breathing came soft and even from somewhere nearby, slightly louder than the running fan.
Feels like someone's pulling at my muscles…damn it.
She padded back into the bedroom and quietly opened the closet.
She changed into something more comfortable—a beige, flowy skirt that stopped just above her ankles and a loose blouse. The buttons were done without much care, just enough to make it presentable. After slipping on a pair of white sneakers, she checked the necklace resting against her collarbone and made sure nothing tugged at it.
At the front door, she grabbed her purse and slipped in her earbuds.
With no real destination in mind, she wandered at an easy pace.
The corridors were only half lit at this hour, everything split into black and white. Some stretches glowed softly beneath the ceiling lights, while others sank into shadow, quiet enough to make her footsteps feel louder than they were.
She turned corners without thinking, following nothing in particular until warmth spilled out from somewhere ahead.
Nestled between two closed storefronts was a small instrument shop, its lights still on. Strings, polished wood, and brass fixtures rested behind the glass, warm and inviting against the cold hush of the corridor.
You'd think people would be walking down these hallwasy at every hour...guess I'm wrong.
krr—fzz.
The light flickered once when she turned on her heel and stepped through the doorway.
Inside, instruments lined the walls or rested on stands, each one soaking in the warm light. She moved slowly between them, tracing their shapes with her eyes.
Her gaze drifted to the prices, and she nudged herself along to another section. There, she found the guitars. With her interest piqued, she bent one knee and took them in, all their different designs laid out before her.
After a moment, she glanced around.
So she bent down again and picked one up.
In her hands, she eventually found a comfortable hold and brushed her fingers across the strings.
~♪~♪
Not liking it much, she tried another.
Then another.
Until she found the one she liked most.
Satisfied, Sienna carried it over to the register and glanced around for a moment. Still no one came out.
She scanned the guitar herself, then headed back and grabbed a padded case from the display nearby. Returning to the counter, she lifted her wrist and tapped her bracelet against the reader.
The payment went through without a hitch.
She took the receipt without even looking at the price. The display flashed once, replacing itself with a small cheerful face.
Sienna stared at it for half a second, then opened the case and slid the guitar inside. Once it was secured, she shut it closed and grabbed the handle.
thmp…
She adjusted her grip, letting the case settle more comfortably at her side, then set off once more.
With a little more force in her step, she lifted her wrist and pulled up the map. A few flicks later, she searched for a spot and punched it in.
Arrows appeared along the floor, guiding her through the maze of corners.
She walked for a while longer, the case bumping lightly against her leg with each step until the corridor opened into an elevator lobby.
The doors slid apart with a soft chime.
Sienna stepped inside and the elevator carried her lower, its gentle hum filling the brief silence while her reflection stared back from the brushed metal doors.
When they opened again, she stepped out and kept walking.
The path narrowed with every turn, the air growing quieter than before.
—thmp.
step.
Up ahead, beyond a lift tucked into the curve of a hallway, the scenery she meant to take was closed off. A closed gate stretched across the passage, its dim warning strip pulsing near the floor.
"Dammit."
Be it from her or someone else, she looked down the free hallway.
A scuffle.
A group was already moving through the corridor, their voices bounced unevenly against the wall, schadenfreude and irritation.
"Caough—you have to gang up on me…heh—fuckin' little girls…"
The man in the center stumbled when one of them hauled him along by the shoulder. One eye had begun to swell and the corner of his mouth was split. His footing dragged for half a step before he caught himself.
Sienna looked from them to the closed passage.
She then shifted the guitar case in her hand and took the same hallway, unhurried.
The guitar case bumped lightly against her leg while she kept to her side of the passage. The group stayed ahead, their voices fading in and out beneath the low ceiling lights.
Soon enough, the corridor branched out and she took her exit, into a quieter public space.
A cozy area sat beyond, library-like. Shelves lined parts of the walls, and a few people were scattered around beneath warm lights—some reading, some idling around, while others were tucked away in their own worlds.
Near the far side, a small cluster of closed-off booths waited in a row.
Sienna stopped before one.
Her hand moved toward the handle, then paused.
After a moment, she opened it and walked in.