"Yes, Dina , I'll be fine." I assured my sister one last time before the taxi stopped in front of the apartment building. As the driver stepped on the break, my left arm instinctively wrapped around April's tank, holding her close to me. April's the closest friend I have, apart from my older sister who kept her alive for the four years I was away in the army. Tomorrow, it's gonna be April's fourteenth birthday, so I don't intend to let her die now.
"Are you sure? I'm a bit worried your roommate is one of them, can't be too safe, you know." She mumbled back. "I mean, it's not too late to change your mind."
"Mr Emerald, we're here." The driver announced from the front seat, so I gave him a nod. Then, the young man got out of the car to get my luggage in the trunk.
"Hey, Dina, I'm already twenty five. I don't want my lovely elder sister taking care of my ass forever." I chuckled painfully, knowing fully well that I'm now in a new city I barely knew of except for the little information I got from researching while on the plane and an incomplete map I studied two years ago; plus, my sister is about three thousand kilometres away.
"Who said I don't wanna?" Dina replied. "Yeah, I got a girlfriend living with me and all, but we still can afford to feed another mouth, you know. I miss your ugly face already even though I just saw you last night."
"We can always video call." I sighed. "Yeah, I miss you too, gonna miss your macaroni and cheese too. Nonetheless, the government's willing to feed me since I'm a golden rank in war, one of the best geographer out there, plus my novel hit off last week, so...?"
"Geographer is just a fancy word for map nerd, Melon." I couldn't help but laugh when I heard her laugh. "Your novel? 'Hurricane'? Writing a fan fiction about your superiors and change their names count as a novel now?"
"Hey, it was a fan fiction, but it's now a brand new perfectly edited published book, and guess what? People love it, so cash came into my account. I'm gonna write a sequel."
"Alright, as long as you don't go flat broke or being murdered, then I'm fine."
"Bye, sis. Gotta go."
"Bye, little Melon." I giggled when she blew me kisses through the line before my phone screen went blank.
"Mr Emerald?" The driver opened the door, and my guess is he's a year or two younger than me with bleached white hair and dark tanned skin. "Your luggage is being delivered to your room by the housing service. May I help you with your..." He hesitated a moment, but then I realized I was still hugging April's bowl. "...Gold fish?"
"Oh, it's fine. I can take her up myself." I gave him an awkward smile and stepped out of the taxi into the double glass doors waiting for me. Above the doors stood a giant letters in gold 'Willow Residency' over the light grey paint, and the same can be seen inside behind the receptionist counter where a woman was talking on the phone. Her ginger hair was in a perfect bun matched with her red blouse and lipstick. I know that face, Fyrra Easton, my favorite high school cheerleader.
I still hugged April to me while my green off-colored laptop backpack hung comfortably from my back, and I just stood there awkwardly in front of her, internally panicking. Okay, do I look presentable enough to meet an old friend?
Of course, my new hair cut is a bit messy since it's too short to tie, my baby blue hoodie jacket hasn't been washed for a week, my black tank top is probably too short since it shows off my belly button and my loose jeans only hung on my hips because of a leather belt Dina gave me. My reflection on April's polished tank reminded me of the fact that I have zero make up to cover the dark circles under my dead gray eyes in contrast to my pale complexion from the lack of sunlight. Damn, I look like a zombie after not sleeping for a few nights. How did I even I got out from the airport looking like this?
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Stone." Fyrra dropped the table phone and greeted me with the widest smile any cheerleader could make. "Hello, Mr Emerald, I've been expecting you."
"Hi, Fyrra. Haven't seen you for a while." I returned her smile. "I'm fine with Melon."
"It's been like — what – six years?" She laughed so ladylike that elite women hated her for it. "And you still got April!"
"Yeah, yeah, she lives."
"Brandon!" She called out, and a few seconds later, another young man in dark red tuxedo came out of the small door next to the elevator.
"Wow, a fishie!" His light blue eyes sparkled the innocence of a child.
"That's right. This is my friend Vermilion Emerald, and they're moving into floor 13, room 2. So... Get this fishie to their place, I'm giving them a tour." Brandon nodded and gave me a polite smile with dimples on his tanned cheeks as he reached for April.
"Be careful, she's turning fourteen tomorrow." I said as soon as I let go.
"You can trust me, sir!" His smile widened and in that moment, the elevator behind him opened, so he gracefully walked in before the automatic doors closed. Okay, either this guy is part cyborg or luck is just on his side or his buddy was in the control room.
"Brandon is one of the Willows who own this place." Like reading my mind, Fyrra explained. "The Willows work for the Throbs, so it's obvious now, isn't it? His brain was damaged when he's ten, so his parents did what they had to to avoid death."
"He seems nice, I guess."
"Mr Vermilion Emerald?" Another female receptionist voice called from behind, so I turned around to see a shorter ginger head in the same uniform behind the counter. Her green eyes sparkled and her lips far apart before twisted into a smile. "You're the author of Hurricane! I thought your name on the list was a just prank!"
"Um... Yes?" I returned her enthusiastic grin.
"Ooh my gosh, you're gonna live here!" She squeaked and tapped rapidly on her keyboard, so name lists and room numbers showed up on the expensive desk top computer screen.
"Don't be too excited, Merle." Fyrra giggled. "I'm giving Melon a tour."
"You're on floor 13, room 2. And Brandon said you have a cute gold fish." Merle breathed out. "Oooh, and you're living with the Shadow Demon."
"The what?" A Shadow Demon? Boy, what the hell! Shadow Demons are immortal killers who roam the plain for hundreds of years. I could have researched his name... What was his name again? Saltor Stone? Salvor Stone?
"A Shadow Demon, Mr. Salvatore Stone." Fyrra gave me a wink. This better be a joke, I was a Crystal geographer, and he's an Aster soldier, an immortal one who probably has at least a hundred confirmed kills. And remind you, Asters and Crystals don't get along before the Peace Treaty. Moreover, the only reason why our current government decided to give rent free apartments for war soldiers was to strengthen the bond of the Peace Treaty. Little do they know, their people don't exactly get along. What if your roommate is someone you accidentally shot in the battlefield?
"Damn, I should have known..." I murmured. Dina was probably right.
"Hey, it's gonna be fine, Melon. He's a librarian now."
"He's a what now?"
"A librarian, his shift ends at five." Fyrra gave me a another cheerful smile. "And he'll be back like all Mondays. Don't worry, he's nice, hasn't hurt anyone yet."
"Just because he hasn't hurt anyone yet doesn't mean he's good." I retorted. We're talking about a man I don't know except for his name and the fact that he's a Shadow Demon, that fact alone is enough to scare anyone.
"He doesn't really talk, been here for a month, two weeks after the Peace Treaty day." Merle added. "He's kinda scary, so I never talked to him."
"Alrighty, now let's go on our tour shall we?" Fyrra pulled me into the elevator.
We first arrived on the roof top where a sky-bar was located, but it's sad and empty because it only opens at night after 8 pm to 2 am, said the all mighty Fyrra. I still admire the city view from up there, Main City is really different from Stitch City, one where I came from, which was full of factories and apartments were really close together, so natural fresh air is rare. However, in Main City, every apartment building or skyscraper takes over a whole block, giving space for fresh air to fly around. I can even see the Vein Tower, also known as The Asters' New Headquarter, from across the city. But back in Stitch City, the tallest skyscraper is called Dragon's Staff, and it belongs to nobody, just abandoned there for like a century. Then, we went down to the twentieth floor, a floor under the sky bar where a pool and a gym was located next to a few other rooms.
"There's also a gym and pool on your floor, too." Fyrra told me as she pressed the button to floor 13. I just nodded and noticed that it's already 11:20 am on the elevator screen.
"Cool. Anywhere I can get lunch?"
"Floor 2, we have a cafe and a restaurant. Food and groceries are on the first floor, two shops behind the receptionist counter. Or you can just take a walk to the mall five blocks away. In front of it is The Main City Historical Hall of Records where Mr. Stone works."
"Thanks, Fyrra. I'll see you around!" I gave her a wave and got out of the elevator into the white wallpapered hallway. Okay, let's find room 2. In front of the elevator is a white door with the tag '01', and the door a few meters away from it tagged '03'. I made my way to where the gym and pool should be, and there it is, right in front of the gym, '02'. Across from it is '04', right next to the gym.
I scanned my fingers on the doorknob, so it pinged and opened up for me. The place was rather neat because the first thing I see is the spacious kitchen, a bowl of lemons seated on the marble kitchen counter next to a chopping board where a bread still remained haft cut. To the left was a glass dinning table, and I let out a sigh of relief when I see April's resting in her bowl on the dinning table. Beside it held a fire place. I walked passed the kitchen to see a light orange luxurious sofa with a matching coffee table in front of a TV. On the coffee table stood an iron sketch representation of a cactus, like someone's too lazy to take care of a real cactus.
Without wasting more time, I walked passed the dinning table to an opened door perpendicular to the bathroom. Before I reached the room, I tried opening another door before it, but it's locked. Oh, so this is his room. Alright, let's get moving.
I didn't get moving.
As soon as I got into my new room, I went face first onto the silky bed even though it caught some dust after the room not being unused for a month.
"Salvatore Stone..." I mumbled out of memory and quickly pulled out my phone to do some research, going directly into Crystal's Archives. Salvatore Stone... The information had taken a few seconds to load:
[Name: Salvatore Shale Stone Silverin
Age: 100+
Date of birth: N/A
Race: Shadow Demon (second generation)
Height: 1.89 m
Family: Sapphire Shale (deceased biological mother), Flare Ruby Stone (deceased biological father), Seryuah Silverin (deceased adoptive mother)
Origin: N/A
Power Summary: Petrification, Shadow travel, Flight?
Weapons: Shadow dagger, Shot guns
Fraction: The Asters (present), The Master of Shadows (past century)
Kill count: 300+
Past occupation: Madison Aster's body guard, Patetic Aster's head assassin, Master of Shadow's General
Current occupation: Manager of Main City Historical Hall of Records
Current address: Willow's Residency, Main City
Contact number: N/A
Note: extremely dangerous, Six-State war criminal of Crystal Alliance, capture date: 2 Jan 11, release date: 7 Feb 20 (Peace Treaty Day), prison location: Feroz Prison ]
Hell, his kill count is over three hundred and probably more. Great, nothing to worry about, just your new roommate, Salvatore. And what is even 'second generation' Shadow Demons? They're all immortals, can't be killed by old age, but still suffer from the pain and death by suicide or assassination. They know who his parents are, but not his date of birth and age?
Alright, let's start decorating for real and get my mind off him. Nothing bad's gonna happen as long as I don't mess with him.
I sighed in exhaustion after I had put up the last of the cute hanging light bulbs over my vanity. My clothes are set in the closet, the new flowery bed sheet is on, my trophies are displayed on the desk shelves... Oh, and April's new home will be on my desk next to my desk top. The last thing I need to do is to gather all the card boards and throw them away or recycle them somewhere.
I let myself slide down from the ladder and hit the ground before deciding to just turn the air conditioner to the lowest temperature possible since I'm tired and hot. As I turned around to find the control screen, an involuntarily yelp escaped my lips when a figure just stood there at my opened door, crossing his arms while his cold blue eyes are regarding me. Just like all Shadow Demons, his skin is grayish-blue like the evening sky and wild dark hair with a few strings of white. The white turtleneck sweater and black jacket looks good on him too if it wasn't for the fact that he's staring me down and his cheek bones look like they can cut tension in the air.
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