They were led through eerie streets that curved in various directions to various places Maizah wanted to explore. Maizah had heard that, if one were to stand from high ground and look down upon the city, they would see the layout was just as circular as their omen symbol.  Seeing the arching stone roads and waterways for herself, she could believe it. The infrastructure was refined and sophisticated; the homes built close to each other with bridges to connect them. It was a great fit for the uneven terrain, some homes low at sea level and others higher into the rolling hills and mountains, and what the bridges couldn't blend the clouds did. 

They truly were as low as people alleged. There were clean, thick, white wisps dancing through the air like a cotton blanket upon the city. They simultaneously made Ataraxia seem both soothing and forbidding. 

The city had a natural light to it without the addition of candles or lanterns. Despite the fact, there were a few lights scattered about— little golden lanterns hung carefully among trees that looked like overgrown fireflies if you didn't look too closely. They were beautiful, and the woven patterns on the sides of the lanterns left stunning shadows all around.

The shadows looked a lot like flowers.

"It's late," Zinnia said as Maizah continued to take in her surroundings. "Please don't wander around too much. Schedules are busy here, and I wouldn't want you to disturb someone with an early awakening."

"Yeah, yeah," Maizah said distractedly. "Of course."

They passed what must have been the city's main marketplace, an incredible number of empty booths lined up side by side. They also passed what looked to be some type of school, the building larger than any of the ones she'd seen thus far. It bore the Teio Omen's official symbol across the front as well as words she couldn't quite make out beyond the mist.

Eventually, they stood before a large building which, like many others in Ataraxia, was elaborate in design. This building, however, appeared to be burrowed into the ground, the bottom half hidden by hills and mounds. It was lit up in gentle, warm lighting, and Maizah exhaled deeply as she followed Zinnia closely on her heels over a stone bridge.

"Here we are," Zinnia said, gesturing for the siblings to enter first with a single hand. 

"Wow," Maizah said with wide eyes, taking in the surprisingly vast amount of space. From the inside, the building appeared humongous where it had originally seemed merely big. The roofing stretched far above her head creating an overwhelming feeling of openness and freedom. Wide windows extending all around the structure were sure to let in plenty of natural light in the morning. "This is just... Wow! Lucky you, you get to live here!"

She gave Jacinth a playful elbow to the chest as she said it, but she barely reacted.

She seemed stunned— like perhaps she'd gone into a bit of a shock, even— and Maizah couldn't blame her. A part of her couldn't believe any of this, either. Kamaria and Issa were equally silent at her side, spinning around again and again as if a thousand glances would never be enough.

"This is insane," Jacinth muttered, a hand clutching her chest.

Zinnia smirked. "You can pick your own room. I believe there is only one other family currently here, but still be cautious and knock. I wish you all a comfortable night with sweet dreams."

With one last smile, Zinnia made her exit.

Violetta turned to Jacinth but her eyes remained trained on the floor. "I will come around tomorrow morning to give you a more adequate tour. Don't sleep in."

"Hey! Wait!" Maizah said before she could turn to go. Violetta stood silently, waiting for her to state whatever was on her mind. Maizah tilted her head to the side. "What if we want to stay here longer than the night? Just to make sure my baby sister is okay and all?"

"Lyn!" Jacinth gave her a shove and Maizah snorted. "I don't need you here and you're not that much older than me!"

"You don't mean that," Kamaria said. She smiled as kindly as she always did, but Maizah could see the slight irritation in her eyes. "Who knows when you may next get the chance to see us?"

"Well, make use of this moment," Jacinth said.

Violetta's attention was finally drawn directly their way, but she regarded them all as if they had lost their minds. After some moments of consideration, she said, "if you want to stay longer than the night, you have to pay."

"How much?" 

"More than you can afford."

Maizah stared in shock as Violetta swiftly exited the inn.