I

"With all of this, you must be dead tired, right?" She flashed a wide, ear-to-ear grin, showing off her teeth. "Come on, let’s get you some rest."

I nodded in relief, letting my guard down for a moment at her cordiality. "Thank you for being so kind."

"You think I'm kind?" She narrowed her eyes. "Thanks. You'll see as the days go by that some people aren't what they seem. Give us time; I promise it’ll be fun."

We began climbing the first flight of stairs in silence. Our footsteps sounded hollow, casting a persistent echo. I could hear the occasional sigh escape from Ruby. I noticed she was incredibly strong; she carried my luggage as if it were nothing, whereas Tom had struggled much more with it. She, on the other hand, was even sending texts with her free hand. We turned left and continued gaining more and more height. Even as we reached the third floor, she remained silent.

"String Woods... is that the name of this house?" The question slipped out as I tried to break the silence. I had been quiet for far too long.

"This is the EOS Residence. 'String Woods' is the name of the whole compound."

"Compound?"

"In this complex, we live isolated—all the groups of idiots who wanted to be in CDC’s worst era."

Her too... I thought. Everyone seemed unhappy with the agency, not just with Tom. This led me to wonder if he was in the same position as them or if he was part of the problem. I’d find out in time, but at that point... I was far from knowing.

"Do you not like being here?" I asked the obvious to break the ice. "Why are we on the outskirts of the city?"

"They say it’s for our safety and to 'inspire' us to compose... I say the contract was designed by a psychopath to keep us all tucked away," she laughed loudly, pointing through a large window we were passing. "Look... there, that tiny lit-up dot is the Hellion mansion; they’re the closest thing to civilization we have. Athara’s place is way over there in the distance. If you squint, you might be able to see it."

Ruby tucked her phone away, sighing again. That last breath was heavy, loaded with a stress she couldn't hide.

"There are other smaller buildings nearby, but you don't need to go there; those are for the employees. By the way... if you want to order food or need the maintenance ladies, it has to be during the day. Anyone other than us is forbidden from being in the residence at night. Everything locks down at 10:00 p.m. Whatever didn't make it in by then stays out until 5:00 a.m."

From the final flight of stairs, a loud piano melody could be heard—intense and heartbreaking. Today I know it was the Grande Sonate pathétique, but in that second, it was just an imposing melody that had caused me yet another micro-heart attack.

"Did it scare you? That’s Rose. She plays that Beethoven piece almost every time she’s... 'like that.' It’s good for her to vent her feelings; it gives us a warning that it's time to leave the house."

She laughed again, while I let out a "he-he" that was almost real just to avoid being rude.

"How many levels are there?" I wondered, starting to believe she was going to leave me on the roof.

"Your name is Mia, right? Like... mine in English?"

"Yes. No one’s ever told me that before," I replied. She’s actually very nice, I thought for an instant. "Do they call you Ruby because of your hair?"

"My hair is this color because my name is Ruby. In fact, my emblem in the group is a ruby. Have they given you yours yet?"

Excitement hit me instantly. I felt like I had been chosen for something important just by having my own symbol. It seemed like a brilliant idea, so I asked about the others'.

"They didn't put much effort into thinking them up," she replied, "so it won't be hard at all to guess."

Ruby stopped on a landing and gave me a slow look, drifting toward the print on my t-shirt.

"Do you think yours might be a peach because of what you're wearing?"

"Well, I hope so, because I love them and it would be unpredictable—unlike yours, at least."

"You know what... I'm not going to say another word. You're right," she admitted, laughing in a different way. This time, her laugh was contagious.

She stopped in front of a solid wood door, smiling at me from the side of her mouth. "We're here. Sorry for the long walk; it’s just that all the rooms are taken and, for now, you’ll be here."

"Thanks for helping me, Ruby."

"It’s nothing. Look," she began pointing down the hallway, "that access at the end is your bathroom. Here, right in front of your entrance, is my room. Those way over there, on the oooooother end, are Alice, Luna, and Rose’s. If you value your life, don't knock after ten at night. Those doors follow the same lockdown rule as the main entrance."

"Understood," I nodded.

Ruby opened the door, and the screech of the hinges must have left some permanent damage on our eardrums; it sounded horrible. There was no light; everything was in total darkness.

"Watch your step," she warned me before heading up the final stretch of stairs.

The sounds of more steps followed—this time made of a weak, brittle, and old material.

"Ruby... I can’t see anything," I whispered, reaching my arm out into the void.

"Yeah, well..." I felt her hand hit my face by accident. Without apologizing, she grabbed my hand and pulled me. "When I moved into this house, I was afraid something would crawl out of here at night and come to my room," her awkward laugh surfaced again. "I guess you're not too bad for an attic monster."

These last steps also felt eternal. Maybe there weren't many, but the fear of my foot breaking through the rotten grain made every step slower. When we stopped, I heard Ruby struggle with a rusty lock; she gave it a little kick at the bottom and, pushing with her body weight, the door gave way.

Click!

With the sound of the switch, I was blinded by a yellowish light that pierced my corneas, and I inhaled half of all the stale-smelling dust floating in the air.

That wasn't a room... it was a graveyard for their things. There were bags piled up, broken furniture, giant cases for all kinds of instruments, and sheets that I assume were once white, covering the junk in that dump. Boards were leaning against the walls, and then there was me: a new box in the warehouse.

"Home sweet home," Ruby said, dropping my luggage and kicking up exactly the amount of dust I was missing to finish ruining my day.

II

That woman intended to abandon me there without giving me any explanation. I grabbed her sweater just before she crossed the threshold. She shot me such a severe look from the corner of her eye that I let go instantly, almost by reflex.

"Hey... I can’t live here. This place is abandoned."

"Discuss that with Tom," she replied with total indifference. "Oh, before I forget, here."

She shoved a broom, a mop, and an old bucket that felt sticky to the touch into my hands.

"Smile," she said, capturing a photo with her phone. "I have to show Tom that I've delivered the package."

"Weren't you going to help me?"

"With carrying your luggage, not with sweeping or unpacking," she raised both hands to wave them in the air. "My fingers are worth gold... you know?"

The wood creaked again, and Ruby spoke from the other side just before closing:

"Later, 'Mine.' Make yourself comfortable... as best you can."

Clack.

The lock returned the silence to the attic. I spiraled into a crisis immediately. I clutched my head with both hands and crouched down, trying to take a deep breath, but it only made me feel nauseous and dizzy.

"This isn't happening... I can't survive a year under contract..." I let myself be overcome by remorse. "I shouldn't have listened to Tom. I should have ignored him. It’s true... I'm a burden to everyone. I was stupid, I was irresponsible. I’m going to fail, and they’re going to fail because of me. This is... too much."

Thinking about all of them watching me completely broke me. I couldn't blame them; what was an opportunity for me represented their entire lives for them. It wasn't a stroke of luck, but years of effort.

I couldn't do this to them. I had to quit.

I spotted a mattress under the grey cloths amidst the pile of furniture. It was difficult, but I managed to pull it out and drag it a little.

"Tom lied to us... I don't know how I could believe something like this was for me."

Without covering it with anything, I collapsed onto the bed and shielded my eyes with my forearm.

"I can't think anymore... I'm exhausted. Tomorrow I'll know what to do."

With my first tear, a heavy drowsiness washed over me that I had no intention of resisting.

"Yeah... tomorrow."

III

I slept deeply, indifferent to the conditions of my surroundings. My first sunrise in String Woods woke me. I didn't know what a real rehearsal was; like any ordinary person, I mistook their practice for loud music, so I woke up with an unusual calm, lulled by the distant sound of their strings.

I forced myself to keep my spirits up. I thought that if fate had shown me a shred of compassion, maybe I’d have a chance to move forward. I put on my noise-canceling headphones and began cleaning with my own playlist at max volume, moving boxes and heavy furniture until that corner was fit for living.

I had no idea that, three floors below, the noises I was making... were driving Rose insane.

"I can't stand her! She needs to leave NOW!" she screamed in the rehearsal room, eyes fixed on the ceiling.

"She hasn't even been here a day," Luna intervened. "Let her take someone else's spot to buy us time while we void Ruby’s signature and find someone else."

"This is your fault!" Rose turned toward Ruby with fire in her eyes. "We're going to lose the damn final because of you and that intruder!"

"I don't hear anything," Ruby replied, wrinkling her nose as the vibration of a dragged piece of furniture reached the walls. "Whoa, that's loud... Anyway, weren't you the one who caused all of this?"

Luna and Alice put their hands to their faces, sick of the tiresome monotony of hearing them fight at all hours and in front of anyone.

"If you weren't so arrogant and had accepted any of the candidates, Tom wouldn't have solved the problem with the first person he found."

Ruby loved pushing Rose's patience until she boiled over.

"Are you defending him?" Rose asked, her jaw tight.

"Oh no, no—I'm just blaming you, Rose."

"The best thing is for everyone to be quiet and stop wasting time," Alice interrupted, fixing the sheet music on the stand. "The arguing isn't going to change anything; this is a matter for lawyers now."

"You're being very hard on Mia, Rose," Luna was peculiarly restless. "We don't know how Tom might have tricked that girl into this mess."

"Sit down," Rose’s dry voice was heard. "We’re not finished."

Ruby had stood up to leave the studio without saying another word.

"This conversation bores me, Rosie. I'm going to practice somewhere we won't get in each other's way," she replied, closing the door carefully.

Rose would have preferred a slam to Ruby's indifference. Seeing her leave, she stopped shouting. She remained thoughtful, staring at the threshold a second too long before sitting down with the others to continue.

The day was hard and lonely. I didn't risk leaving the attic; I was afraid of crossing paths with any of them. I survived on the leftovers from the day before, but I knew I’d have to show my face soon.

At least I had a slightly cleaner place to sleep. Though... who am I kidding: I only stayed busy all day because I accepted there was no turning back. I asked myself: What if I'm repeating the same mistakes? Maybe I'm destined to fail.

I felt confused and very alone. But then, the sound of a melancholic tune pierced through the glass against the twilight and, somehow, made me feel like I wasn't the only one overwhelmed by loneliness.

I moved to the window seat. I noticed the glass was sealed. I pressed my face to the pane, searching for the source of that melody.

It was Ruby.

But it wasn't the Ruby I had met. It was the most repressed part of her heart letting itself be felt; a melancholy that enveloped her and, without knowing it, accompanied mine. In that instant, I experienced the strange warmth of feeling understood. I understood, as my first lesson of this new reality, that music exposes you completely. And without seeking it, I received the truth of who she was with an open soul.

I listened to her in silence and, little by little, my breathing calmed, but the knot in my throat tightened again when I noticed that Ruby had looked up.

She was watching me—this time with a gaze that had no edge, but an hypnotic peace that left me motionless and exposed, exactly like her.