How it begun:

"So tell me why exactly do I have to go out with you and not my friends?" Sora was nothing but a collateral victim. She knew that from the moment her brother came in and asked her to come with him out.

"We are in Amsterdam. Do you know what I'd like to do in here, noona?" She scoffed. She had a few ideas. "The red district has been mocking me from afar. Don't you hear it?" She blinked.

"Hear what?" Her younger brother rolled his eyes. He was 20 but the number didn't mean a thing. He was still acting like a teenager.

"The red Heaven is calling me" She stared at him as if he was stupid. He really was.

"I'm going to the hotel" She was ready to turn around and leave when he grabbed her arm and pulled her back.

"I'll owe you one if you help me here" She sighed. He put up his innocent puppy face and blinked. He knew she could hardly ignore that face.

"What's the plan?" He jumped in happiness and hit the air excitedly.

"We're supposed to go around and look at the architecture. While you go do that and find something you like, I will go do my job"

"But it's night. How am I supposed to look at the architecture? Besides, you are the architect, remember?" He sighed.

"Just go around and do something" She rolled her eyes. She saw him preparing his money and leaned in.

"Not until dawn" He nodded and left happily. She was in some place unknown in Netherlands. She knew something bad was going to happen

She walked around for approximately an hour. She checked. It was boring and she had no one to speak with. Some people were staring and some other people were ignoring her to the point where they rushed past her and almost hit her.

Somehow, she ended up in the red district as well. She was watching the models on the display with mixed feelings. That was a job even if it was one of the oldest and most shameful. She stopped in front of one girl who looked to be her age. She was blonde but her roots were black. She was truly beautiful but her eyes were empty. She was just like a shell.

"That's the risk of the job" Sora blinked quickly and looked around.

There were many people around but only one was staring straight at her. The lady crossed the street and stopped next to her. She lighted up a cigarette and even pushed one towards Sora. The younger girl shook her head and refused the offer.

"They are taught what kind of mask to wear for each client" Sora turned towards the model.

"She is unfortunate" The woman scoffed.

"She got herself into it willingly. She is not unfortunate. She chose to be there in the first place" Sora sighed and bit her lip.

"Life isn't fair, is it?" The woman chuckled.

"It depends. Just because you show something doesn't mean you sell yourself. Some people only use temptation for fun" Sora was a curious person and that sounded interesting enough. "Do you want to see a place like that?" Sora nodded eagerly. The woman chuckled. Her face, her behavior and even her voice; everything was reminding Sora of a fox.

"Do you know what a succubus is?" Sora frowned. The woman smirked and turned the corner.

"A mythical creature that feeds with uality" The woman laughed loudly. Ever her laugh was so cheeky. If she wasn't awake, Sora would have bet she was taunted by the Devil. But that wasn't realistic. She wasn't dreaming and didn't consume any type of drugs.

"Men. Succubus feed on their energy. They it all out until there is not even a small drop of life in their eyes" She gulped. "By the way, my name is Gigi" Sora nodded and slightly bowed out of reflex.

"I'm-" Gigi made a sign for her to stop.

"You're going to enter a place that will seem like a dream. But it's not. It's the world of sin, where you get to live as you had never lived before. It's the world where every sin you commit won't be judged. You're just a mask through other masks" The woman inspected Sora from head to toe and noticed the shoes.

Gigi opened two black doors and led Sora through the veil.

A man dressed in red walked towards Gigi and started to talk to her. That let Sora to check out the room she just entered. Her eyes widened and she gasped at the scenery. There was a stage in the front, enlightened by reflectors. It was in the form of a semi circle and it was empty. It had no décor; only a woman who was singing with her soul on the sleeve. She was a little chubby but she was beautiful. The curtains behind her made it even more mysterious. Sora was curious what was behind those curtains and what kind of secrets they were hiding.

A set of black couches with a wood table at every three couches were decorating most of the middle part of that place. It was definitely bigger than what she imagined. There was a bar on each side of the entry. The lights were dim and she could barely see the faces of the people there. However, she noticed there weren’t many; maybe 15 at best. It was still early, probably. That definitely didn’t sadden the singer. Overall, the place looked like a scene from a movie. It looked nothing like Moulin Rouge and she had seen it and even helped her brother make a paper about it. But it had the same feeling as the movie Moulin Rouge. It was surreal.

"Who’s this?" Sora got out of her reminiscence when she heard the man and saw him pointing at her. Gigi smirked and looked straight into Sora's eyes. The girl could feel something grabbing her and taking her into the abyss. Actually, it felt like she entered some kind of magical place. It was dangerous but she didn’t feel threatened by it.

"Chaussure Rouge. That's her name" Sora was getting entangled into something she never expected to ever see and feel on her own skin.

That night was surreal. Sora witnessed women and men getting in and out of a dreamy state. It was just like a storm. They would get completely compelled by the burlesque singers and dancers. No matter how much she tried to understand and stop herself, she would always find herself with a full glass of alcohol in her hand.

"This is incredible" Gigi nodded and took a smoke.

"Appearances can be deceiving. Just because they look at you tauntingly and seduce you doesn’t mean they cross the line. They are nothing but normal people with normal lives" Sora tilted her head to the side and noticed a man following a young girl through a side door. "That's the Paradise. But don't be scared" She could already sense the tension and fear crawling up Sora's back. "They do not have any ual interaction. I don't let my girls do that"

"Then what happens?" Gigi shrugged.

"Anything the girl wants. It's not about what the client wants. It's about what you want him to him want. She can read him Mobby for all I care" Sora's eyes were still locked on that wood door.

“So she’s manipulating him” The older woman raised an eyebrow.

“I prefer the term seducing. She seduces the money out of him for practically nothing. That’s true art” Gigi quenched her cigarette and grabbed Sora’s chin. "There is one golden rule in this type of business. Remember this because it's the cornerstone. Romantic relationships are forbidden. Do not fall in love with a client or with a colleague. It only brings bad news" She nodded. She could understand where she was coming from. It was bad for the business and for the employees.

"Why are you telling me this? And why did you take me here?" Gigi chuckled darkly. Sora could feel herself getting further into Gigi's dark world.

"Because you looked like you needed a break" Sora frowned and fidgeted.

"From what? My life goes smoothly" Gigi lit another cigarette and asked for a drink. She turned her head and looked into Sora's black eyes. There was something squirming in those eyes. A desire to break the rules and go against the flow. Gigi could see it clearly. She had seen it from the moment she laid eyes on her.

"You need an escape. A break from the conventional. A break from who you are and your smooth and boring life" Gigi walked away and entered the same mysterious wood door.

Sora was blown away. She found herself with another glass in her hand and she drunk it quickly. At some point, while she was watching the show, she started to feel dizzy. It felt exactly like someone was coming towards her. She couldn't move but she could stand there full of anticipation. She felt two hands wrap around her waist and pull her backwards. She glanced over her shoulder but that person covered her eyes with his hand.

"Just let yourself free" It was a man. She was sure. He pulled her towards the side and from the corner of her eye, she noticed the wooden door. He pushed it open and pulled her inside.

Behind that door was a long corridor with more doors on each side. He opened the closest one and pushed her in. She could barely make up how the room was like. Her head was numb and so was her body. She could only let herself be pulled around.

One thing she knew. There was a double bed that looked very inviting.

The man pushed her softly on the bed and hovered over her. He kissed her neck and went downwards. She was in a euphoric state. He chuckled and bit her lip playfully.

"Never forget this night-" He whispered in her ear. She nodded absentmindedly. "-and never come back" She nodded without even registering what he said. He laughed bemusedly and got off her. "Adieu, Chaussure Rouge" Her vision was getting blurry and she started to hear some buzzing sound. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

"Sora! Come on, Sora" She mumbled something and wiped groggily. She opened one eye and saw someone hovering over her. She didn't realize who he was at first since her vision was still blurry. "Sora, it's morning. Where the heck have you been?" She recognized that tone instantly. It was her younger brother. Her eyes widened and she took a look around. She was on the street, exactly where they split. She frowned and got up. "Did you stay here for the whole time? I'm sorry I took so long but when I came back I didn't see you here" She stared at him questioningly.

"Here?" He nodded and pointed at the place she just got up from.

"You were leaning against the wall, sleeping like freaking Sleeping Beauty. People were staring at you" He didn't seem very ashamed of that last fact. He was worried, though.

The whole way to the hotel, her brother was speaking about this and that. He started to give details about his night but she only blocked his voice out. She had her own problems. Like, how did she get back on the street? And what actually happened?

"Was it all a dream?" She mumbled under her breath. It was really weird. She could still feel that guy's hands and kisses. Those spots he touched were still burning. She touched her lip and sighed. If it was all a dream, why did everything feel so real?