I think it was about 7 P.M. when I saw that blond man. The sky was already dark and I think it was around 17 degrees outside – just as cold when you’re in an air-conditioned room in one of those fancy buildings. I was on my way to my night-time job and the man’s bleach blonde hair stuck out from the black and brown ones of the crowd. I just shrugged it off—although it was obvious he was lost. He frantically looked around, tried to read the (probably already vandalized) street signs and tried to ask people who went by, but everyone ignored him, including me. He begged at me to help him but I just told him off (“To each his own, newbie”).

     I never would’ve thought that I’d see him in the same bistro I worked at though. It was a slow night; there wasn’t really anyone in the small eatery except for a pair of lovers, a couple of rowdy boys, and him. I found it more entertaining to watch the blond man eat with a pout and worry his head out than the gang that beat each other up. After all, when one of them was knocked out and they had no one to beat up anymore, they just left; while this guy here continued to pull his hair out and looked to be figuring out something that was written in the paper he was holding.

“Found something entertaining to do, Sol-cchi?”
“Old man, I thought I told you never to call me that.”

    The owner approached me with a tray full of broken silver and chuckled. Okay, I have to admit he isn’t that old. He’s in his late-30’s and his hair is still brown (but I saw white hair the other day), plus he isn’t in some damned hospital tied to a kind of machine that’s supposed to keep him alive. He’s still well and all that . He turned to the blond man while I simply walked to the backroom to dispose of the broken silver.

“Maybe you should—“
“Not a chance.”
“You didn’t even let me—“
“I already know what you’re gonna ask me and “hell no” is the answer.”

The owner just chuckled and smiled at me.

“You never know it this one might turn out differently—“
“No.”
“Sol-cchi~”
“Shut up, old man.”
“It’s time you moved on from—“
“I said shut up didn’t I?”

He smiled sadly and walked towards the blond man. They talked and laughed and obviously the man’s mood lightened up because of the owner; I just groaned and sulked in my place. The owner is probably going to ask him if he needed help and if we—meaning I—could help. Blighted owner… And here he comes with the blond man now, looking relieved and smiling like a dork.

“HimChan, this is Sol-cchi--”
“Ae Sol, old man. I don’t want another copy of you calling me nicknames.”
He chuckled and turned to the blond man, “HimChan here was lost and was trying to find an address. I told him we could help—“
“Meaning I could?”

The owner handed me a piece of paper that read:
“Room 108, BLDG 66
Lucifer St. Across Faithful Ave.
Sixth District, Seventh Peak City"

I groaned and shook my head.

“Old man, no.”
“Sol-cchi, I know you could help. I’m sure you—“
“No.” I looked at him straight in the eye, at the blonde man, then back at him, “unless you want him to turn out like the others.”

I quickly walked to the backroom and started washing the dishes. Knowing the owner, he would probably take that risk, he’d say it would be different—that he’s different—but the only difference there ever was in these people I “helped” is how long they survived… And even in that aspect, the difference isn’t really that noticeable.

“Ae Sol—“ I stopped washing the dishes and groaned as the owner approached me.
“Okay, old man, let’s skip the lecture part and get right to it; why do you think he’s any different?” I looked back at him and he just smiled.
“He’s got spunk and he’s from the Twelfth Settlement—“
“So was the other guy—“
“And he doesn’t know about Seventh Peak—“
“So did that guy from Fifth Hook—“
“And I sense he’s got a family issue.”

The owner… “senses” this guy’s issues? I laughed.

“Look, I know you say some crazy but “sensing” a person’s problems in life is just—“

The owner smiled and I caught my breath at what he said.

“He’s the same as you.”

     I massaged the bridge of my nose as the man beside me continued to bombard me with more and more stupid questions; asking why the skyscrapers were so tall, why they were made of glass, why were other people were not greeting each other, all that was left was if he would ask why the sky was black instead of blue (and to any kindness left of this place, I hope he doesn’t).

“The trees here are so different than ours. The texture is so slippery and plastic-like—“
“That’s because it is plastic.”
“Eh?! Do you convert a tree into plastic or is there some sort of special seed that—“

I quickly covered his mouth with my right hand and rolled my eyes. I looked around and put a finger against my lips.

“Shh.. There are spies everywhere. I can’t talk about here because they might find out about Seventh Peak’s secret process of making plastic trees.”
HimChan nodded slowly.
“Now. I’m about to say something and I’ll only say it once so listen up.”
HimChan nodded again and leaned his ear to my lips.
“It’s very important that you—SHUT UP.”

He covered his ear and pouted at me while I simply grabbed him by the arm and continued walking up the street towards our destination. Sure enough HimChan watched his words and held back his curiosity, although he’d still ask a question now and then;

“Where are we going?”

     I simply smiled at him as we separated from the crowd and continued to a more isolated part of town; up the sloped street, through narrow alleyways, and finally arriving at a district where there was almost no soul in sight. The buildings along this block looked abandoned (though I doubt that they’re unoccupied). We walked towards a clean-er looking building decorated with vines and cracks along the red brick walls. I walked towards the old oak door, inserted a key in the keyhole, then gave the door a bit of a nudge. The door opened and revealed a decent-looking house.

     I nodded towards HimChan to come in as I hung my jacket on the coat rack. HimChan hesitated in coming in at first; I think it had something to do with their tradition of leaving shoes before coming in. I told him it was okay and we proceeded to the living room.

“Welcome to my humble abode”, I said as I fell on the couch, “or house, apartment, whatever you wanna call it.”
HimChan awkwardly sat down on one of the armchairs while he looked around, “So is this the place…”, he spaced out for a few seconds before continuing, “written on the paper, I mean.”
“No. I’m sorry to say that room one-o-eight, building sixty-six is no longer with us”, although I’m not really sorry, hey everyone loses their home now and then.
“I don’t understand—“
“Building sixty-six was burned to the ground three years ago when one of the tenants pissed a Master. Naturally, whoever gets on a Masters’ nerves would receive their punishment. Basically the guy was engulfed in an infernal doom under the quiet black sky.” I stood and looked out the window, towards the same black sky, then back at HimChan, “Romantic, isn’t it?”

HimChan simply raised his brow and looked at me with… a quizzical look.

“Burning from the wrath of one of the most superior bastards in this city; a much better death than being stabbed by a slum thug, right?”
“Excuse me, I don’t really see the point in looking forward to how you die; I can’t even see how you’d want to die in any other way than the natural—“
“Lying in your death bed, waiting for your last damn breath to be breathed isn’t really a memorable way of dying.“
“But being murdered is—“
“Burned, newbie, burned by the wrath of a Master.”
“Pardon me but I’d rather we not talk about death.” He sighed nervously.
“If you don’t want to think about dying then you’ve come to the wrong place.”

He secretly glared at me, sighed, and rested his face in his hands. While I simply threw him the key to the last room on the right on the second floor, informed him of this location, and proceeded to my own room on the third floor.

As I approached the bedroom door an ice-cold breeze brushed against my skin. The hallway window was open again. I walked towards the end of the hallway and… Found the window tightly closed. Apart from the hallway window I can’t remember any other—I quickly run towards the bedroom and kicked open the door…

Everything in the bedroom was closed, everything was quiet, everything was dead. The windows closed, the vents locked, and any other possible entrance would need the intruder to be at least as small as a mice. I shrugged off the feeling and threw my bag on the bed before sitting at the bedside. The ‘message’ light on telephone on the bedside table blinked. I put the phone on loud speak pressed the button next to the blinking light.

“You have four new messages”, the machine declared, “to hear them press one—“

I pressed ‘one’ on the telephone pad.

It was quiet; nothing but the low howling of the wind trying to get in the windows could be heard. I was about to skip the message when I heard heavy breathing. It was coming from the phone.

“…Shin Ae Sol.”

I quickly skipped the message and felt my trembling hands. That voice… That man’s voice sent shivers down my spine. That voice was as cold as ice—no, colder. I can’t get up; my knees are shaking , my breathes are quick and shallow and I—

“Ae Sol I know you.”

I caught my breath.

“I know you just skipped that last message so don’t worry, I didn’t waste my breath on saying anything other than your name.”, the man on the message sighed and chuckled, “Well, good news is I’m free of them. I’m free!”

“I doubt it” I said to myself.

“Although I’m sure you’re not gonna believe me but—I’m free! Ae Sol…. I’m gonna leave Seventh Peak. I’m gonna go to Thirteenth Luck—that’s your hometown, right? What I want to say is, let’s leave together! Let’s—“
“Hey boss I found him!”
“Oh !!”

The message ended.

I pulled my knees closer to my chest and listened to next message quietly… That guy has always been stupid…

The third message started.
A sound of a punch… Then a man coughing.
“Now then…Tell her what you told us earlier.” An unfamiliar voice ordered.
“Sh-She—“
“She who?”
“Kwangmin, relax.” A voice similar to the earlier one said.
“Shut up Youngmin. Now, who is she?”
“Shi-Shin Ae Sol. Her name is Shin Ae Sol. Sh-She serves under codename Beats of Angel who is supposedly in possession of information being auctioned to Ninth City investors with the starting price of one billion—“

A gunshot to interrupt the confession.

“Oi Youngmin what the--!”

Message end….

“Don’t give up on him, Ae Sol.”