Huge inflatable airships soared across the sky, their exteriors draped with commercial banners announcing the main event of the Colosseum battle fest.
It glided slowly across the firmament, the weather Sour, accompanied by thunderstorms that caused worries for its safety—if struck, it would likely erupt into a fireball.
Lila stood before the thick floor-to-ceiling window, gazing out at the murky grey expanse—dense clusters of office buildings and commercial centers soaked in rainfall, the street traffic below severely congested; since she took her place there, the vehicles had only moved a few hundred meters.
The location of Shijin Mansion was unique; it lay neither in the shadow of the massive structures nor distant from the impoverished, chaotic slums and Chengxia Town. Positioned on what was traditionally known as the "Third Ring Road," it was only a 15-minute car ride to the city center, or even quicker by shuttle machine.