The older woman was leading Ivory further into Sinners' street. She was blind yet was able to almost instinctively feel where she was going. Ivory felt eyes peering at them through her peripheral vision but none of them dared to step forward. Almost like all of them were afraid. This unknown woman must have held a certain amount of intimidation or higher status in this town that she didn't have but borrowed at that moment. The two passed the suburbs and made it to a road bending in multiple directions.
There were rows of broken houses that looked as though they had been collapsed in on themselves rather than being broken into.
The wind howled as the old woman adjusted her red scarf around her neck, "What if I told you Sinners' street was never made by humans?"
Ivory looks over at her with apprehension, "Who made this street then? Wasn't this part of town really a relic of all that was left of humanity's past?"
The old woman shakes her head answering her second question first, "No. All of this is merely a copy composed of buildings in humanity's past."
The old woman pauses before saying, "The creator supposedly created all of this."
The creator was a god-like entity from a theory labeled the Reconstruction or Refurnish. The translation depended on what part of the world you resided in. The theory was shared by scientists all over the world to conclude that a god shifted their world into what it was now. This idea was created due to science failing to explain the supernatural events happening all across the world. The theory suggested that someone given a place holder name "The Creator" had changed their world and added their own laws or rules to adjust the world to their liking.
The old woman pointed up ahead at the rows of broken buildings, "All of these buildings being broken seems convenient. Does it not?"
Ivory shakes her head out of confusion, "I don't understand. Who really are you and why did you want to meet me?"
The old woman smiles, "My name is Lyra and I exist primarily as of right now to show you the truth."
Ivory frowns, "What truth? What don't I know?"
Lyra points again at the houses, "Let's try this again. Tell me what do you see?"
Ivory focused on the broken houses with a precision she never got to use much anymore. She almost missed this feeling of being able to focus this much on something other than work. The world had shifted into a mundane hell and the worst part was she got used to living in it. Every day repeated and nothing changed.
Everything seemed to lack variety. The world turning mundane caused Ivory to lose focus on all of her goals. She started to lose her imagination and wonder as it was replaced with pessimism and anxiety about certain quotas she had to make.
Ivory noticed how all of the broken houses looked the same and there were no separating qualities to them similar to the houses they lived in.
Ivory says with a defeated expression, "All of the broken houses look the same."
Lyra smiles a devilish grin, "YES. That is precisely the point. The creator of this new world wanted a place like this to exist. Do you have any idea why?"
Ivory shakes her head.
Lyra says, "I have my theories but one thing is certain. This part of town shows how the creator has added their own spin on the town and copied the rest."
Ivory says with agitation, "I get it. You wanted me to see a weird part of town but why am I really here? What's wrong with me?"
The old woman ignores her question and motions Ivory to keep following her like a general leading their troops to die in some unknown land.
Lyra and Ivory walk past the broken houses to reach a long wooden floor board with a trap door and a lock on it.
Ivory's voice shakes, "We have to descend? What's down there?"
Lyra ignores her question again for a moment and does some quick jabs in the air and a few jumps startling Ivory. She wondered if this is what the older woman would call a stretch.
Lyra stands still finally, "The truth. Everything you seek is down there."
The older woman takes out a silver key from the pocket of her grey sweat pants and skillfully undoes the lock in less than a second. She tries to pull on the hatch but it remains stuck in place.
Lyra sighs with a slight blush of embarrassment spreading on her face, "I'll need some help pulling the hatch open. This wood is very heavy."
Ivory chuckles at the wholesome moment and lowers her guard down momentarily. She helps pull the hatch open with relative ease.
Lyra says with a slight smile, "I'm old. Don't say shit."
The open hatch reveals a spiral staircase that wasn't lit up properly. Ivory stared into the darkness almost like something in the dark had been calling to her. Could the truth of everything she was going through really be beyond this darkness?
The old woman as Ivory is lost in thought kneels beside the open trap door and reattaches the lock.
Ivory says in an anxious tone, "Why did you do that?"
Lyra takes a step forward standing on one of the steps near the entrance of the spiral staircase. She points toward a handle on the back of the trap door.
Lyra says with impatience, "Close the hatch on your way inside, Ivory."
Ivory stares at the hatch for a moment and lets out a sigh closing it. The darkness surrounding them at that instant was replaced with a blinding light. Ivory took a moment to adjust to it by rubbing her eyes profusely. Warm yellow led lights lit up the corridor.
The two begin their descent towards the bottom floor. Ivory looked around and noticed the walls had no texture to them. The walls were a shade of dark grey and looked like they had just been painted several minutes ago. It occurred to her this part of the building just like the rest seemed to be designed by the creator.
Several minutes passed as the two descended the spiral staircase.
Ivory groans, "How long is this staircase, Lyra?"
Lyra shrugs, "We will arrive when it is time for us to arrive."
Ivory rolls her eyes, "Fine."
The two of them started seeing a dim light up ahead. Ivory started to be filled with curiosity at what could be down here. Weren't the two supposed to meet at a bar?
The two took one last step from the spiral staircase to reveal the entrance to an underground city. The city was quite large and seemed to be in some sort of a cave holding multiple different stores and buildings. There were a lot of people running around seeming to have no care in the world. These people were different then the ones Ivory had seen above ground. They didn't have the life removed in their eyes. This was a society of people that were content with the lives they were living.
The part that caught Ivory's eye the most was the bright light hanging above everyone almost resembling the sun.
Ivory turns to Lyra in awe, "This place… was it created during the readjustment period?"
Lyra nods her head, "The whole idea that Sinners' street was the only part of town that was left after that time period is a rumor. In essence parts of it remained the same to create that illusion but underneath it all was where the biggest change was rooted."
Ivory hits a realization, "The bar we were going to meet at was in the underground city isn't it? I was never supposed to follow an address. You were always just going to swoop in to guide me here."
Lyra's smile beams at her perceptiveness, "Correct."
Ivory asks with curiosity, "This is cool. In fact very cool but why couldn't we talk above ground?"
The young woman's curiosity was starting to fade again. She just wanted to finish this social interaction and go home to sleep and mentally prepare for her next shift at the coffee shop.
Lyra continues to smile brightly, "Someone told me to find you. In fact they're waiting to see you now."
Ivory's curiosity returns in an instant.
Ivory asks, "Who wants to meet me here? How do you both even know me?"
Lyra touches her chin with her pointer finger curling her hand towards the floor, "I have no idea where this creature came from but he calls himself Icarus."
Ivory looked perplexed, "Creature? Icarus?"
Lyra pulls her hand back and turns to look at Ivory intensely despite the fact she was blind, "There's a lot you need to know but I won't be able to explain it well enough. You'll just have to meet him yourself at the bar I was talking about earlier."
Lyra points up ahead to a bar in the distance with a sign that has the words 'Last Light,' at the top of the building, "He should be expecting you."