Capítulo 22: The Mount Part 1
A growl erupts from Feng Mian's stomach. Noe sways slightly to the left while Rosalind fights to keep her eyes from drooping.
Observing them, Daniel says, "We can start tomorrow. For today, we'll rest at my apartment. You all seem like you need a bite to eat and a comfortable mattress to lie on."
Noe's eyes light up as he stares down into Daniel's eyes.
"Let's just... go get my ice-cream truck first," Daniel blinks.
Tracing back their steps, their walk towards the park stops momentarily at the shantytown's hall. Although the hall is deserted, all adults returned home to take care of their children, the four's silence tells of their promise to return with the truth. For now, it is time to grieve.
They continue.
Upon arrival, faintly lit by the surrounding city lights, Daniel does not notice the streaks of dried grass in the park. Clasping her hands together, where they walk, Feng Mian streams out some of her spiritual energy to try and restore the vitality of the grass. She smiles when it is done.
Daniel closes up the truck. Naturally, Feng Mian and Rosalind ascend the truck's exterior while Noe rides upfront with driving Daniel.
"Before we head to your place," Noe begins loud enough for Feng Mian and Rosalind to hear him as well, "I have to get a friend of mine."
Turning the ignition, the truck's engine gently revs to a start. "You can direct me."
They bob side to side as they head out of the park before setting out on the even city roads. Where the shantytown was crowded and cramped, at night, the city is sparsely populated.
"Please turn right here," Noe quietly asks.
"You never did introduce me to your friends back there," Daniel says, rotating the steering wheel like a smooth race car driver. Silently, his index finger taps the polished ingenuine leather.
"No, I did not," Noe confirms, keeping his eyes trained on Daniel.
Daniel resists the urge to look back at him. "Could you tell me their names?"
"Yes, I could."
"Ah... so what are their names?"
"The nice one is Feng Mian and the rude one is Rosalind."
Daniel shifts in his seat as Noe's profound gaze attempts to dig deeper into him. "Do we need to turn anytime soon?" Balls of city lights are reflected in Daniel's eyes as he leans forward.
"No."
"What's the name of the friend we're going to pick up?"
"Rubin."
Noe's nose thistles as he breathes in Daniel's scent. Clearing his throat, Daniel looks in despair at the road that seems to stretch on and on.
A ripple passes through the Veren in Noe's heart. "Am I making you uncomfortable?" he asks Daniel.
"Not 'uncomfortable' exactly," his hands tighten against the steering wheel.
"Then what?"
"It just feels weird... it feels like you genuinely care about me. I'm not used to that feeling," Daniel chuckles to ease his rising emotions. Noe's heart skips a beat. "But, you might want to avoid sniffing people."
"Noted," Noe places his hand on his nose.
The spire of a brilliant white church draws attention to its front clock that sings seven o'clock in the evening.
"Please stop in front of that building," Noe points to the glass and metal structure they landed upon at sunrise.
Scrunching his eyebrows, skepticism is painted across Daniel's face. "'Kamiyama and Choi'; are you sure your friend's in there? This law firm is known for its strictness. It closes its doors to the public at 5PM. Unless your friend works there, they would've been kicked off the premises a long time ago."
"She's on top of the building. Please park across the street."
Daniel complies.
"Please stay here. I'll be back soon."
Listening closely, he hears Rosalind's soft snores rising behind the driver's side partition.
Gliding out the passenger side of the vehicle, Noe saunters across the street. Crossing the skyscraper's threshold, he cloaks himself in invisibility as the electronic doors open to reveal the huge lobby. The concierge behind the check in desks flit their eyes at the sound of footsteps but no person to claim them as their own.
Entering the elevator at the end of the sparkling cream lobby, Noe presses the white circled 100 at the top of all buttons.
Without any disruptions, the elevator ascends from floor to floor.
DING.
Button 96 blinks as the elevator doors swish open. To cover his tracks, Noe presses 100 to remove his request and erase the fact there is another encased in the elevator.
Two female lawyers in shiny, black suits are encompassed by a sea of bodyguards. Their eyes are dark and unforgiving, shoulders tightly held back. As they walk into the elevator, they gesture for their bodyguards to stay behind.
"Reconvene at ground floor," one dictates as the elevator closes. Oxfords crashing against the floor, leaping across tiles, and colliding with spiraling staircases are faintly perceived by Noe's ears.
Exhaling, one woman drops her shoulders, black handbag reflected against the elevator's mirrors. She smells like lavender.
"Preposterous," she says, hand on hip. "Prime Minister Kamiyama's duty is to protect the people but she has authorized the redevelopment of all the shantytowns in Westville." Noe perks up. "Where will the people living there go?"
"Stop it. If anyone hears you saying this, you'll find yourself as one of those people too."
"After spearheading the concealment of the Ridge School Incident, how can you still be so heartless, Honoka?"
Steel-faced, Honoka turns her face. Her own reflection assaults her from but a few centimeters yet her eyes are far away.
"It's too late to do anything now," Honoka responds. The elevator reaches ground floor once more, "Go over all the legalities for the Westville Rally tomorrow. Make sure everything is immaculate and goes without a hitch."
Sliding out the door, the out of breath bodyguards greet Honoka. Reassembling her phlegmaticness, the other lawyer soon steps out of the elevator as well.
It appears Prime Minister Kamiyama, leader of Westville, is the monster Noe shall have to tackle in order to reveal the truth of the students' deaths.
DING.
Noe steps out onto floor 100. Taking a flight of stairs beside the elevator, he finds himself back in the sky parlor before stepping onto the helipad. Instantly, Rubin stands and streaks towards Noe.
As Noe's palm touches her face, their connection is strengthened.
Sensing the fatigue taking Noe hostage, Rubin swoops Noe into her tail and puts him atop her suit of armor. Excited to see Noe's soulmate, she immediately prances across the helipad and nose dives across the building's side.
The resulting wind brushes across Noe's face as he comfortably takes in their descent. Behind the windshield beneath them, Daniel's eyes widen.
Although Noe is sure they are both invisible, they appear completely visible in Daniel's saucered gaze. Rubin's flames ripple in miniature in his globes, warmly lighting the night. Sending Noe's hair ravenously slicing around him, Daniel's eyes linger on the black strands hazily glowing red, illuminated by fire.
Noe senses the joy in Rubin's heart as she feels the soft soulmate Noe has been given.
"He's amazing, isn't he?" Noe's eyes glint as he smiles.
Rubin grunts in agreement.
Like clockwork, Daniel turns on his truck and begins to drive in the direction of his apartment building. Reaching a few meters off the ground, Rubin turns onto her stomach and flies above the truck, languidly flapping her wings as they go.
In a few minutes, they come cruising to a stop within a rather plain and simple complex of red-bricked buildings. Rubin nestles himself atop one building. Willing the oxygen around him to carry him down, Noe steps off the building and glissades beside Daniel.
"How do you do these things?" Daniel asks. "I've never seen someone fly before."
"So you've seen people do other things?"
As if caught red-handed, Daniel averts his eyes.
"Who are you talking to?" Rosalind questions, yawning like a tiger as she descends onto the grimy, tar road.
Noe lets his invisibility fall.
Jumping, Rosalind half screams before muting herself and looking around. "Which one is yours?" she demands of Daniel.
"Does she have to come along?" Noe asks.
"She's a friend of yours and I can't turn away a youngster without a home."
"Wait, how do you know that we don't have a place to stay?" Feng Mian's voice whistles serenely. To think about it, Daniel did not seem shocked when Noe performed any of the other 'miracles' earlier either...
Locking the truck using a keychain well over capacity, "This one is mine," Daniel points to the building opposite them before bouncing towards it. The Ephrenes follow him.
While Noe wonders what all those keys unlock, Daniel inserts one into the wall port beside an elevator and twists it. The doors open and they are taken up to the middle floor, into the brown hallway, reaching Daniel's Sherwood door. Another key unlocks it and they enter.
It is dark within the apartment. The smell of cut wood blanketed by carpet seduces Noe's sense of smell. Pistachios thicken the atmosphere.
CLICK.
Daniel turns on the ceiling lights and subsequently chases away the darkness. Now able to see, the three Ephrenes walk down the hallway bordering the entrance and into a studio apartment. From corner to corner, one by one, Daniel switches lamps on to further brighten their path.
"Aside from nature, I never knew dark green and brown could look so good together," Feng Mian twinkles.
From the massive, thick couch to the central dinner table, the two colors rusticly complement each other. The decaf coffee upon the counter provides vibrant energy. Lined glass flowers refract like diamonds here and there as if furbishing the apartment with jewels. Five closed doors break the bricked walls hugging this living room.
Most importantly, a warm smile greets them, "Welcome home."
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